The "Sutton At The Movies" Achievement Awards

The Oscars are tonight, which reminds me that I actually have yet to do what's become a yearly tradition for me: the "Sutton At The Movies" Achievement Awards. I'll be the first to admit that's not a very original title, but what do I care? Anyway, this is the one post out of the year where I honor the best (and sometimes the worst) of the movies I saw the previous year. So without further ado...

• Best Movie: X-Men: First Class
• Best Actor: Michael Fassbender, X-Men: First Class and Michael Parks, Red State (a tie!)
• Best Actress: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, The Thing
• Best Supporting Actor: William Fichtner, Drive Angry
• Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, X-Men: First Class
• Best On-Screen Team: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifinakis, The Hangover Part II
• Best Sequel: The Hangover Part II
• Best Action Movie: Hobo with a Shotgun
• Best Comedy: The Hangover Part II
• Best Horror Movie: Paranormal Activity 3
• Best Remake: Fright Night
• Best 3D Effects: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• Worst 3D Effects: The Green Hornet
• Best Hero: Chris Evans, Captain America: The First Avenger
• Best Villain: Colin Farrell, Fright Night
• Best Fight: Seth Rogen vs. Jay Chou, The Green Hornet
• Best Movie Based On A Comic Book: X-Men: First Class
• Worst Movie: Sucker Punch
• Worst Advertising: Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star. It probably would have been "Worst Movie" too, but I didn't actually see it.

And thus concludes the S@TM Achievement Awards for the year that was 2011. I'm already looking forward to seeing how the 2012 version will pan out, with The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, and a bunch of other movies I'm looking forward to seeing coming out this year. The year has gotten off to a slow start, with only Chronicle really getting above mediocrity (though I did think Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance was a lot of fun).

But like I always say, we'll just have to wait and see. Here's hoping 2012's movies don't suck.

Kate Beckinsale In 3D? Yes, Please.

And in other, unrelated news, I got out of the house last week, before my trip to the doctor's office, to see Underworld: Awakening, my first visit to the movies of 2012. I'm bummed I missed the whole month of January, but the only thing that caught my attention all month was The Devil Inside. And it got such horrible reviews (I actually heard stories of audiences booing the movie as it ended), I'm almost glad my health kept me at home. But now I almost have to see it once the DVD comes out just to see if it really is as bad as I've heard.

But we're here to talk not about The Devil Inside, but about Underworld: Awakening. I honestly haven't seen the first or third Underworld movies, but I figured I might as well give it a shot. It's Kate Beckinsale fighting monsters in 3D; how could anything go wrong?

The truth is, though, that the movie is just more of the same thing I've seen out of the first three Underworld movies, only in 3D. It's just Kate Beckinsale fighting monsters, no more, no less. The basic "humans know vampires and werewolves are real" concept is barely explored, and the movie ends up degenerating into the same "vampires vs. werewolves" story as always almost as soon as it begins.

The 3D is really the only thing the filmmakers add to shake things up. And for all it's worth, the 3D effects are just okay at best. It really doesn't add a whole lot to the movie. Yeah, you gets some more depth to the images flickering onscreen, but not much "pops." There's a few moments where the 3D looks really cool, like the car chase near the beginning of the movie, but the whole thing comes off as being more of a desperate cash-grab via increased ticket prices than an opportunity to add a little extra spectacle to the movie. The movie probably works just as well in 2D.

But really, Underworld: Awakening isn't anything special. It's not bad, but it's not great either. The movie is just kinda there. However, it does have its moments and is a fun diversion for a few hours on a boring day. So I'm gonna give it two and a half stars and tell you to see it when it hits the cheap theaters.

Cane And Able

If you're a regular reader of this blog, or a friend (or even mild acquaintance) of mine, then you're probably wondering how I'm doing in regards to my broken heel. Well, I do have some good news for you.

I saw my doctor a few days ago, and he's impressed enough with the way I'm healing that he told me I could lose my walker and crutches and start walking with a cane. I'm actually a little afraid, since I spent a good long while learning to move around with a walker and now I have to spend six weeks learning how to walk with something new. The scariest part of it is that I'm afraid of losing my balance and falling down. I've got hardwood floors in my house, and if I fall down, I'll probably be adding to my list of injuries.

But when I see my doctor again in six weeks, I'm hoping I'll have mastered the cane enough that he can give me some more good news. Walking as well as I did before my car wreck is more than likely out of the question, but if I can come out of this whole situation with nothing worse than a mild limp, I think I'll be okay. And I'm okay with okay.