1941

1941 (1979) – It’s got a magnificent cast, a lot of very lame gags, a bunch of uninteresting storylines, and some truly poor work from Spielberg. 4

Micmacs

Micmacs (2009) – This satire on the arms trade is saturated with Jeunet’s trademark style, creativity and charm, but it’s also over the line into the absurd and cartoony. 6

Sukiyaki Western Django

Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) – This mash-up of Westerns and Kurosawa’s jidaigeki films apes rather than emulates its forebears; it looks good, but it has Tarantino’s stink all over it and the “humor” is painful; not that this film is awful, but it really has no reason for existing. 5

Six-String Samurai

Six-String Samurai (1998) – It’s got some style – enough, in fact, that it doesn’t seem to think it needs any story at all – and while it has more in common with the Japanese swordmaster genre, the Fallout crowd will definitely want to give it a look. 6

Miracle on 34th Street

Miracle on 34^th Street (1947) – Edmund Gwenn is perfect in this incontrovertible classic that features perhaps the greatest courtroom scene ever. 7

I, Monster

I, Monster (1971) – This Freudian take on the Jekyll/Hyde story puts a bit of a new spin on the old material, but it’s not enough to make it fresh; at least Christopher Lee seems to be having a good time. 5

Predators

Predators (2010) – Adrien Brody is surprisingly effective in this fairly predictable but perfectly adequate (if forgettable) film that relies a bit too heavily on the original. 6

Agora

Agora (2009) – Rachel Weisz does a good job in this otherwise bland “historical” drama that depicts Christians as a bunch of murderous, ignorant fanatics. 4

F/X2

F/X2 (1991) – Again, the story’s pretty thin, but the special effects and non-lethal tricks are neat even if they aren’t all particularly realistic (which I thought was the point) – in the end, it’s entertaining, barely, although it’s hard to imagine the main character wouldn’t be in prison after the first one. 6

F/X

F/X (1986) – This is a nice little action “thriller,” even if the story is fairly weak; holy crap, there’s Gordon from Sesame Street! 6