2008 / Mitchell Lichtenstein > While the idea behind Teeth is a boy’s worst nightmare, the failed opportunity at making something bigger, more interesting and/or important out of the story is arguably much worse. Jess Weixler puts in a nice enough performance on a script that is light on ideas, heavy on redundancy. It doesn’t stick as either a horror film or a character study, but may do its job as a quaint little public service announcement for abstinence.

2008 / Pete Travis > Vantage Point is surprisingly enjoyable, though it lacks the sort of depth that’s necessary for a politically charged action/mystery to be intellectually satisfying. It’s sharply cut, adequately acted and has enough semblance of a story to forget that beneath this tiger, there’s actually no engine.

2008 / Matt Reeves > Effectively an extra-long episode of The O.C. with a monster in it, Cloverfield uses and abuses the amateur camera technique to a level where it’s more annoying than satisfying. But the worst thing about the film may be that it tries to put the lives of people who we really could care less about above the story of the monster, which is a terrible, terrible waste of opportunity.

2007 / Michael Davis > Ridiculous gun battles (including a particularly challenging one when Clive Owen and ever-wonderful Monica Bellucci are consummating their relationship), an off-the-wall performance by Paul Giamatti and a short-running time: These are the three essential elements of Shoot ‘Em Up, a film that holds no notion of seriousness, even poking fun at its own ridiculous plot involving babies for stem cell research. It’s a good ride, though I imagine it’ll lack the replay value of better offerings this year (such as Smokin’ Aces).

2007 / Eli Roth > The original Hostel had a cold, unwavering tension in its lack of information that made it so exciting to watch. We had no idea what was going to happen or what the backstory was, so as it unfolded, we were shocked, disgusted and entertained. This sequel, however, decides to educate us on the process by which nice Americans get stuck on meathangers in Slovakia. Gone immediately is the suspense, but increased, in compensation, is the brutality. Unfortunately, these are not equal exchanges, and as the Saw series went downhill after its initial imaginative introduction, it looks like Hostel will follow a similar path.

2007 / Philip G. Atwell > For all its logistical shortcomings, War is still good fun. The fact that Jet Li replaces his punches and kicks with bullets is not problematic, though it’ll undoubtedly disappoint some. However, some of the gunplay is fairly innovative, and the plot, while sometimes dependent on the suspension of disbelief, is considerably above average compared to similar genre flicks. Also: It doesn’t hurt that in the film, Li drives a beautiful, exquisite Spyker C8 Spyder.

2007 / Frank A. Cappello > There’s a strange quirkiness in the way the plot develops in He Was A Quiet Man. We’re never really sure if it’s taking itself seriously or if the whole thing is a sham, but regardless our attention is held by a thin link founded on Christian Slater’s neurotically amusing performance as an overlooked office worker in the big corporate world who just might go postal. It’s odd, sometimes endearing but the premise becomes sillier and sillier as the film wears on until we’re left wondering what exactly is the message that’s being delivered.

2007 / Peter Berg > Up until The Kingdom, Berg had quietly been making his mark on the directorial front. Very Bad Things is an often overlooked, underrated black comedy, and Friday Night Lights is undoubtedly one of the finest sports films of all-time. However, in his foray into the action/drama (as opposed to the action/comedy buddy flick The Rundown), he stumbles over a few heavy-handed messages and a fairly insulting foundation: Jamie Foxx and his FBI crew land in Saudi Arabia to investigate a civilian bombing on international soil as if the Saudi themselves are absolutely incapable of such. This type of convenience in the script is downright silly, but it doesn’t stop there. The central conflict finds a magical solution at the buzzer, though Berg does add a couple of rather nice touches to make us pay attention. The Kingdom is not horrible, but it’s shallow and treads thinly on deep water that could have used some further exploration.