The Wolfman

I saw this in the theaters and hated it.  I had great expectations for it, very few of which were met.  The writing was pretty bland, the dialogue was cheap, and the character development was uneven.  Watching it months later, though, I have a new appreciation for it.  It's certainly not a new classic, but it's fun nonetheless.  The dark, gothic imagery is effective without being overbearing.  The melodrama is poured on a little thick at times, but the actors make it good enough to enjoy as a guilty pleasure.  This movie, like The Core, is further evidence to my belief that a good cast can make a bad movie enjoyable.

The Bucket List

Seems like there was a lot of hype around this one, which tends to make me skeptical. But waiting until a few years after it came out allowed me to watch it without much expectation. Also, having just turned 50, I was in the right frame of mind for a film about stuff to do before you die...

But hey, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, now that raises my expectations, and they did not disappoint me. And the story avoided a lot of potentially silly and trite stuff, while still being a touching drama, mixed with enough comedy and, well, just hanging around cool places around the world to keep it interesting and fun. In the end I really liked it, and will surely watch it again...