Box Office Dolldrums

We are 10 weeks into 2011, and good films have been hard to find. It's no wonder that Box Office returns are down and people are openly questioning whether this has been the worst year for movies in the last 25 years.

I think there are a few problems that have contributed to this. First, the economy isn't great. At first, the poor economy impacted travel. Now that the economy hasn't rebounded and costs for EVERYTHING are going up, I think it's impacting the Box Office. And, let's be honest, the theaters aren't helping. Ticket prices are pretty high on their own, throw in the cost of snacks and you're talking about quite an investment.

And that's not an investment the average person wants to make for something like "Drive Angry." I have been a film reviewer since 2003. I like movies and go a lot, not just for reviews. The first 10 weeks of this year have been horrible, both in terms of film quality and in terms of getting excited to see those films. Most of the time, I've just hoped the films won't be horrible.

Don't believe me, let's look at the new releases for 2011. Below is a listing of the new 2011 wide release films I've seen (more than a dozen) and the grade I gave it:

January 7

Season of the Witch — Zero Stars

Country Strong — Two Stars

January 14

The Dilemma — One Star

The Green Hornet — Three Stars

January 21

No Strings Attached — Three Stars

January 28

The Mechanic — One Star

The Rite — Two Stars

February 4

The Roommate — One Star

February 11

Just Go With It — Three Stars

The Eagle — Two Stars

Gnomeo & Juliet — Two Stars

February 18

I Am Number Four — Three Stars

Unknown — Two Stars

February 25

Drive Angry — Zero Stars

Hall Pass — Zero Stars

March 4

The Adjustment Bureau — Three Stars

Rango — Two Stars

Not exactly a stunning list. While I admit that I've given a couple threes, they've all been light threes. Looking at that list I'd be hard pressed to say what's been the best new release, or to identify more than two that I'd be willing to watch again. When you take that information and consider the cost of attending films, it's no wonder the Box Office is down.

And it's not like there's a lot to look forward to. According to a release I saw, 2011 will feature 37 sequels. 37! This has been a rough stretch at the theaters, and the rest of the spring doesn't look much better. The Summer movie season kicks off the first weekend in May, so we have eight Fridays between now and then to see if we can find any diamonds in the rough. And remember, that first month of the summer may not be much better. (Highlights include "Thor," "Kung Fu Panda 2," "The Hangover 2" and "Pirates of the Caribbean 4." Ugh...).

Here's a couple that could offer some hope.

"Paul" — March 18. This film features the team that gave us "Hot Fuzz" combined with the director of "Adventureland." The trailer looks funny and it's possible the movie could be funny. At least I hope it will.

"Water for Elephants" — April 18. This film has a strong cast (led by Christoph Waltz and Reese Witherspoon) and it's based on a New York Times bestseller. The trailer looks interesting and this could be a watchable period piece.

"Fast Five" — April 25. I know, it's a sequel. I also know that a couple films in this franchise were marginal. But the last film was fun, had good action, and was watchable. I don't expect greatness from this film, but if it's a fun and watchable as the last one it would be a step in the right direction.