Its been a rough year at the movies. After a year in which their were seemingly untold masses of both critical successes and financial successes you can scarcely find either kind this year. Sure fire blockbusters have stumbled, critical darlings can’t be found, and damn near nothing has surprised anyone and become a bit of a hit. Sure Alice in Wonderland has become a bit of a monster overseas, but outside of How to Train Your Dragon you’ll be hard pressed to find a bankable film with any legs since Avatar was initially released seven months ago.

Now sure, I’ve been quite satisfied but the rise of exploitation films which are turning up at the multiplex, but even out of those you can’t find a film that doesn’t have its share of flaws. So by the time I got around to Get Him to the Greek I had resigned myself to the fact that 2010 simply wasn’t going to contain many, if any, hidden gems at the the cinema. For the time being I am happy to admit I am completely wrong.

Well, maybe not completely, as one good film certainly isn’t enough to stem the tide of mediocrity that has flowed through multiplexes so far this year. But make no mistake, Get Him to the Greek is a good film.

Its funny, has great music, dark and somehow has found a way to not ruin almost any of its jokes because of its trailers. Inn fact, nearly every trailer has been cut with footage that never appears in the film. So rather than spoiling the film, the trailers actually keep the audience guessing, a trick I wish more comedies would employ. Oh sure the film stumbles at times, and it by no means is a perfect film, but time and again Get Him to the Greek found a way to keep me on my toes while it entertained me. I just wish being entertained wasn’t such a rare site these days at the multiplex.

Well, don’t watch it in 2D either, because it is a terrible movie.

But if you insist to watch this insipid remake simply because it is the big new release this weekend let me tell you that you will be flushing your money down the toilet. As has now become fairly common knowledge, the 3D for Clash of the Titans was tacked on at the last minute due to the studio (way to go Warner Bros.) deciding they wanted in on the seemingly sudden desire of the movie going public to watch 3D films. Who cares if the film was ever meant to be seen in 3D, or if they’d even have the time to produce a quality transfer that might actually be worth the extra $3.50 that’s dolloped onto the ticket price.

No, they’d rather just count the dollars as they giggle with glee at their clientel paying more money for a shoddier product. Why they think blatantly ripping off their customers is a good way to keep them coming to the movies is beyond me. So save yourself the hassle and the inevitable headache, use the money to buy something from the concession stand and support your local theatre, and then watch the film it was always meant to be presented as, in 2D.

Or better yet, you can go watch an outstanding 3D movie, like How to Train Your Dragon, and kick yourself for not watching it sooner.

Normally I’d be embarrassed at including a rather blatant mainstream cash grab of a film as something that people should go out and watch. Oh sure its based on well known and liked children’s book but what isn’t these days? But a funny thing happened while watching the trailer for How to Train Your Dragon, it actually looked interesting. Not only that, Toothless, the dragon in the film, looks freaking awesome. Way better than that silly Doug the Dog from Up. Or whatever its name was. So while this normally might be considered a guilty pleasure, right now I think their is a great chance I won’t be feeling guilty about watching this in the slightest.

Official Site
Film: How to Train Your Dragon
Director: Dean DeBlois
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Craig Ferguson
Release Date: March 26, 2010