With the month almost in the books, its time forRolling Stonemovie critic Peter Travers to bring out his handy scum bucket, tossing in the 10 scummiest movies of the merry month of May. Its an especially gross list this time around, so our critic brought along a special guest monster-movie legend Godzilla to help digest the waste.
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Fittingly, the creatures Bryan Cranston-starring reboot is up first at Number 10. While Travers isnt too harsh on the flick, saying he enjoys the last 20 minutes when Godzilla is on the screen, he takes issue with the boring set-up and especially Cranstons wigs. Up next is Steven Brills by-the-numbers comedyWalk of Shame, which stars Elizabeth Banks in a boring morning after plot (Really? Thats as much a concept as you people could think of? Travers says) that gives the actress little of substance to work with.
Number Eight, the dramaGods Pocket,is a major heartbreaker because of the talent involved. Travers calls the film a slog a shaky directorial debut forMad Menstar John Slattery, with Philip Seymour-Hoffman wasted in one of his final screen appearances. The next scum-tastic film isThe Angriest Man in Brooklyn, which stars Robin Williams as a man with 90 minutes to live, trying to reconcile with his friends and family. (Cant you just hear the overacting? Travers asks.) At Number Six is the crime-thrillerDevils Knot, which focuses on the famous wrongly-accused murder case of the West Memphis Three; but Travers says this story was better told in documentary form: Its not much better than a documentary. Its not much better than anything. Its bad.
Travers saves his strongest hate, however, for the scummy Top Five starting with rom-com disaster The Love Punch, which stars Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson in a one-note plot. (Godzilla, I think you would throw up if you chewed on this one, Travers says.) Meanwhile,Legends of Oz: Dorothys Returnis an eye-rolling sequel to the original classic, andThe Amazing Spider-Man 2wastes the acting talents of Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield on an unnecessary film that represent(s) the worst in Hollywood.
The worst of the worst? Number Two is the Angelina Jolie-starringMaleficent, which updates the Sleeping Beauty story with a bizarre feminist tilt that ruins the whole vibe. (Take a kid to it, and the kid will hate you forever, Travers promises.) And no drumroll is needed for the reveal of Mays scummiest film, the atrocious Adam Sandler vehicleBlended. Travers calls the leading man the Michael Bay of actors, saying, If he didnt make a bad movie for summer, it wouldnt be summer. Between flat romantic scenes with old friend Drew Barrymore, Travers says Sandler tosses out the worst jokes I can remember hearing in movies in this century. Not even ol pal Godzilla can help find the good in this one.