10 Years (2011) starring Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan Tatum, Justin Long, Max Minghella directed by Jamie Linden Movie Review

10 Years (2011)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Jenna Dewan Tatum and Channing Tatum in 10 Years (2011)

Twas the High School Reunion

Jake (Channing Tatum) and his girlfriend of three years Jess (Jenna Dewan Tatum) are heading back for his 10 year High School reunion. There they catch up with many of Jake's old friends such as Cully (Chris Pratt) who was a bully and sports jock back in school and plans to make amends for his past behaviour during this reunion. There is also Marty (Justin Long) and AJ (Max Minghella) who seem to be doing okay but seem stuck in the past when it comes to their infantile behaviour. There is also Reeves (Oscar Isaac) who became a bona fido rock star but finds himself mooning over Elise (Kate Mara), the girl who got away. But much to Jake's surprise his high school sweetheart Mary (Rosario Dawson) shows up and who he can't get out of his head which maybe why he can't pop the question to Jess despite feeling she is the one.

I have never been to any of my school reunions despite often thinking that school was the best years of my life and would love to relive those stress free days again. The reason I have never been to a reunion is partly because I don't fancy spending an evening recapping what I have done for the last x amount of years and partly because I know they will never be anything like what the movie's make them out to be. That brings me to "10 Years" another High School reunion movie which other than having a cast list full of well known names and a rather awkward style offers up nothing out of the ordinary.

Oscar Isaac and Kate Mara in 10 Years (2011)

What I mean is that "10 Years" serves up similar characters, similar secrets, similar issues and similar scenes which you will find in all those other reunion movies. That ranges from a scene featuring the guys heading outside to smoke some dope to one guy trying to ask out the girl he fancied at school but never had the courage to do anything about. We also have one guy who hasn't told his wife what he was like at High School and who he hung out with so he is awkward and embarrassed when it all comes out. I could go on because whilst after what feels an eternity there are some moments of depth for the most it is typical and ordinary.

The biggest trouble which "10 Years" has is expectation and that is because of the number of well known names who appear in the cast. Whilst having Channing Tatum in a movie might sway those who fancy him the fact his character is wafer thin makes his part boring and that goes on because with the exception of Oscar Isaac and Kate Mara the rest of the characters are forgettable and those playing them are under used.

What this all boils down to is that "10 Years" just didn't do it for me and it was a case of another reunion movie hitting the same notes as 90% of the other reunion movies but failing to serve up interesting characters to draw you in.


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