It's not a big surprise, really. January is usually a very weak month as far as new, wide releases are concerned, and this first month of 2009 was certainly no exception. Indeed, it was dreadful for the most part!

But let's take a quick look at what sucked and what ruled in theaters in January '09:

THE BAD

Where to start? The very first movie I saw in theaters this year was "Bride Wars," and it was a truly painful experience. Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway waging war against each other sounded funny at first, but the actual battle turned out to be a pathetic experience.

Other comedies in January included "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," which really sucked, and "New in Town," a rather boring and totally unsurprising romantic comedy with Renee Zellweger. As for Thor Freudenthal's family comedy "Hotel for Dogs," it didn't exactly win me over either, although I admit it was more entertaining than the previous bunch.

January is also known for its terrible horror flicks, and this year's list was particularly bad. "The Unborn" featured a sexy Odette Yustman, but that was it. Everything else in that movie was just plain ridiculous and anything but suspenseful. The same goes for "The Uninvited," which I really couldn't stand. "My Bloody Valentine 3-D" boasted awesome 3D effects, but the film's plot remained rather weak throughout.

What else? Bill Duke delivered "Not Easily Broken," and while it wasn't all that bad, I admit it still ended up being pretty forgettable. "Inkheart" disappointed me as well, and as for "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans," it featured some decent action but lacked an interesting story line.

THE GOOD

Believe it or not, but I did see some solid flicks in January, even though they were heavily outweighted by all the suckers above. Probably the best new release was Pierre Morel's fast-paced thriller "Taken." The film's story, of course, was completely over the top, but the film at least captured my full attention throughout. And to be honest, watching Liam Neeson kick ass really turned out to be a whole lot of fun.

Another flick I enjoyed was George Tillman Jr.'s biopic "Notorious," which boasted an awesome soundtrack and told the intriguing story of the life and career of Christopher Wallace.

Now, I admit I saw a series of fantastic films in January, but most of them were limited releases that opened in December and expanded during the first weeks of '09. They don't really qualify as January '09 releases, but they kept my hopes up all throughout this dreadful month. Highlights included "The Wrestler," "Gran Torino," "Revolutionary Road" and "Defiance." Heck, I even enjoyed "Last Chance Harvey."

And that's it. Had it not been for the expanding flicks, I don't know what I would have done. Give up going to the movies? Hide in bed for a few weeks? Anyway, I'm glad it's over.