Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 1

So the 7th movie in the series takes a departure from the rest of them and uses a bunch of handheld/shaky footage in some action sequences.

Really was a good movie, and the shaky cam was restricted to *some* of the action sequences. We'll call this one a C+.

The Hurt Locker

Open and shut, a definite F. Lots of handheld work, closeups, explosions, mayhem. Not a steadicam in sight. It was part and parcel with the feel of the movie, but that feel induced nausea in a friend who tagged along to see it in the theatre, and he missed big chunks of the film.

Good flick otherwise though.

Skyline

Sci-fi actioneer. Lots of CG, very much exactly what I expected to see. However the aliens are big, and to give the feel of bigness, any time the characters are running around, and about to get stomped on, you guessed it, jiggle city.

Some handheld work even outside of the peak action sequences, so this one gets a D on the shaky scale. Not recommended for the queasy.

The Other Guys

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg star in a very funny police/buddy comedy.
This is not the type of movie where I would expect any shaky cam, but... there was actually some unexpectedly over-the-top shaky cam car chases. They were completely unwatchable for me. However, these represented only small portions of an unotherwise unshaky flick - so by mutual agreement we decided to give this movie a shaky cam rating of C.
On a side note - I was very appreciative of the social conscience extro animations to the tune (at least some of time) of a labour movement song.

Star Trek 2009

I am a trekkie and I wanted so badly to be able to watch this movie. We went on opening night, had decent seats, had a babysitter - everything was perfect. Initially I hoped the shakiness would be temporary (or even limited to action scenes), but after enduring almost a half hour of nausea, I went home. On this basis, I would give the movie an F - however, since I was unable to watch the entire thing, I feel this may be unfair. Maybe there was blissful stability beyond the 1 hour mark? I will never know.

Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne Ultimatum is the final movie in the Bourne trilogy.

They decided to stay with Paul Greengrass, who decided to stick with the same cinematic style of the second movie. Rapid cuts, fast action, mostly handheld sequences. Not for the faint of heart or weak of inner ear.

Another F.

Bourne Supremacy

The Bourne Supremacy really sort of defines the Shakycam genre.

Sequel to the Bourne Identity, it got a new director in Paul Greengrass, who really went for the jugular in realistic fight and chase sequences. This meant a lot of rapid cuts, hand held shots, action entering and exiting the sides of the frame. Very frenetic, very violent, very nauseating for those who are susceptible.

Even non-action scenes were often hand held, going for the gritty documentary style of realism. Immersive for some, but not for those who have to spend the movie with their head in their hands.

This is our first F. Unwatchable for sensitive people, either close your eyes for a good chunk of the movie, or grab the Gravol.