Saturday, March 24, 2012

Top 12 Movies Of 2011

-Top 12 Movies of 2011-

It's been well over a year since I've posted on here and although often when I talk with friends, I say, "I should write a blog about that", it's obvious that I never have. I've written this blog in my head months ago and it probably wouldn't be up this week if some people (you know who you are) hadn't demanded (in no uncertain terms) that a new blog go up before the end of the week. So, in that case, thank you and for your consideration...

It was another great year in film, personally. 2011 is notable for many reasons in American film, one of them being the releases of the most sequels in one year. Many of which were good and appear on my list. But, other sequels did not fare so well. It was definitely a year of high and lows, but you can't go wrong with any of the movies on this list. Personally, they may not appeal to you, but I loved each and every one of them in their own way.

Now, you may ask (or may not care), why a top 12 instead of a top five or top ten? This is just my opinion, but I think in any given month out of the year, there should be at least one film you want to see in theaters. However, this is not often the case. The summer months or over the Christmas holiday you have two to three great movies released in one month, leaving those months jam packed and then a bit of a lull in months where there are not any movies that would ever coax me into seeing them on the big screen. Instead, I would much rather wait for them to come out on DVD or ignore them altogether. But, thankfully, there were at least 12 movies that come out this year worth watching on the big screen. Hopefully you did so, because full disclosure, I did not. Hopefully 2012 will be different, but for now, these are my Top 12 films of 2011 -

(In Alphabetical Order)

50/50 (Rated R for language throughout, sexual content and some drug use. )
This was one of the gems of 2011 in my honest opinion. Starring Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendricks and Bryce Dallas-Howard (appearing in two of my favorite films of the year), it tells the story of a young man dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Equally hilarious and heartbreaking at times, it walks on the tightrope between them and never wavers. 50/50 balances the two elements of the script perfectly. I was fortunate enough to see this one with a friend on the big screen and I'm glad I did. If you haven't watched this one yet, I'd highly recommend it. It's not often a movie can make you laugh and cry as well as this one does. Love this movie.
50/50 Trailer

Captain America (Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action)
I definitely had a lot of concerns with this film, having watched the 1990 film (and I'm warning you now, don't do it) and I had some concerns over the casting of Chris Evans. But, thankfully, Chris Evans was up for the task as the iconic Captain America. The rest of the supporting cast was stellar too, including Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving and the consistently underrated Stanley Tucci. The film is excellently directed by Joe Johnston and it should be no surprise to some that he directed The Rocketeer. Captain America shares the same sense of nostalgia and adventure that film possessed. The end result is a great movie that isn't perfect, but enjoyable throughout. Don't watch the 1990 film (seriously don't) and instead watch this great adaptation of Captain America.
Captain America: The First Avenger trailer

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (for brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, and language).
If you've read the books or watched the Swedish adaptations (excellent films in their own right), then you know what you're getting into. This, for me, is the definitive adaptation and I cannot wait for the sequels. If you don't haven't read the books or watched the movies, then it's a great character study and missing persons mystery that you should definitely follow as soon as possible. Rooney Mara is a revelation in this film and in my opinion, she should've won Best Actress for her role in the film. The film is cast so well though with Daniel Craig as journalist Mikael Blomquist who teams up with a computer hacker (the aforementioned Mara) to solve a decades old mystery. I can't say enough good things about this movie, although I'll freely admit it's not for everybody. It is, however, awesome.
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) trailer

Hanna (Rated PG-13 for for intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual material and language).
Another one of the real surprises of 2011 for me as it's a combination of a modern day fairy tale and a high tech action film that I thoroughly enjoyed. Normally, a combination of the two wouldn't work, but here, it's handled so deftly that you can't help but admire it. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana and Cate Blanchette, it's a coming-of-age story about a young girl entering the world for the first time, a fairy tale about a fight against a wicked witch and an expertly crafted action film about a fight against the CIA and a film that you should definitely check out at your earliest opportunity. Like the previous entry, it might not be for everybody, but if you give it a try, I think you'll love it. I know I did.
Hanna Trailer

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) (Rated PG-13 (for some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images). )
With Harry Potter, you're either going to love it or hate it. If you know me, you know which side I'm on. Splitting the final film into two parts was a very wise move. I can't imagine trying to compact all of the epic nature of the finale into just one film. Given the build-up to this film and the record-setting nature of the book series, could this movie possibly live up to the hype? The answer, is a definite yes. If you're a Harry Potter fan, there's no excuse for missing this movie and if you're not a Harry Potter fan, then start reading the books right now. Stop reading this blog and go pick up the books from a friend, local library or wherever you choose to, but get them now. And then once you've read them all, watch all the movies that will culminate in this magical film. Go!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) Trailer

The Help (Rated PG-13 for thematic material)
The issue of racism is always a very controversial and volatile one to discuss, but this is a good film to foster discussion of the topic. It's a feel good and inspirational movie, which balances the often difficult subject matter of racial attitudes in the South and the issue of a civil rights as a whole with some humor and fantastic performances by the cast. Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard (again) and scene-stealer Jessica Chastain all infuse this movie with a lot of goodwill. I believe this movie deserved every award and attention that it received for tackling this issue with grace, powerful performances, humor and a lot of heart. I can't say how it compares to the book (which I'm in the process of reading right now), but the movie was one of my favorites of the year. I can't stress how impressed I was with this film.
The Help Trailer

Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol (Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence)
This is, hands down, my favorite action film of the year. Going into the holiday season, I was looking forward to this film as the follow up to one of my favorite action films (Mission Impossible 3) and since it was being directed by Brad Bird (director of The Incredibles) making a transition to live-action film. The result is a resounding success. If Mission Impossible 3 didn't, then Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol definitely absolves Tom Cruise of any of his couch-jumping insanity. Apart from the awesome Tom Cruise, you have a spectacular cast including Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Micheal Nyquist, Lea Seydoux and the never-fails-to-amuse Simon Pegg. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to watch this movie and enjoy!!
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol trailer

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some drug material).
It is a great time to be a Sherlock Holmes fan. Not only do you have the excellent version of Sherlock on the BBC (which I can't recommend highly enough), but you have a stellar version of Holmes and Watson played by Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law respectively on the big screen. They're joined in this outing by Noomi Rapace (who you may know from the Swedish version of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Jared Harris, who expertly plays the villainous Professor James Moriarty. The original movie is one of my favorite films that I've ever seen, but this film might be even better. A stellar sequel in every way possible and one of the best films of 2011. The game is afoot!
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Trailer

Reel Steel Rated (PG-13 (for some violence, intense action and brief language).)
Many people will reduce this to "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots" the movie or "Teleroboxing" (if you had a Virtual Boy.), but it's not. With winning performances from Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo and Evangeline Lilly, this is a film about relationships (which as I've been told by a very wise man is what all of life can be reduced to)., specifically the relationship between father and son. Real Steel is what many people, myself including, went to the "Transformers" movies hoping to see. Robots you can cheer for and cheer I did, out loud, more than once. One of the feel-good movies of the year and definitely one of the best. Give it a chance and you'll be pleasantly surprised that you did.
Real Steel Trailer

Super 8 Rated PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and some drug use).
Directed by one of my favorite directors, J.J. Abrams (Alias) and produced by Steven Spielberg, this is one of the highlights of the year. It's buoyed by stellar acting from all of the child actors involved, especially leads Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning, who were just so enjoyable to watch. I'd be remiss in not mentioning the excellent soundtrack from Micheal Giacchino, which only serves to underscore the sense of nostalgia, hopefulness and mystery that pervades the movie. It's a mystery movie, a monster movie, a coming-of-age story and one that I am just positively thrilled to recommend. Oh and don't forget to stay after the credits. You won't want to miss that. Going into this movie, I knew that I'd enjoy it and I did not walk away disappointed in the least. In fact, I walked away with a fist pump into the air and a smile on my face.
Super 8 Trailer

Thor (Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence)
When it came to summer, there was probably no movie I had lower expectations for than Thor. Boy, was I wrong. The God of Thunder translates perfectly from the pages of the comic book to the big screen, thanks in large part to the performance by Chris Hemsworth, who is some spot-on casting for the role. In fact, every role in the film is spectacular with Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard, Anthony Hopkins, Clark Gregg and Kat Dennings, who manages to bring a lot of fun into every scene she's in. I also cannot say enough about Tom Hiddleston, who brings a lot of depth and talent to the role of Loki, who I was certain was unplayable. Kenneth Branagh balances the action, humor and story all extremely well with a very steady hand. This is one of my surprises of the summer and a definite success. Marvel continues their streak of successful adaptations with Thor and makes me say words that I didn't ever think I'd be saying: I cannot wait for a Thor sequel.
Thor Trailer

X-Men First Class (Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence; some sexual including brief nudity and language).
Now if Thor was the movie I had the lowest expectations, then X-Men: First Class was the film I was most worried about. I loved the X-Men as a kid, loved the comics, loved the movies (until the third one) but was genuinely concerned about the movie. I talked about it quite a bit (and my apologies to anybody who had to listen to those worries and thank you), but it turns out in the end, I had absolutely nothing to worry about. The end result is not just one of the best films of the year, but one of my favorite superhero films. The casting, as is becoming the norm thankfully in comic book adaptations, is stellar. James McAvoy, Micheal Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, January Jones, and a fantastically evil Kevin Bacon are just some of the stars that make up this film. Credit must also go to the amazing script and the direction by Matthew Vaughn, who previously directed the awesome film Kick-Ass. It's a very intriguing storyline, intersecting historical events with the rise of mutants, which is well-done in my opinion. This is considered a prequel to the earlier films (even if the timeline is irrevocably screwed up), but in the end, I just am looking forward to their sophomore class. It's a fresh start and hopefully a springboard to a new franchise of X-Men movies. Make mine Marvel!
X-Men First Class Trailer

And there you have it. Now, I've met my blogging quota for the year. Look forward to this blog around this time next year for my favorite films of 2012.

I kid, I kid.

Sometime soon (though with me, that's a very relative term), I'll post the movies that I'm looking forward to the most in 2012. Will 2012 find another 12 great movies? We'll have to wait and see, but for now...

Stay Classy.

1 comments:

Rick March 24, 2012 at 5:10 PM  

I loved the list and agreed with most of your choices, although I didn't see all of them. I particularly liked Super 8. Didn't Green Lantern come out this year? It wasn't on the list.

Great job on getting this posted - now I'm looking forward to at least one interesting read a week.

Thanks, Rick

  © Blogger template 'Darken' by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP