2011 Movies
My Top Picks
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2: The series ends with a bang. This was undoubtedly "Harry's Year". I think it was always going to be that way. There were so many years when I thought Harry deserved to be number one only to be topped by Lord of the Rings or other series. At eight GOOD movies, Harry deserves all the accolades it gets. It was sad to see it end.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes: This was the surprise remake which almost cost Harry the throne. Wow. If you're going to do a reboot, then this is how you do it.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Prototcol: Tom Cruise is back in top form, thanks mainly to Brad Bird's excellent directing but to give Tom credit, he played the part very well.
Super 8: I know that the intention was mainly to copy (erm "Homage") Spielberg but even so, it was a very enjoyable film for the whole family.
Hugo : Very impressive, particularly in 3D. Interestingly, there's a theory going around that says that watching it in 3D can correct the vision of people who can't see 3D.
Battle of Warsaw 1920 (1920 Bitwa Warszawska): Very interesting and "textured" movie about Poland going to war against the Communists in the years after WWI.
Unknown: Liam Neeson is a very watchable action hero these days.
Thor: In a year filled with far too many bland superhero films, Thor went the extra mile.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules: A great sequel which had me laughing more than I have in most recent adult comedies.
Gnomeo and Juliet: Much better than it had any right to be.
Source Code: No, it's not a "great" movie but it's one of the few movies I've seen this year which isn't a kiddie flick.
11-11-11: Surprisingly Good.
Notable Mentions ("Surprise" Films)
Real Steel: Wow, I expected this to be a poor transformers style film but instead we got a movie with a whole lot of heart.
Apollo 18: Genuinely scary.
Darkest Hour, The: Surprisingly good with an exotic feel to it.
Rango: I wasn't expecting much
Very Harold & Kumar Christmas, A: The birth of a new Christmas Classic? Perhaps. Certainly the best use of 3D since Avatar.
Cars 2: There were bad reviews and there was no enthusiasm. I was very surprised to find myself enjoying this film.
Bad Teacher: Much better than it had any right to be.
Red State: Surprisingly good and with a poster which gives the viewer absolutely no clue what the film is about.
Water for Elephants: One of those films that looked like it was going to be tedious but turned out pretty good.
Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, The: Much better than I was expecting but still 45 minutes longer than it should have been.
Help, The: Again, better than expected.
Lion of Judah, The: I was expecting a pile of religious brainwashing but this turned out to be a pretty good story with great characters -- and Ernest Borgnine.
Beaver, The: Considering how unwatchable Mel Gibson is these days, the movie was a lot better than expected.
The Smurfs: I avoided this for as long as I could but it ended up being ok.
Siberia. Monamour (Sibir. Monamur): Russia at its depressing best.
The Biggest Disappointments
Shark Night 3D: I love movies where seafood eats people but this... heck it was boring.
Red Riding Hood: Great atmosphere, good concept ideas, good actors, great special effects. It takes a very poor director to get something that had this much going for it so wrong. Totally wrong. The Twilight of werewolves ... only much worse.
Battle: Los Angeles: Words simply can't describe how awful this film is. No plot, poor direction, shaky camerawork, dodgy CGI and bad actors. Yuck!
Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil: Awful. The first one wasn't great. This one is BAD.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon: As good as every other transformers movie in the series. I've officially fallen asleep in EVERY single one I've watched.
Sucker Punch: I had very low expectations for this film because the trailer made me think it would be all CGI kick-ass with no story. I'll have to try again but I've already tried to watch it twice but it's so bad that it's very hard to watch.
The Green Hornet: It looked like a parody of a superhero film. That would have been ok. Instead it's half-serious, half-parody, entirely undecided - and full of unlikable characters to boot.
Hop: Not every CGI film is good
Drive: Everyone else liked it. Maybe I was tired. I don't know. I just know that I had to turn it off part-way through because it was less exciting than watching paint dry.
All the films I've seen at the Cinemas in 2011
Battle: Los Angeles
Rango
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Source Code
Hereafter
Bridesmaids
Mr Popper's Penguins
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Contagion
Puss in Boots
Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, The
Films from 2011 I've seen on the "small screen"
11-11-11
Adjustment Bureau, The
Another Earth
Apollo 18
Arthur Christmas
Bad Teacher
Beaver, The
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
Captain America: The First Avenger
Cars 2
Cedar Rapids
Change-Up, The
Conan the Barbarian
Cowboys & Aliens
Crazy Stupid Love
Darkest Hour, The
Dolphin Tale
Dream House
Drive
Drive Angry 3D
Final Destination 5
Fright Night
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The
Gnomeo and Juliet
Green Hornet, The
Green Lantern
Hangover: Part II, The
Hanna
Happy Feet 2
Help, The
Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil
Hop
Horrible Bosses
Hugo
I Am Number Four
Immortals
Johnny English Reborn
Kung Fu Panda 2
Limitless
Lion of Judah, The
Mars Needs Moms
Mechanic, The
Paranormal Activity 3
Paul
Piranha 3DD
Pirates of the Carribbean: On Stranger Tides
Priest
Real Steel
Red Riding Hood
Red State
Rio
Rite, The
Roommate, The
Sanctum
Scream 4
Season of the Witch
Shark Night 3D
Sitter, The
Smurfs, The
Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World 3D
Super 8
Thing, The
Thor
Three Musketeers, The
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Tower Heist
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1, The
Unknown
Very Harold & Kumar Christmas, A
We Bought a Zoo
X-Men: First Class
Water for Elephants
Way Back, The
Your Highness
Zookeeper
What's Left to see from 2011
The boldface titles are the ones I'm most interested in.
Those with an asterisk * are ones I've acquired but not watched yet.
30 Minutes or Less
50/50
Abduction
African Cats
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked*
American: The Bill Hicks Story
Anonymous
Anuvahood
Arthur
Atlas Shrugged: Part I
Barney's Version
Beastly
Beginners
Big Year, The
Born to be Wild
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
Colombiana*
Company Men, The
Conspirator, The
Country Strong
Courageous
Debt, The
Descendants, The
Dibbuk Box
Dilemma, The
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark*
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night
Eagle, The
Fast Five*
Footloose
Friends with Benefits
From Prada to Nada
Hall Pass
Heart Specialist, The
Homework
I Saw the Devil*
Ides of March, The
Jack and Jill*
Jane Eyre
Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer
Jumping the Broom
Just Go with It
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Kill the Irishman
Larry Crowne
Lincoln Lawyer, The
Midnight in Paris*
Moneyball
Monte Carlo
Mother's Day*
New Year's Eve
No Strings Attached*
Now
One Day
Project X*
Prom
Queen to Play
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows*
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Something Borrowed
Soul Surfer
Straw Dogs*
Take Me Home Tonight
Tree of Life, The
Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family
Wanderlust
Warrior
What's Your Number?
Win Win
Winnie the Pooh*