2011 review

Yes, I know, I haven't touched this blog for almost a year, I have gotten really busy lately. But I decided that I should post something new, so I decided to give my top 11 list of 2011 (why 11, because it was 2011, I think 11 would be appropriate)

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 – A perfect way to end off a series, I think the great thing about this series was that the cast stayed the same (except for Dumbledore, but honestly you can’t do much with that), and also that there really wasn’t a bad movie in the series (there were a couple that weren’t great, but honestly that’s it). There much excitement in the theater during the early shows, and honestly, that is when a movie is fun. Plus a really good story that is well crafted.

2. Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol – Many third sequels aren’t good (Batman and Robin, need I say more), but honestly here they got creative and pushed the boundaries of intensity a bit. They had a strong crew for this with the likes of Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg. I say the best way to see this is IMAX. And this is my favorite in the series.

3. Captain America – This was one superhero that I wasn’t really looking forward to seeing on the big screen, mainly because I don’t think much when I see this character, I was so wrong, this was a great movie, one that exceeded my expectations, and really made me like the character more. Plus it had a really solid story and was much fun to watch.

4. Super 8 – Think of ET and The Goonies meshed together, you get this. I felt the strongest thing about this was how much it had the feeling of a movie that could have been made back in the 80s. Plus a really solid cast, mainly with people I don’t really know. That’s right, you don’t always need a Hollywood Class A cast to make a movie good.

5. Hugo – Personally, I think 3D got really abused this year, it had potential, and still sort of does if they can not make every movie 3D, but this was one movie that actually really used 3D to their advantage, and was a big part of the story. This was such a unique world to explore, and had a lot of nice history of filmmaking. This also had a really good story, and good things to think through. This one should not be missed.

6. Moneyball – A movie really doesn’t always need car chases or explosions to be good, if it has a good story and strong acting, then a movie can be great. I learned a few things about Baseball that I never really thought about before. Plus I think this is one of Brad Pitt’s better roles.

7. Rise of the Planet of the Apes/ X-Men: First Class – Honestly I had a hard time taking one of these off the list so I decided to have them at a tie. Both prequels (maybe Rise of the Planet of the Apes may be more of a reboot but not sure) and they certainly restored my faith in prequels and made me see that they have stronger potential then what they tend to be. As well, this X-Men movie was the best one I have seen in a long time, and was well crafted. Rise of the Planet of the Apes had some really strong performances, and can make you feel sorry for a soon to be villain, honestly X-Men First Class was also great at doing that too.

8. Rango – This was definitely one of the weirder movies that came out this past year (Tree of Life is way more trippy), but because it was, it was a ton of fun to watch and had many elements that make a movie great. Personally I see this one winning Best Animated Feature at the Oscars.

9. Thor – Again, one of those superheroes that I didn’t have much anticipation for, but it was good. Man, the visuals were very cool to look at.

10. Limitless – This was one movie that had a very different concept than was is normally found in the movies today, and a very interesting way of presenting it.

11. Muppets – I never really watched the series as a kid or many of the movies, but this was a ton of fun to watch. I really enjoyed the many cameos throughout the film.

Movies that didn’t make the cut but are still worth seeing: Unknown, Source Code, Rio, Kung Fu Panda 2, Real Steel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Lincoln Lawyer, War Horse.

Now with 2012 here, I am making a list of the top 12 movies I want to see this year

1. The Dark Knight Rises
2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
3. The Avengers
4. Brave
5. John Carter
6. Hunger Games
7. Journey 2 the Mysterious Island
8. Wrath of the Titans
9. Men in Black 3
10. Man on a Ledge
11. GI Joe Retailiation
12. This Means War

Other Mentions: Chronicle, Secret World of Arriety, Lorax, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Mirror Mirror, Safe House, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Battleship, Snow White and the Huntsman, The Amazing Spider Man, Madagascar 3, Ice Age 4, Bourne Legacy, Total Recall