Yes, 2011 had a large bundle of great movies. Most of which we'll be talking about for years to come. Many proved viewers wrong, others broke box office records and earned high praise from both respected critics and movie fans. I thoroughly enjoyed this year and below are my top ten movies of 2011.
10. Captain America
Captain America was a fantastic movie. I loved the old fashioned feel to it. The Cinematography really grabbed the whole 1940's vibe. Chris Evans was the perfect choice as Steve Rodgers and Hugo Weaving never ceased to please. And thanks to a great score from Alan Silvestri, I've got another memorable Superhero album on my ipod. Yeah, in the middle this movie felt a tad bit rushed, but all n all Captain America is fun time, old fashioned action movie. And to be perfectly honest with you, I thought Captain would suck at first. Glad I was proved wrong :)
9. Thor
I will say this-Thor is my favorite avenger. But, his movie is not the best Avenger movie. Iron Man is. Thor breathed new life into the superhero genre after the drought following the fantastic Dark Knight. It was funny, witty, the visuals were amazing, and Chris Hemsworth knocked this one out of the park. It was by far the best superhero movie to come out this year. And just like Captain, I had my doubts from the first images and set picks from Thor. But as time passed, I grew more interested and eventually, Thor landed in my top 10 movies of 2011.
8. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
All I have to say is whoah. Now, The last two Mission Impossibles were a little weak, and they really didn't stand up the first in my opinion, so my view on a fourth one wasn't pretty. Especially with Brad Bird in the direction seat. Yeah the guy directed the Incredibles, but I wasn't too sure how he was going to handle his first live action movie staring Tom Cruise. But-this movie stunned the hell out of me. The action was top notch , the humor was planted effectively in here, and it redeemed a dying franchise. Brad Bird deserves a medal. Kudos to you man!
7. War Horse
Steven Spielberg rarely spits out duds. And when I saw the trailer for War Horse, I was excited. Now, I knew what it was going to be when I went into it. It was going to be a war drama about a horse in WW1 rather than a thrilling Saving Private Ryan. This movie was sad, it was thrilling surprisingly, and it had a lot of heart that stayed with me long after the credits had rolled. If you hear that this movie was trash, its probably from people who went in expecting another Saving Private Ryan. Its not like Steven's 1998 classic. Its not his best movie, but its up there. Its the (2nd) best movie he's had his name attached to since Munich.
6. The Help
What a beautiful movie. Not only was it shot beautifully, but the cast was beautiful, and the feel was beautiful. The Help features some top notch performances from its main cast, my favorites being Bryce Dallas Howard and Octavia Spencer. Its a smart movie too, and one that doesn't try to force anything down your throat. The Help will sure be in the hunt for best picture this year.
5.Rango
Now I'll start off by saying this-Rango is FAR from being a kids movie. there are some jokes and puns in here intended for older audiences, which shocked me, but didn't deviate my opinion. Rango is a fantastic, thrilling and funny adventure about a lonely lizard unsure of himself, finding a place in this world. Its a very emotional roller coaster, fun for (mostly fun) the family. My pick for best Animated movie.
4. Super 8.
I love when movies nowadays have that old-fashioned feel to them, and no movie did it better this year than Super 8. The credits say the movie was directed by J.J. Abrahms, and the score says it came from Michael Giacchino, but it felt like a Steven Spielberg movie with a John Williams score. It brought me back to E.T.-the look and the feel of the movie felt authentic and old fashioned. With that, I see J.J. becoming the next Spielberg if he keeps this up. I'm serious. Super 8 is phenomenal, exciting, and in the end it has heart.
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
I've read the books. I'm a fan of the books. I've seen all the movies, and I'm a fan of the movies. So its not a surprise to me that this would be in my top ten movie list of 2011. Like Super 8, it had that old fashioned feel to it-the old good vs evil type deal. Even though it left out a lot from the book, the second part to the J.K. Rowling conclusion epic was unforgettable. The Special Effects were amazing, just as good as I had imagined. I loved the end when they used the old John Williams Harry Potter score. It was a great way to say goodbye to Harry Potter.
2. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Holy. Shit. David Fincher has done it again, folks. He took one of the most popular books ever published and turned it into a remarkable work of art on the big screen. His dark atmosphere he puts into his movies was just perfect for the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Rooney Mara was...this is an understatement to say... phenomenal. Daniel Craig was better than he ever was in my opinion, and the movie does the book justice. Its brutal, sadistic, and extremely dark, but I can't shake the feeling that this movie will be snubbed at the Oscars. Its just a feeling I have, but I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see. But this version knocks the Swedish version on its ass.
AND MY TOP CHOICE OF 2011 IS......
1. GREEN LANTERN!
No, My favorite movie of the year is
1. Drive.
Drive is undeniably and arthouse movie, but its also one of the best crime/gangster thrillers out there. I love the soundtrack in this film-its very authentic and artsy feel to it. Ryan Gosling is now on the radar after this film-his performance in Drive is fabulous, and the character development in this movie is remarkably good. On paper, Drive sounds like a generic action movie, but the execution is unique and original. The second half of the movie is one of the best second halves I've ever had the fortune of seeing. And don't worry if you want your gory violence-Drive has plenty of that in store for ya. Its a sad deal to know that this movie might not be nominated for best picture or that Nicolas Winding Refn will get nominated for best director. The person that stood out most in this movie for me was Albert Brooks. Usually we see him in comedic roles but with Drive, he gave us and dark, creepy mobster. Drive is not only my favorite movie of 2011, but its one of my favorite movies of all time. Definitely buying this on blu-ray.
Now, I haven't seen All the movies from last year, so that's my top ten list (but I seriously doubt my top 3 will change) So what are your top ten movies of 2011? Comment and let me know!