25. We Bought a Zoo
Director Cameron Crowe blew me away with Jerry Maguire, so I was excited going into We Bought a Zoo. I heard about this story about a family who literally buys a zoo and refurbishes it back to operation and succeeds. Matt Damon was great as Benjamin Mee and by the end of the movie, you're pulling with all you got for Mee. With a heartfelt story to go along with impressive performances from Damon and Scarlett Johansson, We Bought a Zoo was a pleasant surprise this year.
24. Midnight in Paris
Woody Allen is considered one of the best directors of all-time, and I found out why in Midnight in Paris. Who knew that a simple story about a couple (played beautifully by Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams) on vacation to Paris could be so well made? Boasting a stellar supportive cast led by Marion Cotillard, Corey Stoll, and Kathy Bates, this was one of the best all-around movies of the year.
23. The Help
Going into this movie, I was skeptical to say the least. I didn't think I would enjoy a movie with an all-female cast. Thankfully, I was wrong. The cast, led by Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Jessica Chastain, was absolutely superb and gets my award for best performance by a cast in a movie. Hilarious while still keeping the subject at hand serious, The Help really worked for me.
22. The Muppets
The opening song of The Muppets says, "I've got everything that I need right in front of me." For 90 minutes watching this movie, that was my exact feeling. Jason Segal and Amy Adams are wonderful, but the real stars, obviously, are the Muppets themselves, who came back better than ever. I'm still singing the songs a month later, a testament to how memorable they were, but also how memorable this movie was.
21. The Lincoln Lawyer
Matthew McConaughey had one movie this year: The Lincoln Lawyer, and for me, he hit a homerun. His past few movies had been comedic and romantic, but with this film, he goes back to his A Time to Kill roots and he shines as a result. This movie didn't make a lot of money and won't win any awards, but in my book, this was the biggest surprise of the year solely on the fact it wasn't even on my radar going in.
20. Cowboys & Aliens
Put Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig in a movie together and more than likely I'll like it no matter what. Put them in a western and science fiction film in one and I'll probably really like, and I did. With a great story and top-notch action, Cowboys & Aliens proved once again that there is really nothing better than a good summer movie.
19. Super 8
People wondered how you capture the magic of older science fiction movies for today's younger audience. This year, we got that answer in Super 8: you have J.J. Abrams direct, Steven Spielberg produce, get a young unknown cast, and create some eye popping visuals. The result is E.T.- 2011 Version, and boy, did it work.
18. Courageous
When Facing the Giants hit theaters, folks believed that this church company was just making a one hit wonder. Then, they came back with Fireproof. Now, we have Courageous, by far the best of the three. The actors are learning and growing, and the writers are figuring out what the audience wants and needs to hear, and I was happy to go along for the ride.
17. In Time
Anything Justin Timberlake does I enjoy, and In Time is no different. Timberlake takes a rare serious role and plays it to perfection in a movie with the most interesting premise of the year. With non-stop action and a thriller all the same, In Time left me wondering when time really will be the currency.
16. Thor
As Marvel prepares for 2012's The Avengers, they first had to fit in some solo films, and number one of that list was Thor, a thundering success. Thor could have easily been bad. In the wrong hands, it could have been laughable and put The Avengers in question. However, with the steady directing hand of Kenneth Branagh and the solid performance by Chris Hemsworth in the lead role, Thor worked and had people believing that The Avengers is going to be awesome.
15. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
With Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, it's hard to go wrong. He's perfect for the role, and once again, he shines, but this time, Geoffrey Rush as Barbosa and Ian McShane as Blackbeard match him toe to toe, Penelope Cruz isn't too shabby herself. With obvious hopes of a sequel, let's just hope we haven't seen the last of Captain Jack.
14. The Adventures of Tintin
Director Steven Spielberg first introduced us to Indiana Jones in 1981. Twenty years later, he gives us Indiana Jones in animation: Tintin. With an excellent voice cast led by Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, and Daniel Craig, Tintin is the rare animated movie that is, in a way, made for adults. With a great story, superb action sequences, and aspirations for sequels, I only hope there's more adventures to come.
13. X-Men: First Class
After X-Men Origins: Wolverine, people (not me) began to say that the X-Men franchise was done for. So what do you do? You do a prequel to it all, without Wolverine Hugh Jackman, and bring in a relatively unknown cast. All that to say: this movie wasn't supposed to be successful. But guess what: it was great! With James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender leading the way, First Class brought the X-Men back to glory.
12. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Just like X-Men, this one wasn't supposed to be good either. With a remake that virtually no one liked and a franchise that's been a punchline in the past, nobody gave this movie a chance. Then they saw it, and the apes were popular again. Andy Serkis gives an Oscar worthy performance as the leader Caesar and James Franco wisely lets him shine. More is likely to come from the franchise, and I'm so glad.
11. Captain America: The First Avenger
One last hero had get his solo before The Avengers, and it was none other than the popular Captain America, played excellently by Chris Evans. Some doubted that the beloved hero could be offered respect from the screen, but they were wrong. Evans, Hugo Weaving, and Tommy Lee Jones know what's at stake here, and what they give us is one of the best movies of the year.
10. Fast Five
Fast Five was the first movie I saw of The Fast and the Furious franchise. Needless to say, it inspired me to watch the others. With the original cast back along with The Rock and an actual story this time around, Fast Five was one of the most entertaining movies of the year by far.
9. Real Steel
Hugh Jackman is the man, and he proved it once again with the surprise hit of Real Steel. What can honestly be wrong with a mix of Transformers and Rocky? With great fighting sequences and a surprising emotional story, Real Steel worked on all levels.
8. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
I would like to personally thank the brilliant mind who said that we needed Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law for Holmes and Watson because I could honestly say I could not think of a better duo for the roles. Jared Harris more than holds his own as the menacing villian on top of that. The story was top notch, the action was bonafide, and the ending was probably the best all year and one of the best all-time. There's nothing bad to say about this movie.
7. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Michael Bay, please don't stop making movies because even though most people aren't fans of you, I love your movies, and this one was just a stellar addition to the collection. The 3-D was pretty good, but the best part, perhaps all year long, was the hour plus long action sequence over Chicago as the Transformers fight to the death. Patrick Dempsey was surprisingly good as the human villian, and Shia LaBeouf still understands the importance of his character.
6. Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol
Ignoring his personal life, I am probably the biggest Tom Cruise the actor fan on the planet, and M:I 4 only made me more obsessed. By far the best of the series, Ghost Protocol gives you everything you would hope for: fantastic action scenes (the best being Cruise climbing the tallest building in the world), great story, and shockingly awesome acting, led by Cruise, Jeremy Renner (who could easily take over the franchise), and Simon Pegg. It's making money at the box office, so I can now hope for M:I 5!
5. J. Edgar
I'm probably in the vast minority here, but I thoroughly enjoyed J. Edgar, soley because of Leonardo DiCaprio's powerful performance in the lead. DiCaprio is slowly becoming one of my favorite actors, and you can tell from this performance that he really wants an Oscar, and he deserves it. Clint Eastwood does the best he can with this controversial figure, and turns it into one of my favorite movies of the year.
4. Warrior
I always thought Warrior would be a good movie, but I had no idea it would be this good. It was fantastic! Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte shine in their roles as the disjointed family, and director Gavin O'Connor works this movie so well that you are literally on the edge of your seat during the final fight. With Warrior, Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton proved to me that these are two actors of the future.
3. War Horse
My favorite director is Steven Spielberg, and that opinion was only strengthened by War Horse. This story is told from the point of the horse himself, Joey. You mostly see the human actors for no more than thirty minutes at a time (lead actor Jeremy Irvine maybe gets one hour of screentime), but for this movie, it really works. I don't know if it'll win Best Picture this year, but it should definitely be considered a front runner.
2. Moneyball
Baseball has had its turn in the movies, and most people agree that baseball movies simply aren't that great; but director Bennett Miller took on the tall task of bringing Moneyball to the silver screen, and he hits a grand slam. Brad Pitt stars as the lead character Billy Beane, a performance that demands an Oscar, and Jonah Hill stars as his assistant, which also demands Oscar attention. They have successful brought baseball back to the movies, and for that, I'm highly thankful.
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
For ten years, the biggest thing in entertainment was the Harry Potter series, books and movies, and in 2011, we finally saw them take their final bow, and what a way to go out! The actors have evolved in their roles so beautifully that we really think that Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson are Harry, Ron, and Hermione. We all knew that Harry would have to face Voldemort eventually, and we were so on-edge when that seat finally came to be. There will never be another series like Harry Potter. A series that people worldwide have come to love and care about. A series that has defined a generation. I hate to do it, but this ending was great, emotional, and.....magical.
Honorable Mentions:
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
Source Code
Battle: Los Angeles
Tower Heist
Cars 2
Madea's Big Happy Family
Immortals
Green Lantern
Footloose
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Hugo
Water for Elephants
Dolphin Tale
Conatgion
Unknown
2011 is over..........................
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