Top Movies Of 2011
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- DirectorMichel HazanaviciusStarsJean DujardinBérénice BejoJohn GoodmanWhen George, a silent movie superstar, meets Peppy Miller, a dancer, sparks fly between the two. However, after the introduction of talking pictures, their fortunes change, affecting their dynamic.This is a true and riveting homage to the era of silent films. Jean Dujardin embodies the role of George Valentin, a silent film superstar who falls victim to the progress of talkies. It is a wonderful sort of film that sadly doesn't come around as often as it should.
9/10 - DirectorGavin O'ConnorStarsTom HardyNick NolteJoel EdgertonThe youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.I can't deny that this movie is fairly cliche, nor can I say I enjoy anything that involves MMA. But this movie, like so many great boxing movies of the past, is just simply awesome. It feels like Rocky, but the added twist of the two brothers makes it even more meaningful. Gavin O'Connor directed Miracle, a film I consider to be the best sports themed movie of all time, and he doesn't disappoint here either.
9/10 - DirectorDavid FincherStarsDaniel CraigRooney MaraChristopher PlummerJournalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for 40 years by young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander.The story is right up Fincher's alley, so it's no surprise that he put his fingerprint on Larsson's mystery. Craig and Mara each fill their roles well, with Mara giving a particularly intense performance. There are a number of noticeable deviations from the book, but with the smooth speed with which Fincher unfolds the story, you barely notice.
8/10 - DirectorGore VerbinskiStarsJohnny DeppIsla FisherTimothy OlyphantRango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West in desperate need of a new sheriff.The story is straight out of Chinatown, but the wit and the visuals make it so much more entertaining.
8/10 - DirectorTerrence MalickStarsBrad PittSean PennJessica ChastainThe story of a family in Waco, Texas in 1956. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence and struggles with his parents' conflicting teachings.This is a solid film with wonderful cinematography and strong acting. The one glaring flaw? It seems much more like a stream of consciousness than a cohesive film.
8/10 - DirectorAlexander PayneStarsGeorge ClooneyShailene WoodleyAmara MillerA land baron tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident.It's a bit more dramatic than his earlier works, but it still has the Alexander Payne touch. Much like he did with Jack Nicholson, Payne is able to bring George Clooney down to earth for once.
8/10 - DirectorBennett MillerStarsBrad PittRobin WrightJonah HillOakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.This is a movie that provides a challenge to the ideal of baseball, the conflict between tradition and statistic. And it's entertaining, too.
8/10 - DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsAsa ButterfieldChloë Grace MoretzChristopher LeeIn 1931 Paris, an orphan living in the walls of a train station gets wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.Scorcese takes a rare break from his usual fare to create a fascinating tale of two children who rediscover a faded cinema legend. It's clear that this is a movie very close to Scorcese's own heart.
8/10 - DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsRyan GoslingCarey MulliganBryan CranstonA mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.Never have I been more impressed by a completely formulaic movie. The 80's-retro feel, combined with an incredibly likable Ryan Gosling, makes this a surprisingly strong movie.
8/10 - DirectorMatthew VaughnStarsJames McAvoyMichael FassbenderJennifer LawrenceIn the 1960s, superpowered humans Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr work together to find others like them, but Erik's vengeful pursuit of an ambitious mutant who ruined his life causes a schism to divide them.The cast, the story and the visuals round out what is not just a satisfying superhero movie, but also a great movie.
8/10 - DirectorGuy RitchieStarsRobert Downey Jr.Jude LawJared HarrisDetective Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, who is carrying out a string of random crimes across Europe.Living up to the first movie is a daunting task, but A Game of Shadows holds its own. It's about on par with the first one. The story is a bit weaker, but the villain is far better.
8/10 - DirectorBrad BirdStarsTom CruiseJeremy RennerSimon PeggThe IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.With arguably the best M:I crew yet, Brad Bird and Tom Cruise deliver a punch with the latest installment. The story is about on par with M:I-3, but you can't go wrong with the over-the-top action and stunts.
8/10 - DirectorDuncan JonesStarsJake GyllenhaalMichelle MonaghanVera FarmigaA soldier wakes up in someone else's body and discovers he's part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.Duncan Jones takes a flimsy premise and turns it into a thrilling sci-fi film.
8/10 - DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsChris HemsworthAnthony HopkinsNatalie PortmanThe powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.Despite moving too quickly, the story makes it a unique addition to the Marvel universe.
7/10 - DirectorJoe JohnstonStarsChris EvansHugo WeavingSamuel L. JacksonSteve Rogers, a rejected military soldier, transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a "Super-Soldier serum". But being Captain America comes at a price as he attempts to take down a warmonger and a terrorist organization.I love the campy, throwback feel of the movie, much like Joe Johnston's masterpiece, The Rocketeer.
7/10 - DirectorRupert WyattStarsJames FrancoAndy SerkisFreida PintoA substance designed to help the brain repair itself gives advanced intelligence to a chimpanzee who leads an ape uprising.It moves quickly, but it does a fine job of crafting an origin story worthy of the original Planet Of The Apes.
7/10 - DirectorJames BobinStarsAmy AdamsJason SegelChris CooperA Muppet fanatic with some help from his 2 human compatriots must regroup the Muppet gang to stop an avaricious oil mogul from taking down one of their precious life-longing treasures.It's a labor of love, showing just how much we can miss the Muppets. It's a tad inconsistent, but in the end it is wonderfully heartwarming.
7/10 - DirectorJ.J. AbramsStarsElle FanningAJ MichalkaKyle ChandlerDuring the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.It's vintage J.J. Abrams, even if there is just a tinge too much influence from Steven Spielberg and Stephen King.
7/10 - DirectorTate TaylorStarsViola DavisEmma StoneOctavia SpencerAn aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.I know I'm supposed to dislike Bryce Dallas Howard's character, but she goes a bit too far, making this movie unbearable at times.
7/10 - DirectorJonathan LiebesmanStarsAaron EckhartMichelle RodriguezBridget MoynahanA squad of U.S. Marines becomes the last line of defense against a global invasion.It is not a particularly intelligent movie, but it is thoroughly exciting and action packed.
7/10 - DirectorJon FavreauStarsDaniel CraigHarrison FordOlivia WildeA spaceship arrives in 1873 Arizona to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. All that stands in their way: a posse of cowboys and natives.It doesn't quite live up the hype, but it's an entertaining western, where the enemy happens to be aliens.
7/10 - DirectorSeth GordonStarsJason BatemanCharlie DayJason SudeikisThree friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.This is one outrageously funny movie, thanks in no small measure to the three leads, especially Charlie Day.
7/10 - DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsLiam NeesonDiane KrugerJanuary JonesWhen a man awakens from a coma only to discover that someone has taken on his identity, he teams up with a young woman to prove who he is.Figuring out the twist isn't incredibly difficult, though the movie is a decent mystery.
7/10 - DirectorJustin LinStarsVin DieselPaul WalkerDwayne JohnsonDominic Toretto and his crew of street racers plan a massive heist to buy their freedom while in the sights of a powerful Brazilian drug lord and a dangerous federal agent.Having avoided the other Fast and Furious movies, I found this action movie quite enjoyable.
7/10 - DirectorGeorge NolfiStarsMatt DamonEmily BluntLisa ThoresonThe affair between a politician and a contemporary dancer is affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers apart.I appreciate the premise behind this, even if the execution is less than impressive.
7/10 - DirectorGreg MottolaStarsSimon PeggNick FrostSeth RogenTwo English comic book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51.If you get the references, this movie is a lot of fun. If not, it's very bland.
6/10 - DirectorSimon WestStarsJason StathamBen FosterDonald SutherlandAn elite hitman teaches his trade to an apprentice who has a connection to one of his previous victims.I was very surprised by this low key action movie, even if the idea has been done to death.
6/10 - DirectorTodd PhillipsStarsBradley CooperZach GalifianakisEd HelmsTwo years after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu's wedding. Stu's plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch, however, goes seriously awry.The fact that it doesn't try to be different for the first movie hurts more than it helps.
6/10 - DirectorPaul FeigStarsKristen WiigMaya RudolphRose ByrneCompetition between the maid of honor and a bridesmaid, over who is the bride's best friend, threatens to upend the life of an out-of-work pastry chef.It's not a chick-flick, and that's good. But Judd Apatow's stink is all over it, and that's bad.
6/10 - DirectorJonathan HensleighStarsRay StevensonChristopher WalkenVincent D'OnofrioThe true story of Danny Greene, a tough Irish thug working for mobsters in Cleveland during the 1970's.Ray Stevenson is an intimidating actor, but he has a certain charm that can keep a movie like this going. By that I mean, the story is thin and the writing is pretty bad.
6/10 - DirectorRob MarshallStarsJohnny DeppPenélope CruzIan McShaneJack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too.While it seems I was one of the few who liked the previous two sequels, this one didn't work for me.
6/10 - DirectorPaul W.S. AndersonStarsLogan LermanMatthew MacfadyenRay StevensonThe hot-headed young D'Artagnan along with three former legendary but now down-on-their-luck Musketeers must unite and defeat a beautiful double agent and her villainous employer from seizing the French throne and engulfing Europe in war.I couldn't tell if this was supposed to be goofy or if the terrible writing just made it that way.
6/10 - DirectorZack SnyderStarsEmily BrowningVanessa HudgensAbbie CornishA young girl institutionalized by her abusive stepfather retreats to an alternative reality as a coping strategy and envisions a plan to help her escape.For all the style and flair, eventually that only question I asked was, "so what?"
6/10 - DirectorDavid YatesStarsDaniel RadcliffeEmma WatsonRupert GrintHarry, Ron, and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord as the final battle rages on at Hogwarts.Seven movies building up to this?!
6/10 - DirectorDennis DuganStarsAdam SandlerJennifer AnistonBrooklyn DeckerOn a weekend trip to Hawaii, a plastic surgeon convinces his loyal assistant to pose as his soon-to-be-divorced wife in order to cover up a careless lie he told to his much-younger girlfriend.At times, it emerges as a very funny movie. But overall, it is just another formulaic Sandler comedy.
5/10 - DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsDanny McBrideNatalie PortmanJames FrancoWhen Prince Fabious's bride is kidnapped, he goes on a quest to rescue her... accompanied by his lazy useless brother Thadeous.I enjoyed Pineapple Express, but clearly the magic didn't work in this movie...which actually features magic.
4/10 - DirectorMichael BayStarsShia LaBeoufRosie Huntington-WhiteleyTyrese GibsonThe Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets.How bad does a movie have to be when it isn't even better than an Adam Sandler comedy? Well, just ask Michael Bay. Despite a strong finish, everything before it is remarkably terrible.
4/10