My top films of 2011

Ok, so 2011 is drawing to a close and I'm jumping on the bandwagon and blogging about my top movies of 2011 (can anyone say 'No original content'?).

I've been surprisingly blah about the movie offerings of this year and as such, the ones I have ended up rating, have taken me by surprise - in a good way.

2012 looks to be far more exciting for me as a viewer - The Hobbit, The Hunger Games and War Horse are all must see films for me - the kind of ones that actually raise my heart beat and have the hair on the back of my neck standing up.

But before looking ahead, let's look back at the ones that got the thumbs up from me, in ascending order:

#5 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
An avid fan like meself was desperate for this film to do it's thing and bring the series home - it did but without the serious finish to adequately top it off. It underperformed but it was the end, so deservedly wins a place on the list. Read the full review here.

#4 - Ides of March
Classic example of brilliant casting, contained and focused narrative, enough to keep you thoroughly engaged without needing to throw explosions and mega SFX our way. Full review here.

#3 - Kung Fu Panda 2
This was just good fun and had me laughing loads and you need a good comedy in there. To be honest, Bridesmaids should also be mentioned as a great one too, though it was a lot less comedic than I thought and a lot more poignant. So Po wins out for the comedy value. Review here.

#2 -  True Grit
As with #4 on the list, you canna beat good casting, solid script etc. Plus Hailee Steinfeld was so amazing, I'm just honoured the Coen brothers brought that on screen to show us. Review here.

#1 -  X-Men: First Class
This one took me totes my surprise - it had a little bit of everything: solid performances, great action, a smattering of laughs and intense drama. It was an all rounder. Read the review here.









And if you care to bother to know which films I didn't even want to see (and you may argue, I missed out on)

- Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The title alone was offensive to me - did anyone tell the creators that 'of the' twice in a title is just plain ugly?
- Twilight: Breaking Dawn
Let's not even go there.
- Immortalz
I put a 'z' on the end to demonstrate how it lacks any semblance of creditability whatsoever.
- Hangover Part 2
You just knew it was going to be appalling, even if no 1 was a laugh.
- One Day
I couldn't stand the book and didn't finish it - why would I want to watch Anne Hathaway play that annoying Emma for 2 hours?
- Thor, Captain America, Green Lantern, Transformers
Yeh, no.


Films I wanted to see:
- The Help
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Well, let me know your thoughts and best wishes for Christmas and New Years!