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1. The Help (10/10)
Overall summary: Brilliantly-written, wonderfully-acted and beautifully-filmed, "The Help" is as touching and emotionally-powerful as it's uplifting and delightfully absorbing, and will win your heart and stay in your mind long after the credits roll, simply because it's one of the best movies of 2011, and one of the finest book adaptations ever made.
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2. Shaolin (9.50/10)
Overall summary: Thanks to its compelling story, brilliantly-portrayed characters, fantastic visuals and stupendous action scenes, Benny Chan's "Shaolin" ranks as one of the most accomplished, profoundly-engrossing and slickly-crafted martial arts movies ever made.
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3. X-Men: First Class (9.25/10)
Overall summary: Boasting a fantastic cast, strong script, dazzling production design, stellar set-pieces and director Matthew Vaughn's visual creativity, "X-Men: First Class" is an absolutely brilliant prequel, that proves to be a first class indeed.
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4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (9.25/10)
Overall summary: With its pitch-perfect narrative, sophisticated visuals, polished direction and outstanding performances, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is another cinematic jewel in Fincher's crown, and easily ranks as one of the best remakes of foreign films ever made.
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5. Hugo (9.00/10)
Overall summary: With its magically moving story, delightful characters, dazzling cinematography and exquisite production design, Scorsese's personal love letter to cinema, "Hugo", is arguably, the most enchanting, absorbing, imaginative and visually-sumptuous film of 2011.
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6. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (9.00/10)
Overall summary: Featuring innovative direction, clever writing, brilliant performances and some of the most polished CGI effects ever put on film, and filled with electrifying moments, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is the most gripping and visually-striking movie of the summer.
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7. Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows - Part 2 [3D] (9.00/10)
Overall summary: Compelling, emotionally powerful, superbly-crafted, and visually mind-blowing, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" not only ranks as the best installment in the super-successful franchise along with Alfonso Cuaron's "Prisoner of Azkaban", but it's also a great and truly magical way to end the series. Farewell, Harry Potter!
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8. Mission: Impossible -
Ghost Protocol (8.75/10)
Ghost Protocol (8.75/10)
Overall summary: Featuring cleverly inventive direction, great cast, amusing dialogues, stunningly gorgeous locations and spectacular action sequences, "M:I - Ghost Protocol" is better, funnier, more exciting and entertaining than its three predecessors put together.
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9. Contagion (8.75/10)
Overall summary: Brilliantly-filmed, contagiously-compelling, subtly-terrifying, and elevated by its top-notch cast and intelligently-written script, "Contagion" is one of Soderbergh's most remarkable films, and also one of the most memorable virus-themed movies ever created.
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10. The Adventures of Tintin [3D] (8.75/10)
Overall summary: Adventurous, hugely enjoyable, utterly enthralling and stunningly-animated, this impressive first-ever animated film, directed by the mastermind Steven Spielberg, should have been called "The Amazing Adventures of Tintin", as it's absolutely extraordinary in every way, and undoubtedly, the best animated feature of 2011.
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And... I'm turning 30 today!:)
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46 comments:
liked planet of the Apes- A lot. wasn't a fan of first class. surprised that Super 8 didn't make the list.
Budd, I did too. Obviously. :)
First Class was exceptional, IMO.
Super 8 was very good, but it left me a bit disappointed. It made my 'honorable mentions' on the bottom of the list though. ;)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE! I wish you a weekend full of excitement and passion :)
Great top 10. Hugo was my #3. Our love for Scorsese's "Love Letter" is unmatched. And Planet of the Apes also deeply impressed me. I was expecting lackluster action, but what I witnessed was a brilliant story and a superb visual extravaganza.
Only film in your Top 10 I haven't seen was Tintin.
I can happily say all your picks are worthwhile. And hooray for Vaughn's X-Men: First Class. Finally a superhero film not made by Nolan or Raimi that astounds.
Great job, buddy! Party hard :)
Matty, thank you so very much, buddy. I hope that this weekend will be fun and super-exciting. Today was. :)
Glad you enjoyed my top 10. So you've even seen Shaolin? I'm curious about what did you think of it. I thought it was pretty much perfect.. a bit too dramatic at times, but still near perfect and very well-balanced.
Up until yesterday, I intended to put Hugo on the top spot, but earlier today I decided to re-watch Shaolin for the second time, because it's been a year since I saw it for first time. And, oh boy, I was impressed. Again. The versatility of the direction, the depth of the story, the marvellous visual and spectacular fights all blew me away. I would have never though that a January release will end up on the top of my BEST OF list, but there you go. :)
Tintin was hugely underrated. The first time I heard of it I was like no way I'm seeing this one. But then I decided to do it and wow, it was adventurous, compelling and visually exceptional. Hundred times better than War Horse.
I'm a huge fan of Vaughn and his rendition of x-men was amazing. Loved pretty much everything about it. If I'm being honest, I kinda liked it more than TDK. :P
Thanks, have a great weekend yourself.:)
I believe X MEN is gonna be good, but no Patrick Stewart? Happy Birthday George.
Happy Birthday!
Great picks!
Hugo was my #1, but I haven't seen Shaolin.
Spacerguy, it is good. Not a chance Steward could play in this film, because ot's a prequel and all the mutants are very young in it. James McAvoy plays his characters, so don't worry, you won't be disappointed.
THANKS A LOT! :)
Jeremy, thanks mate!:) Initially, I was going to put Hugo on the No.1 spot as well, but than I decided to re-watch Shaolin and loved it even more than the first time around. I liked it more than Hugo and I can't help myself. :)
Asian films was so underappreciated (because of a limited audience), which is a shame, because most of them are million times better than the big Hollywood productions.
Thanks, again!:)
I just have a moment to drop by and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I'll check out your fave movies a lil' later. ;) Hope you have a great day!
Oh, thank you, Caledonia.
Glad to see you back. I've been missing your comments. Thanks and I'm looking forward to your thoughts on my top 20. :)
Great list! I STILL have to see Mission Impossible, and I am bitter at that. Now I will have to check out Shaolin.
Aaaand happy birthday!
M. Hufstader, thanks for stopping buy and for the wishes as well. :)
You NEED to see MI4. It was the best installment of them all. I couldn't believe how good it was.
Shaolin ROCKS! If you like martial arts flicks, than you should also check out 2010's Reign of Assassins. It's even better.
Happy Birthday! Have a great one. Your top 10 reminds me that there is still lots of films from last year that I haven't seen yet. So many films, so little time!
Russ, you're so right. It's pretty impossible to see all the films coming out each years. They're literally hundreds.
Did you check out my list from 20 to 11?
Thanks, mate! :)
Consider yesterday a 'dress rehearsal'. Hope you have a wonderful day and a marvelous year. Happy Birthday!
I'm 50/50 on this list - I've seen 5 of the 10 and loved those 5 SO, I'll trust you on the others and add them to the list. Most excited to see Hugo.
Enjoy the rest of YOUR day and take it through the weekend.
Happy birthday and I got it right today!
Sorry I'm late - was out seeing John Carter. (Yes, epic and awesome!)
We purchased Hugo recently in 3D since everyone raved about it. Looking forward to finally seeing it this weekend.
Have a great day, man! I see you celebrated with a new icon as well.
farawayeyes, you should check out the other 5 then. :) Don't underestimate Shaolin, it's not all about action... at all. It's a powerfully dramatic movie that has everything in it - drama, comedy, action...
I'm definitely enjoying it! Thank you so much. :)
Alex, yep, you got it right this time around. :) Thanks, buddy. I had a great day today.
I'm not sure if Hugo would be your cup of tea though. It's not the kid adventure you would expect it to be, but as a true movie buff, I think you're gonna appreciate it. :)
Yes, I decided to change it. The new one shows half of my face up close. :)
Happy birthday!
Incidentally, I would have had Hugo as number one but I haven't seen Shaolin so...
Alex, thanks!:)
Not sure if Shaolin would top Hugo fr you, but for me it did.
Hugo was amazing, but still it was lacking that extra special something.
Actually, I made my mind about which of the two to put on the top of my list just a few hours before I made the list.
Ha, an oops moment for me, George. There are in fact two films in your Top 10 I have not seen. How could I've forgotten Shaolin? Your effusive praise, of which I place great emphasis, has instilled in me a great willingness to see it. And I cannot wait!
Hey, 8 out of 10 ain't bad right? LOL! Catch ya later :)
Yeah, Matty, how could you? :) Just kidding. I really hope you'll get the chance to see Shaolin.
An 8 out of 10? What was that about? Did I miss something? It must be the whiskey I drank earlier. LOL.
Happy, Happy 30th!! May you have the best birthday weekend ever. :)
I loved The Help and X-Men First Class as well as HP. What a terrific group of films you have selected as your best of the best of 2011.
Your new profile pic is one sexxy close up. ;)
Thank you so much, sweetheart. 30 is big, isn't it? :)
Glad you loved all these. I did too.
Aww, thanks for the compliment. Sexy sounds good, especially when you're saying it. ;)
Pretty surprising indeed, especially because according to many critics and reviews, Shaolin isn't as great as the original Shaolin Temple movie from 1982. Well, you enjoyed it and that's what's important :)
I have absolutely no opinion because I'm not a martial arts fan.
Seen at least 2 from your list, Rise which I totally loved and Dragon Tattoo which wasn't my cup of coffee.
Will finally see Contagion next week.
Many critics? Where? Who? :) Most people who saw it were impressed and beyond satisfied with it. In fact, it has nothing to do with the 82 movie Shaolin Temple and it's definitely NOT a remake of it.
I hope you like Contagion at least as half as I did. It's a great movie!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEBULAR!!!!!
The rest of your list is as well thought out as the first half.
Nicely done! Cheers!
Thank you, Craig!:)
You think so? Yay! :)
I know that it isn't a remake, but it definitely belongs to the whole Shaolin Temple series (ST, Kids From Shaolin, Martial Arts Of Shaolin).
Sure, they loved or enjoyed it, but... you know... with a 6,8 on Imdb and a 73%/68& on RT, I definitely didn't expect this to be on top of your list :)
Maynard, it has nothing to do with the movies you mentioned. Nothing. I've seen them all, so you gotta believe me. :)
Very few critics saw this movie actually. Just read the reviews by the imdb users /those aren't some stupid teens who don't know how to review a movie/, check out pro reviews from martial arts movie sites, or give it a go yourself, and you'll get why I picked it as my No.1. :)
YOur Imdb-hate is a bit disturbing
"...some stupid teens who don't know how to review a movie"
Are you serious??? Most of the Shaolin-reviews are interesting and very well written reviews, all waaaaay better than what I usually write.
IMDB was one of the main reasons that made me write about movies and long-time reviewers like Dick Steel or Claudio Carvalho are like role models to me.
oh btw, I actually prefer reviews by users, amateurs and bloggers - that's why I'm not a big fan of RT, Ebert etc.
Maynard, you got it all wrong!!!
I don't HATE imdb, not even a bit. I just said that the site is full of pre-teen critic wannabes. There ARE many great reviewers there too, but they mostly copy-paste it from their blogs/sites where the reviews have been originally written on. In other words, they don write exclusively for imdb.
Why did you quoted this line without the "those aren't" in front of the sentence which gives a completely different sense to it. I'm sorry but this is stupid. You can put me in jail if you do something like that, cutting of some of my words!
"Just read the reviews by the imdb users /those aren't some stupid teens who don't know how to review a movie/" - I said that because I wanted you TO READ them, not to avoid them.
Then stick with the user reviews. Yes, most of them have writing skills that are better than your and mine put together.
whoops, I misread that as "Those are some stupid teens..."
Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!
It's okay, Harry. Just read more carefully next time. ;)
Contagion was an awesome Thriller! More building narrative than Outbreak, but otherwise great.
Rise of The Planet of The Apes was an instant fave for me! I can't wait for part 2!
Kaijinu, I absolutely loved Contagion. I thought it was terrifying in its realism, and all the performances were amazing.
This is PART 2, actually. PART 1 is below this one. Check it out. :)
Great list! Haven't seen them all, especially many from 11-20. Nor did I see the number 1 movie. Loved Rise of the Apes, and I'm glad I saw The Help. Contagion was all right. Liked the message more than anything. Mission Impossible had good action scenes. Glad they didn't screw up the Girl w/ the Dragon. Now onto 2012!!!
Thank you, HorrO. :) The Help touched me deeply but it also made me laugh. I loved it! Contagion's message was very important and the movie itself was very well-made. I liked it a lot. MI4 was probably the most entertaining movie of 2011 and TGWTDT surpassed the original IMO.
Interesting list, you really had some diversity. You also had plenty of films that where on my blogs best of the year list. You even had "Hugo" at number 2 just like me, it truly is an amazing film. I'm not to sure about Ghost Protocol though; Im a big fan of the first film in the series which had more of a quiet spy movie vibe to it with a climactic action scene at the end. The rest of them change to action movies which are ok but nothing like the first one. Still it is the best of the sequels!
Mike, firstly, welcome to my blog!:)
I'm glad you enjoyed the list and found it versatile. :)
I dunno... I thought Ghost Protocol was one of the most entertaining and well-made films of 2011, and definitely the best action flick. I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I liked it more than the original. :)
The Help is a truly remarkable film. I love it more each time I see it as well. I'm glad you went with your heart and changed the list. :)
Mel, thank you for being so supportive! :) I couldn't agree more with you - The Help is beyond remarkable and fills my heart with joy, happiness and other beautiful emotions. :)
I haven't seen a good portion of the movies from 2011 yet, but of the ones I did see, Contagion and The Help would be my top two. I'm glad you changed your mind too because even though The Help was technically a really, really good movie, it's the emotion that made the biggest impact. I think it's important to give due credit to the movies that have the power to do that. I know when I first saw The Help, I watched it three times just in the time I had it for rent, and then I just wanted to run out and buy it. Great list!
Michele, I know, right?! :) The Help was one of the most emotionally involving films I've seen in my life. It moved me deeply, it inspired me, it made me feel good. I'm extremely glad we felt the same way about this one. It seems like everyone who has seen it once, saw it twice or more times, which is indicative of how brilliant this movie is. :)
Great list George. I didn't like MI4 as much as you did but it's a solid list.
Maurice, glad you like it, buddy.
MI4 was pure entertainment at its best and I enjoyed every second of it. For me it was the best in the series by far.
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