365antigua.com - what 2 know, where 2 go in Antigua

My best-to-the-worst movies of 2011 reviewed

Some but not all of the movie jackets listed below...

Welcome to my Rotten Tomato movie reviews of 2011. You may notice not all of these films were released in 2011. I saw them for the first time in 2011, so I included them. You may not see your favourite here. (Hey... I can only view so many new movies in a year...)

There is a reasonable range of genres and will accommodate the young to the old. You will see some patterns of favourite film subjects. There are some that are easy to access for you to enjoy and some that are fairly obscure. If you want more info on any of these movies, clicking on each title will take you to the Rotten Tomatoes page.

1. Drive (2011)

my favourite movie of 2011. amazing what can be said with no words. thoughtful, engaging, brutal, exciting, compelling characters and i even loved the 80's flavoured score. loved it. absolutely loved it. rating: ••••1/2

2. Contagion (2011)

this is another example of how we humans are preparing ourselves for an inevitable apocalypse. CONTAGION is supremely creepy because of the plausibility of it all... the movie is very well written, acted and produced. solid and scary. rating: ••••

3. Project Nim (2011)

the tale of how so many intelligent, well-meaning people could wrong this chimp over a period of many years. as with all monumental failures, project nim is something everyone should learn from. rating: ••••

4. The Guard (2011)

quirky. when do you see a policeman step over dead bodies from a car crash, reach into a victim's pocket, pull out ecstasy pills and pop them... surrounded by traffic carnage. very entertaining. very funny. rating: ••••

5. The Cove (2008)

the secret documentation of an annual dolphin slaughter in japan... but much more than that. at times it was hard to watch. almost always you couldn't look away. how we manage to allow such crimes against the planet is baffling. this is a must-view for everyone and should be a required view for high school students. rating: ••••

6. Melancholia (2011)

it's films like this that have me thinking: "is there an secret organization presenting end-of-the-world movies" to prepare us for our own extinction?" it's dark, foreboding, beautiful... i actually enjoyed kirsten dunst. i should mention this is brought to us by the same director of that horrific horrorshow horror movie ANTICHRIST, and you can tell. rating: ••••

7. The Messenger (2009)

it's a small story with a big message, as it follows the lives of two soldiers assigned with the duty to inform next-of-kin of the deaths of their loved ones who have fallen in combat in iraq. too bad more people didn't see this film sooner. it's movies like this, that help end a war sooner. rating: ••••

8. Rango (2011)

not sure if this animated wonder was meant for children, but our kids loved it. the characters are fantastically created and so visual, down to every crazy detail. the characters are great. the action is brilliant. definitely the best animated feature of the year. rating: ••••

9. Fair Game (2010)

ohhhh the outrage. when you see this kind of TRUE STORY... and with the perp getting a pardon by the president, you know there is something amiss with the world. the story about cia agent valerie plame being outed as payback to her husband who spoke out against the iraq war. this is an important story, this is a MUST SEE. rating: ••••

10. X-Men: First Class (2011)

what's not to love about this sci-fi, comic book, action flick that will have you jamming popcorn, furiously into your mouth as we witness the beginnings of the x-men. my favourite x-men movie, yet. rating: ••••

11. Hanna (2011)

hannah is an action film about a young girl who was pre-determined to be a lethal weapon. it is refreshing as it doesn't go over the top in typical hollywood bravado. rather it is more a study about the young lady coming to grips with her destiny. still action packed and very european. rating: ••••

12. Toy Story 3 (2010)

we laughed. we cried. we fell in love with all our favourite toy story characters all over again. the toy story franchise is an institution that pioneered and evolved digital animation. sometimes when you put a bunch of brilliant artists together, they don't mess it up. anyhow, where else is don rickles and tim allen going to find work? rating: ••••

13. Mr. Nobody (2009)

this is an arthouse film that tells the tale of a man looking back at his past, from the future. bizarre is a word to describe it. a good 20 minutes too long but an excellent mind-funk, nonetheless. rating: •••1/2

14. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

whadda ya got here? comic book action, Hugo Weaving, science fiction and evil nazis. simple stuff here and well executed. a great popcorn muncher. rating: •••1/2

15. The Debt (2011)

an israeli covert spy operation to capture a nazi doctor goes badly. this spy flick that seems more real than most with human beings as spies, rather than superhumans capable of everything. these spies were fallible, conflicted and possessed emotion. it's a period piece that seems legit. rating: •••1/2

16. Warrior (2011)

the rocky of the 21st century, X2... disclaimer: i'm a MMA fan. if you're not, you won't like this. as a movie, i'm a fan. it's not trying to be high art, a few cornball clichés... but a solid romp, believable characters and a message that makes you think... if just for a second. rating: •••1/2

17. Rio (2011)

aptly named rio is splashy, bright, bold and colourful. great animation. the monkey-bird gang fight scene was priceless. a great family film that the kids enjoyed many times. and a fun lineup of voice actors. rating: •••1/2

18. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

this is fascinating watch, as it peeks inside the world of a morally debased defense lawyer. it seems real. that said, it really feels like an extended LAW & ORDER episode; made for TV. rating: •••1/2

19. Limitless (2011)

what would happen if you were given a drug that allowed you limitless mental capabilities. learn a language overnight. sort out a multi-national's strategies... then you discover the horrific side effects... would you still take it? what would you do to maintain access to it? rating: •••1/2

20. Bridesmaids (2011)

apparently - i've been told - women actually behave this way to each other. as a guy it is hard to believe. even the trailer made me howl. i laughed (sometimes shifting uncomfortably as i watched some realistic self imploding). good characters that were well flushed out. rating: •••1/2

... reviews continued in part 2. >> CLICK HERE <<