Previous movie posts: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, and 2005.
I saw 22 movies this year. I hope you enjoy my movie list!
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – Sweet relief. The Harry Potter series is over, and I loved it. I am glad that I was able to conclude this series in 2D because it is so much more enjoyable for me to see a 2D movie than a 3D movie. I enjoyed the characters, the action, and I especially appreciated how well Snape’s memories played out on screen. They ended this series well, and I think the entire saga was completed very well and individually in each movie. I can watch the whole series over and over, which is great and unfortunate since eight movies take SO LONG to watch.
2. The Help – I was finally able to watch this movie without distraction, and I really enjoyed it. I especially liked the Minny and Celia storyline of this movie. I thought all the actors did a great job. I also liked that I was able to talk to my parents about the movie since they saw it, as well. And then my dad shared a story about being in Meridian during that time period and giving a guy a ride home. When he dropped off the man, a cop stopped my dad to tell him that they didn’t do things like that in Meridian. So, basically, I liked that the movie addressed real issues in our not-too-distant past in some areas of the country and did it in an entertaining way.
3. Hugo – I would have liked this movie better had I been able to see it in 2D. I kept getting distracted and annoyed by aspects of the 3D. However, I loved the storyline, and I appreciate how true to the book they produced this movie. The actors played well, and I liked the scenery and sets. I also enjoyed the mini movies within this movie. I think I could watch this movie over and over again.
4. Jane Eyre – This is probably my favorite Jane Eyre thus produced. I liked the script adaptation, and I liked the actors. After seeing this version, I ended up watching pretty much every other version. That being said, I don’t think it’s necessary to keep producing the same movie over and over again. BUT, I am glad that the only one ever made was not the Timothy Dalton version. Man. Wow. That one was rough to watch at some points.
4 and a half. 17 Miracles - I write this post using internet sites with all the movie release dates of the year. The problem is that 17 Miracles wasn't on it, probably because it never made it to wide release, and I finished this post without including this movie. This is where it probably would have gone for me. I unfortunately forgot tissues and cried during a good portion of the movie. Clearly it's a niche movie, but for me, it was great.
5. Source Code – For some reason I didn’t even really know about this movie at all when it came out. I watched it on DVD and really enjoyed it. It reminded me of a mix between Groundhog Day and Inception or Gattaca or something. And it was like a chick flick for guys, hereafter referred to as a “dude flick,” which means that the movie is a love story about a guy who loves a girl, only guys wouldn’t consider it a chick flick because there’s action and other stuff "for guys." Anyway, the point being is that it was good, and you should see it. Why haven’t you seen it?
6. Kung Fu Panda 2 – I really hate that I am enjoying animated sequels so much. I am so used to sequels automatically being garbage that it’s strange for me to really enjoy sequels as much as I do. I blame Disney’s rapid-production, straight-to-DVD history for my opinions. Anyway, this movie was so humorous to me, and I really enjoyed the storyline and jokes.
7. Cars 2 – I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed this movie so much if I hadn’t been watching the James Bond series. There were a lot of implied jokes in the movie that came directly from James Bond movies, and they made me giggle, especially the fact that one of the spy’s names was Holly Shiftwell. That still amuses me to no end.
8. X-Men: First Class – This movie was almost back up to par of the enjoyability of the first two X-Men movies. The storyline was good and compelling. I liked that Kevin Bacon was an antagonist of the movie, and I thought that the character development was remarkably good for having so many characters. This movie was entertaining.
9. Midnight in Paris – I liked the music in this movie a lot. I feel like it was another “dude flick,” and I enjoyed the historical and cultural references in the movie. The message of the movie was good, too, and I really liked seeing the various perspectives shown. I also liked that having been to Paris, I was able to recognize various places shown in the movie.
10. Super 8 – For me this movie really did feel like a throwback to the 80s teen sci-fi flicks. It reminded me of E.T., Stand By Me, Red Dawn, and even The Lost Boys. It was a bit cheesy, but so were those films. It made me laugh, and it was a great nostalgia movie. I liked that it captured a bit of my childhood movie-viewing experiences.
I also enjoyed the following movies:
Winnie the Pooh – Remember how I don’t love the The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh? Well, this movie was actually pretty good. I liked that the antagonist wasn’t really an antagonist. This is one of the truest and best children’s movies that I’ve ever seen.
Captain America – The First Avenger – You know, the premise of this movie is really kind of dumb, but I thought that the movie was well made and entertaining! I am impressed that the movie makers were able to pull it off as well as they did.
Thor – I saw this in a theater that was playing it in about 5 theaters, and we just happened to find the perfect showing in 2D! Score! I enjoyed this movie. It was pretty fun, even though it probably won’t ever be considered “quality".
The Adjustment Bureau – Another dude flick. I walked into the theater knowing that it was really a chick flick, but there was a whole row of guys I knew there without their wives or girlfriends. I’m glad that our society has progressed far enough that guys can go see a movie about love without feeling the need to be heckled about it and actually truly enjoy it. Even if they don’t realize it. I liked the movie.
Mars Needs Moms – I thought this was a cute movie. The animation slightly bothered me for some reason, but the story was endearing. I can see why some people might not like it (it’s kind of weird), but I thought it was cute and nice.
Rango – I am surprised this movie got as good of reviews that it did. Not that it was bad, but I think it was a quirky movie with a storyline that wasn’t really anything special. I guess there are more quirky people in the world than I thought.
Rio – This movie provides enough laughs for you if you’re in a laughing mood.
Limitless – This movie was a little trippy like how “Memento” is a little bit trippy. I would have liked it better, but I felt like I needed to shower after watching it, as the protagonist was despicable. Still, though, it was intriguing.
These movies were alright:
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – Okay. Uh huh. It was alright. Still like the first movie best.
Green Lantern – It was. It just was.
I didn’t like the following movie:
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 – I hate to say it, but I’m not even looking forward to Part 2 because Part 1 was just so boring and kind of insufferable. And gross.
Movies I wanted to see from 2010 and saw, as well as the ones you suggested in last year’s comments:
Unstoppable – Actually pretty good. I like movies that are based on a true story that are pretty good.
The Social Network – Interesting. I kind of like that I watched a movie based on really recent history, like within the last decade.
MegaMind – This movie made me laugh a lot. I really enjoyed it.
The King's Speech – The acting was superb. I enjoyed this movie.
True Grit – Yeah. I really liked this movie. It would have made the top 10 last year, had I seen it in the year.
Tron: Legacy – This movie was pretty entertaining and good. And I enjoyed the music and the special effects.
Ramona and Beezus – I thought it was fun. I can recommend it if you’re interested in that kind of movie.
Secretariat – I probably wouldn’t see this movie repetitively, but I enjoyed the movie. It was good.
Movies I didn’t necessarily want to see from 2010 but saw anyway:
The Tourist – I felt like this movie was attempting to be a Hitchcock film and that Angelina Jolie was attempting to be Audrey Hepburn, but neither happened successfully. The movie was okay, though.
127 Hours – I actually did want to see this, but it just wasn’t on last year’s list. I liked it, even though I totally couldn’t watch the bloody part of the movie.
Movies I still want to see from 2011:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules – I hear they’re doing yet another one, so I’m actually pretty skeptical about this one.
Moneyball
Footloose – Maybe. I mean, could it really be better than the 80s one?
Like Crazy
Tower Heist – Maybe.
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Cowboys & Aliens
The Tree of Life - Maybe.
Is there something you saw that I should totally see? Thanks for reading. Don't forget to opine in the comments.
11 comments:
Okay I was just wondering the other day (SERIOUSLY) if it was time for you to do a movie post. I'm glad you loved "The Help" - you should read the book, it's just as amazing as the movie.
I still have't seen "17 Miracles" but my Mother got it for Christmas so I may have to borrow it and have a box of tissues. ;)
I'm glad someone (You) finally saw "Midnight in Paris" I have been wondering about that movie. So, I may put it on my Netflix.
Also, I just was told about "Super 8," and was given a great review, so now I have two.
I haven't seen the movie "Win Win" yet, but heard really good things about it. It's by the people who did "Little Miss Sunshine." It must be good if it was done by them.
Just saw "Jack and Jill" this week. Typical Adam Sandler movie, but amazingly clean.
I have to admit "Breaking Dawn Part 1" I am a fan of. It was just magical - okay make fun of me all you want...it was my favorite out of the series.
Do not see "A Little Help," and "Our Idiot Brother." Absolutely slow and terrible.
I love reading your movie posts, they're so informative. We saw Harry Potter and X-men of your top ten. I agree they were pretty good and Harry Potter did a good job of rounding out the series. I'm also not a fan of 3D and avoid it if at all possible. We saw Captain America and Thor. CA was better than I thought it would be and Thor was way cheesier then I was expecting. Saw Pirates..it was okay. I agree that the first in the series was the best. Saw Twilight. It was boring. A whole lot of nothing happened, but it was super gross to see Bella so skinny and skeletal. I agree about the Tourist. Angelina seemed to be trying to channel Audrey Hepburn with the outfits and hair especially and I don't know what it was about the way they dressed her but I kept getting distracted by how bony she was and her complete lack of hip bones. You could tell she was supposed to be this gorgeous femme fatale type but the more I looked at her in that movie the less attractive she appeared to me. Which is strange since normally I think she's pretty.
We saw Sherlock Holmes. From what I saw the first was better, but my opinion shouldn't be trusted as I fell asleep and missed some scenes.
We also saw Crazy, Stupid, Love. I'll warn you that you have to give it through the first hour before making any judgements. We watched the first 53 minutes and then turned it off because it had no real redeeming qualities up to that point. But the next day I finished the movie and it did get much better after that.
I also want to see Cowboys and Aliens, I've heard it's good and The Help. I've also heard that Rise of the Planet of the Apes is good but I haven't seen it yet. :)
"The Muppets" was incredibly pleasant. You should see it; I think you would really love '80s robot.
Great list! You reminded me of some movies that I have been wanting to add to my Netflix queue.
We saw the Sherlock Holmes movie last week, and it was pretty similar to the first one -- well, maybe it was actually a little better. We enjoyed it.
I would just like to recommend that you avoid the Transformers movie (not that you need to be told this).
If you are into creepy alien hands coming out of the alien's chest, you should see Cowboys and Aliens.
Hey, I learned a new word: opine! Really, I've never used the word before and maybe have never heard it before, so... thanks! :)
Great list! I've only seen three of the movies on the list. Wanna guess which ones? I'll give you hints.
One is about an animated panda.
One is miracle-related.
And one is "that kind of movie". :)
Okay, so those were more than hints. :P
Libby - I am shocked! Breaking Dawn Part 1 was your favorite? Also, I should check out Win Win.
Kiera - Thanks for the warning about Crazy, Stupid, Love. It's good to have lowered expectations! And I look forward to your comments!
Cash - I think we know why I don't want to see The Muppets. Actually, they're somewhat tolerable, but I really don't like Miss Piggy!
Dub - I will be avoiding Transformers. Don't worry about that! (Another benefit of being single is not having to be around that movie, since I guess a lot of guys like it?!?)
Nilla - I am a huge fan of alien hands coming out of alien chests! Yes!
Sarah - Excellent choices. I enjoyed all of those movies!
so, I've been waiting for a time when I'm not holding the baby to comment on this, but I'm still holding the baby so I'll comment as best I can..
At my parents, my dad always takes us to the movies, and We got to see Mission Impossible and Sherlock Holmes; we thought they were both really good. We also got Cowboys and Aliens on NEtflix, and it was also a fun one.
As for the rest: Harry Potter we loved; it was so much better than part one, which just moved so slowly. Except I felt that his wand connecting with Voldemorts soo many times in the final scenes was getting a little old.
I still want to see the Help and Hugo, and i just put the Paris one in my queue.
Source Code was very cool, and we loved X-men as well. We recently watched Super 8, which was also fun. I liked the faux zombie movie in it at the end. The Adjustment bureau wasn't about what I thought it would be, but we really liked it.
Cars2, Captain America, Green Lantern,and Thor were all okay, Joseph really liked them though.
I liked The Tourist, but figured out what was going on pretty early on.
We watched Limitless and Mars Needs Moms when I was in labor. Limitless was trippy, and I don't remember the end of the mars one, because I made Joseph turn it off (I was having a baby) and when he watched the end later that night I wasn't really paying attention.
Also. I don't get why the movie industry seems to think 3-D is such a good idea. Almost everyone I know hates it, and would rather see things in 2-D. In the end, I think it's going to flop, unless it somehow developes into something else.
oh yeah, we saw the new transformers movie, since Joseph is a big fan of them. Seriously, I've seen parts of all of them,b ut have yet to actually watch the entirety of any of them. This last one was interesting for the first half, as the plot was being developed. The second half was entirely cgi action, and was soooo boring. I fell asleep.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes was excellent, despite that Franco guy being in it. WHy is he in everything these days?
You have to see Mission Impossible. The other MIs were somewhat lame and the second was terrible, but Ghost Protocol was very entertaining. It didn't suffer from "I'm Tom Cruise and I'm so cool" which is how some of the others came off. Plus one of the stars was BMW. It's always good when cool cars have a prominent role.
You could miss Tower Heist and still have seen it.
I agree that Unstoppable was good.
Those were the only movies on your list that I saw.
Tearese - I'm glad you finally were able to comment. I love hearing your assessment of everything, especially things that I haven't seen, like Transformers and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
I've noticed that there were 3 movies from my list that were nominated for Best Picture this year, and I'm a little nervous that this means that I'm getting out of touch with the average person. A lot of times Best Picture Nominations haven't been movies I've wanted to watch. I also have Moneyball right now from Netflix, and I honestly think I'm going to like it. That worries me. Am I becoming crazy, or is the Academy just liking movies that I like now?
B - I did end up seeing MI4, and I liked it, but I will probably always like the first one the best. I was a fan of that one. I agree; the second one was terrible!
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