The Best and Worst Movies of 2011… So Far

WORST 10 OF 2011 (so far):

10. The Dilemma
While this film isn't a complete and total waste, the jokes are terribly silly and often offensive, Vince Vaughn does nothing for me, as usual, and Kevin James is just blah. The real shining star here is Channing Tatum, who goes so far out of his comfort zone for this flick that it's a shocker he didn't get more recognition. He legitimately steals every single scene that he's in and puts Vaughn to shame, essentially showing his true comic timing in ways we haven't seen from him before. Winona Ryder, who lost credibility awhile back when she got caught shoplifting, is actually quite good on film, and I'd like to see much more of her. As shown in Black Swan, Ryder really has depth. With the few scenes she had in that movie, she really played the crazy-bitch role well. Let's just hope next time, she can choose better than this predictable romantic distraction.

9. Red Riding Hood
This movie was just awful… not even a fantastic cast, amazing cinematography, and gorgeous costume design could save this painful retread that is pretty much an exact replica of Twilight. Director Catherine Hardwicke proves once again that she has absolutely no idea how to film a movie with more of those terrible "spin in a circle" camera techniques that she's so in love with. The two lead guys are extremely attractive, as is the always-amazing Amanda Seyfried. Billy Burke is laughable again with an absolutely awful role that gives him little depth and an absolutely awful wig. It's a shame, this movie had so much potential, but the dialogue and script is just ATROCIOUS.

8. Rubber
Even for sheer dumb entertainment value, Rubber is just not worth the time or the effort. The ending is so ridiculous that you almost have to wonder what the intention was. The one sure thing about this movie is that the gore is pretty much just awesome. Any single scene that tries to be smart, or contains the self-referential "audience" is a complete mess. These scenes don't mesh well with the rest of the picture and draw into question the validity and meaning of anything else, which is not something you want to be thinking about when you're watching a movie about a killer tire. An absolutely mind-boggling film.

7. Hall Pass
I was excited for this movie, mostly because of its supporting actors and because it was The Farrelly Brothers! I've loved alot of their movies, even when they weren't the greatest they just had a certain charm. How can you deny how classic There's Something About Mary, Osmosis Jones, Shallow Hal, and Me Myself & Irene were? The rest of their filmography can hardly be considered quality, and yet I actually had expectations for this. Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis are TERRIBLE as the lead actors in this film. They are so unconventional and weird that they are actually off-putting. There was way too much unnecessary male nudity in this, and I never say that (even though one of the best moments involves nudity). I hated them as the lead actors, i hated the bullshit reasons why the couples stayed together, and I hated how terrible the chemistry was between the two couples. And not even one break-up in this shitty comedy? That was completely unrealistic. So while I may have laughed through some of the movie (it has three really HILARIOUS parts while the rest is pretty much awful), overall Hall Pass is simply not the return to form I was expecting from the Farrelly Brothers

6. Beastly
Really badly written romantic movie that I had been hoping would at least be a little more adult-themed than it was. How did this get a PG-13 rating when there was no violence or anything whatsoever? The movie's lack of conflict is pretty much as its downfall; there isn't a second that we don't expect Kyle and Lindy to end up together. Mary-Kate is superbly awesome in her turn as "The Witch", Neil Patrick Harris does what he can with a random role, and obviously Alex Pettyfer is superb in the lead role. The acting was actually quite good in the movie overall; it's too bad they didn't spend more time crafting a great story than casting decent actors. Certainly not the worst movie I've seen so far in 2011, but one of the worst. The makeup effects alone are pretty interesting, but for the most part the movie just falls flat.

5. The Adjustment Bureau
This is another case of squandered potential, which is unfortunate because I really love Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. The last act goes into complete ridiculousness with some twists that not only don't make sense, but are completely retarded. The ending made me angry because it pretty much dumbs down the entire movie. I would go into even more about how ridiculous almost every plot twist of this movie is, but I don't want to spoil too much. Just see it for yourself to see how dumb it is.

4. Drive Angry
Absolutely terrible in every way, Nicolas Cage delivers yet another flat, lifeless performance, the villain (the father from Twilight) is the most laughable idiotic shell of an evil person. From beginning to end, the movie almost drove me to tears from how terrible it was. I know the intention was to make it fun and over the top, but it was just BAD. Another wise financial choice from Nicolas Cage.

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
The most disappointing movie I've seen all year.. Gone is the excitement and magic that made the first three films so memorable in the first place. With a new director, you'd think that they would take the premise to new (or more interesting) heights, but this Pirates is so bland and boring compared to the other three installments that it doesn't even hold a candle. There are a plethora of really badly edited transitional scenes that take us jumping from one crew to another; it makes the movie feel even more disjointed and gives it a major lag. Which brings me to another point: this movie was way too long with virtually nothing interesting occuring during the entire runtime, except for the great opening. I loved the beginning scenes and the setup for the events, as they actually showed a lot of promise. This made everything that followed all the more heartbreaking; this isn't to say that Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush don't do a spectacular job in their respective roles, but just that the script is so lacking in originality, flair, and even memorable dialogue that it would take a lot more than fine acting to save this mess of a movie. Penelope Cruz is one of the definite weak points, struggling to make a preposterous character more believable. I can honestly say that I HATED her in this movie and thought her character wasn't even vaguely interesting. Also, the whole subplot with the man falling in love with the mermaid seemed so forced and preposterous that the fact that it faded off into non-importance by the end of the movie. The rushed climax of the film (a category where these films usually shine brilliantly with largely staged action set-pieces) felt especially lacking, with the importance of the actual Fountain of Youth around which the movie is based completely unnecessary. What transpires when they FINALLY arrive to the fountain is both boring and uninspired, leaving a bitter taste in one's mouth by the time the credits role. I'm not sure how they could possibly fix the franchise after this, but maybe next time they could try returning to basics with more of a storyline and strong action setpieces instead of a thinly conceived "journey" type story that leads to nowhere

2. Priest
This movie was pretty painful to watch, from the awful acting to the wooden dialogue. Characters pop in and out with hollow explanations, filling the movie like cavities, and the bizarre sets and effectswork leave much to be desired. From the over-use of slow-mo to questionably terrible costumes (seriously, did they NOT notice Maggie Q's frequent nipples showing in her costume?), there really isn't a whole lot to get from Priest even if you're just looking for some cheap throwaway entertainment. For those looking to go for the comedy, there are really only two so-bad-its-good scenes in the whole movie (pretty much the entire train setpiece as well as the scene with the floating rocks in the caves), and beyond that there isn't much that makes this film worth checking out.

1. Season of the Witch
One of the worst movies I've had the misfortune of seeing in theaters; while it's not surprising that the newest Nicolas Cage feature was insurmountably terrible, it's a bit compelling to see how far he has really fallen. Once the go-to actor of the 90s, Cage gives one of the worst performances I've ever seen in the schlocky, painful Season of the Witch. Filled to the brim with unrealistic moments, awful dialogue, and costume design worthy of a hobo eating out of a garbage can, it almost goes without saying that the movie will go down as one of 2011's worst films. The special effects are about Legion-quality and no better, which says alot about the movie as a whole; the shoddy art direction and film direction in general is almost another story, never appearing to merit more than a direct-to-DVD or $3 bin sales tag. Nicolas Cage, either go back to the heyday of your one or two good films in the 1990's or vanish from film altogether: you won't be missed.

BEST 10 OF 2011 (so far):

10. Bad Teacher
Cameron Diaz still has it! In her best comedy since There's Something About Mary, with an ensemble cast, Diaz delivers a fine performance that is one of the year's most hilarious. The title really rings true for this movie, as we get all sorts of bad things done by the teacher, Elizabeth, complete with pot smoking antics, stealing test answers, disguising herself as a reporter, dry humping, and other hysterical moments. Justin Timberlake is just amazing here as the idiotic Scott, a character with pretty much zero IQ. Jason Segel, Lucy Punch, and Phyllis Smith also deliver some really funny performances, and the sharp script is able to easily sustain the plot in the movie's brisk runtime. Just need to say one thing: SIMPATICO.

9. Cars 2
Not every single Disney/Pixar movie has to be as poignant as Toy Story 3 or as impossibly brilliant as Ratatouille. Cars 2 is just a fun, purely entertaining journey back into the world of Cars with an epic James Bond twist that will probably go far above and beyond the heads of younger viewers. Sure, this one teaches lessons as always, but this time it's more concerned with awesome action and hysterical car jokes. Sure, the first Cars was a lot more simple and character-oriented, but by showering this film in spectacle and gadgetry, Pixar has made a new kind of film unlike anything they have put out before. This isn't merely a sub-par continuation of the first film, it is full of personality and spark. And that Toy Story short that played before the movie? Simply magical.

8. Bridesmaids
From start to finish, this movie had me laughing so hard my sides hurt. The ensemble cast are what makes the movie so brilliant, but undeniably Kristen Wiig & Melissa McCarthy steal the show. Jon Hamm is hilariously amusing as Wiig's "friend with benefits". The movie has tons of heart, character development, and sentimental moments, which beautifully blend with the outrageous moments scattered in between. The ending is really great, and cements Bridesmaids as one of 2011's best comedies.

7. Rango
The best quirky kid's movie since Fantastic Mr. Fox, Rango is CGI animation at its finest. The story is beautifully crafted and the movie is a western through and through. Sprinkle in some great voice acting from Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, and company, some of the most dark and disturbing characters I've seen put to film, and movie references galore and you have yourself one of the only few noteworthy animated flicks of the year.

6. Insidious
James Wan and Leigh Whannell have done it again, for the third time. After Saw and Dead Silence, Insidious is a vastly crafted, hugely original spooky film that is ACTUALLY SCARY, the rarest of qualities in horror films as of late. Suave performances from Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne as well as an over-the-top bit of perfection from Lin Shaye make Insidious a joy to watch. The ending is also pretty terrifying too, even though the single scariest scene in the flick came from a creepy song and a midget or child dancing. Dare I say it, but I think this ghost film was a bit more effective than Paranormal Activity in upping the scare factor, and the storyline is indefinitely more collected.

5. Midnight in Paris
Owen Wilson.. in a movie that's actually AMAZING… say what? I was as surprised as anyone else that Wilson manages to be tolerable in this touchingly filmed, beautiful movie about the many loves of Paris. I didn't expect the time travel and I certainly didn't expect to enjoy the movie, but Midnight in Paris is, in one word, STUNNING.

4. Source Code
Extremely intelligent, brilliantly acted and filmed, and complex enough to stay interesting throughout the duration, Source Code is one of the best movies of 2011. Jake is always a joy to watch on screen, and he brings his A-game here. The supporting cast is great and the ending is stellar. Suspenseful and gutsy, Source Code surprised me at every turn.

3. Super 8
From start to finish, it's completely engrossing and the whole thing culminates beautifully in a touching conclusion. The characters feel real and the setting in 1979 gives the movie a very particular flare. Director/writer J. J. Abrams really knows how to script a sci-fi flick. The train sequence alone is one of the best cinematic offerings to hit theaters all year.

2. Paul
Seth Rogen, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost? Sounds like a match made in comedy heaven and, thanks in large part to the phenomenal script and effective CGI work, it really is. Kristen Wiig is an absolute riot as the religious nut, and Jason Bateman is impressive as a hotshot officer hunting the crew. I was surprised by how much I fell in love with the simple storyline, and the characters were well-developed even with the movie's relatively action-oriented happenings. The finale with the surprise "alien" guest was handled well, and till the very last frame the movie just oozes originality.

1. Scream 4
An instant classic with some of the most clever writing and kills in ages. To say that a fourth film in a franchise is ORIGINAL is practically unheard of, but Scream 4 brings all the conventions to a high point. Absolutely loved it; in fact, I could probably go on about it for ages. The entire ensemble cast do their hardest to craft an effective and harrowing tale, and the whodunnit aspect of the storyline is probably the most original, thought-out and perfect since the original movie back in 1996. Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven have done it again: Scream 4 is not only the best horror film of the year, but also the best film altogether.

BEST

1. X-Men: First Class –> Really want to see it again !
2. Source Code –> Great story / great cast.
3. Limitless –> Biggest surprise so far.
4. Win/Win –> Solid feel-good indie.
5. Tree of Life –> Amazing message and pictures / Lacks focus

HONORABLE MENTIONS

1. The Adjustment Bureau –> Amazing chemistry / at times cheesy script
2. Lincoln Lawyer –> Really enjoyed this one
3. Thor –> Fun and entertaining superhero movie
4. Super 8 –> Entertaining and really well filmed, but nothing more

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Hanna –> I guess, I was expecting sth. entirely different and more sincere.

WORST

1. Green Lantern –> A 12-yearold could have written a better script.
2. Green Hornet –> Forgettable at best.