Top Six: Films of 2011

2011 has been an excellent year for films, with hero-based films yet again taking over the big screen. but, as the year comes to a close, I wanted to take some time to share my Top Six Films of 2011, that for whatever reason have really blown me away, made me cry, made me smile or just kept me entertained.

6. Captain America: The First Avenger

I watched Captain America literally the day after I saw the film that makes it to the Top Spot in this Chart, so in a way, it never had much hope of making it much higher. Which is an immense shame, because Captain America is a fun film, that doesn't take itself too seriously, and has a great supporting cast, backing up a lead actor (Chris Evans) who I honestly did not expect great things from. But Evans comfortably proved me wrong, and I honestly believe that he was perfect for the role.

The CGI that made Evans look so scrawny at the beginning of this film was well-used and clever, in that I genuinely believed (despite knowing otherwise) that Evans really was that short/skinny etc.

Why Captain America beats Thor: Personally, this was an easy choice to make over it's fellow Avenger, because Thor just didn't cut it for me. Maybe this is the part of me that's not a huge Superhero film fan coming out, but I prefer superheroes who are human, and where the story takes place on Earth. For me, the non-Earth based parts of Thor were boring. I also found Thor to be particularly unlikable, which is odd because I generally tend to like Chris Hemsworth.

Thor also gets a million points knocked off for having a bad-guy "creature" that freaked me the hell out. At 27 years old (as I was at the time), I never expected to come across a creature in a film that would make me stick my fingers in my ears because the sound it made was so creepy.

Disclaimer: Chris would like me to point out that he liked everything that I hated about Thor. Chalk and Cheese, my love, Chalk and Cheese ;)

5. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

It seems kind of wrong to have placed this film so low, because I genuinely loved it, despite having a few issues over plot.However, in a year with so many awesome films, I had to place them in some sort of order, and unfortunately this one ended up here.

It's hard to really know what else to write about Game of Shadows, because I so recently reviewed it.

The film wasn't that well received by various critics, particularly relating to Sherlock, as well as the on-screen chemistry between Sherlock and Watson (or apparent lack of). I do agree that Sherlock seemed somewhat "different" in Game of Shadows, in a way that I can't quite put my finger on, but I whole-heartedly disagree about the chemistry between the two lead males. A large portion of the story revolves around their relationship, and Sherlock's need to protect his close friend and I thought that part of the film worked nicely.

Favourite Scene: The slow-motion action scene in the forest was incredibly well edited and put together. I've seen this scene touted as one of the best action sequences of all time, and I think I'm close to wanting to agree, even though it's not ultimately as big an action film as other, and it has so much competition. I really hope that that scene wins some form of award.



4. Tron Legacy

Effectively, Tron is a film from the end of 2010, but since I actually saw it in January 2011, I think it rightly deserves it's position here. The original Tron, is a film that I only half think I saw as a kid, probably on television, but I'm never really sure. But, noting how technologically advanced the film industry has become since the making of the first Tron, I had huge hopes that this would be a corker of a visual film, and I was not disappointed.

I think that what made Tron such a great film wasn't the special effects however, but more in Daft Punk's immense soundtrack which I absolutely fell in love with. I don't think that I've been so in love with a film's soundtrack since the first Transformers film, and Tron's actually blows it out of the water, as it plays so perfectly with the film's science fiction backdrop.

It is definitely worth a quick mention, but similar to the CGI to make Chris Evans look scrawnier in Captain America, the CGI used to create a younger Jeff Bridge's in Tron was incredible too. Of course, he didn't look entirely right, because CGI isn't quite that perfect (yet), but boy did he look good.

Considering that this is a sequel to a film that has become a cult classic, I felt that it did itself great justice as a singular film too, perhaps to rival it's predecessor in pure grandeur.

I also loved the films use of 3D, in which it was only used within the Tron world, and not the "real" world.


3. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I have to get this out there, and I'm not ashamed to say it, but I really (as in with a passion) hate the original Planet of the Apes films. And no, I don't just mean that god-awful crap "starring" the over-hyped Mark Wahlberg, but I also mean the Charlton Heston ones too. I know that a lot of people have high regard of the original films, which I have a huge amount of respect for, but they were never really my cup-of-tea.

In fact, when I first heard about this new incarnation of the story, I didn't have very high expectations. That was until I saw the trailer, and I was blown away by it.

I think that what makes the 2011 version of Planet of the Apes more likable, is the fact that it throws the original ideas of origins completely out of the window, and starts from scratch with a modern audience in mind. The idea focused on something (Alzheimers) that a lot of people fear, and similar to films like the old Hammer Horror flicks, played on that sense of fear.

It's nice to see Harry Potter's Tom Felton in new roles, but despite having seen him in completely different previous roles (Anna and the King, The Borrowers etc), I do think that he played this role too closely to Draco Malfoy.

2. Sucker Punch

From what I can figure out, Sucker Punch is definitely a "Marmite" type of film, because people either hate it with an absolute passion, as they typically brand is sexist and stupid, or they really love it.

Similarly to Sherlock Holmes, I find it hard knowing what else to be said about Sucker Punch that hasn't already been said in my previous review, and also in Chris' male point of view review.

I think my ability to appreciate this film lies in two factors of my personality:

1. The fact that I'm a writer, and I am always intrigued by stories where nothing is entirely what it, at first, appears. And even when you think that you have everything figured out, something else occurs to make you question whether you're right or wrong. Another example of a film that does this well, is Donnie Darko, a film that I only half feel like I've worked out!

2. The fact that I'm a gamer, and most importantly, a fan of RPG-based games. All the way through the fantasy-based sequences which saw Baby Doll and the others fighting various soldiers and monsters etc, reminded me of playing Final Fantasy, and I kept thinking about how great this would all be in a video game.

PS, who cares if all the girls look slutty? So do all the female characters in virtually every Final Fantasy game, but does anyone care? Not really!!


1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two

The End of a Era: We could go on forever about how sad so many of us are that there will never be another Harry Potter book or film, but the truth is that I don't think there has ever been a series of books or films that have been quite as epic, quite as quickly and globally as these ones.

As an ending, the film wasn't perfect, but I never expected it to be. It did, however, offer a great deal of closure that was necessary for such a popular franchise.

Was it right for the original cast to play their older selves? I've seen this question batted about quite a bit since the film came out, over the summer, and honestly, yes, I think that they were right to play their older selves. Why? Because Harry was Daniel Radcliffe's role, and Ron was Rupert Grint's role, whilst Hermione was Emma Watson's role etc. They'd spent over ten years of their lives dedicated and growing up around these characters, and it only seems right that they should be the ones to see them through to the very end.

I think that we should consider ourselves incredibly lucky that we made it through all eight of the films, with very few cast changes (the only major one being Dumbledore of course, and that couldn't really have been avoided).

Favourite Scene: The epic scene when Professor McGonagall casts a spell to ask the School Statues to protect them, and Harry and all the other Hogwarts teachers and children, join together to protect their School from Voldemort and his Army. Accompanied by an awesome soundtrack, the scene was incredibly powerful and poignant because despite his demise, the scene showed that Dumbledore's Army was even more loyal and determined than Voldemort's. Even more poignant is that most of them are kids!

The above clip, unfortunately, doesn't offer a good example of the music. However, the following fan-created video does, and it also represents everything that is bloody amazing about the final installment, that I think will always have a place in my heart.

If this films score doesn't win awards, I will die of shock (well, maybe not literally, but you know what I mean), because it truly deserves it. And Alexandre Desplat deserves all the credit he gets for this piece in particular.

Harry Potter is a series that I look forward to introducing to my own children in the future.

Film Review: Sucker Punch from a Male P.O.V

Info: I didn't know much about this film before going to see it and I wanted to keep it that way so that I could go into the cinema with low expectations. It was actually Kat who brought Sucker Punch to my attention. The synopsis sounded interesting and it give us enough incentive to go and see the film. One thing I want to get out of the way is that although the film is sexy, with hot women in hot outfits it has a lot more going for it. This film is pretty deep, and contrary to what I have read in many reviews it does have a plot. And it's a pretty interesting one.

Plot: The story begins with "Babydoll" played by Browning, who is sent to an insane asylum after her step father accuses her of murdering her sister. To escape the hell of the asylum she allows her mind to sink into an alternate dream world, that of a brothel. Here she finds several friends, SweetPea, Blondie, Amber and Rocket, and together they forge a plan to make an escape.

Thoughts:

Well, what can I say other than, jolly interesting. There is not really anything negative I can say about this film. Like any good film it was the well written story that kept me watching. Amidst the despair of facing a grim future in an insane asylum "Baby Doll" found hope in the recesses of her mind. And that's what I liked about this film. No matter how bad life is there is always hope. And hope can originate from a positive thought. Hope for "Baby Doll" comes in the form of five items and these items are the key to her escape plan. The music was another interesting aspect of this film. For me it felt like a musical, as the songs in the film reflected the emotional state of "Baby Doll". Classic songs such as "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics have been tailor made for the film. Emily Browning proves herself as a competent singer and lends a dark brooding presence to each of her songs.

Visuals:

Sucker Punch certainly has the looks, and I don't mean the young ladies who grace the screen. Just imagine your favorite action video game and you'll have an idea of the kind of imagination that "Baby Doll" has.

Casting:

I've only heard of two of the cast members, Emily Browning (Lemony Snicket) and Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical) . High School Musical isn't really my cup of tea, being a bloke and all, so I have nothing to say about that film. I have seen Lemony Snicket however and in that film she played the part pretty well. It's fair to say that after her role in Sucker Punch she is a talented actress. And that goes for the rest of the cast, yes, that's right, even Vanessa Hudgens who has successfully escaped the sickly sweet arms of High School Musical.

Overall:

Sucker Punch is a great film, packed with interesting ideas and stunning visuals. The performances are great and the direction is spot on. I have high hopes for the Superman reboot now that Zack Snyder is on board to direct. He brought a decent mix of emotion, excitement and pace to Sucker Punch. I know it's a cliche, but the story stayed with me long after leaving the cinema. And as Kat pointed out, we didn't finish our coke which must be a good thing.