Thus, we come to the final portion of the movie awards. Ten nominees will be selected, representing the best, most noteworthy movies of 2011. It was a crowded year full of plenty of amazing releases, but after many difficult decisions, I finally managed to narrow down ten movies in the running for the grand champion. There may have been plenty of worthwhile releases on the big screen this past year, but only one can be the best. To start off proceedings, here are the ten nominees for Film of the Year 2011!
1) Rango
WHY: Rango was a strange trip of an animated film, and oddly bucked the 3D convention that the genre has always held firmly since 2009! Even so, Rango was one of the most creative, original and surprisingly enjoyable animated films of the year, and a rare animated film that doesn't really waste a lot of time pandering to kids. This is a movie best appreciated by adults in all of its surreal glory, but they can generally agree that Industrial Light and Magic's first entire animated feature was an excellent one, hopefully starting a new push for more ILM animated films over the years!
2) X-Men: First Class
WHY: The X-Men film series went almost ten years without a real quality entry thanks to the disappointing X-Men: The Last Stand and the rather sub-par X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Not only did X-Men: First Class finally make this esteemed superhero film series awesome again, but it also could be considered the best X-Men movie yet! A prequel/reboot combo, X-Men: First Class delivered a creative, retro chic spin on Marvel's mutants, detailing the origin between the conflict of Professor X and Magneto, before they had taken on these identities. The story was great, the characters were once again front and center, the special effects were surprisingly awesome, and the set pieces were very memorable and engaging. This was a superhero blockbuster that had everything, and hopefully the inevitable sequels can keep this series on the right track!
3) Rise of the Planet of the Apes
WHY: Speaking of excellent reboots, Rise of the Planet of the Apes also took a floundering franchise that had been dragged through the muck by some rather lacklustre films on the tail end of the original canon, and redeemed the series with a back-to-basics spin that detailed just how those damned dirty apes took over our world. Taking place mainly through the eyes of chimp prodigy, Caesar, a character so heartfelt and tragic that he was one of the most breathtakingly human characters of the year, even as an ape, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was very creative, very smart and loaded with thrills, challenging questions and all sorts of surprises for fans new and old! Featuring one of the year's best performances thanks to Andy Serkis as Caesar, Rise of the Planet of the Apes took a mostly ridiculous and dated sci-fi cult series and made it believable and relevant again. It's another refreshed canon that I'm absolutely thrilled to see more from over the years ahead!
4) Drive
WHY: Drive didn't have a complicated storyline, or even developed characters. Even so, it was a movie that spoke volumes through everything that it DIDN'T say. Drive was a movie that wasn't afraid to challenge the imaginations and deeper fascinations of the audience, delivering a classy, retro chic dramatic thriller that was nicely punctuated with several surprising moments of violence, as well as a hallmark performance by Ryan Gosling in the nameless lead role. Sure to be a cult classic for decades, Drive was one of 2011's most criminally underseen films, even if it still turned a reasonable profit over its microscopic budget. It's a movie that some may find too 'deep' as it were, but for those willing to try and understand the vision, Drive represents a rare serving of highly creative dramatic thriller that Hollywood really needs more of. It's rare that a movie so simple is so powerful and memorable, but that's exactly what separates Drive from the competition!
5) Bridesmaids
WHY: Bridesmaids was an R-rated comedy with a surprising amount of heart, inspiration and charm. It was also a movie that proved women can have just as much comedic chops as any male cast in these kinds of movies, resulting in a loveably honest and sometimes hilariously rude take on an otherwise relatable story about dealing with loss, whether it's the loss of your job or your best friend. If you don't care about the subtext though, Bridesmaids was a hysterical comedy that is sure to lend Kristen Wiig to superstardom, and hopefully it paves the way for other awesome female-driven adult comedies to come along over the next few years!
6) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
WHY: Even if you could care less about Harry Potter like me, you can't deny that the much anticipated Harry Potter finale was one of 2011's standout Summer blockbusters. It was a dark, action-packed finale to a much beloved series that gave the wizarding franchise a proper send-off, even if it meant that fans would have to say goodbye to something that defined a large part of their lives. Harry and the Hogwarts crew took heavy losses in the final battle for the wizarding world, and this was a movie defined mostly by action after the buildup of its 2010 predecessor, but in terms of sheer spectacle, there were few other movies that wowed audiences quite like this one! Harry Potter may be done, but at least it went out with a bang!
7) Hugo
WHY: Hugo was one of 2011's worst bombs, and that is the worst injustice that the big screen ever suffered this year. Hugo was a welcome return by Martin Scorsese to the family-friendly subset of movies, and it was as much an amazing, light-hearted adventure as it was a love letter to the medium of moviemaking as a whole. Featuring excellent visuals, great performances, and one of the best 3D presentations of any movie that's yet come to the big screen, the fact that nobody saw this movie is absolutely criminal, especially when it was in favour of a cinematic tween porn fart that couldn't hold a candle to this film in any respect. Sure, Hugo is a movie mainly directed at people who love movies, but I guess those people are in precious short supply if they'd rather toss their ticket money at Twilight over this. Fret not though, Mr. Scorsese. At least I appreciate your incredible vision for this movie!
8) Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
WHY: The original new take on Sherlock Holmes by director, Guy Ritchie in 2009 was one of the year's best and most entertaining surprise hits. Its sequel was an even better movie in just about every respect. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows delivered a highly intricate and engaging new mystery for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's super sleuth, finally pitting him against his arch-nemesis, and expanding upon the immense scale of both characters with considerable aplomb. Even if you're of a simpler mind, the highly creative action scenes, witty jokes and onslaught of surprising moments helped to elevate this movie sequel above the zillions of others that dropped in 2011. This was a game that moviegoing audiences couldn't possibly lose, because it had a little something for everyone!
9) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
WHY: Animation director, Brad Bird made his live-action debut with one of the year's most exceptionally entertaining action blockbusters! This fourth Mission: Impossible film operated more closely with the cheesy roots of the original TV series, giving Ethan Hunt another new team (and the return of Benji Dunn from MI3) against a nuclear extremist who frames the IMF for a Kremlin bombing, forcing the whole organization to disavow itself. With nothing but defective prototype gear, Ethan's crew must stop the bad guys before the world pays the price. It wasn't a complicated story, but where this movie really excelled was several of 2011's best action scenes and stunt sequences, complete with a very clever script and plenty of globetrotting fun on top of that, which all only got better in IMAX! In the end, it's a good thing that Tom Cruise decided to return to the franchise, so that we could get another relentlessly entertaining action movie in a year that was somewhat starved for them in the more traditional sense.
10) Crazy, Stupid, Love
WHY: Crazy, Stupid, Love reminded audiences that just because a comedy is PG-13 and about romance, doesn't mean that it has to be bad. An exceptional Black List mainstay, Crazy, Stupid, Love finally made it to the big screen with one of the most clever, funny and extraordinarily heartfelt films of 2011, particularly anchored by one of Steve Carell's best lead performances in recent memory. More of a romantic commentary than a romantic comedy, Crazy, Stupid, Love was endearing, memorable, and a much smarter date movie than most. It wasn't airbrushed by Hollywood, but its honesty was tempered by a sense of hope and affection that gave hope to anyone struggling with love. Funny, cute and clever, this is the kind of sharp comedy that I wish all date movies followed the example of!
Thus, we come to Film of the Year Bronze, the second runner-up for the year's top film. It was a contested award, but ultimately, the winner has to be...
FILM OF THE YEAR BRONZE: X-Men: First Class
WHY: While all of Marvel's films were pretty strong in 2011, X-Men: First Class was a real groundbreaking one, moreso than Thor and Captain America, fantastic as they were. The X-Men prequel/reboot put this esteemed movie series back on its feet with a creative alternate historical fiction tale that also wisely shifted the focus back to the characters, particularly future foes, Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr when they first form the school for mutants. There were less familiar faces from the comics like Storm, Cyclops, Jean Grey and Gambit, with Wolverine relegated to a brief, but hilarious cameo complete with Hugh Jackman, but X-Men: First Class was still not only an exceptional return to form for a floundering film franchise, but also proof that superhero movies can still be plenty creative even over ten years later. Again, this was a superhero movie that just had everything, and it turned out much, much better than its flawed marketing and rushed schedule would initially have people believe!
Next, the first runner-up for 2011's best film. Film of the Year Silver is...
FILM OF THE YEAR SILVER: Hugo
WHY: Hugo would probably come off as a little bit pretentious in terms of its glorification of filmmaking to those who aren't in love with movies, but if you're willing to appreciate the clear love and reverence of filmmaking that is peppered all throughout this riveting adventure, you'll see exactly why Hugo was one of the most captivating movies of 2011. Both a visual masterpiece and an excellent love letter to cinema, Hugo was a thoroughly engrossing, magical journey that was made all the better by its groundbreaking 3D. Far too few people saw it, and they missed out on one of the year's most impressive movies in every respect. It was a radical departure from director, Scorsese's usual work, but it proved even outside of his element that Scorsese is still one of the best directors in the business, and Hugo proves very well that he's still clearly entranced by his love of the movies! Never has there been a finer celebration of everything that makes a film an unforgettable experience than Hugo!
Now, we come to the big moment, 2011's top film. My pick for Film of the Year 2011 is...
FILM OF THE YEAR GOLD: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
WHY: This was a close toss-up between the Sherlock sequel and Hugo, but Sherlock barely edged out because as amazing as Hugo was, I found Sherlock 2 to be slightly more detailed and slightly more entertaining, plus its characters were much grander in scale. Sherlock 2 also had the unenviable task of trying to take one of the most beloved villains in the history of literature, and make him a worthy foe to the radically reinterpreated Sherlock Holmes character that Robert Downey Jr. has helped create with Ritchie's direction. Sherlock 2 perfectly lived up to its grand vision, creating a sharp mystery, a highly entertaining action blockbuster, and an endlessly intricate character piece, and rolled them all together into a stylish, globetrotting action blockbuster that closed off the year on an incredible note! Whether it was entertainment, surprises, creativity, style, brains, performances, characters or whatever else you were going for, Sherlock 2 was easily the most complete and entertaining cinematic offering of the year. I'm sure people will dispute this with me, just like my pick for Game of the Year 2011, but for my money, Sherlock 2 was the biggest and best movie this year, period.
So, that wraps up my 2011 Movie Awards, and my awards in general. One last thing though, just a tiny element of my review/award style that I'd like to address, so my readers are aware. It's good timing because I know that I'm going to get yet more flak for my Film of the Year choice I'm sure. Someone actually asked me today why I love these Sherlock Holmes movies so much, despite the fact that the currently airing BBC series, Sherlock is apparently so superior to them. That's a good question. I'll address this quickly and easily, so allow me to explain my thoughts here. As my regular readers already know, I don't review television shows, miniseries or otherwise, nor do I have any plans to expand there. They're not my area of expertise, so I'm not going to penalize a movie just because some people prefer the show. That doesn't make sense. That doesn't mean that I hate TV, because I don't, even if I watch most of it on DVD. I just don't have the time or energy to add a third entertainment medium to my already extensive obligations with movies and video games.
I always prefer to try my best to take a movie or game on its own merits, and not incessantly compare it to any source material that may exist, nor other adaptations in other entertainment mediums, something that a lot of online critics tend to have a bad habit of doing. This makes their reviews less helpful, because readers may not be familiar with the source material, and thus, can't trust their verdict. Comparisons are sometimes inevitable, but I try not to stack one vision against another of the same source when I write reviews and consider awards, because I believe that different visions should be assessed as their own independent visions, not as an attempt to "outdo" another vision. That's a bad habit that moviegoers, TV watchers, comic book readers, and gamers alike really need to kick, because it's the root of this illogical and immature hatred for things like video game-adapated movies or novel-adapted movies for example. It's common sense and review writing 101 as well that you need to assume that your reader is COMPLETELY UNFAMILIAR with series canon, other adaptations of the same material, and anything similar to that effect. I obviously have nothing against Sherlock and I do really want to watch it sometime because it sounds awesome, but I prefer to take the Sherlock show and Guy Ritchie's movies as separate visions, letting them coexist as two different, equally valid interpretations of the same thing, something that I think other audiences should do more often. Just because I appreciate the Guy Ritchie movies doesn't mean that I hate Sherlock, or vice-versa, and that's kind of a black-and-white way of thinking that doesn't do anyone any favours. I get this with video games too. When I do a string of Xbox reviews for example, due to requests or a backlog where I just happened to buy a lot of Xbox 360 games at once or something, people sometimes just assume that I dislike PlayStation, because it's seen as the competitor. Why? Just because I like Xbox, doesn't mean I like PlayStation any less. Consequently, I've spoken highly of the SNES in several places, and that's led to some people thinking that I'm somehow attacking the Genesis. That doesn't make sense at all. Why do I have to take sides? Why can't I like everything for different reasons? I don't need to pick an allegiance with movies, video games, TV or anything else. I just like good entertainment, in any form.
To reiterate my stance on movies, I could care less about whether a movie is a wholly original story, or adapated from something else and where it's adapted from. As long as the movie is entertaining and well-crafted, I will find something to like about it. The reason why I hate movies like the Twilight series, is because they're shat into theatres with a bare minimum of effort, where they rake in money on a brand name with a lazy, asinine product that doesn't deserve so much revenue, especially when it takes revenue away from better movies that people put actual effort and dedication into. Movies that DO deserve more revenue! Consequently, with video games, I love and support Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox EQUALLY, and I enjoy all three current gaming consoles and both competing handhelds of the current and last generation, and the generations before all these, all for different reasons, but equally. I don't like Xbox over PlayStation, and I don't have to. I like them both the same, and obviously that goes for Nintendo as well. This obsession with comparing everything needs to stop! We're all gamers, can't we all just get along?!
Ok, so with that explained, allow me to end this off and say, here's to another great year at the movies in 2012! Thanks again for reading, thanks again for your incredible support! You guys are the best!
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