Binkley goes to the movies quite often...
2011 saw me seeing slightly less films, but I still saw quite a bit. Here’s a brief rundown of my thoughts of the films I saw in theaters for 2011.
- Season of the Witch (01/10): 4
- Green Hornet (01/16): 7
- The King’s Speech (01/22): 7.5
- Drive Angry (02/26): 6.5
- Sucker Punch (03/26): 5.0
- Source Code (04/02): 7.0
- Hanna (04/09): 6.5
- Fast Five (05/01): 8.0
- Thor (05/08): 7.0
- Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides (05/29): 7.5
- X-Men: First Class (06/03): 8.5
- Green Lantern (06/19): 7.0
- Transformers Dark of the Moon (07/12): 7.0
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (07/20): 7.5
- Tekken Blood Vengence (07/26): 6.5
- Captain America: The First Avenger (07/30): 8.5
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes (08/21): 8.0
- Attack the Block (08/26): 7.5
- Moneyball (10/02): 7.0
- Real Steel (10/08): 8.0
- The Three Musketeers (10/30): 7.5
- A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (11/16): 7.0
- The Muppets (11/25): 8.0
- Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol (12/26): 8.5
- Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (12/27): 8.0
- Mean: 7.2
- High: 3-way Tie: X-Men: First Class (06/03): 8.5, Captain America: The First Avenger (07/30): 8.5, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol (12/26): 8.5
- Low: Season of the Witch (01/10): 4.0
- Season of the Witch (01/10): 4.0
Good: It’s got Nic Cage and Ron Perlman larping! Hilarity should ensue right?
Bad: It really is as bad as you think it will be…and it’s pretty bad.
Jank: This title is one of the greatest lies in cinematic history since The Neverending Story.
- Green Hornet (01/16): 7.0
Good: Way better than the trailers would have you believe, Seth Rogan is actually a good choice for this comedic bro-mance super hero flick.
Bad: The movie feels long and the last part of this film is unsatisfying and has some deus ex machina.
Jank: Cameron Diaz is randomly in this movie.
- The King’s Speech (01/22): 7.5
Good: It’s got Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush in legit roles!
Bad: This is pretty much a period piece movie so if you don’t like this period (1920s-1940s England) you’re not going to like this film.
Jank: I think this movie proves that Helena Bonham Carter can actually act and not just be all crazy like she normally is in her roles.
- Drive Angry (02/26): 6.5
Good: It’s one of those “it’s so bad it’s good” movies Nic Cage is so good at making these days.
Bad: If you are not into jank movies and/or Nicolas Cage you will hate this film with a passion.
Jank: William Fincher really does steal the show as The Accountant. Also, this film tanked which means we won’t get Drive 2 Hardest.
- Sucker Punch (03/26): 5.0
Good: It’s got ridiculous action sequences that have to be seen to be believed.
Bad: It’s got a ridiculous plot and some terrible acting.
Jank: I think everything in this film is truly jank (there is some ridiculous symbolism/motifs running around here), but I do love the terrible one liners Scott Glenn delivers.
- Source Code (04/02): 7.0
Good: It’s a tight sci-fi thriller with some good plot twists.
Bad: The ending is fairly ridiculous and goes on for too long. You may also hate the grand reveal.
Jank: Russell Peters is in this film and he even figures quite prominently into the ending!
- Hanna (04/09): 6.5
Good: It’s an relatively low budget action thriller with a teenage girl at the center. It’s your standard coming of age film meets Jason Bourne / Salt. Cate Blanchett as a villain is certainly interesting.
Bad: The film drags a bit and there are some plot holes.
Jank: This film is worth watching for the cinematography alone, there are some of the weirdest shots I’ve ever seen in a mainstream (major release) film.
- Fast Five (05/01): 8.0
Good: This is easily the best film in the Fast and the Furious series. Yeah it’s not really about racing anymore but after 4+ films the change in formula (it’s a heist film) is refreshing. Also good is the addition of Dwayne Johnson / The Rock. I would totally watch a spinoff film about this character.
Bad: It’s still a Fast and the Furious film, which mean ridiculous action scenes, acting, and crazy leaps of logic in the plot. But hey this is all communicated in the first 5 minutes of the film so you should know what you are getting into.
Jank: I think this film is totally “The Avengers” of this franchise, right down to the post credit sequence which sets up the next film. (There’s going to be a next film right?!)
- Thor (05/01): 8.0
Good: The cinematography is awesome and this film made me actually care about Thor. The look of Asgard and the non-Earth realms were awesome, so much so that the New Mexico town looks super fake and “Hollywood”.
Bad: There really isn’t too much action in this film.
Jank: Natalie Portman doesn’t really do a lot here. Also Loki’s master plan is totally janktastic.
- Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides (05/29): 7.5
Good: It’s way better than Part 3 was. A definite return to form for the series.
Bad: The romance sub plot in this one involving the mermaid is terribad.
Jank: No matter how many of these they make, I’m always in for some Jack Sparrow action. He’s such a lovable dick!
- X-Men: First Class (06/03): 8.5
Good: James McAvoy totally won me over as a young Charlex Xavier. The plot is definitely like something like a James Bond film meets a 1960s sci fimovie. It’s totally a period piece that happens to be a superhero film. The acting is pretty good all around too.
Bad: January Jones as Emma Frost / White Queen almost ruined this movie with her terrible acting. I say almost because this movie is that good. (You know the producers recognized this too by writing her out of the finale of the film!)
Jank: The mutants featured in this film really are scraping the bottom of the barrel and total C-tier members. Angel? Riptide? Whatever.
- Green Lantern (06/19): 7.0
Good: This film is totally not as bad as the trailers may have you believe. It’s basically just a comic book film, so don’t expect deep acting or commentary. I think it captured what is a difficult mythos quite well and Ryan Reynolds did a decent job as Hal Jordan.
Bad: Blake Lively’s acting rivals Janurary Jones in X-Men First Class. No more hot TV actresses in comic book movies please!
Jank: This apparently is a very polarizing movie among the fanboys. One reason might be that the hot jock is a hero and the awkward intelligent nerd is a villain….
- Transformers Dark of the Moon (07/12): 7.0
Good: Crazy action sequences, and a decent plot this time around. What the?!
Bad: Note I said decent plot not great…also human acting is below par, but c’mon you should expect at this point for this franchise. (SHIA!)
Jank: The Deceptecon’s plot has to be the most convulted, long con ever pulled off by a villain. It makes you wonder about their plot in the 2nd movie….
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (07/20): 7.5
Good: We finally get the conclusion to this long running saga.
Bad: The epliogue is hilarious because the kids are all supposed to be older…but they already ARE older!
Jank: Voldermort hugging Draco will live on forever in Internet memedom.
- Tekken Blood Vengence (07/26): 6.5
Good: This movie is actually pretty decent right up until the Mishimas get involved…which is quite accurrate to the plot of the game series!
Bad: The Mishimas (and DevilJin) are in this movie.
Jank: This movie is better than both the old anime film and the new live action film.
- Captain America: The First Avenger (07/30): 8.5
Good: This movie delivered everything I wanted in a WWII Cap story and more.
Bad: I’m annoyed we can’t have a Captain America 2 set during the same time period.
Jank: Cap punching out Hitler never gets old.
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes (08/21): 8.0
Good: This movie was way better than I thought it was going to be.
Bad: Some people might be annoyed that the romance between Franco and Pinto are glossed over but c’mon, we’re not here to see that right?
Jank: If for some reason you want the humans to come out on top this is not the movie for you.
- Attack the Block (08/26): 7.5
Good: This movie is basically “aliens attack the British ghetto” and it works. There are no punches pulled (kids die!) and that’s what makes it good.
Bad: Being an American, I can only understand like 25% of the slang being tossed about. Then again I probably would only understand like 50% of the slang if it was set in America…
Jank: The Naruto reference in this film is too good and too true. Also, this film is the perfect example of the Chekhov’s Gun trope.
- Moneyball (10/02): 7.0
Good: Much like the subject matter, this is a solid movie that never really rises above its subject.
Bad: If you were expecting some sort of Oscar winning performance or film, look elsewhere. Also as with many movies, the true facts are “Hollywoodized”.
Jank: I’m going to miss fat Jonah Hill.
- Real Steel (10/08): 8.0
Good: This is the best family film of the year, hands down.
Bad: There is a dance number in this film with the kid, but it totally works!
Jank: This whole movie is almost janktastic, but I’m still looking forward to the sequel when everyone Moneyballs it up and hires ex-boxers to pilot their robots. Also, I’m pretty sure this film is Rock’em Sock’em Robots with Rocky’s plot.
- The Three Musketeers (10/30): 7.5
Good: Ok this isn’t a good movie by any means, but it’s an entertaining movie. It’s got AIRSHIPS, and the Musketeers use GUNS lik they should, as well as the fact that everyone can apparently duel (including Richelieu!)
Bad: I’m sad there is not going to be a sequel to this film due to its poor box office performance.
Jank: This whole movie is janktastic. Airships? “ATHOOOOOOOSSS!”
- A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (11/16): 7.0
Good: As an Asian American, I’m pretty sure I have to not only watch these films, but like them. And I do, because I like the idea of East/South Asians being hilarious stoners as opposed to over-achieving martial artists.
Bad: This franchise is defintiely showing its age, so I think this is a good sendoff.
Jank: I wish Wafflebots were real. I would own one. Seriously.
- The Muppets (11/25): 8.0
Good: It’s the Muppets! If you don’t like the Muppets you might as well stop going to the movies.
Bad: I think The Muppets are one of the only musical acts I can tolerate, along with the Blues Brothers.
Jank: I think this movie proves to me that Gonzo is the clutch player for the Muppets.
- Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol (12/26): 8.5
Good: This movie goes back to basics, which is what should always happen in a 4th installment. Upgrading Simon Pegg to a main character was the perfect call.
Bad: Despite a supposedly simpler plot, there’s a lot of random twists and suspension of disbelief moments that occur in this film.
Jank: I’m sad that Jeremy Renner is more or less replacing Tom Cruise. Hopefully we still get a Tom Cruise running sequence in Mission Impossible 5.
- Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (12/27): 8.0
Good: I am a fan of Watson-Holmes as Victorian Bros, and this film delivers.
Bad: This film is needelessy complicated. I understand that Holmes and Moriarty are both geniuses but this movie alomst becomse “METAGAME: THE MOVIE”.
Jank: There are some ridiculous Guy Ritchie sequences in this film. I’m not sure they all work.
