SUPERHERO MOVIES - TOP 10 COUNTDOWN - PART 7

ASSEMBLE!

The #1 movie superhero movie of all time!  If your list differs, then you are wrong!

#1 –  AVENGERS (a.k.a. Marvel’s The Avengers)

When I was a child my friend and I used to sit around watching movies and discussing how awesome it would be if one day there was an Avengers movie with all the heavy hitters: Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Hawkeye and maybe they would even fight the Hulk.  That was in the 1980s.  2013 and Joss Whedon and Marvel delivered exactly what I wanted and needed in a superhero movie.

I have seen Avengers eight times at the movies in IMAX, in 3D, attached to a Thor 1 & 2 marathon, and in the company of numerous friends (heck my wife even saw it twice in the theatre, unheard of for her).  Each and every time it was a memorable moment and an absolute fun experience.  So let’s look at ten (and there could be more) key reasons why Avengers succeeds for me as a superhero fan where so many other superhero movies before and since have stumbled.

1) THE LOOK!  If you look at a comic book of the Avengers (especially Ultimates’ version) and then look at this movie, there is no doubt what characters you are following.  Even though Captain America has some mask issues, the movie owns it and explains that Agent Coulson designed the suit, so sure maybe it’s not 100% perfect.  “Aren’t the stars and stripes a bit outdated?”  There are no bat-nipples or unnecessary suits of armor-mesh or dark tones.  Samuel Jackson’s Nick Fury is exactly as Ultimates’ writer Mark Millar always envisioned him.  Loki’s horned antler helmet is straight out of 1960s comic books, and kudos for that where other studios would have balked and requested that the look of the helmet be changed.

2)  THE CAST!  Sure Robert Downey Jr. owns every scene he is in, but this movie allows everyone to shine.  This is not Iron Man & The Avengers (as every X-Men movie with Wolverine turned into).  There are some stellar casting choices I especially love Chris Evans remaining stoic and yet out-of-time with his Steve Rogers but once the costume is on he is all patriotic hero and commander.  Mark Ruffalo (who I was not eager about the casting choice) brings a nice awkward touch to Bruce Banner and then his Hulk manages to take over the spotlight of the entire movie (seriously when people talk about this movie do they NOT talk about Hulk first?).  Even Jeremy Renner who is tragically underused is a great casting choice for Hawkeye.  “I suppose if I shoot an arrow into Loki’s eye I’ll feel better.”  Nobody can do cocky and funny like Renner so I’m hopeful that future movies can do him and the character justice (go watch the movie S.W.A.T. and see Renner as the pompous bad guy…that’s pure Hawkeye).

3)  THE BAD GUY!  “I am Loki, and I am burdened with glorious purpose.”  The first issue of the Avengers comic book featured Loki as the villain.  Kudos for the movie to follow suit…and boy did they.  The Loki present in this movie is NOT the weak-kneed unsure Loki from the Thor movie.  From his first appearance Loki is a powerful threat in this movie and it is clear a team will be needed to stop him.  His dialogue is excellent whether he his trading quips with his brother Thor or Tony Stark, being pummeled by Hulk, tricked by Black Widow, or killing S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, when Loki is on screen you have no choice but to follow his every action and wait with anticipation for the team to form and battle him.  Tom Hiddleston owns this character and continued to win fans over with his appearance at SDCC in 2013 as well as stealing every moment in Thor the Dark World.

4)  HERO VS. HERO!  Who would win in a fight between Thor and Iron Man?  Can Captain America’s shield stop Thor’s hammer?  Is the Hulk strong enough to lift Thor’s hammer?  These are fan boy questions over the years and Joss Whedon made sure that each of these questions and more would be presented and answered during the course of the movie.  Origin stories can be a dull affair, but with a superteam there is always the necessity of having the good guys battle each other in some manner.  “I have a plan.  Attack.” and with those words Iron Man engages in a battle with Thor that had fans of the comics and movies eager to witness.

5)  “And HULK…SMASH!”  I am a fan of the movie The Incredible Hulk and I was glad that at the least mentions of it were included to be sure it was treated as canon for this cinematic   I thought Edward Norton did a solid job and the Hulk’s ending battle with the Abomination was great.  Then the Avengers reintroduced the Bruce Banner and the Hulk and upped the game to an incredible (no pun intended) new level.  It was a masterstroke to sit on Hulk’s reveal until late into the 2^nd act of the movie.  By this point, everyone knew what to expect but Joss Whedon still managed to create a level of suspense as Hulk chased Black Widow through the lower levels of the SHIELD helicarrier.  When Thor makes the save, there’s a great moment where even he wonders if he has bit off more than he can chew.  In the climax when Hulk is turned loose by Captain America to wreck havoc on the Chitauri invasion…you almost feel sorry for the aliens because they don’t have a chance.
universe.

6)  UNIVERSALLY PLAYING FAIR!  In many sequels or sagas there’s always the need to cheat things a bit to help get everyone exactly where they need to be.  In the Avengers Joss Whedon stays 100% true to all of the previous movies and characters that have already been put into play.  Whether it is a few seconds of flashback as Captain America thinks back on his adventures in WWII or Bruce Banner saying, “The last time I was in New York, I sort of broke…Harlem.”  These moments are faithful to movies made by other writers and directors and Whedon does not try and alter things.  This shows you how deft Joss Whedon is as both writer and director because not only did he not have a hand in these earlier movies, but he builds on each character’s storylines throughout the course of the movie.

7)  CHARACTER MOMENTS!  There are a ton of characters in this movie and each of them have their moments to shine in dialogue and exchanges.  Loki and Thor have two short moments that speak volumes both atop a lonely mountain and at Stark Tower when the battle is starting.  It is clear Thor still loves his brother and is desperate for Loki to return to the side of good.  When Captain America first meets Bruce Banner and respectfully explains that the only word he cares about is Banner’s expertise with locating gamma radiation.  This short moment is the whole reason the Hulk later shows respect for Captain America.  Black Widow’s ability to toy with a Russian general and a god of Asgard with such ease that even the audience is caught off guard.  Tony Stark’s lack of respect for SHIELD, “That man is playing Galaga,” slowly changes as he learns to grow and become a team player.

8)  ACTION PACKED FINALE!  If you are going to make a superhero movie, there has to be an action packed finale.  The Avengers creates a 30 minute war on and above New York City that sets the bar high for any movies that follow.  Throughout the course of the action we are provided with moments of levity in dialogue, “You and I remember Budapest very differently,” and in action when Hulk sucker punches Thor.  There are explosions, nukes, space, monsters, and the rescue of innocent bystanders, “Captain America saved my life.”  All six members of the Avengers have numerous moments to shine as equals.  You believe that this is a team.

9)  THE SEQUEL!  Avengers concludes by playing the groundwork for this super team while allowing each character to travel their separate ways into other movies.  There’s a simple teaser shot of Thanos to remind us that there is a much larger universe in play, "To challenge them is to court death."  But a movie truly succeeds  After Avengers, Iron Man 3 and Thor The Dark World both delivered larger box office totals than the previous films in each of their respective franchises.  This is because fans want more.  Viewers want to experience that rush of excitement that comes with a stellar movie like Avengers.  Marvel was wise to acknowledge this and be sure that Joss Whedon was brought back with control as both writer and director for the sequel.  We know it will be called Avengers: Age of Ultron, and I cannot wait to see this sequel repeatedly in the summer of 2015!

is when the audience wants to spend more time with these characters and their adventures.

10)  THE ICONIC SHOT!  I have the poster for Avengers framed in my man cave.  Not because it is a great poster, in fact I think it’s a fairly weak Photoshop effort.  The poster is framed because in that one moment you see all of the key characters working together, standing heroic in a war torn NYC.  At the start of the Chitauri inv  There is no dialogue needed nor action.  The heroes merely stand poised and ready for combat to defend our planet.  Here they are Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.  In a movie with nothing but greatness, that stands out as my favorite shot of the movie.  Early into the invasion, there is one scene where the camera swoops in and does a 360 spiral around the Avengers and that moment almost brings a tear to my eye and definitely brings a smile to my face.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!
How did that line not make it into this movie?

 

This wraps up my personal Top 10 countdown of superhero movies.  While my opinion may change over time, over the past 12 months (far too long for me to write this list…sorry but I was working and writing books at the same time) my views on these entries has not changed…although Kick Ass 2 and The Wolverine tried very hard to crack into the Top 10…but I’ll cover that when I look back at the best movies of 2013.  Next time.

SUPERHERO MOVIES – TOP 10 COUNTDOWN – PART 3

CRASH!                 WHAM!

Let’s keep things rolling along with my personal selections of the best superhero from comic book to big screen Hollywood offerings.

I’m not a huge fan of origin stories.  For me, the origin comic book is the most boring read ever.  There’s too much set-up…Who is this person?  How did they get their powers?  How did they develop their costume and identity?  What will their initial adventure (and pitfalls) be like?  Blah Blah Blah!  As a comic book reader you normally have to wait until issues 3-5 to truly get a firm grasp on how successful a concept and characters are going to be.

 

Superhero origin movies are much the same (and once you see my full list you’ll chuckle that picks #5-#10 are all origins) but they have the benefit of being able to cram more into a two hour movie than a mere 25-page comic book.  For me, I’m never nervous that a movie can successfully pull off an origin story because there have been so many good ones.  The real shock is when the superhero franchise can pull off a thrilling second or even third adventure (there should be a lot more Spider-Man 2's than Iron-Man 2's).

It really shouldn’t be this hard.  I mean James Bond didn’t have an origin story (until 2006’s Casino Royale in a sense) and look at how many adventures he went on that were perfectly delivered in movies.  So, why then did I have to sit through Batman & Robin, Spider-Man 3, Superman IV:The Quest for Peace…etc.  If you can tell a good origin...then the rest of the stories should be the more exciting adventures!

Here are two origin stories/movies that get a whole lot right (and then follow it up with better offerings)!

 

#7 – BATMAN BEGINS

Batman and Robin may be the worst superhero movie ever!  This movie worked so tirelessly to destroy the Batman franchise from the casting of George Clooney, to the horrendous dialogue (every line from Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy is riddled with cringe worthy moments), to the nipple costumes and neon-lit Gotham City, and of course to the fact that Batman was once again reduced to having such a ridiculous amount of gadgets and costumes (and thank God he had those bat-hook lines which seemed to be the only thing that could save his life…over and over…).  Watch the movie and you’ll see two hours of director Joel Schumacher exclaiming, “THIS IS HOW YOU KILL A BATMAN FRANCHISE!”

Then amazingly director Christopher Nolan came around years later and said, “This is how you save the Batman franchise.  You tell an adult story with good characters, solid plotting, and you take the audience on an adventure.”

I saw BATMAN BEGINS on opening weekend (an opening weekend that financially paled in comparison to the first four Batman movies) and I remember leaving the movie with a smile on my face but fearfully thinking, “Wow, I pray people forget Batman & Robin and go and see this movie because this is how Batman is meant to be showcased on the big screen.”

The movie solidly delivers Bruce Wayne’s origin and motivation, his training, the explanation behind his use of the bat-motif and his gadgets, and sends viewers along on a roller coaster as Batman learns the ropes while forging a partnership with Lt. Gordon and battling the Scarecrow and Ra’s Al Ghul.  I think that’s worth repeating, director Christopher Nolan gave people a great Batman movie and his choice of villains were Ra’s Al Ghul and the Scarecrow!  You know the majority of people were thinking, “Where’s Joker, Riddler, Robin, and Catwoman…?”

I love the look of Gotham City in this movie.  I love the casting of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, the under-appreciated Rutger Hauer, and Gary Oldman (so much that I’ll overlook Katie Holmes and that annoying Joffrey from Game of Thrones too).  I love that Batman uses detective skills as well as darkness, gadgets, and fighting ninja-like abilities to battle the forces of evil.

Batman Begins is the second best Batman movie ever produced.  If you haven’t seen it recently, go check it out…it holds up spectacularly.

 

 

#6 – CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

A Word War II superhero movie that has to bridge the path between blockbuster movies Iron-Man and the upcoming team-up The Avengers.  Captain America had every reason to fail and yet, it’s a grand slam!  Marvel Studios were spot-on in their choice of director Joe Johnston (or Rocketeer fame) to recreate the origins of the “first” Avenger and then manage to weave a tale that helps delivers him from the 1940’s to present day.

Next to Spider-Man, Captain America may be my favorite superhero.  What’s not to love?  He’s patriotic, a natural leader, a fighter, a strategist, and he throws a shield!  AWESOME!  As a child in the 70's I remember watching two horrendous made-for-TV Captain America movies - seriously am I the only one who remembers CAPTAIN AMERICA: DEATH TOO SOON...?  A disastorous movie where Cap (played by Reb Brown - whose acting chops were so bad he might as well have been performing Othello at a senior citizens home) had a motorcycle that he burst out of his "rockin'" 70's van (YES a VAN) to battle Christopher Lee and generic thug villains who looked like they stumbled right out of a Six Million Dollar Man episode.  Captain America's plastic shield was so poor and wobbly it looked like a strong breeze would veer it off course.  I watched these movies...over and over and smiled thinking, "Captain America is so cool!"  That's how cool his superhero factor is!  Captain America can strive beyond Reb Brown's "acting".

If you’ve ever read any of Captain America’s comic books (especially the early WWII stories) then what you see on the screen are those very same stories.  I loved the look of the shield(s), the Nazi-esque HYDRA agents, and the villainous Red Skull.  The montages tell enough of the story while cleverly leaving gaps for future sequels to plug in additional back storylines.  Bonus points for the use of Bucky and his “disappearance” to set up 2014’s Winter Soldier.

For a movie that came out in 2011, Captain America feels like a solid 70’s era-blockbuster.  It had me smiling the entire time I saw it.  The use of CGI to make Steve Rogers a weak human with a heart of gold is exactly how special effects should always be used...to add to a movie, not to serve solely as the movie.  The best scene in the movie is when Dr. Erskin sits with skinny little Steve and he tells him what is important on the inside...and how it will never change no matter what happens to the outside.  This is a great parallel when viewed with the film's villain the Red Skull.  Cap’s finale battle aboard (and in the sky around) the Red Skull’s plane had me on the edge of my seat.  His ditching of the plane into the frozen waters…and subsequent “death” almost had me in tears.  This is a strong movie, and if you watch it back-to-back with The Avengers (which is really a Captain America movie) then you can see a solid story arc of a truly great American superhero.

Movies #5 and #4…sooner than you’d expect…

SUPERHERO MOVIES - TOP 10 COUNTDOWN!

BAM!                  POW!

Top 10 lists are pretty much the ultimate cliché when it comes to ranking items.  No matter if it is movies, TV shows, books, comics, music, or hot chicks the instant a list is compiled it is ripe for debate and just as quickly labeled out-of-date.

I wanted to put out a list of my TOP 10 SUPERHERO MOVIES in the spring.  Three things prevented me from doing it: THE AVENGERS, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, and THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.  At the time, none had been released and based on previews I expected a few to possibly muscle their way into my work-in-progress list.  So I waited…then the movies came out…then I pondered.

Starting below and continuing over the next several posts I will countdown my personal TOP 10 FAVORITE SUPERHERO MOVIES.  Each entry will come with the various reasons why it made my list.  My primary focus were comic book superheroes that were successfully transferred onto the big screen.  In determining my 10 rankings (and I made sure there would be no cheating “ties”) the following criteria was used: my personal entertainment, repeat viewings, the need to own the movie on DVD, and what I deemed a successful move from comic-book to screen.   Critical ratings and box office were not items I cared about, since when I watch (and rewatch) a movie at home I never worry about what other people thought of the movie or how well it did at the box office.

A fairly thorough list of every superhero movie ever made can be found by CLICKING HERE.   Keep in mind I only counted films that had their origins as a comic book/pulp magazine first (sorry Meteor Man...like you had a chance).

As I wrote down and eventually crossed off all the entries that didn’t quite merit a Top 10 ranking, I found things becoming more difficult as my list was soon narrowed to 20 titles.  All of these offerings were excellent choices and this is where my quest for my personal Top 10 begins.  I am listing them in alphabetical order and then the countdown fun (and debate) begins.

AVENGERS
BATMAN (1989)
BATMAN BEGINS
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER
IRON MAN
KICK ASS
MYSTERY MEN
SPIDER-MAN
SPIDER-MAN 2
SPIDER-MAN 3
SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
THE GREEN HORNET
THE INCREDIBLE HULK
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN
THE ROCKETEER
THOR
WATCHMEN
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

Ok, already I’m sure someone is bellyaching that Superman IV: The Quest for Peace or X-Men 2 aren’t on my list.  At the conclusion of my countdown I’ll address those films that didn’t make my list as well as those that made the Top 20 but were axed as things start being sorted out.

Time to get things rolling…(drum roll)

#10 – X-MEN FIRST CLASS

I was a huge fan of the X-Men comic back in the 80’s when Chris Claremont and John Byrne produced some epic storylines.  Then the “X” became more of a franchise label and everyone on the planet jumped on the bandwagon.  That’s pretty much when I jumped off.

            I didn’t enjoy X-Men or X2, and I never even bothered to see X-Men United.  But, when this new take on the franchise came out, I sucked up my displeasure of the previous entries and gave it a shot.  To my surprise…I loved it.

            The casting of this movie was spot on and the pace was perfect.  James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender (outstanding in his scenes in INGLORIOUS BASTERDS) own this movie as Professor Xavier and Magneto.  In fact, if the entire movie had simply revolved around Magneto hunting down and killing war criminals, that would have been fine with me.  X-Men:FC made Magento what he should be…a powerhouse bad ass!  In the first movies, he’s too old and too fragile to really command fear.  But here, his actions (and they are brutal) set the tone of who exactly the other characters are dealing with.  The partnership of Professor X and Magneto is a great deal of fun to watch, between their chess, verbal spats, and training of the younger mutants.

            The time period of the 1960’s is also fully realized in this movie.  Everything builds to a nice climactic battle between the good and evil mutants during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  That’s very important!  In any superhero movie, if the final battle isn’t worth the ride, then too much is missed as viewer expectations dwindle (a major stumbling point of movies like Fantastic Four and Iron Man 2).

            X-Men: First Class holds up well on repeat viewings and has me excited for the sequel X-Men: Days of Future Past.  Maybe the movie should have been a bit higher on the list, but the sheer disappointment I had for the other entries in this franchise (and the fact that the box office of this superior movie, wasn’t as strong as the other three) weighed it down a bit.

#9 and #8…soon…

TOP MOVIES OF 2011

In 2011 I saw 24 new release movies (three twice) and 2 “retro” movies at various special screenings for a total of 29 visits to the theatre..  This is an increase over the 25 times I went to the movies in 2010, and I will say that overall the quality of this years movies was a lot better.

I have to say I had the most fun at the two “retro” movies.  Jaws is my all time favorite movie (nothing else comes close).  My wife and I sat down to see a pristine copy of Jaws in a packed movie theatre that was a perfect experience for a midnight movie.  I was shocked to discover that the people in front of us had never seen Jaws before (based on their jumps)…come on.  How do we let something like this happen in this country?  Robocop has always had a fondness in my heart for the pure level of violence and extremely dark humor.  Seeing it with my brother on the big screen this summer was a truly fun time.  Hard to believe the first time I saw the movie was over 20 years ago! 

Keep in mind my comment list only includes films I saw at the theatre (home rentals do not count) as I managed to see many of these movies Trollhunter, Red State, etc...at home.

The worst movies I saw in 2011 were SUCKER PUNCH (great CGI surrounded by a lame story…and I am a huge Zack Snyder fan so it was tough to experience) and THE HANGOVER PART 2…just wasn’t very funny because they tried to be gross and merely repeat jokes that were funnier the first time, also it’s easier to be funny in Vegas than Thailand.

The best movies were incredibly difficult for me to narrow down this year.  When I began the list I thought it would be simple, then I reread my choices and spent 30 minutes just sorting and resorting.  2011 was clearly the year of the GOOD superhero movie as 4 made it onto my list.  Plenty of great action movies stepped forward this year as well which is nice to see.  If this list could have been the Top 12 then my job would have been a lot easier.

 

The TOP TEN BEST MOVIES OF 2011 (in my opinion):
 

10. A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS – Some movies just hit me the right way.  In 2011, no movie made me laugh as hard as this one!  Wafflebot, Neil Patrick Harris, riffs on claymation, A Christmas Story, and shooting Santa Claus.  This was some seriously funny stuff.  If it wasn’t so perverse and violent, I’m sure it would become a holiday classic.  Still, file it along with Bad Santa for the Adult-time Christmas Movie Festival. Remember…Waffles + Robots = AWESOME!

9. THE GREEN HORNET – Most likely this will be this year’s divisive movie on my list.  Many of my friends don’t like it, and I won’t argue the point with them.  I’ve always been a fan of the character and I do think that Seth Rogan made a funny movie that plays as a great origin movie.  Having re-watched this movie on TV, more times than I care to admit, all I know is I enjoy it every single time.

8. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 – I still think Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the best book and movie in this series, however, there really hasn’t been a bad Harry Potter movie.  Eight movies, all blockbusters and all good!  Wow!  That’s impressive and shows how good the source material was.  The battle of Hogwarts and Professor Snape’s revelation here are the defining moments and they’re perfect.  I was also impressed that the final battle between Harry and Voldemort was better in the movie than it was in the book (that rarely happens with movies).

7. SOURCE CODE – So someone took Groundhog Day and made it into a sci-fi movie…a VERY good sci-fi movie.  I had zero expectations for this movie, and it kept me glued to the screen for the entire runtime.  Just when you think you have things figured out the movie throws a new curveball at you…right up until the conclusion.  I see it’s on Netflix now…so most likely I’ll be giving it another viewing to look for clues that I may have missed the first time around.  The sign of any good sci-fi movie is the ability to talk and dissect it upon viewing, and Source Code allows for plenty of conversation.

6. THOR – I’ve never been a Thor fan.  Even as a child watching the cartoon, I found the premise somewhat silly.  The Thor comics…bore-fest.  So, I wasn’t too excited for the movie.  But, when my wife showed an interest in this movie I decided to give it a chance.  Wow, glad I did.  Kenneth Branaugh delivers a solid movie that is a spectacle to watch.  There’s a lot of mythology to explain but it is all handled well especially when dealing with the Thor-Loki (brother vs. brother) scenario.  My only minor gripe is the lack of a truly memorable action sequence.  Still, I would never have expected a movie about the Norse God of Thunder to even make the list.

5. SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS – This was the final movie of 2011 that I saw.  I ended the year on a good note.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the original Robert Downey Holmes movie (in fact the BBC’s Sherlock made for TV movies are superior in every way) but it was satisfactory.  I ended up liking this sequel much more.  Guy Ritchie slows down the camera and much of the dialogue and delivers a cat-n-mouse chase scenario that is fun at every step.  The inclusion of Professor Moriarty (and his showdown with Holmes) is the difference maker in this sequel.  Shockingly, when the movie was over I found myself thinking, “I’d enjoy seeing another adventure with these characters.”

4. X-MEN FIRST CLASS – I pretty much hated the first three X-Men movies.  This is coming from a lifelong X-Men comic book fan.  The translation from comic to movies just rubbed me the wrong way.  They got Wolverine right and everything else wrong (especially when they let Halle Berry exercise her “creative control” on the series).  Then this movie comes along which I was hating before I sat down to watch it…and then…I LOVED EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT.  Michael Fassbender is the ultimate bad ass as Magneto.  I’d pay $10 to watch him go kill Nazis for 2 hours anytime.  I hope this movie made enough for a sequel and that it remains in the same creative hands.

3. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – Somewhere there had to be a movie without action and superheroes…right?  Yeppers.  I’ve seen the original version of tGwtDT and I’ve read the book.  Both were excellent.  Still, this new version by David Fincher is even better.  The story is gripping surrounding a 40-year old mystery and the means of solving it are handled exceptionally well and quite gripping.  Still at the heart of the story is the odd partnership between journalist Blomqvist and hacker Salander and this character study keeps things constantly moving and never dull.  If you’re interested, you can’t go wrong with any version of this story.

2. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL – I’m a fan of all of the Mission Impossible movies.  None are great, but as a series they each feel quite unique.  I wasn’t even excited to see MI4 until the movie began.  Brad Bird made a stellar action movie with some of the best (and most intense) set pieces this year.  When Ethan Hunt climbs the tower in Dubai…I was on the edge of my seat.  I’ve been a huge Jeremy Renner fan since S.W.A.T. and it was great to see him enter this franchise.  Kudos to the cinematographers for filming a movie that is so fast paced, but edited in a way where I can smoothly follow every single scene.  It’s nice to leave a movie without a headache.  The MI movies are America’s answer to James Bond, and if you’ve never seen them go ahead and start with this one because you’re in for a fun ride.

1. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER – The best movie of 2011 and one of the best superhero movies ever made.  The time period is nailed perfectly.  I loved the pacing of the origin story and the use of CGI to turn wimpy Steve Rogers into human-perfection Captain America was stellar.  I smiled through this entire movie because Joe Johnston (who also did a remarkable job with The Rocketeer for the exact same reasons) molded a solid adventure story that reminded me of how fun attending a great movie can (and should) be!  It was an added bonus to see Tommy Lee Jones having as much fun on the screen as I was having in my seat.  This was also the first movie in years that had me stopping at a Best Buy to purchase the DVD on the day of release.  This movie ranks alongside Superman The Movie, The Dark Knight, and Spider-Man 2 as one of the best superhero movies ever made.

AND THE REST…

*Shark Night 3D…could have been so much more.  Still, it did have a decent grindhouse feel to it.  I wish the film makers had followed the Piranha 3D model and gone for more violence and nudity instead of the watered down PG13 which in the long run hurt the movie.

*Green Lantern…could have been epic, but wasn’t a disaster.  Warner missed a surefire franchise opportunity because they didn’t make good casting, directing, and writing choices.  Hope they learned their lesson before they make that Flash movie.

*Conan the Barbarian…see my reviews for Shark Night and Green Lantern.  This could have been the start of a new franchise…instead it felt like a made-for-TV movie.

*The Muppets…it was funny and entertaining.  My wife is the true Muppets fan, so I know it made her Top 10 list.

*Battle: Los Angeles…was there a story in this movie?  Still it was made decent enough to entertain me for two hours…but 5 minutes later I was hard pressed to remember anything that happened in it.

*Transformers: Dark of the Moon… “If I’m a giant robot, why do I need to turn into a car?”  This concept has always confused me.  I hate Shia LeBouf and Michael Bay.  And yet, there was so much eye candy that it kept me watching.  When the building collapsed…that looked cool!

*Final Destination 5…and when the bridge collapsed in this movie…that was cool too!  These “snuff” films keep being made…and me and my “Netflix Group” have to attend them all and skewer away…and we do with joyful merriment.

*Fright Night…the original Fright Night is one of my all time favorite movies.  This one didn’t have a chance.  But, it was different enough to at least not have me hating it.  I still think they wimped out at the end by not delivering a stellar battle with a bad ass vampire (see the original to experience that).

*Scream 4…I like the Scream franchise and this one did everything right.  I had no real complaints, it just wasn’t strong enough to make a run for the Top 10.

*Cowboys & Aliens…not sure why so many people turned on this movie?  It mixed sci-fi and westerns perfectly.  For a summertime popcorn movie it did its job as well.  At times it reminded me a bit of Independence Day and I think that’s why I couldn’t get it onto the Top 10 list.

*Rise of the Planet of the Apes…before I saw this movie I had it pegged as a summertime BOMB!  Wow!  I was wrong.  It was smart, entertaining, and ended up being a nice hit.  It took a long time for me to decide if it was going to make it into the Top 10.

*Fast Five…Man I SO wanted this movie to make it into the Top 10.  Then it got bumped.  But, make no mistake.  I love this movie and the entire Fast & Furious franchise.  This was a solid action movie and heist film…that delivered a great Vin Diesel vs. Rock showcase fight.  I can’t wait for Fast 6 and 7 which are in the pipeline.

My rundown of the 2011 movies I saw in the theatre and the order in which I viewed them…wow did I end the year on a strong note with some great films.  Do yourself a favor and go see some of these (or rent them) and have a few hours of fun and entertainment.

2001 at the movies…remember I saw a few more than once…

The Green Hornet
Sucker Punch
Battle: Los Angeles
Source Code
Scream 4
Fast Five
Jaws
Thor
The Hangover Part 2
X-Men First Class
Thor
Green Lantern
Robocop
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger
Cowboys & Aliens
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Final Destination 5
Fright Night
Conan the Barbarian
Shark Night 3D
A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
The Muppets
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Bring on 2012…

WHEN CAPTAIN AMERICA THROWS HIS MIGHTY SHIELD!

Ok, I just read that Marvel is beginning to cast for the role of Captain America in their future movies (which would include The First Avenger: Captain America and The Avengers). Apparently Marvel wants to keep the casting of a star cheap so they are looking at lesser stars or unknowns. Based on sites I've visited one of their top choices is JOHN KRASINSKI. Yeah, Jim from The Office. Now, I like The Office and I like Jim.

BUT...I've read Captain America.

I've been a fan of Captain America.

John Krasinski is NO Captain America.

Please for the love of Mephisto let this be an Internet rumor just like Bat-Boy, Elvis sitings, and Eskimos.

If Marvel wants to keep things simple they should hire Ryan McPartlin from CHUCK (he plays "Captain Awesome" with incredible ease...so he's at least got the military credentials to pull off the role). McPartlin has the voice, build, and charisma to command the likes of Thor and Iron Man as they go into battle against The Hulk...(YES Marvel, make the Hulk the enemy in the movie and half the battle is immediately won!) Based on his acting on Chuck, McPartlin could also play the "awkward man out of time"-role which is also needed since Captain America is frozen in 1941 and then thawed out in modern times.

Fans always cry: MAKE MINE MARVEL!

Well, MAKE MINE McPARTLIN!

I'm attaching this picture of Reb Brown as Captain America for added entertainment value. That shield needs to be blocking something else besides bullets.