I missed 2010, but thought that it would be fun to list my top Movies and TV shows for 2011.
Movies 2011
Due to a few different factors this year, the amount of movies I saw were much less then I had in the previous years. In the past, I would go to a movie every week, and I would see good movies, and ones that were not as good. But over the past few years, I have gotten much more selective on what I see, I think a lot of it has to do with the cost of Movies in general, and that I am married now, so I would be paying for 2 instead of one. But here is my list for the year 2011
1. Super 8
I have to say, I really love this movie. When I saw it in the theatre, it just really grabbed me, and gave me a real good feeling. I think a lot of it has to do with it being such a nostalgic movie with it being set in the late 70′s. The kids were right around my age, and I could really relate to them. At times it felt like I was traveling through a time machine back to a time when things just seemed a bit more simple. The story as well was very much a throw back to some of those great Steven Speilberg movies of the 80′s, but as well felt very fresh compared to the movies we have to day. Not saying there is anything wrong with today’s movies, but it was nice break. All the actors in the movie were top notch, the Alien creature was cool, and the story for me left me with something to think about. This movie is a movie that I feel I can watch again and again, just because of the nice feelings it gives me.
2. Thor
I have to admit, that going into the summer movie season, I was starting to wear down on Super Hero movies, as we had gotten so many the past few years, and this summer there were going to be a lot. But I think of all the Super Hero movies, this was the one I was looking the most forward to. I know nothing of Thor as I have never read the comic, but I liked the idea that he was sort of tied to the past, and also that he was from a different planet. I think maybe for me, it added something a bit different to the genre that some of the other Super Hero movies did not have. I saw this movie, and I have to say, I enjoyed it from start to finish. I saw it again on Blu-Ray and enjoyed just as much and maybe even more. I found the story moved very well, and that it took place in a few different locations, that were both very different, Asgard and Earth. There is something about this movie, just like Super 8 that left me with a very comfortable feeling. There was a post on the Treks in Sci-Fi forum about comfort movies, and if I was to add movies to that list, This one and Super 8 would be added to that list. This movie I can watch over and over, and always find some enjoyment out of it.
3. The Adventures of TinTin
I normally don’t like movies that are a mix between life action and cartoon, so when I heard that TinTin was going to be that, I was a bit let down as I was hoping for live action. I have to say after watching this movie, I was very pleased with the result. I felt they did a Fantastic job and it matched up with my idea of him from the comics. The story was action packed and a lot of fun, the 3D was awesome in this, and I was really pulled into the story. This movie was based off some of the comics, and I recalled parts of the stories. It has been years since I had read the comics, but after watching this movie, it has made me want to read the comics again. I really hope they make another, as this movie was really great.
4. Cowboys and Aliens
This was the movie I was most anticipating for the summer. Just the concept of a Western mixed with Sci-Fi had me really intrigued, and I could not wait for this to come out. I was pretty pleased with this movie, I thought it caught the wild west pretty well. Sort of left me wishing they would do more westerns, as they just don’t make many of those anymore. The Sci-Fi element was pretty good as well, and it was fun to see how the Cowboys took on the Aliens at the end. I will say I was hoping for maybe a larger Alien presence, but I guess from a story aspect, if there is to much Alien technology, then it would have been to much for the Cowboys to over come. But I have to say, this is two thumbs up from me, and a nice change from movies we might normally see.
5. Transformers 3 Dark of the Moon
I was never a big Transformers fan when I was younger, as it sort of got popular when I was getting into my teens, so I guess you could say I was a bit to old at the time 
. But the 3 movies so far I have really enjoyed. I know a lot of people have a lot of complaints about them, as they find that they are not as true as they could be to the cartoons, I can’t really argue with those comments, since I never really grew up with Transformers. This movie I really enjoyed, and I found that it was very well filmed, the 3D was awesome, the movie had bright and vivid colors. I really like the full out carnage that happens in this move, and really enjoyed nearly every piece of it. I also did not miss Megan Fox at all and found Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to be a good replacement. I guess the complaint is that the female leads might be sexualized to much, and maybe that is so, but I thought for what the movie was about, she did a great job. My one complaint about this movie, which is weird, is I really disliked the NASCAR tie in, as the scenes they had just really threw me out of the movie, but besides that, really enjoyed the movie.
Honorable Mention: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
I just went to this recently, more so because my wife wanted to see it. But I have to say, it was really good, maybe almost good enough to make my top 5. I find Tom Cruise the person a bit weird, but as an actor he is top notch. This movie was really stunning and all the tech gadgets really cool as well. Every time I see a Mission Impossible movie, it feels like it is better then the last one. So I have to say, I thank my wife for making me go with her.
Regrets
I think my main regret was the amount of movies I missed this year, as I saw way less then I normally would. Top of the list would be X-Men first class, as for some reason, when it came out, I was either busy or something about it was holding me back from seeing it. I picked it up on Blu-Ray and will be watching it soon, but I am thinking that I might regret not seeing this one in the theatre. I also regret that I fell behind on the Harry Potter movies, as I missed the last one, since I had not seen the one previous. So it is another I will have to wait and see later. I missed a few others like Conan that I wanted to see in the theatre, and really wanted to see more movies this year.
Television – 2011
These were my favorite TV shows for 2011. Was hard to come up with a list as liked a lot of shows and found a lot of them really close in how I felt.
1. Fringe
Great show, I really love it. It is a show both my Wife and I can watch, which is rare as we don’t watch many of the same shows. The past season has been awesome, with Episodes occurring in different universes with the same characters, but slightly different. The 4th season started off with Peter missing, and leading up to him coming back. They have really taken this show in a direction I never dreamed of. They have a good mix of episodes that tie into the mythology of the series, as well stand alone episodes. Just a really great show, that I enjoy a lot.
2. Hawaii 5.0
This reboot I really like a lot. Normally I like more of the shows with a bit of a Sci-Fi angle to them, but this show is just a lot of fun, with a lot of action. I like all the actors on the show, I like the cool sets and scenery, makes me really want to go to Hawaii. I find as well they have a good mix of stand alone shows and ones that tie into a larger plot of the series. This is one show that I make a habit to watch pretty quickly each week.
3. How I met Your Mother
I really enjoy this show a lot, it is very funny, but also has some deeper themes to it as well. I think as well this show has a lot of hidden geek cred to it, which they pull off so well. It sort of comes off much more real then a show like the Big Bang Theory. Every time I watch this show, I get some good laughs, as the comedy they do in it is something I really like. They had some deeper episodes last year as well, like when Marshall’s Dad died, it was so unexpected and just very well done. Another show that I try and watch as quickly as I can.
4. The Office
I still really enjoying this show, even with Michael Scott leaving. I found his replacement Robert California to be just as funny and given the series a bit of a different feel. Some of the episodes still feel very close to what it is like to work in an office, so at times it is fun to laugh at things that might be very true.
5. Person of Interest
This was a new show in the Fall, and I have to say, I am really enjoying it. I like the idea of being able to predict crimes that will happen, and then having a pair of vigilantes working to prevent them. It has a bit of a loose sci-fi twist in how they are able to predict what will happen, and they are just starting to get into deeper elements of the story, which I feel are going to get real interesting in the second half of the season. I like Michael Emerson in this show, I feel it is a great followup from his work on LOST.
Honorable Mention: Castle/The Mentalist/Terra Nova
I could not decide between these 3, and truthfully, these could have all hit my top 5 list as well. Terra Nova I felt got better as the season progressed, but it started out very weak. I have been enjoying Castle and the Mentalist as well, they are always very solid, but for me, from a strict crime based show, I will give Hawaii 5.0 the nod. But with that said, both Castle and The Mentalist are great shows that I look forward to watching every week. Again, any 3 of these shows could have easily been put on my top 5.
Regrets
I think my largest regret for 2011 is the lack of Sci-Fi shows. I really enjoy Sci-Fi, but there just was not much on for me to watch. I am hoping in the new year with Space Channel being broadcast in HD on my cable provider that I might find a Sci-Fi series I have been missing out. People talk about a few, but I have never seen them since they were never on HD, so hopefully I can go back and catch up.
Tags: Castle, Cowboys and Aliens, Fringe, Hawaii 5.0, How I met your Mother, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, Super 8, Terra Nova, The Adventures of Tintin, The Mentalist, The Office, Thor, Transformers
