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Wow, time flies huh? Its THAT time of the year again. Yeap, time to look back upon the year of film in 2011, and pick the ones I enjoyed the most.

In no particular order, here are the 11 films I enjoyed throughout the year:

 

11. The greatest movie ever sold

If any of you don’t believe in the power of advertising, or the effectiveness of product placement, all you need to do is watch this documentary.

Made entirely on a budget from product placement deals, its an interesting peek into the at times shady world of advertising.

10. X-Men: First Class

I’m not one for prequels, but this was one cool and fun film. Its tough to imagine Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr as anything but feuding old men, but Michael Fassbender did an amazing job of emoting and levitating objects at the same time.

Plus, January Jones.

 

9. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

OK, yes, another prequel/reboot on the list, right after I said I’m not one for prequels. Either I’m a bad liar, or this year, studios have generally raised the prequel/reboot bar to new heights.

 

8. Real Steel

I’ve never seen a movie with such hardcore action, yet also packed with so much sensitivity and drama. It truly was one of the best surprise movies of the year. I went in not knowing what to expect, and came out with my mind blown!

If I had to rank this list, Real Steel will be very high up!

 

7. Source Code

A cleverly crafted sci-fi actioner that also makes you think for a while, and then reach for the DVD for a second viewing when the ending is revealed. Forced to relive the 8 minutes  before a train crash again and again until he finds the perpetrator, Jake Gyllenhaal channels a believable yet charming pilot on the mission of his life.

 

6. Horrible Bosses

Comedies seldom make movie lists because people generally laugh and then forget about it. But the cast here is simply great, storyline borders on the dark side, and its the first time we see Jennifer Aniston sex it up!

H.O.T!

 

5. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Brad Bird, animation maestro, tackles his first feature film with aplomb. Gadgets, crazy action set pieces, more gadgets and a 49 year old Tom Cruise running like he’s never run before.

Arguably the best in the series.

 

4. Ides of March

George Clooney is proving to be a strong director ala Ben Affleck. Although not large in scale like most of the other films in this list, The Ides of March holds its own against them, and rising star Ryan Gosling shines as a young, impressionable campaign manager about to grow a lot more mature in a very short time.

 

3. Contagion

I bet everyone came out of this film feeling depressed and refrained from touching any door knobs for as long as they could help it. Such was the realism and gravity of the situation; a deadly and very infectious disease, let loose on the world.

Watching it, I suddenly feel so vulnerable and small even though we “rule” the planet.

 

2.  Super8

Just as Bruce Wayne believed in Harvey Dent, I believe in JJ Abrams. Everything he touches turns to gold, whether he’s directing or producing, from Mission Impossible, Cloverfield, Star Trek and Super8, its been one awesome ride over and over again.

Oodles of fun featuring the greatest train collision EVER.

 

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

How can we forget the epic conclusion to the greatest wizarding story ever told? This was probably one of the most anticipated ending to the epic tale of the boy who survived, and it showed immensely in box office takings, taking the number 1 spot for 2011 by bringing in more than 1.3 billion worldwide.

 

If you have a different list, do feel free to share in the comments!