11 Movies to Watch in 2011

I love movies! Well-made movies can take you away from reality for a few hours.  There is something special about pounding away at a bucket of buttery, salty popcorn while watching a great film with friends. While a great movie can be entertaining and lifting, a terrible movie can ruin your day. In order of release date, here are 11 movies for you to look out for in 2011.

Battle: Los Angeles
Release Date: March 11
Director: Jonathan Liebesman (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning)
Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan
Synopsis: I’ll admit that the plot is tired and less than appealing: a Marine platoon faces off against an alien invasion in Los Angeles. The key to enjoying movies like Battle: Los Angeles is to not expect Oscar-winning performances. Instead, go see this movie because there will be non-stop action, and you will be entertained.

Sucker Punch
Release Date: March 24
Director: Zack Snyder (300 and The Watchmen)
Stars: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish
Synopsis: Emily Browning (Uninvited) stars as a young girl who is institutionalized by her evil stepfather and must imagine an alternative universe to help her escape.  The movie looks to deliver lots of action and stunning visual scenes.  I expect this movie to be fun for all; women get to see girls kicking ass and guys get to … er .. see hot girls kicking ass in skimpy outfits.

The Hangover 2
Release Date: May 26
Director: Todd Phillips
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms
Synopsis: This is the sequel to 2009’s blockbuster comedy.  We join Phil, Stu, Alan and Doug, who are traveling to Bangkok for Stu’s wedding.  I’m always skeptical of sequels UNLESS the people that made the original film return to the set. Todd Phillips returns as the director and the original trio (Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms) that made the first film great return as well. Former President Bill Clinton replaces Mike Tyson in the high-profile cameo role.  My biggest concern with the sequel is that there are new writers; Jon Lucas and Scott Moore are out and Scot Armstrong and Craig Mazin are in. Scot Armstrong is best known for Old School, Road Trip, Semi-Pro and Starsky & Hutch, which are all far from great comedies. Craig Mazin is best known for Scary Movie 3 and 4, and Superhero Movie.  Need I say more?  Be weary of this sequel.  My recommendation is to skip the opening week and wait for your friends to give you some insight before seeing this movie.

The Tree of Life
Release Date: May 27
Director: Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line)
Stars: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain
Synopsis: This movie deals with a  family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence. Like them or not, Brad Pitt and Sean Penn always put on great performances and The Tree of Life should be no exception. This movie is for those that love a good plot and superb acting. I expect this movie to generate some Oscar buzz throughout the year.

Super 8
Release Date: June 10
Director: J.J. Abrams
Stars: Elle Fanning, Amanda Michalka, Kyle Chandler
Synopsis: J.J. Abrams has been involved with numerous excellent TV shows (Lost, Alias and Fringe) and entertaining movies (Cloverfield and Star Trek).   Super 8 is directed and produced by Abrams, and co-produced by the great Steven Spielberg.  Set in 1979 Ohio, where a group of six young children use a Super 8 camera to make their own zombie movie.  One night while filming near a remote stretch of railroad tracks, the children witness a truck collide with an oncoming train, leading to a catastrophic derailment. Amidst the fire and destruction, something inhuman emerges. There is talk that this movie will rival 1982’s E.T. (The Extra-Terrestrial).

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Release Date: July 15
Director: David Yates
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
Synopsis: This movie continues where last year’s ...Deathly Hallow: Part 1 left off, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go about their mission to find and destroy Voldemort’s final horcruxes and rid the world of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named once and for all.  But when Voldemort finds out about their mission, the biggest battle of all begins, and life as they know it will never be the same again.

Captain America: The First Avenger
Release Date: July 22
Director: Joe Johnston (The Wolfman and Jumanji)
Stars: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones
Synopsis: After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers (Evans) volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals. Captain America is the newest D.C./Marvel comic book turned into a movie. Like Spiderman, X-Men, the Hulk and other super hero movies before it, expect Capt America to be full of visually appealing special effects, but short on plot. The screenplay was written by the folks that wrote the Narnia movies, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.

Contagion
Release Date: October 21
Director: Steven Soderbergh (The Informant, Ocean’s Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen and Traffic)
Stars: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law
Synopsis: An action-thriller centered on the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to deal with the outbreak. With a star-studded cast  and a superb director, expect an outstanding movie that you should see opening weekend.

Immortals
Release Date: November 11
Director: Tarsem Singh (The Cell)
Stars: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, John Hurt.
The plot of Immortals is a mix between Disney’s Hercules and Clash of the Titans. Mickey Rourke plays King Hyperion, who is hell-bent on destroying all of humanity and the Gods with a powerful army.  Then he plans on releasing the imprisoned Titans. The battlefield pits humanity (with limited support of the Gods) against King Hyperion’s army as they battle for a mystic bow and arrow that can unleash the Titans and the destruction of the world.

Hugo Cabret
Release Date: November 23
Director: Martin Scorsese
Stars: Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Emily Mortimer
Set in 1930’s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. The only reason you need to see this is that it is directed by the great Martin Scorsese.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Release Date: December 28
Director: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig.
Tintin and his friends discover directions to a sunken ship commanded by Capt. Haddock’s (Serkis) ancestor and go off on a treasure hunt. Do I really need to advise you to go to a Spielberg movie?

Other Movies to Look out For:

• Red Dawn – Remake of the 1984 action film starting Chris Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas and Josh Hutcherson.
• The Hobbit – The release of The Hobbit has been pushed to 2012 or would be on the list!
• Thor – Another comic book hero gets a movie.
• The Thing – Another ’80s remake.