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FacebookFavorite Movies/TV Shows of 2011
Jan 05
movies, personal, reviews Avatar the last airbender, battlestar galactica, exit through the gift shop, fun, Hanna, ip man, movies, reviews, tv shows, year in review No Comments
So, I usually do some kind of favorite movie and book thing for the previous year (my friend is much better at it than I am, that’s for sure). Here are my 5 favorite tv shows or movies from this past year (I had a heckuva hard time remembering much of what I saw this year…too much sleeplessness *blargh*)
Movies & TV shows
{click image to go to movie/tv show}
Ip Man
This has to be my favorite action/kung-fu movie of the year and possibly of the last few years. Donnie Yen is brilliant as Ip Man. He not only is a wicked martial artist, but he is a darn good actor too. Ip Man is a more complex character than many that I’ve seen in recent kung-fu movies and Donnie gives him a great life on the screen. Of course one can’t do that without the help of some fantastic supporting actors and a good director. The script was ok, but hey, you don’t really watch these for the dialogue…right?!
Exit Through the Gift Shop
I’ve loved Banksy’s work ever since a teacher friend of mine from Rosebud introduced me to his very political, brave and very artistic work. Then when I heard there was going to be a documentary on Banksy, I was elated! So, I watched it when it finally came available on Netflix and man, was I not disappointed in the slightest! If you like Banksy, watch it! If you like documentaries, watch it!
Banksy: I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art; I don’t do that so much anymore.
…
Thierry Guetta: I don’t know how to play chess, but to me, life is like a game of chess.
{quotes courtesy of IMDB.com}
Hanna
This was my favorite North American action movie of the year. So much so that I went out and bought it right away! I rarely do that, especially these days with having so little time to re-watch movies (and with my lovely supportive wife not understanding my desire to own movies). Joe Wright, the director, took some huge chances with this and, for me, they paid off in spades! Not only was the story very simple and the dialogue succinct and, well, I wouldn’t say uninspired or dull, but it wasn’t very original. What Wright did right was cast some phenomenal actors and design some wicked cool sequences (some inspired by other movies) as well as take a crazy chance by asking The Chemical Brothers to do the score (probably one of the single best things about this movie is the original score by The Chemical Brothers — simply out of this world!). Mix these things together and with Joe Wright at the helm you have a movie that you will either love or hate. I…LOVED IT!
Avatar: The Last Airbender
So, I wanted to watch the movie inspired by this series. I mentioned that to a few people who almost forcefully demanded that I watch the cartoon series first. Then they forbade me from watching the movie. Well, I watched the cartoon series and was BLOWN AWAY! Everything about this series is what makes good TV: complex characters (and not just the main ones either), a rich world, a good balance between action, exposition and setting, good acting…ya know, I could just go on and on about it. One of the best parts of this series is that it has an end, and end that they are working towards and you get excited about it as it goes on. You know it’s going to end. And you are compelled to watch it. I’m glad I didn’t discover it while it was still being released, that would have driven me INSANE.
Well, let’s just say right here and now, that it was AMAZING, I think everyone should watch it, I think kids should watch it (when their parents are ok with it), BUT no one, absolutely NO ONE should ever watch the movie version. I gave the movie a ZERO; that’s right. There is nothing, not one good thing I can say about the movie…NOT ONE GOOD THING! The series = brilliance! It’s on Netflix, you can go watch it now, it’s totally worth it!
Battlestar Galactica
I wish I could say that we are done this series, but we aren’t. So, it makes it in for one of my favorite TV shows of 2011 and will definitely turn up again at the end of 2012.
What makes Avatar: The Last Airbender so good are the same things that make BSG so good: complex characters…well, just look above and you’ll see the list again. And, like Airbender, BSG only lasts for 4 seasons. Then it’s done. Finito! They have accomplished what they wanted to. And I honestly think more series should go this route. It’s much more compelling and interesting to watch.
Honorable Mentions
Modern Family
Harlan Ellison: Dreams With Sharp Teeth
A-Team / The Losers
Predators
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