BY LUKE PORST

Not going to lie, 2011 wasn’t the best movie year we’ve ever seen. We don’t have any epic battles like “The Social Network” vs. “The King’s Speech,” and we didn’t have a great Pixar film come out.

But even in the worst of years, a few gems manage to shine through the garbage. This year was interesting, as I think the real winners were the big studio blockbusters, many of which were fresh and inspired. So without further ado, here are my top 11 movies of ‘11:

11) Super 8

Why it’s on the list: I have a pretty
heavy bias on this movie, as it is about kid filmmakers in a small, Ohio town.
That hits pretty close to home for me. The first act of this movie is some of
the most perfect film making you will ever see, mostly brought together with a
main cast of hilarious kids who interact so well with each other. This film
also had the task of fulfilling the lofty expectations of “the big
reveal” promised by an ad campaign that focused on the mystery of what was
going on in this small town. The big moment does not disappoint, and it leads
into a thrilling finale.

Why it isn’t higher: While the
beginning and ending of the movie are excellent, the middle sort of falls apart.
It doesn’t have the same swift pace as the beginning, and its main problem is
that the kids aren’t really together ever. This movie works due to its terrific
ensemble cast. When they aren’t together, the movie just isn’t as good, keeping
it from being the classic that it had the potential to be.

10) The Tree of Life

Why it’s on the list: This film makes
the list simply due to its reach. It attempts to comment on the entire existence of life, which is pretty tough for two hours. In its attempt, it throws narrative structure out the window and wears its pretensions on its
sleeve. For me, these “artsy” characteristics are almost always a turn off, but every once in a while a film comes along that causes me to make an exception. This is one of those films. And if nothing else, it’s pretty to look at and has dinosaurs.

Why it isn’t higher: Like I said, it’s
pretentious and too free-form, things I can’t just ignore. It also doesn’t wrap
itself up the way I think it aimed to. More of a great effort.

9) The Muppets

Why it’s on the list: I love Jason
Segel, I love Bret Mckenzie, and I love the Muppets. Sometimes a studio can
shove big names together in the hopes of something great and end up with a
mess. But sometimes, these big names come together on their own out of true
passion for a project and indeed make something great. The Muppets is the
latter, a carefully handled film that moves along with cheer and energy and
features the best original music of any movie this year. It also wisely
embraces the fact that the Muppets haven’t been popular in years, rather than
ignoring it.

Why it isn’t higher: The big problem
for me was how anti-climactic the final act is. It does always manage to have
energy and consistently fun, but the grand finale should have some sense of
excitement.

8 ) Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol

Why it’s on the list: This is one of
the most important action films in a long time. Animation genius Brad Bird
tried his hand at live-action films for the first time with this sequel, and he
brought his “anything is possible” mentality with him. The action set pieces
are inspired and often mesmerizing. The Burj Dubai scene in particular is
unlike anything you’ve seen, and I can’t even begin to fathom how it was
filmed.

Why it isn’t higher: It’s hard to put
an action movie with almost zero substance any higher than this.

7) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Why it’s on the list: Director David
Fincher, who was snubbed of the Oscar last year, proves once again that he is
the best there is. Every scene in his movies is entirely thought through, from
framing to performance, and this is no exception. Plus, he manages to cover a
complex detective story in a way that is both sophisticated yet so well done a
kid could follow it. Rooney Mara of course gives a great performance, playing
her character Lisbeth more subtly than Noomi Rapace in the Swedish version,
making for a more intriguing character, and Daniel Craig gives an understated,
and I believe under-appreciated, turn as well.

Why it isn’t higher: There’s a
structural flaw in the narrative. With two simultaneous protagonist stories in
addition to the murder mystery, the movie ends up with a setup and conclusion
that both drag on. This was the best film adaption they could make of this
book, which only proves that it worked better as a book.

6) Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Why it’s on the list: Along with
X-Men: First Class, this was an unwanted prequel coming from a franchise
considered past its prime. But like X-Men, it showed that with fresh hands and
a smart script, we can throw history out the window. While some object to the
thought of explaining how the apes come to rule the world, the film handles the
task delicately and wisely, coming out with a result that is not only somewhat
plausible, but more thrilling than I thought it could ever be.

Why it isn’t higher: While the story
is handled beautifully, it is a classic story of rebellion that has been done too much for a movie like this to be considered
“ground-breaking.”

5) The Artist

Why it’s on the list: Basically
functioning as a counterexample to the new film age of CGI and special effect-heavy
films, The Artist reminds us of just how simple good movie-making can be. The
plot is deceivingly simple, almost toying with our expectations, as we are now
accustomed to great plot twists. But The Artist underplays everything, adding
to its charm and keeping it faithful to the time period in film that it’s
commemorating.

Why it isn’t higher: A lot of people
want to call it the best movie of the year. I’d rather call it the most
important. More than anything, I think that the movie proves a point about how
out of touch film making has become, but in the end it just wasn’t the best
film of the year.

4) X-Men: First Class

Why it’s on the list: This was the
most fun I had at the movies this year. Twice. This is a movie that has fun,
style, rhythm, and a surprising amount of intelligence. At over two hours, the
movie is surprisingly long, though it never feels that way, because you could
watch it for days on end. The young leads McAvoy and Fassbender make it look
easy, bringing the legendary bromance of Professor X and Magneto to new
heights. Add in Kevin Bacon as the villain, and what more do you need?

Why it isn’t higher: If this were my
personal favorite eleven movies of the year, this might actually be at the top.
But in an effort to remain objective, I’ve made my peace with fourth.

3) Moneyball

Why it’s on the list: It’s one of
those movies that seems to effortlessly keep you attached from beginning to
end. Of course, what that means is that actually a lot of effort went into it.
This was a script that had been floating around for years, with different
people grabbing it then deciding to pass. It took the brilliant team of
screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director Bennett Miller to finally bring it
together. What comes about is a mature yet highly entertaining movie led by the
oddly perfect duo of Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, both giving some of the best
performances of the year.

Why it isn’t higher: At times the
story structure can be a little rough around the edges, and there are times
when the scenes become too stylized for their own good.

2) Midnight in Paris

Why it’s on the list: This movie
truly won me over. For the first twenty minutes, I was about ready to dismiss it.
But once the plot and concept really got going, I realized that it knew what it
was doing all along. This is unexpectedly the most well crafted Woody Allen
movie I’ve ever seen, not something one would expect after his years of
mediocrity. This was just a high-concept story grounded in modest filmmaking
and further elevated by some clever twists. Perfect.

Why it isn’t higher: It is a great
film, yet a little slight. I think it’s always better to be on the slighter
side, but it won’t get you the top spot.

1) Drive

Why it’s on the list: This movie was
simultaneously the slowest, quietest, coolest, most thrilling, and most violent
movie I saw all year, if not ever. With a retro color palette, an uber-cool
Ryan Gosling, minimalist dialogue, and brutal violence, this movie simply oozes
awesome. It’s a triumph of an art-house action film, and it shouldn’t be missed.

Why it’s number one: Drive
represented the most fully realized vision to appear on screen this year and
for me that’s imperative for a great movie.

Others 2011 movies not be missed: Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows pt. 2, Contagion, Scream 4, The Trip, Young Adult, 50/50