Another movie roundup

It looks like I have another bunch of unexplained films on my 2011 ranking list, and since one of those films was really good, while another was quite a disappointment, I feel like explaining why I've ranked them the way I did.

Also, certain films have undergone a considerable shift from their original rankings, and deserve to have their fall pointed out in excruciating detail. Click ahead for more.


Super 8 is great (initially #3)

First up is Super 8, which I saw months ago and at the time was my #3 for the year. Harry Potter and Captain America have since pushed it down a few places, but that doesn't change the fact that I really liked J.J. Abrams version of E.T. Now it's true the in a lot of ways, Super 8 is a kids movie, but it's one of the best I've seen in years and doesn't fall into the irritating cliches of most kids films.

So is Rise of the Planet of the Apes (initially #8)

Just based on the title, I kind of expected this movie to suck. I was completely blown away by the fact that it not only didn't suck, it was actually good. See here's the deal, when you watch the trailer, your thought will probably be: "How can a movie about monkeys taking over the world be good?" But what you won't expect is for the end result to be a movie that is not only good, but one where you kind of want the monkeys to take over the world. Andy Serkis takes another turn in the mo-cap suit as the lead chimpanzee Caesar, and kudos to him and the animation department for making one of the best digital characters of all time, and on the human side, James Franco and John Lithgow are pretty good too.

Pirates of the Caribbean drops (initially #2)

Not that Pirates was all that bad, but for some reason, I keep seeing movies that I like a lot more. Plus, I'm realizing there are movies like Sucker Punch that I like more as I think about it, so Pirates has dropped from #2 to #13, though some of that has to do with the big movies like X-Men and Transformers that followed it.

Hangover Part II (initially #12)

It turns out that when you remake a movie, but you replace the baby with a monkey and the missing guy with a different missing guy, and the missing tooth with a tattoo, it doesn't make the movie any better. Hangover II didn't suck, it just wasn't as good as the first film and did nothing to distinguish itself. Sure, it's all the same guys and they're all still funny, but this sequel hits just about every sequel pitfall you can imagine.

Cowboys & Aliens doesn't live up to high hopes (initially #12)

On the flip side to Apes was the movie from the director of Iron Man starring James Bond and Indiana Jones. It had a great title, and a great idea, but at the end of the day, it was no more than a cool idea. There wasn't any particular weak point to the film, and from a cinematic standpoint it was fine, but that's all it was: Fine. Not great, just fine.