The Disappointments of 2011 and beyond...

[Abraham Smashington]

First half did everything right. Then it meandered quite a bit.

Pretty much this. I really dug the first half and was looking at my watch during the second. This didn't happen in THOR for me or the much hated Green Lantern. That being said THOR > CA > TF3> GL.

[Captain Russ]

Can't agree with Hawkeye (if there had been an arrow that hit Thor or something, accelerating his need to find his way back into the loving arms of the hammer, I'd agree), but the incorporation of SHIELD into the narrative, talking with demi-gods on Earth like it's no big thing, was fine.

  Spoiler: More speculation without any base in fact 

I have the feeling Coulson will get the Whedon'ing in the Avengers.

[Bobby Bear]

We deserve better for our money and we expect better from Jon Favreau and the artists working together here.

I've agreed with so much of what you've said in here, Ben. So much so that I'm now fully expecting to feel the same way as you if I get round to checking out Thor.

I would say Super 8 is worth a look though. Your assessment is right about it based on impression alone, but it leans a little more in the positive direction than it does the negative. Plus, it'll feel like The Departed coming off the back of Cowboys and Aliens.

Agree with Anderson's #1. That really grabs for the brass ring of wasted potential.

It's certainly #1 in that regard, chief, but I think Cowboys is far and away the worst out-and-out bad movie. At least Green Lantern was entertainingly flawed - even if it was sometimes in the "who OK'd this?" kind of way, as opposed to grinding to a bland, formulaic finish.

I'm well aware X-Men wasn't a masterpiece by any stretch, but it was too enjoyable overall (with too many solid performances) for me to dislike it. Horrible Bosses had a few big laughs, but it was mostly a very routine R-rated comedy.

I've done Transformers to death here already.

[Ben Thomas]

I've agreed with so much of what you've said in here, Ben. So much so that I'm now fully expecting to feel the same way as you if I get round to checking out Thor.

I appreciate this, but you should totally check it out. It is fun and it has a throng of staunch supporters. So maybe its just that I'm not as into the character from the comics as some other properties to fully appreciate the work done.

[FilmNerdJamie]

Yeah Cowboys & Aliens was pretty fucking awful.

But we should have known better. Written and produced by Kurtzman and Orci...and Abrams wasn't involved at all.

[Bobby Bear]

I appreciate this, but you should totally check it out. It is fun and it has a throng of staunch supporters. So maybe its just that I'm not as into the character from the comics as some other properties to fully appreciate the work done.

Cheers! My plans to see it theatrically didn't pan out, but I do want to catch it sooner rather than later. It's hitting DVD/Blu here very soon, isn't it?

But we should have known better. Written and produced by Kurtzman and Orci...and Abrams wasn't involved at all.

Absolutely, Jamie. I was hoping for some Star Trek style charmingly muddled action. The end result was about 15 rungs below that though.

[FilmNerdJamie]

I firmly believe Abrams is the only director whose rejected K&O's stuff on the basis of it being shit and telling them to stop being lazy. That's why Star Trek and M:I 3 wound up being good. If you ask me.

[Matt]

'Cars 2'. Easily the worst fucking film that I've seen in a long, long time. I liked the first film and will defend it as an entertaining (if lightweight) Pixar film, but the sequel is totally irredeemable. Pure garbage from start to finish.

[Ben Thomas]

I never even made it through the original Cars, so there was no way I was seeing the new one, though I will admit that this one looked a bit more fun.

The world just doesn't work for me at all. If it took place in the same universe as Wall-E, and all the vehicles were sentient in the aftermath of global human extinction, I could get behind that. As it is, does not compute.

But GOTDAYM does my 3 year old nephew have a boner for Lightning McQueen.

[Martin]

The first Cars was fun. I still like it a lot. And that 's from a guy who spat on it when it came out. It ain't GREAT, but it's fun.

2nd one? Ouch.

[Martin]

I thought both Thor and TF3 were great.

Got your back. Transformer 3 was retarded, but oh so fun. Thor was fun. Not great, but good.

More I think about Captain America, the more I think of it as a disappointment.

Nonesense!

[Captain Russ]

The new Harold and Kumar will be in here if I don't see Freakshow as Santa.

[Ed Hocken]

Devil's Douible was a real letdown and a real shame because a story like deserves a good movie.

[Captain Russ]

This year was probably one the most disappointing I've had in recent memory.

Granted, there were some interesting things done here and there (Tree of Life, Melancholia, Drive Angry 3D*), but it was ultimately a pretty uneventful year at the theatre.

For me anyway.

Anyone else feel this way in retrospect?


*Kidding. That was a new kind of awful Lussier unleashed.

[Martin]

No.

Attack the Block, Drive, Hanna, 13 Assassins, TTSS, Melancholia, REDLINE!, Captain America, Rise of the Apes, all made me fucking happy.

EDIT: The Artist was great, as was A Separation and Monsieur Lazhar-Oscar-wise.

Nope, a good year.