It’s that time of year where I tell you which science fiction, fantasy, and horror movies were at the top of my favorites list and which movies were turds. This list includes only the movies that I’ve seen.

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Tops of 2011

18. Battle: Los Angeles – Very predictable but not bad. Really liked the characters. Wished there was more alien appearances.
17. Source Code – Seems like Jake Gyllenhaal demanded to be in a movie like Avatar sans the blue people. I liked the “timey-whimey’ aspect.
16. The Losers – Great action movie. On par with The Expendables.
15. The Thing – Fun. Horrifying. Not as good as the 80’s version but much more disgusting. I jumped in my seat a couple of times.
14. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – Not bad. I liked it more than the last two movies. I have pirate fatigue though.
13. Another Earth – This movie isn’t for everyone but I enjoyed it. It reminds me of Contact in a way. It was less about the sci-fi and more about the story which really pulls you in.
12. Green Hornet – Way better than I thought it would be. Funny and fun.
11. Captain America – A solid movie. It looked good. I didn’t like it as much as as Iron Man or Thor but it’s still a good film.
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 – An action-packed and fitting ending to a beloved story.
9. Super 8 – Great period piece. Phenomenal acting. Someone described it as Stand By Me meets a very angry E.T..
8. In Time – Outstanding world-building. Great props and set. Interesting social commentary.
7. Adjustment Bureau – Great sci-fi. Amazing storytelling.
6. Paul – The trailers were a turn off but the movie was awesome. It wasn’t the typical movie poking fun at geek fandom. It was fun like Galaxy Quest.
5. X-Men: First Class – Way better than I thought it would be. Classy for a superhero flick.
4. Fright Night – Two words: Colin Farrell. He was a modern yet classic vampire who wasn’t emo and didn’t sparkle.
3. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows – I think the second movie one-upped the first movie! RDJ as Sherlock is genius!
2. Thor – This movie entertained me the most. It was funny and unexpected. Like Iron Man, I never imagined that I would actually like a Thor movie.
1. Rise of the Planet of the Apes – I’m surprised too! This movie hit every note for me. Not only is a good stand alone movie with acting, effects, and plot, it is a re-make worthy of the original.

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Turds of 2011

7. Transformers: Dark of the Moon – My favorite turd of the year! I hated this movie in 3D. I saw it a second time with kids without 3D and enjoyed it a bit more. The effects, as usual, were top notch.
6. Sucker Punch – I didn’t hate it. I accepted the artist vision. I enjoyed it more for the effects and the costuming.
5. Conan the Barbarian – Decent enough. It would have been more appropriate to make this a TV movie. I could imagine it being a decent TV show like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
4. Green Lantern – Or as people think I’ve dubbed it: Green LanTURD. I was so excited about this movie and all I got was this lousy “meh”.
3. Priest – After Legion, I was skeptical to see another winter sci-fi movie with Paul Bettany. Priest was great as an effects reel but sucked as a movie. Am I the only person who wonders why people keep hiring Karl Urban?
2. Cowboys & Aliens – Sounds like you can’t go wrong with a title like that. Sounds like easy camp and fun action right? This movie managed to be boring and lame. The actors were totally squandered.
1. Apollo 18 – TOP TURD OF 2011! I’m not sure which movie I hate more: Skyline or Apollo 18? Not only had it felt like I’d seen the movie before it was annoyingly low budget. It felt like Paranormal Activity IN SPACE!