The Best Films Of 2011 (That I've Seen)

While I haven't seen most of the films in Libertas' Top 10, I've still managed to see quite a few films this year. With the exception of Zookeeper and Paul (both of which I decided simply weren't worth seeing), I manged to see all the movies I had planned to, as well as several others. There have been some great surprises, as well as some big disappointments. So here's a list of my top ten favorite films of the year:

10. Battle: Los Angeles - When Hollywood repeatedly shows military soldiers as depraved maniacs or victims of evil, wealthy, white guys, it's enjoyable to see our soldiers portrayed with the love of country that drives most of us to work hard and take the risks we do. The Transformers movies have also been good about this, but, honestly, I didn't think Transformers 3 was as good as Battle: LA (though it was certainly better than the second Transformers).

9. Atlas Shrugged: Part One - A controversial movie hated by people who hate Ayn Rand and people who love her, the film succeeded in many important ways. I feel that the movie's strong points overcome its weaknesses. If you haven't seen it yet, it's worth seeing.

8. The Grace Card - Given the utter crap that Hollywood put out this year, this was an excellent opportunity for independent filmmakers. GraceWorks Pictures made the most of their chance, and produced an excellent film.

7. Scream 4 - I'm a fan of the entire Scream franchise, and this film is a worthy addition. These are just great horror films that show Wes Craven still has it.

6. The Devil's Double - "The Devil’s Double tells the true story of Saddam Hussein’s villainous son Uday and his reluctant body double, Latif Yahia. Stylishly filmed by former James Bond director Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day), The Devil’s Double depicts the full tyranny of the Hussein family’s mafia-like reign in the ’80s and ’90s, dramatizing the plight of average Iraqis under their cruel and arbitrary rule."

5. Soul Surfer - An unexpected surprise. This movie is based on the true story of a surfer who was attacked by a shark, but never gave up her dream of surfing. With Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, and Kevin Sorbo.

4. Unknown - Liam Neeson awakens from a coma to find that his identity, his wife, and his entire life have been stolen.

3. Sucker Punch - Beautiful and surreal, filmmaker Zack Snyder shows why he's one of Hollywood's few remaining talents. This film is about a girl who creates a fantasy world in her head to escape the reality of her imprisonment in a mental hospital.

2. The Thing - This prequel to the 1982 film of the same name is incredible given that they were working within the confines of creating a story that would not interfere with everything that happened in the original. Fans of the original with Kurt Russel will not be disappointed.

And the number one film of 2011 was...

1. Courageous - Sherwood Pictures creates another hit. These police officers have to find the courage to be the men their families need. Expertly combines the drama, action, and humor you've come to expect.

Most disappointing movie of the year: Sherlock Holmes 2. I finally watched this one yesterday, and I was just amazed at the absence of structure. It's like the movie was made by a manic-depressive during a manic episode. Not entirely bad, but certainly not nearly as good as the first one.

2012 promises a lot more to look forward to. But I hope the independent filmmakers keep surprising us and challenging Hollywood.

Here's the best movies of 2010.