The Most Anticipated Movies of 2011

After looking back on the movies of 2010, it's time to look forward to the upcoming flicks of 2011. In compiling this list, it has come to my attention that when it comes to anticipating films, I am very much guided by familiarity and nerdliness. Also, if last year's most anticipated of 2010 list is any indication of my predictions, 27% will be among my top five favourites for the year, I won't see 9%, I will feel no resentment but a lack of awe toward another 9%, and 54% of these films will be disappointing, if not outright crap.

Despite that fact, I still like lists, and I've decided I was going to do this, so here goes.

16) Sucker Punch --- Release Date: March 25





I have no strong feelings for Zack Snyder, but if Watchmen is any indication, Sucker Punch is going to look awesome but fall short in the caring-about-anything-except-how-awesome-it-looks department.

15) Happy Feet 2 --- Release Date: November 18

No poster or trailer out yet, but I have fond memories of watching and reviewing Happy Feet. It was the second movie I ever covered, and while I'm kind of embarrassed to link to it, I think there's hope for the sequel. It'll be interesting to see if Happy Feet sequels take a downward turn (see Shrek) or continue to improve, à la Toy Story (so I've heard... as mentioned, I haven't seen Toy Story 3 yet).

14) Winnie The Pooh --- Release Date: July 15





Who doesn't have a soft spot for that tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff? I have fond memories of watching Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search For Christopher Robin and, more recently, Pooh's Heffalump Movie. Add Craig Ferguson to the mix, and I don't see how this could go wrong.

13) Hobo With A Shotgun --- Release Date: TBA





Like my excitement for Machete last year, the anticipation I'm feeling for Hobo With A Shotgun is confusing. I'm not old enough to be nostalgic for the these kinds of grainy B-movies. Nor did I get much pleasure out of similar throwback Planet Terror (Death Proof was pretty cool). Nonetheless, I loved the fake trailers from Grindhouse, and I somehow get a weird giddiness when I find out that they are being converted into full-length feature films. So here I am, with the ridiculous Hobo With A Shotgun on my list.

12) Cowboys & Aliens --- Release Date: July 29





Rather than feeling anticipation, I think it would be more accurate to describe myself as curious about this project. Daniel Craig is a great place to start, add in Harrison Ford, led by Jon Favreau, and there is some pretty sweet potential here. It's the premise, though, that has me wondering. It's like reverse-Firefly, and it's either going to be laughable or incredible.

11) Caesar: Rise Of The Apes --- Release Date: June 24

Once again, there is dink-all avaialble in terms of visual media for this project. Also, once again, there is no reason for me to be excited about it, but I'm so freaking curious. The only reason I have to believe that this is going to be any good is because James Franco is attached, and even there, I still have no reason to be interested. The only thing I've ever seen Franco in is the Spider-man series, and, with limited memory of the experience, I remember being kind of irritated with him. Nonetheless, the Internets have warped my opinion of this man, to the point that I am excited to see him host the Oscars, and that I am including a possibly brutally terrible film on this list just because his name is attached.

10) The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo --- Release Date: December 21

Nothing that I can find for posters or trailers yet, but David Fincher makes some pretty damned good movies. I've heard great things about the source material and the original series, so I'm failing to see how Fincher could mess this up. I do resent Rooney Mara for being a part of A Nightmare On Elm Street, but I'm certainly willing to give her a second chance.

9) X-Men: First Class --- Release Date: June 3

Sure, a lot of people hated X-Men Origins: Wolverine, so the whole X-Men franchise has kind of a sour taste for most, but c'mon, this is Matthew Vaughn we're talking about, here. Kick-Ass and Startdust Matthew Vaughn. If there's anyone I trust with this movie, it's him.

8) Thor --- Release Date: May 6





I was excited about Thor, then I saw the original trailer, and I thought it looked like garbage. Now, there's a new trailer (seen above) out that has re-affirmed my faith that this movie may not be crap. Actually, in watching it again, I'm still a little nervous. I hope that the iffiness of the trailers is due to a rushed promotional campaign and not due to a rushed, crappy production à la Iron Man 2.

7) The Muppets --- Release Date: November 23



If Forgetting Sarah Marshall taught me anything, it's that good things happen when Jason Segel goes behind the scenes. I don't have a whole lot of nostalgia to get me as pumped about this project as I could be. I mean, I remember occasionally watching The Muppet Show with my parents, and the Muppet Babies cartoon seems really familiar, but it's mostly Segel that's got my interest here.

6) Sherlock Holmes 2 --- Release Date: December 16

Instead of writing another preview, I present you with the last paragraph from my review of Sherlock Holmes:

The movie also heavily hints at a sequel. Considering its nearly forgettable story, I look forward to another take, giving the chance for the characters to do their stuff with an even more worthwhile case. Really, I could watch these two do anything... except that.... okay, maybe that.

5) Captain America: The First Avenger --- Release Date: July 22

Captain America and Thor would be neck-and-neck except that I haven't seen anything from the former that has shaken my hopes for the movie. I'm shaky at the casting of Chris Evans, but... oh my God, I just noticed that the director is the same man who is responsible for The Wolfman. Well, I'm going to have to just pretend I didn't learn that and keep my hopes up.

4) Your Highness --- Release Date: April 8





I hadn't heard a single thing about this movie until I saw the trailer. Now I want little more than to watch it and roll around in its medieval stoner fantasy goodness. As mentioned before, there's an unsubstantiated love for James Franco, a substantiated love for Natalie Portman, and I'm kind of semi half-aware of who Danny McBride is. But who cares, just watch the trailer and love it.

3) The Green Hornet --- Release Date: January 14





In watching TV recently, I'm feeling a little over-exposed about this movie, but what the hell, it still looks like fun. I think there are about six dozen different trailers out there right now, all seemingly advertising a different kind of movie. Nonetheless, if you piece together the best parts of them, I think (nay, hope) that this movie is going to be as good as it should be.

2) Super 8 --- Release Date: June 10



You now know as much about this movie as I do.

1) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II --- Release Date: July 15





I really quite enjoyed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, so much so that I am more excited to see the finale than anything else this coming year. I'm fairly certain that better movies will come along, but this is the end of an era that is ramping up to have an incredibly satisfying last chapter.