Best of 2011 (4-3)

As I delve into the penultimate entry of 2011, I found that while all of these films evoked some kind of emotion out of me, the top 5 have the power to influence. Hugo inspires to chase dreams while cherishing your history even though it may be painful. For me, that's what separates my favorite films from the rest, that feeling of empowerment or enlightenment from a well told story. I hope that you will be able to draw your own thoughts from the films you see in the future. If a movie has done its job, you'll be able to experience the story with such exquisite clarity that you will be able to draw truths for your own life. Now back to the countdown...

4. X-Men: First Class

No doubt about it, a good percentage of blockbuster movies are based on comic books these days. Only a handful of these films improve upon, or even replicate for that matter, the source material. Count me as thankful that some skilled story tellers take a shot at bringing their own creative style to some of my favorite comic books. I grew up watching the X-Men cartoon series on TV and reading the books and collecting the cards issued by Marvel. The story of the X-Men, humans with special abilities labeled as mutants, is a story that I think everyone can relate to in some way. We're all different with different abilities and we love to use labels for each other as well as ourselves. These labels are dangerous, in the X-Men lineage as well as real life. In our struggle to shed ourselves from these labels, we fall somewhere in between Professor Xavier's longing for understanding and Magneto's intolerance. These two characters, played brilliantly by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, showcase that even though people may strive for the good of others, their ways couldn't be more different. Discovering how these two characters came to their own dispositions was intriguing, especially to a fanboy like me. I was hesitant to get excited when I first saw some of the costuming but director Matthew Vaughn gave this film a tone that separates it from the first trilogy. It plays to the strength of the writing as I could really connect with the characters and their plight. This was easily my favorite film of 2011 based on a comic book and boy, were there a lot of them!

3. The Muppets

Staying with the theme of memories from childhood, there are some things that just won't ever go out of style. Kermit the Frog and his friends are just that sort of thing. Jim Henson's genius creations prove that just because you've been out of the limelight for awhile, that modern technology has seemingly passed you by and that it may seem as though you don't have any more relevant stories to tell, you can prove the skeptics wrong. When you hear that a movie has heart, this film epitomizes that. This is the kind of film that can appeal to the youngest and the oldest because there's just something about the Muppets as story telling devices that just plain works. Seeing Gonzo as a savvy businessman, who is just waiting for a call to be who he really wants to be and then leaving his successful business to follow his dream when he gets that call, personifies what the Muppets are all about, doing what you love with who you love. With infectious songs and hilarious cameos, this film brought me back to some of the fond memories of childhood while still speaking to my adult ideals. It's never too late to pursue a dream and dreams are worth pursuing. Only the most cynical could find this movie experience a negative one. And try not humming the Muppet Show theme. I dare you. It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights.