I’m a huge movie buff, but ever since I stopped working at a movie theater those many years ago, I don’t get to see nearly as many movies as I’d like. That’s why this is a Top 5 list instead of Top 10. Even at that, there were some movies that were incredibly difficult to leave off. In order from 5 to my number one pick…
5. The Muppets
I’m a sucker for the Muppets, but I’m shocked to find this movie in my Top 5. If you’ve seen it, you’re not shocked at all. Consistently inventive, funny, and joyful, The Muppets was made by true Muppet fans, including star and co-writer Jason Segel. Sometimes when the fans take over a beloved property, things go haywire. Being a fan of something and knowing WHY the thing works on you the way it does are two different things. Here, they got it right. Kermit and friends get back together for another show and I’m smiling from ear-to-ear the whole time. Can’t ask for much more than that.
4. Thor
This is a movie that I don’t think gets nearly as much love as it should. For my money, it’s the most successful movie Marvel has made thus far. Director Kenneth Branagh showed a real understanding of how to bring the elevated speech of Thor and his world down to a level that’s relatable to the rest of us. It’s a fun, clever and imminently rewatchable movie with great scene after great scene. And the two lead performances by Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Tom Hiddleston as Loki leave me very, very excited for what comes next for them in this year’s The Avengers.
3. Hanna
This is the sad case of an action movie that flew way, way under the radar–probably because its star is a 16-year-old girl. WHO. WILL. KNOCK. YOU. FLAT. Director Joe Wright is a guy who, like Steven Spielberg, always knows where to put the camera. His compositions tell as much of the story as any dialogue. Go back and watch his Pride & Prejudice if you don’t believe me. But what really grabs me with Hanna is the way he edited the film and the kinetic energy he put into the action scenes. Wow. You’ve never seen anything like it. Plus: soundtrack by The Chemical Brothers!
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
I have a hard time respecting any Top 10 list of 2011 movies that doesn’t put this movie in there somewhere. Yeah, it’s the 8th film in the series. But, this is where Harry Potter fully grows up and he takes the filmmaking right along with him. This is the whole package, from design to costuming to cinematography to acting to directing. Only one other film in 2011 thrilled me and moved me as much as this one. That’s the only reason this is number 2.
1. Warrior
It’s criminal that this movie is so underseen. You’d think a sports movie with action this great and with a heart this big would be a MONSTER hit. It deserves to be. I don’t even like sports. I have no use for UFC or MMA or any of that. My wife even less so. And we both loved this movie. That you know the climax of the film within the first 10 minutes doesn’t matter one bit. It’s the character revelations and performances along the way that keep you hooked. This story of two brothers and their recovering alcoholic father devastated me in the best possible way. See this. See this now.
That’s it!
For the sake of information, here’s a list of all the other movies released in 2011 that I saw (some that are not on this list I still intend to see, like Moneyball and War Horse). Also, please note that some of these were seen under duress:
Green Hornet, The Company Men*, The Way Back, Just Go With It, Adjustment Bureau, Rango, Limitless, The Lincoln Lawyer*, Source Code, Arthur, Soul Surfer, Rio, Fast Five, Something Borrowed, The Beaver**, Bridesmaids*, Midnight in Paris**, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Tree of Life, X-Men: First Class, Super 8, Green Lantern, Bad Teacher*, Cars 2, Prom, Of Gods and Men, POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Pearl Jam Twenty, Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon, Winnie the Pooh, Captain America: The First Avenger, Cowboys & Aliens, Crazy Stupid Love**, Rise of the Planet of the Apes**, The Help, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
* = I saw an edited version of the movie.
** = Movies that just missed my Top 5.
What’s your Top 5?
Jerry is still an amateur. Couldn’t he have just made a door and caught her or something? Sure, it would have exposed him, but to save the life of the woman he loves?
Difficult to say. What is the range of Jerry’s power?
I can’t believe she’s still alive. Human bodies are frail, and getting thrown 100 feet into a building is usually fatal. And she’s 82.
This takes place in 2007, so she’s not quite as old as you think, but your point is well taken. Still… there is much SuperFogeys history we still do not know.
By the way, I saw your comment on the last strip. So glad to meet a new reader! Congrats on catching up with the rest of us. I look forward to your comments in the future.
Thanks, the only problem is the waiting!
I asked this question on the Auditions, p.5, but I’ll ask it here too:
Captain Spectacular is Jewish and his powers are very “Supermanish.”
Superman was a character creted by two Jewish teens.
Is this a coincidence or is it intended? (By the way, I loved the BoM connection in the CS/Dr. Rocket origin. Laban ;-D )
The BOM (Book of Mormon) tie-in was both innocuous and intentional. I just thought it was an interesting time to set an alien abduction given its so far in the past and the upheaval in Israel at that time. As for the Jewish-Superman connection… I’m certainly a student of comic book and super hero history and am well aware of Superman’s genesis as a character, but I think the connection on that count was more unconscious than intentional. Sometimes I run with stuff that feels right more than it makes sense to me at the time. Later, I discover the layers and am pleasantly surprised. I think this is one of those times. Great question!
But… It brings up a question for me. Seeing as you got the BoM reference, how did you discover the SuperFogeys?
The Collective of Heros
Is this finally the moment when Jerry realizes that his plan has gone completely to pot?
Well… it’s certainly not one of the better moments of his big plan. How Jerry reacts to this and what happens next… that you’ll find out soon enough.
Are we finally catching on to why we’re just a sidekick now?
Ha!
That is not an experience I would enjoy having.
Ditto.
At what point did Marc say to himself, “Man, I draw mouths really well.”
I was thinking the same thing. That last panel is the best mouth I have ever seen – gums, teeth, and all.
Poor Jerry. After all the planning and plotting I was really hoping things would come together better for him. It’s like watching Wile E. Coyote.
Here’s something else. In a moment of absolute crisis, we seem to be learning just who is important to Jerry: “Spy Gal” (Or, maybe, “SPY GAAAALLLLLLL!!” )
*Not* Vanessa.
So yes, I know it’s a superhero comic book and they’re ‘in uniform” as it were, but it’s plain that Jerry is not really grown up for a whole lot of reasons. He doesn’t know Vanessa, doesn’t love her, or understand who she is or was. It’s been a decades-long adolescent crush on an unattainable super hottie. Not a real woman named Vanessa Costa. To say nothing of the Oedipal issues of wanting to destroy Wilbur and hook up with his woman. I think at this point the only characters I really like here are Swifty, Sam and Spacepig. (alliteration, anyone?)
Color me impressed.
Agreed. Nicely put, JE. Although… I wonder why the hate for Star Maiden and Spy Gal?
Well, Brock, here is what I laughingly call my opinion:
Star Maiden, once she came to herself, was a bold-hearted bunt. No likee. Swifty’s a tool sometimes, but he has been and continues to be an actual caring man who’s heart is really heroic. He did not deserve the treatment he got from her.
Spy Gal should have dumped Wilbur the first time he stood by and let her get smacked by Tangerine. The first time. What kind of doormat lets that happen and then shrugs it off without even demanding an explanation? She was still buying his CS-BS. Also, the explanation of Wilbur not going after his own son’s killer for ethical reasons is complete bunk. He’s just a coward and a weakling. Period. He’d prefer to be paralyzed and walk around with his pants down – because that’s how life always seems to find him. And now Spy Gal is powerless, but still going for the adrenaline rush that first hooked her on this lifestyle decades ago when she was robbing banks. No real other reason, I can see. Is she a hero? Nope. She still hasn’t gotten over herself, to use Space Pig’s criteria.
I appreciate the insight you offer here. I have my own opinions about it, but I’ll refrain from sharing because I don’t want to influence your perception of what comes next. Needless to say, it’s well thought out and a perfectly valid point of view. Would love to know what others make of your assessments.
@JE Draft — you’ll probably never see this follow-up (since I was suddenly curious to see on new archive-developments for no particular reason) but I wanted to sound off anyway.
First off, I think Star Maiden’s true personality was her heroine one — the one before her return to her planet. It’s the one we revert to when we let our guard down. Sure, it will be shaped greatly by our attitude (which is a reflection of our adaption to our environment) but it’s still the core, and her core personality is still a defender of the outcasts. Note her Dark personality — from what we’ve seen — is basically a hatred of the society that rejected her in the first place. I think her choke-hold on Swifty was actually out-of-character even for her darkside and it would have been far more interesting (and perhaps a little scarier) if she had kept her warm, friendly disposition towards him — and then simply smashing the robot and then taking off for her home world.
Agreed that Spy Gal should have dumped CS the moment he let Tangerine deck her, but I’ve been on that, and the I-hate-Tangerine wagon a looong time. And while Spy Gal is definitely an adrenaline junkie, I disagree with your assessment that she’s not a hero. It’s not like being a thrill-seeker and being a hero are mutually exclusive. Spy Gal is a woman of action, and she’s a hero now because she’s decided to use her action-drive to protect others.
I do agree with the prognosis that while CS is both cowardly and weak compared to the rest of Vahalla, he is stronger than the average individual (although no braver). I think the average person failing as spectacularly as CS does at the actual heroic element, would have just gone the selfish route. Some might claim that he lacked the ‘bravery’ to buck societal norms because he wouldn’t be able to handle the guilt (like Dr. Rocket), but I don’t think that’s so much ‘brave’ as it is a ‘complete lack of empathy’. I do agree with other prognosis that CS never wanted to be a hero, and he played the roll strictly because he didn’t feel he had any other choice — the dark route being completely repugnant but not having the strength to really adapt to the life of a hero. As a matter of fact, I think if Dr. Rocket hadn’t gone villain, CS would have been in even worse shape today.
I think Brock really wanted to write CS as a “good man, but in no way fit to be a hero”. Dr. Rocket went bad thanks to years of abuse he was powerless to do anything about, while CS went soft in the head. (CS would probably have been a more successful hero if he had a ‘trainer’ and was treated like a pokémon.)