Looking back at 2011: Memorable films, characters, scenes and lines

MANILA, Philippines - Once again, another year is coming to an end and a new one is arriving. Surely, everybody is looking forward to what filmmakers are up to for the year. But, before that, let’s look back at 2011 one more time as it finally bids goodbye. Happy New Year to all! Out of all the nice movies in 2011, it was truly challenging to select which ones to include.

Hit Movies

Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The Transformers came back in 2011 to bring another action-packed battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons. This time, the Autobots are trying to save humans from being enslaved by the decepticons. 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2. The adventures of Harry and his friends continue as they battle against the evil Voldemort. It’s just fascinating that every Harry Potter movie is a hit. Is this truly the last one or will there be another in 2012?

X-Men First Class. The movie explained it all: The friendship between Xavier and Eric (a.k.a. Magneto), how they recruited the first batch of X-men, and how their friendship broke apart. Prequels are always nice because they help viewers understand the story. 

Captain America. An inspiring film about a young man who is regarded as a weakling but soon becomes a superhero. The comic hero hit the movie screen big time as many excited viewers made their way to movie theaters. It is definitely one of the year’s favorites.

The Adventures of Tintin. The film came as a surprise just before the year ended. The classic comic series was turned into a 3D film which obviously brought excitement to its fans. Well, it seems like the Tintin and Snowy (his dog) team has a way of reaching out to its followers.

Favorite Characters

The monkey in Hang Over II. Who is the most wonderful add-up to this sequel? Of course, the drug dealing monkey! It definitely made the movie funnier and more exciting. But of course, it made Phil, Stu, Alan and Doug’s life even more complicated.

Elizabeth Halsey from Bad Teacher. She is what you would call “a teacher from hell” but viewers did really love her. Although not many filmmakers would dare make teachers bad, this one dared to do so and they are actually successfully in creating the worst teacher of all. 

Smurfs in Smurfs the movie. Who would ever think that these cute blue creatures would ever come out on screen? They have been gone for so many years. Luckily, they appealed to the new generation quite well. Will there be a sequel to this one? 

Thor in the movie Thor. The film introduced another comic hero. Thor, a god who is exiled to earth, becomes a hero to humans. He may not be one of the major superheroes but Thor has his own uniqueness to offer.

Babydoll in Sucker Punch. The story of the movie might seem a bit odd to many but the lead character is a real beauty that she must be counted as one of the memorable characters of the year.

Unforgettable Scenes

Final Destination 5. Compared to the four previous Final Destination films which showed gruesome deaths, this one is even more horrible. However, it’s not a problem to the followers of the movie because that is what Final Destination is known for.  

Sanctum. The film took viewers inside a cave and perfectly showed them the beauty of it. It’s just so wonderful that it could have inspired some to consider caving but of course with caution as the movie also showed the explorers being trapped and trying to find their way out.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. What can one expect from a Mission Impossible film? Definitely scene after scene of stunts and pure action. Although most of the stunts are truly impossible, they are actually what make it unforgettable.

Bridesmaids. Remember when the girls went to fit gowns and then it was such a pitiful sight but at the same time hilarious? It is, of course, a nightmare to anyone and definitely no one wants that to happen to them so let it just stay on screen.

Contagion. The movie has a lot of unforgettable scenes: Humans being attacked by the mysterious virus, people trying to survive, others who try to take advantage of the situation and doctors who try their best to help.

Memorable Lines

“One generation’s tragedy is the next one’s joke” — Sheriff Dewey, Scream 4. The new generation of Woodsboro Town obviously doesn’t understand the horror of the murders during Sidney’s generation. It’s no wonder Sheriff Dewey would utter these words.

“You can sleep when you’re dead” — Barbossa, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Don’t you feel tired just by reading this line by Capt. Barbossa? Well, it’s the captain’s command.

“ I’ll catch you later” — Jerry Dandridge, Fright Night. This line is, of course, just normal to hear from a friend but not from a vampire. If a vampire tells you this, better pack your bags and run away as fast as you can.

“No measure of time with you will be long enough. But we’ll start with forever” — Edward, Twilight: Breaking Dawn. Delivering endless romantic quotes, that is one way of describing a Twilight film. Somehow, it is starting to become more of a love story than a vampire tale.

“Caesar is home” — Caesar, The Rise of the Planet of the Apes. What? A talking Ape?! It may seem amazing to see Caesar talk but there is definitely a creepy feeling about it, especially the way he looks at humans.