Underrated Movies Of 2011

As most know, I love movies. Movies are just as good as books! However, every now and then I gotta say that there are some movies that just slip under the radar and are skipped over by very overrated movies such as Avatar! So I figured I'd compile my own list of the most underrated movies of 2011:

Kill the Irishman

Kill the Irishman is about a true story of a man named Danny Greene who the Italian mob had tried to kill him multiple times and failed every time. Personally I didn't know what to expect when going into this movie. But after watching it, I realized I'm glad I listened to my friend, because if I hadn't I would have passed over it like I do most films that don't appeal to me. So if you have the extra capital I recommend giving this little gem a watch.

Hannah

I loved this movie. This is a Luc Besson film, very typical -- you know the one with a strong female lead. I honestly felt this movie was a very interesting watch because its amazing watch a girl who looks twelve years old kick a bunch of grown men's asses. If you haven't seen this, watch it. Especially if you like movies that are spy thrillers, political and action-packed.

Unknown

Liam Nesson is an amazing actor is practically everyone movie I've seen him in. Unknown is very underrated and it had an excellent cast with a heck of twist at the end. If you haven't seen this flick and you love political movies, spy thrillers, or assassination movies. I say give it a shot. It's very much like Bourne Trilogy, Mission Impossible, and the movie Traitor. This film is very engaging and it will keep you on your feet because the action and the story is simply superb.

Drive Angry

What can you say about Drive Angry? It's a heck of a lot better than Drive. I'm a huge Nicolas Cage fan and the majority of the films hes been in, I've enjoyed -- even The Wicker Man. While watching this movie you have to suspend disbelief and simply submerge yourself into the film and accept it for what it is, a modern-day Grindhouse film. Everything about this film screams Grindhouse. It's perfect and it fits absolutely well with the story. Nicolas Cage played John Milton very well. There's lots of action, gore, nudity and a creepy villain, Billy Burke (The only tolerable one in the Twilight Saga.) So if you want to see it, but not sure if you want to spend that much money on the film, wait until it's cheaper or buy it used, because it's absolutely and amazing film.


The Lincoln Lawyer

Matthew McConaughey plays a lawyer who can get you off from just about any crime. He's good and he works out of a Lincoln Town Car. This is a thriller and if you've never seen it, I suggest you get it's worth the watch and worth the price. I've seen this film multiple times and enjoyed it each time I viewed it. So if you like political thrillers then pick this one up and enjoy.

Contagion

I liked this film for a number of reasons -- the actors had no make-up and it makes you want to take a shower. Contagion is a thriller about a virus that starts to spread and now the CDC and the World Health Organization are tyring to find a cure, contain it and find patient number zero. The assembled cast is perfect and the diction is just as brilliant. Contagion is so interesting that you don't know who will die and who will live. This isn't a film that makes it obvious that so-and-so will not die because they're the highest paid actor on the market. In Contagion there's a lot of popular people Kate Wenslet, Gwenith Paltrow, Matt Damon etc., so trying to figure out who will live is irrelevant especially when you're trying to figure out where this virus came from. It's a fun watch and I definitely recommend it.

Tower Heist

Tower Heist is about a group of lowly workers working for a multi-millionaire who squanders their money and their retirement etc. So a few of the employees (and former employees and non-employees) band together to rob their boss and take back the money he had actually stolen. Tower heist is a pretty decent comedy. I thought it was funny and I enjoyed everything about the movie. However, there are some parts that are considered far-fetched and a little to risky even for a movie such as this. Nonetheless, Tower Heist is definitely worth watching.

Super 8

Super 8 is an underrated film. It had Spielberg written all over it -- alien, kids, innocence, kids saving the day etc. I actually enjoyed Super 8, it reminded me of a modern day Sandlot, Stand By Me or The Goonies. However, unlike Sandlot and The Goonies, the characters in Super 8 were not well developed and that's OK for this kind of film. There's a lot of action happening and because of the action you can only do so much character development. In the Sandlot and The Goonies, you actually care for the characters and you're rooting for them. In Super 8 you really don't care to much for the characters except for Elle Fanning's character, you do end up caring for her, but apart from that you really don't care to much for the majority of the characters. Nonetheless, the action and the story literally makes up for lack of character development. I strongly recommend Super 8.

Attack the Block

Attack The Block is a film from England, which I must say is absolutely fun. However, the idea of the kids trying to act "gangster" with a British accent and the tone of their voices an octave or so higher than the gangsters in Los Angeles, kind gives them a -not-so-intimidating kind of feel to the film. Though, I will say apart from the cultural differences the film still sands out and is really fun to watch. The aliens are very unique to be honest kind of creepy if you really think about it because they look like giant bears or something that blacker than black except for their teeth which have a indigo blue glow to it. It's still creepy at times. Nonetheless, the best actors in Attack The Block is Nick Frost (Shawn of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Paul.) his characters is funny at times. So with that said, if you like aliens mixed with comedy I suggest you take a look at Attack the Block.

Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch was made by Zach Snyder one of my favorite directors respectively on par with J.J. Abrams. Sucker Punch is such an underrated film for a number of reasons: The action, the story, acting, fight scenes, the cinematography, the direction, music score, hot girls and creativity. A lot of viewers hated Sucker Punch for a lot of reasons including the CGI. I, for one, don't mind the CGI. I understand that there are times where CGI is needed and will make the film a lot better. However, if you limit yourself to simply practical effects, there's only so much you can be able to achieve. Like Sucker Punch without the CGI and the beauty it adds to the film, I can not imagine how it would be without the CGI. Sucker punch has such amazing aspects to the film that I fell in love with the movie in general. Some say it's confusing, however, I can agree with that, but when you sit back and ponder over it, you start to realize a number of things and why they happen that way simply because it all takes place in her mind. Again, this movie absolutely underrated.

Battle: Los Angeles

Battle: Los Angeles = Badass! I loved this movie from the moment the film started to roll. I was even more excited that the film came out to DVD just three months after it was released in theaters, which is very rare unless it was a limited release in selective theaters. Everyone who hates this movie always complain about the same thing: the shakiness of the camera and the cliche dialogue. OK, I'll admit sometimes the dialogue is kind of weak, but the shakiness of the camera added to the "realness" of the movie. I felt like I was actually there. Plus this film is suppose to be like a documentary as if someone is filming the alien invasion. If that were to really happen and someone were to follow a group of MARINES around to watch the kill aliens, I can almost guarantee you that it will end up looking like how Battle: Los Angeles turned out to be. Gritty -- shaky cameras -- explosions -- yelling -- cries for help. Battle: Los Angeles had such a simple story line it worked. Hector, the kid of one of the survivors, is a really good actor. When he had his crying scene I was convinced. And again, as I said in many other posts, Michelle Rodriguez is hot and I went to see this movie because of her. Yeah, it's true, but even if she wasn't in it I still would have gone to see it. I couldn't believe my eyes and ears after reading and seeing all the negative reviews about this movie. Are people really little bitches they can't handle a little "motion sickness?" Well me I don't get motion sickness. However, my friend said if you don't focus on that and simply enjoy the movie, you will not notice it very much and you'll notice it for what it is -- a gritty movie, that's trying to sell its self off as a realistic looking film... And it succeeds. So therefore, with that said, I think Battle: Los Angeles is the most underrated film of 2011. So if you haven't seen it because of all the "negative reviews" about it, watch it for yourself and decide.

Five Most Underrated Movies Of 2011:

1. Battle: Los Angeles
2. Sucker Punch
3. Attack The Block
4. Drive Angry
5. Hannah

I hope you enjoyed this review of my Underrated Movies Of 2011. Also, if you haven't seen any of the movies on this list, then be open minded and check it out.

-- Connor Murphy