Top 10 Movies to See in 2011

As some of you may know, I am a HUGE movie buff. I enjoy the process that takes place behind the scenes of movies: the production, the work of the director, the acting performances, and especially, the hype. I have a real respect for the art of it. More often than not, I am more excited about the movie before it is released than after I watch it. For those of you like me, get excited for 2011! It looks to be a great year for movies and, in honor of the great possibilities, I have made a list of the top 10 movies that I am looking forward to see this year. I have trouble ranking anything in order of preference so I have ordered them alphabetically. Let me know which ones you're excited to see (or not excited to see) and which ones should have made the list!

1. Captain America: The First Avenger
Release Date: 07/22/2011
Director: Joe Johnston

I am a total nerd when it comes to superhero movies so I am so stoked to finally see Captain America brought to life. I have only seen this short clip, which was aired during the Super Bowl. I'd still like to see  little more in the trailer, but I'm guessing an extended version of the preview will be realeased in the near future.

2. Cowboys & Aliens

Release Date: 07/29/2011

Director: John Favreau

I know the concept of the movie is kind of strange and maybe corny, but the trailer is epic. First off, it's from the same guy that brought us the Iron Man movies. That and having Daniel Craig as the lead actor only enhance the epic-ness. Add in Harrison Ford's crazy ass and Olivia Wilde's babe-factor and you can sign me up.

3. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Release Date: 08/13/2011

Director: Troy Nixey

In addition to my guilty pleasure of superhero movies, I loooove horror movies. Congratulations to you if you got through the entire 1:45 of the trailer. That's good marketing right there! This comes from the protogé of Guillermo Del Toro. Need I say more?

4. The Hangover: Part II

Release Date: 05/26/2011

Director: Todd Phillips

We all know how funny the first Hangover was. The whole cast is back together to join Stu at his wedding in Bankok. What I noticed from the teaser: looks like they lost Doug again. This is going to do huge numbers.

5. Hugo Cabret

Release Date: 11/23/2011

Director: Martin Scorsese

No trailer for this yet, but Martin Scorsese's newest masterpiece is the one I am most anxious to see. Despite it being presented in 3D, I think Scorsese will do just fine without Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role. Based off a best-selling book just like Shutter Island, I can't wait!

6. Moneyball

Release Date: 09/23/2011

Director: Bennett Miller

                                    

Being a huge sports fan, anytime a sports movie comes around I usually see it regardless of how good or bad it looks. In this case, I am very excited. Moneyball is about Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and how he used geeky stats and in-depth player research to effectively manage one of the lowest payrolls in all of baseball. Pitt and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who plays owner Art Howe, are two great actors who I think (and hope) will do the story justice.

7. The Muppets

Release Date: 09/23/2011

Director: James Bobin

                                    

Aside from the fact that The Muppet Show was one of my favorite shows as a kid, I am excited to see this because 1.) the star-studded cast is ridiculously good and 2.) Jason Segel is the lead writer. The cast includes Emily Blunt, Jack Black, John Krasinski, Amy Adams, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Crystal, Ed Helms, Ricky Gervais, and more. And Jason Segel is going to do an awesome job with this movie. For those of you wondering why, watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

8. Super 8

Release Date: 06/10/2011

Director: JJ Abrams

If you didn't watch the above trailer yet, please do so right now. I'll wait...

Okay, give me one reason you don't want to see Super 8. What I love about JJ Abrams's movies are all the viral promotions and the hype that comes along with them. When Cloverfield came out in 2008, the marketing team made fake MySpace accounts for each character in the movie and posted fake conversations on each others' pages. For Super 8, the cast and plot details weren't even leaked until last month! That is unheard of in the current age of movies, in which the cast and plot are usually revealed almost a year in advance. Abrams is one of the best up-and-coming directors and Super 8 is going to be a smash.

9. Thor

Release Date: 05/06/2011

Director: Kenneth Branagh

This was a borderline pick for the list. Sure, Chris Hemsworth looks like a good fit for Thor, but the corny lines in the trailer (ex. You are an old man and a fool!) make me second guess him a bit. However, Thor makes the list because of 3 reasons: 1.) I love superhero movies, 2.) the visuals look like they're going to be crazy, and 3.) Natalie Portman. Giggity.

10. X-Men: First Class

Release Date: 06/03/2011

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Kind of in the same boat as Thor in the sense that it was a borderline pick and made it because of visuals and the fact that it involves comic book characters. Taking place in the 1960s, it follows Professor X and Magneto before they formed the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants, respectively. If you're struggling to follow my nerd language, Google works wonders.

There you have it. Ten movies I'm looking forward to enjoying in 2011.

Which ones are you looking forward to seeing?