1. Fast Five
If the lines at my local theater were any indication, Fast 5 may well prove to be the action movie of 2011. Who knew adding The Rock – sorry, Dwayne Johnson – to an already successful action franchise would be a recipe for success? Oh, right, everyone. Good move, Fast People.
2. Thor
This is exactly what the action/superhero genre had failed to capitalize on: existing Norse Legends. Plus, Natalie Portman, fresh off her Oscar win, joins the hallowed ranks of Marvel superhero girls. While Thor does look quite enjoyable and not nearly as bottom of the barrel scraping as it once appeared, it begs the question: what untapped material will Marvel strike its mighty hammer upon next? I’m looking at you, Antman.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
It’s easy to say that Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow has overstayed his welcome, particularly after the two lackluster sequels to the surprisingly fun Curse of the Black Pearl. But I’m not counting Captain Jack out just yet. I still get a little chuckle every time I see him scream like a girl and run away from danger, and there’s legs in the Pirate franchise yet. Rebooting the whole thing with new sidekicks, new love interests, and a new villain is definitely a step in the right direction. A step in the wrong direction? No musical numbers. Rob Marshall, you disappoint me, sir.
4. Cowboys and Aliens
Joss Whedon created the greatest television series to be cancelled midway through its first season. It was called Firefly. The premise? Cowboys in space. Now, it was a lot more detailed and intricate than that, but the initial punch of melding technology and old west sensibility is quite brilliant. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Cowboys and Aliens instantly puts me into what feels like exactly the right state of mind to enjoy, well, a movie called Cowboys and Aliens. Plus, Harrison Ford is in it. Instant action movie street cred. Yes, I have blocked out K-19 the Widowmaker, why do you ask?
5. Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon
Okay… so on the off chance you don’t know, let me break this to any straight boys reading: Megan Fox is not in this movie. They’ve chosen to take the franchise in a different direction. Hopefully that direction is “good” in direct conflict with the last movie.
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