Flying Swords of Dragon Gate 3D - 龙门飞甲 (2011)

Pretty much enjoyed it. Some minor gripes with focus issues near the beginning with framings towards the sides of the frames, but IMHO, this is worth catching in 3D.

The Artist (2011)

Probably one of the most brilliant film in recent years. I have to admit that while this is one of those award winning films that is not too heavy on the intellect, I did struggle to stay awake a few times although I did not doze off.

Gallants - 打擂台 (2010)

Finally got around to watching the DVD. Enjoyed it much! Teddy Robin's performance is one of the best I saw this year!

The Dirty Picture - द डर्टी पिक्चर (2011)

Not too bad though it feels a bit fragmented. Decent script (or English subs, since that's what I'm reading) and a powerful performance by Vidya Balan makes this a worthwhile watch.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

Essentially dull. Fell asleep at the start. Unimpressed by the story or the cast. A generic blah further hampered by a terrible viewing experience.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

Some fun moments but nothing spectacular. At least there were some cool action sequences, the bad guys weren't that dumb, and there were no obligatory love interests squeezed into the plot.

Arthur Christmas (2011)

I'm not big on X'mas, but I enjoyed this film!

Nasi Lemak 2.0 - 辣死你妈! (2011)

Charming movie. Enjoyed it much!

The Muppets (2011)

Not as entertained as I had hoped to be.

Already Famous - 一泡而红 (2011)

Story is kind of weak. But I do hope the film does well at the local box office. And on a side note, what is it with people who need to make running commentaries while watching films in cinemas? Grrr........

You Are the Apple of My Eye - 那些年，我們一起追的女孩 (2011)

Nice... captures the nuances of youth and first loves wonderfully.

Drive (2011)

Slow and plodding but by the end, I wanted to stand up and clap. Great performances and a story that kept me invested - one of my favs of the year.

The Ides of March (2011)

Nice. Good acting. Like the story. One of those that managed to keep me guessing... a favorite of the year.

UPDATE: Just received conformation there was an edit to the theatrical version in Singapore. Here I go again as I re-start my record of giving censored films the wide berth. Sigh...

The Help (2011)

Decent stuff with some good acting. Overall, it's a simple tale in which good characters have few bad qualities and vice versa.

The Thing (2011)

This is actually not bad...

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Methinks it drags a bit, but overall it ain't too bad.

Friends With Benefits (2011)

Nice. One of the more entertaining films I've sat through this year. Great cast!

Mural - 画壁 (2011)

It went from dull to not too bad. IMHO, not a great film - the story suffered from identity crisis and uninspiring casting and CGI.

Real Steel (2011)

Okay movie. Bad viewing experience.

Tatsumi (2011)

I wanted to like this, but found myself struggling to stay awake during most of it.

I Saw the Devil - 악마를 보았다 (2010)

Pretty gruesome. But in terms of the plot and story - it's really one of the better ones I've seen these last few years. Performance is also pretty top notch. Though if I'm nit-picky - a bit of a stretch of the imagination is required at times.

Don't be Afraid of the Dark (2011)

Not too bad in terms of the mood and scare department, but these kinds of things are full of huge gapping plot holes and lack sense.

Contagion (2011)

Not too bad. One of my fav films of the year.

Bad Teacher (2011)

Not too bad. Script was a bit lazy, but the main gist of this for me was the anti-estab jibes and Cam Diaz.

Incendies (2010)

I am sure my lack of familiarity with history probably limited my appreciation for this, so as an outsider, I can only say this about the film: I don't get the mother's motivation for wanting her children to know the truth, other than as a narrative device to allow the story to unravel. But this is just a nitpick. This is a potent film about human nature. Nicely told for the most part, and worth a watch.

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

A bit too shallow and mashed up without clear focus for my liking. Daniel Craig does what he does best, but there's little else in this show to go wow over. In fact, it was even a little bit boring at times.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Not bad. Casear is the true lead of the show. All the others are just supporting players nicely fleshed out by fine performances.

Old Places (2010)

Originally conceived as 3 separate episodes for TV, I caught all 3 eps in 1 long stretch during Causeway EXchange - the filmmakers are clearly nostalgic for some of these old places, but for me, watching them back to back in a long (random) series became tiring and I found myself looking at my watch about an hour into the show.

Horrible Bosses (2011)

Not too bad. Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx steal the show whenever they appear. Especially love the story of how Jamie Foxx's character got his name. LOL!

Bridesmaids (2011)

Very typical of modern America in spirit - as most of the characters are very caught up in themselves. This film also seems inexpensive, proving that you don't need big budgets to make a good film, just a good script and some decent actors. The use of 90s pop references is one of the delights, and while this did not deliver the big "ha-ha"s I thought it was gonna deliver, it still managed to put a smile on my face for the most part.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Not too bad. Chris Evans actually carries the role rather well, and is starting to impress me with his acting talents. Tommy Lee Jones has some great lines. And comic fans are gonna have fun making comparisons with the source material and spotting the easter eggs which only fans in the know will recognize.

Hanna (2011)

Not too bad. Nice soundtrack.

Karate-Robo Zaborgar - 電人ザボーガー (2011)

Not too bad. Ridiculously funny at times.

[Watched at 15th Pucheon International Fantastic Film Festival]

Yakuza Weapon - 極道兵器 (2011)

Niched mindless entertainment. Not my cup of tea though, but not something I dread sitting through either. Does have its moments of ludicrous dark humour.

[Watched at 15th Pucheon International Fantastic Film Festival]

Resurrected - Seru (2011)

Malaysia's answer to The Blair Witch Project. It has its fun moments, and it does have some fun jabs at filming in this part of the world, but it's pretty much a one-trick pony - it doesn't set out to do more than what its genre is meant to do, and would probably be more fun to watch together in a group on one of those mindless entertainment days.

[Watched at 15th Pucheon International Fantastic Film Festival]

The Cat - 고양이: 죽음을 보는 두 개의 눈 (2011)

Standard horror fest. Nicely shot. Cute girl in distress with a kind heart. Not a bad way to spend 2 hours if some generic entertainment is what you're looking for.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon [3D] (2011)

Boring. Fell asleep (during action sequences!). Don't bother watching this in 3D. An awful waste of time. Yawn....

Beautiful Lies - De vrais mensonges (2010)

Okay comedy. Some fun parts, but whole thing could be tighter.

Pinoy Sunday (2009)

Glad I caught this. As a bonus treat, there was a Q&A with the director after the screening. This is by no means perfect entertainment. I did wish the plot and narrative were tighter, but this is filmmaking with heart and a sense of light heartedness and fun.

Green Lantern (2011)

Caught this in 3D. Don't really like.

Super 8 (2011)

Not too bad.

X-Men: First Class (2011)

Not bad. The attention to storytelling and the strong acting makes this worth catching on the big screen. Watch out for the cool cameos!

Insidious (2010)

Not bad. This is actually scary and has a decent story tying everything together. Could do with a bit more focus though, but that's just a minor gripe, IMHO.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Well, this is my first IMAX 3D movie. And I gotta say this did not warrant the 3D treatment - especially not with a ticket price that is 2-3 times more. That aside, this film is dull. It has more exciting moments in the second half, but then, the fine actors we have in this film are bogged down by a script that isn't the most developed nor logical. In fact, I'd say it has overstepped the line whereby the audience is willing to buy into the lack of logic. I won't say this movie is a complete washout, but I'd say it wasn't worth my time at all.

The Superb Matchmakers - 媒人帮 (2011)

This tele-feature made for the Lunar New Year is a yawn fest with an uninspiring plot, dull characters and bland situations. Started off promising, but after awhile, I was quickly bored and soon wanted to stop watching. I managed to finally forced myself to make it through to the end, but not without some unintentional shut eye during the show.

Black Swan (2010)

Love the poster. Maybe if this was watched on a big screen on a good day, I may like it a bit more. As it is, I didn't really take to it. Too artsy, lah!

Thor (2011)

Above average Hollywood blockbuster. I actually teared during one part. But the downside is that this is pretty much a generic by the numbers movie.

Red Dragonflies (2010)

Boring.

Norwegian Wood - ノルウェイの森 (2010)

Not my cup of tea. I simply could not connect with the story or the characters.

Source Code (2011)

Not too bad. Good to have a thriller that makes you think.