The 2011 SUAWTM Awards: “The Zippies”
May 23, 2012
Are the Oscars a little too high-brow for you? Do you find yourself scratching your head when the People’s Choice Awards gives “Best Superhero of the Year” to Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern? And what about the bad movies? Y’know, the stomach-churningly awful films you’d really like to avoid?
We heard you calling, and we’re answering with the 2011 Shut Up and Watch The Movie Awards. (AKA: “The Zippies”.) We’ve picked the best, the worst, the delightful, the disappointing, and displayed them in all their glory for you. So please, enjoy!
Best Picture of 2011:
Winner: Super-8
J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg make an incredible team. Super 8 hits the ball out of the park in cinematography, special effects, musical score, nostalgia, and impressive performances by its young cast. If you haven’t seen Super 8 yet, definitely check it out.
Runners up for Best Picture:
Nate: The Help
Chris: Captain America
Luke: The Artist
Isaac: The Help
Worst Picture of 2011:
Winner: Bad Teacher
Nate is actually the only one who saw this, but we took his word for it.
Runners Up:
Nate: Jack & Jill, Just Go With It
Chris: Season of the Witch
Luke: Immortals
Isaac: No Strings Attached
Biggest Pleasant Surprise:
Winner: Rango
Rango’s trailer didn’t look like much, but a creative storyline and impressive cast made it something truly unique.
Runners Up:
Nate: X-Men: First Class
Chris: Unknown (2011)
Luke: The Artist
Isaac: Thor
Biggest Disappointment:
Winner: Sucker Punch
How the director of 300 could screw up this badly is mind-boggling. Almost as mind-boggling as the plot he tried to sell us with robots and miniskirts. (Review here)
Runners Up:
Nate: Paul
Chris: Green Lantern
Luke: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Isaac: Limitless
Best Movie No One Saw:
Winner: Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
This Canadian-American Horror/Comedy film takes the “college kids in the woods” genre and turns it upside down. The result is a side-splittingly funny tale about the perils of judging a book by its cover.
Runners Up:
Nate: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Chris: Trigun Badlands Rumble
Luke: The Beaver
Isaac: The Beaver
Most Overrated:
Winner: Limitless
Its ironic that a film about a mind-boosting drug has one of the dumbest endings I’ve ever seen.
Runners Up:
Nate: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Twilight: Breaking Dawn
Chris: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Luke: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Isaac: Transformers3
Most Underrated:
Winner: Super 8
For boasting superior directing, cinematography, special effects, and acting (especially with a child-dominated cast!) Super 8 didn’t get much media attention, nor did it stand out in the Box-Office. We’re kinda confused about that.
Runners Up:
Nate: Cowboys & Aliens
Chris: Thor
Luke: The Adventures of Tintin
Isaac: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Best Family Film:
Winner: Courageous
Courageous really was a splendid film and deserves a place here. Its incredibly enjoyable, funny, and emotionally resonant. (I know we’re pulling a “Jesus-Juke” here, get over it.)
Runners Up:
Nate: Rango
Chris: Kung Fu Panda 2
Luke: The Muppets
Isaac: We Bought a Zoo
Best Original Score:
Winner: X-Men: First Class
Fun, gripping, and dynamic, the new X-Men theme doesn’t just support the film, it hops in the drivers seat and hits the gas. (Listen here.)
Runners Up:
Nate: Super 8
Chris: Thor
Luke: Sherlock Holmes2
Isaac: Sherlock Holmes2
“Our Favorite”
Looking for straight up enjoyability? – We’ve each picked our favorite movies of the year:
Our picks:
Nate: Super 8
Luke: Super 8
Chris: Captain America
Isaac: Captain America
May 23, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Isaac. Pretty good summary. You saw a lot more movies that I did. I liked Super 8 pretty well. I grew weary of the kids throwing f-bombs, but I thought all the kids acted well. The ending was a bit anti-climactic, kind of unoriginal, but the pacing of the movie was good and I really enjoyed the kids acting and some of the family storyline.