August 2
Rio (2011) 63 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
The latest computer-animated kids film from the team behind the hugely successful Ice Age series follows a domesticated blue macaw who, because he is the last male of his species, is sent to Brazil to mate with a female. While there, both birds are kidnapped, and are forced to survive on their own in the wild. Voices come from Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, and Jesse Eisenberg.
Soul Surfer (2011) 53 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Sort of the 127 Hours of surfing movies, Soul Surfer tells the true story of teen surfing champion Bethany Hamilton, who was attacked by a shark while on her board. Critics liked the cinematography, but generally found the film formulaic (in an inspirational TV movie sort of way) and a bit dull.
| Title | Netflix | Metascore |
|---|---|---|
| Blu-ray Better Off Dead (1985) John Cusack | n/a | |
| Carbon Nation (2011) Documentary | Add to Queue | 44 |
| Cold Weather (2011) Indie drama | Add to Queue | 64 |
| Blu-ray Conan the Barbarian (1982) Arnold Schwarzenegger | 43 | |
| Exporting Raymond (2011) Documentary | Add to Queue | 55 |
| Last Night (2011) Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes | Add to Queue | 50 |
| Blu-ray The Magnificent Seven (1960) Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson | n/a | |
| The Music Never Stopped (2011) Drama based on Oliver Sacks essay | Add to Queue | 60 |
| Blu-ray The Name of the Rose (1986) Sean Connery, F. Murray Abraham | n/a | |
| The Perfect Game (2011) Sports drama | Add to Queue | 42 |
| Stake Land (2011) Horror | Add to Queue | 66 |
| YellowBrickRoad (2011) Horror/thriller | Add to Queue | 52 |
| TV on DVD: | ||
| Eastbound & Down The Complete 2nd Season | Add to Queue | 89 |
| Everwood The Complete 4th Season | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Hell's Kitchen Season 5 | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost Made-for-TV movie | Add to Queue | n/a |
| McMillan & Wife Season 6 | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume XXI | n/a | |
| Storm Chasers Season 3 | Add to Queue | n/a |
| United States of Tara Season 3 | Add to Queue | 81 |
August 9
Mars Needs Moms (2011) 49 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
On paper, it doesn't sound so bad: a 3D, motion-capture animated comedy adaptation of Berkeley Breathed's children's book, produced by Robert Zemeckis in conjunction with Disney. Yet Mars Needs Moms is one of the biggest box office flops in recent years (grossing just under $40 million against a massive $150 million budget), and its failure resulted in the shuttering of Zemeckis' ImageMovers Digital studio.
Paul (2011) 57 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Greg Mottola (Superbad) directed this sci-fi comedy about a pair of British geeks (Shaun of the Dead stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) on an American road trip headed to Comic-Con, when they encounter an extraterrestrial named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) who has recently escaped from captivity at Area 51. Pegg and Frost also wrote the script, while Jane Lynch, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and Sigourney Weaver all make appearances. While not a classic, it's probably a bit better than that Metascore indicates.
Super (2011) 50 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Written and directed by James Gunn (Slither), this low-budget action comedy reunites Juno's Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page—and adds one degree of Kevin Bacon—in a tale of a loser who adopts a crime-fighting superhero alter-ego, despite lacking any actual superpowers. Liv Tyler and Nathan Fillion also star, but that strong cast wasn't enough to compensate for a confusing clash of styles (namely, quirky comedy and sadistic violence), according to the critical consensus.
Your Highness (2011) 31 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
While you don't go into an R-rated stoner comedy—let alone one that's a medieval fantasy spoof—expecting Citizen Kane, Your Highness nevertheless remains one of 2011's biggest critical disappointments, and Metacritic users didn't like it all that much more. The reason for such high expectations (so to speak) in the first place was a great trailer and the involvement of talented people like director David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express), writer/star Danny McBride (Eastbound & Down), and stars James Franco, Natalie Portman, and Zooey Deschanel. Critics found little to like, suggesting the whole thing was an inside joke where even the insiders weren't laughing.
| Title | Netflix | Metascore |
|---|---|---|
| Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2011) Documentary | Add to Queue | 71 |
| Blu-ray Dazed and Confused (1993) Matthew McConaughey, Jason London | 78 | |
| Blu-ray Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh | 67 | |
| Jumping the Broom (2011) Comedy | Add to Queue | 56 |
| TV on DVD: | ||
| Secret Diary of a Call Girl Season 4 | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Top Gear Season 16 | n/a | |
| Webster Season 3 | n/a | |
August 16
The Conspirator (2011) 55 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Robert Redford's first directorial effort since 2007's Lions for Lambs is a historical drama that centers on the trial of boarding house owner Mary Surratt (Robin Wright Penn), the sole female charged in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. It's a carefully researched accounting—maybe too much so, as some critics felt it more history lesson than entertainment. Still, about half of the reviewers enjoyed the film.
Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil (2011) 20 Add to Queue Watch Trailer
One of the worst-reviewed films of 2011 so far, this 3D sequel to the 2005 animated fairy tale adventure Hoodwinked! returns the voices of Glenn Close and Patrick Warburton and adds that of Hayden Panettiere (taking over for Anne Hathaway, who wisely stayed away). At least nobody saw it, so unless The Weinstein Company needs a major tax write-off, there won't be a third film.
Jane Eyre (2011) 77 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
The 16th big-screen adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel (give or take) is also one of the best. Jane Eyre stars Mia Wasikowska as the titular character, an independent-minded woman who finds romance while working as a governess at Thornfield House. The cast for director Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre) also includes Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, and Judi Dench.
Priest (2011) 41 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Retired vampire killer Paul Bettany comes out of retirement to rescue his niece in the 3D post-apocalyptic action thriller based on the Korean comic of the same name. Its blend of sci-fi, horror, western, and action didn't win over moviegoers or critics, who found it derivative and mediocre.
Something Borrowed (2011) 36 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Another in a long line of Kate Hudson-starring romantic comedies, Something Borrowed pairs her with John Krasinski and Ginnifer Goodwin. While it didn't put an end to Hudson's decade-long streak of appearing in poorly reviewed movies, it was better than 2009's Bride Wars ... if only slightly.
| Title | Netflix | Metascore |
|---|---|---|
| The Bang Bang Club (2011) Drama | Add to Queue | 48 |
| The Best and The Brightest (2011) Amy Sedaris, Neil Patrick Harris | Add to Queue | 26 |
| Cul-De-Sac (1966) Criterion Collection | n/a | |
| Blu-ray Demolition Man (1993) Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes | 34 | |
| The Grace Card (2011) Religious drama | Add to Queue | 43 |
| The Killing (1956) Criterion Collection | n/a | |
| Meet Monica Velour (2011) Kim Cattrall, Brian Dennehy | Add to Queue | 50 |
| Queen to Play (2011) Kevin Kline | Add to Queue | 70 |
| The Ward (2011) Amber Heard | Add to Queue | 38 |
| TV on DVD: | ||
| Dexter Season 5 | Add to Queue | 75 |
| Outcasts Season 1 | Add to Queue | 42 |
| Spin City Season 5 | n/a | |
August 23
The Beaver (2011) 60 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
While spending an entire movie talking to a beaver hand puppet isn't the textbook way to try to revive an acting career stalled by well-documented personal problems, it was the approach taken by Mel Gibson, who starred as the mentally ill family man at the center of The Beaver. Despite a much buzzed about script by Kyle Killen and the presence of Jodie Foster as director and co-star, the dramedy received an unenthusiastic response.
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011) 66 Add to Queue Watch Trailer
If the movie's full title—which is POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold—doesn't clue you in, this latest documentary from Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) tackles the issue of product placement in the media, and does so by loading itself up with as much product placement as possible (which proved to be the movie's sole source of financing). While not the deepest or most eventful documentary of the year, it proved to be funny and entertaining enough for most critics.
Win Win (2011) 75 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Actor Thomas McCarthy takes another turn behind the camera (as he did to ever greater acclaim for previous directorial efforts The Station Agent and The Visitor) for this agreeable dramedy about a struggling attorney and part-time high school wrestling coach (Paul Giamatti) whose life is changed for the better when he and his wife (Amy Ryan) suddenly find themselves caring for a teenage runaway (newcomer Alex Shaffer) -- that is, until the boy's troubled mother shows up.
| Title | Netflix | Metascore |
|---|---|---|
| Henry's Crime (2011) Keanu Reeves, Vera Farmiga, James Caan | Add to Queue | 49 |
| The High Cost of Living (2011) Zach Braff, Isabelle Blais | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Blu-ray Rounders (1998) Matt Damon, Edward Norton | 54 | |
| Blu-ray Swingers (1996) Vince Vaughn, Heather Graham, Jon Favreau | 71 | |
| Sympathy for Delicious (2011) Mark Ruffalo's directorial debut | Add to Queue | 44 |
| Trollhunter (2011) Humorous Norwegian thriller | Add to Queue | 61 |
| TV on DVD: | ||
| Brothers & Sisters The Complete 5th Season | Add to Queue | n/a |
| The Event The Complete Series | Add to Queue | 67 |
| Gossip Girl The Complete 4th Season | Add to Queue | n/a |
| NCIS Season 8 | Add to Queue | n/a |
| NCIS: Los Angeles Season 2 | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Off the Map The Complete Series | Add to Queue | 49 |
| Prime Suspect Series 1 / Series 2 | n/a | |
August 30
Madea's Big Happy Family (2011) 45 Add to Netflix Queue
What part of "It's a Tyler Perry movie" do you not understand? Middling reviews, Perry in drag, solid box office receipts ... we could go on, but by this point, you know the formula.
Prom (2011) 50 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Disney's high school rom-com centers on prom night for a group of students that includes Aimee Teegarden. Though it probably made more sense when it came out in April, you could always save the DVD for next spring.
| Title | Netflix | Metascore |
|---|---|---|
| The 5th Quarter (2011) Sports drama | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Bereavement (2011) Horror/thriller | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Forks Over Knives (2011) Documentary | Add to Queue | 57 |
| If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (2011) Documentary | Add to Queue | 66 |
| In a Better World (2011) Oscar-winning foreign drama | Add to Queue | 65 |
| The Perfect Host (2011) Clayne Crawford, David Hyde Pierce, Nathaniel Parker | Add to Queue | 48 |
| Skateland (2011) 1980s period drama | Add to Queue | 51 |
| TV on DVD: | ||
| 90210 The Complete 3rd Season | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Cougar Town The Complete 2nd Season | Add to Queue | 75 |
| Desperate Housewives The Complete 7th Season | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Detroit 1-8-7 Season 1 | Add to Queue | 63 |
| House Season 7 | Add to Queue | n/a |
| iCarly Season 3 | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Meet the Browns Season 1 Vol. 1 | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Nikita The Complete 1st Season | Add to Queue | 66 |
| Parenthood Season 2 | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Running Wilde Season 1 | Add to Queue | 48 |
| Sons of Anarchy Season 3 | Add to Queue | 84 |
| The Vampire Diaries The Complete 2nd Season | Add to Queue | n/a |
| Wonders of the Universe | Add to Queue | n/a |
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