Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II (2011)

The curtain finally closes on the Harry Potter franchise as Hogwarts becomes the last bastion of hope against Voldemort and his overwhelming minions. HPATDH2 does a decent job of tying up the storylines and evoking hopelessness and I liked how academia becomes the refuge for all that is good. There's some feel-good scenes as house Slytherin finally get their just dessert and Severus Snape's true loyalties are finally revealed. Fantastic CGI is riddled throughout the film: magic golems, a Stargate Atlantis-esque defensive shield/bubble, the usual fireworks-like spells and a raging inferno. Unfortunately, the ending is a little pedestrian and I would've liked a bit more reflecting on past events for cohesion (if only the soundtracks of the prequels were more memorable). That said, the film is an enjoyable send-off and worthy of several watches.

8.5/10

Crazy Stupid Love (2011)

An ensemble cast romantic comedy, Crazy Stupid Love is about a middle-aged man (Steve Carell) whose life is turned upside down when his wife (Julianne Moore) cheats on him with a work colleague (Kevin Bacon). Broken, he is taken under wing and reinvented by a suave player named Jacob (Ryan Gosling) who teaches him the art of picking up women. Meanwhile, a sharp and down-to-earth rebel (Emma Stone) disarms Jacob and he soon falls in love with her. Amongst all this are a few good laughs and it wraps up with an entertaining brawl between all the major characters as they all grow a little wiser. Beware though, for this one is a slow burner and it meanders constantly. Luckily, a mixed up soundtrack helps to stabilise the stories and for that it's worth a few looks.
7/10

Real Steel (2011)

A genre stew, Real Steel is set in a future where the top sport is robot boxing. It follows a dead-beat, robot-trainer father who reluctantly ends up taking care of his son, Max. Unfortunately, they continue to lose robot after robot and fight after fight until Max finds an abandoned robot in a junkyard and restores it. Reinvigorated, the pair start winning bouts and Max's father realises that his son was just what he needed to get his life back on track. It's armed with a soundtrack that's underwhelming but passable, while the father-son dynamic gives the film a little more substance and succeeds in not becoming too syrupy. Definitely a film that kids are sure to enjoy and want to watch again.

7/10