It's hard to believe that 2011 was 10 years ago, but it's the truth. 2011 is a year worth celebrating because it was a big year for Hollywood when it comes to blockbuster movies. From action-packed superhero movies, like Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor, to adult comedies, like Bridesmaids and The Hangover Part 2, there was no shortage of movies to see. And of course, the year was defined by a silent film, The Artist, winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
However, it wasn't just high concept or artsy films that dominated 2011. Animation films flourished in 2011 from a variety of studios. For the first time in a long time, Disney and Pixar didn't dominate the box office, which allowed even more animation movies to be seen by the masses.
Cars 2
Pixar Animation Studio has always been a powerhouse when it comes to animation, but that doesn't mean they're always phenomenal. In 2011, Pixar released the highly unanticipated sequel to the Cars universe, Pixar's least popular movies of all time.
Unlike the first Cars film, Cars 2 really centers on Mater, who has decided to accompany Lightning McQueen overseas as McQueen competes in the first-ever World Grand Prix. A trip to the bathroom takes a turn when Mater is accidentally thought to be an international spy sent to help the British take down an evil plot being masterminded by an old lemon of a car.
Gnomeo & Juliet
Released in January 2011, loosely based on one of William Shakespeare's most iconic plays of all time, Romeo and Juliet, but instead centers on garden gnomes.
The movie centers on two gnome families, Lady Bluebury's family and Lord Redbrick's family, who live next door to each other. These two families have been taught to hate each other by their human owners who also despise one another. After a competition between the Bluebury and Redbrick families go wrong, a few of the blue gnomes decide to get back at the red gnomes. Things take a turn when Gnomeo meets Juliet and the two become immediately infatuated with one another.
Happy Feet 2
After the success of the first Happy Feet movie, the writers and animators decided to revisit Mumble and the penguin world in Happy Feet Two. This time around, Mumble is an adult penguin who is happily married to Gloria. Together, Mumble and Gloria have a son Erik who is a bit out there, much like his father once was.
After meeting a puffin who Erik naively believes is a penguin and seeing him fly, Erik is determined to fly too. Not even Mumble can stop his son's crazy dreams, so instead, he tries to use them to his advantage, and the father-son duo attempts to save their population from the growing climate changes affecting their home.
Kung Fu Panda 2
While 2011 was a year of original animated movies, it was also a year of sequels. Dreamworks ed the sequel bandwagon with the release of has become one of Dreamwork's most successful franchises to date.
One would think things would be smooth sailing for the Furious Five now that Po is officially the Dragon Warrior, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Not only is a new villain threatening to destroy Po's homeland, but Po also learns a family secret about himself - he's adopted. The news shakes Po, who becomes distracted by this new secret.
Mars Needs Moms
Science fiction and animation don't always go hand-in-hand, but that didn't stop Disney from trying with the release of the Robert Zemeckis produced ended up being a box-office bomb, but it is still an interesting story worthy of a watch.
Mars Needs Moms centers on Milo, a young boy with a wild imagination who is constantly being watched by his doting mother. In a Home Alone style coincidence, Milo's mom is kidnapped by Martians just as Milo is telling her how much she ruined his life. Now, it's up to Milo to be the hero and rescue his mom, for once.
Puss In Boots
Dreamwork's first movie Shrek not only put the animation studio on the map, but it also launched the studio's first franchise that included sequels and spin-offs. One of these Shrek spin-offs is the 2011 animated movie, Puss in Boots.
The movies serve as an origin story for Puss in Boots, a sword wheeling cat who is introduced in the second Shrek movie. In the movie, Puss is run out of town after being tricked by his friend into robbing a bank in San Ricardo. Puss then gets roped into a new scheme that involves retrieving golden eggs from a hen.
Rango
The movies center on Rango, a beloved family pet chameleon who has begun to have an identity crisis. All Rango wanted was a way to stand out but instead, he winds up accidentally stranded in a frontier town where he is forced to become a hero.
Rio
Blue Sky Studio took a break from their successful Ice Age franchise and instead released Rio in 2011, which is definitely an underrated animated movie worthy of a watch.
The movie follows Blu, a domesticated macaw who is beloved by his owner. When Blu's owner discovers that there is a female bird of his kind located in Rio, she jumps on a plane with Blu to unite the two. However, things go wrong when animal smugglers kidnap Blu and Jewel, the female bird. Now Blu must learn to be a wild bird in order to survive and be reunited with his owner.
The Adventures Of Tintin
Steven Spielberg is no stranger to creating iconic action-adventure movies and The Adventures of Tintin is no different. The animated movie is based on a Belgian comic book series of the same name and weaves together the first three books in the series.
Tintin is a young reporter whose sidekick is his dog, Snowy. Together, the two purchase an old model ship that, unbeknownst to them, is a clue that can help lead them to a hidden treasure. Tintin isn't the only one aware of this clue, though, which is why he is being pursued by two other men who are determined to locate the treasure.
Winnie The Pooh
Disney returned to the classics in 2011, releasing a new Winnie the Pooh movie. This time around, Disney combined three classic A.A. Milne Winnie the Pooh stories to create a heartfelt and hilarious Pooh Bear adventure.
The movie kicks off with the news that Eeyore has lost his tail. Instead of trying to find his old tale, the gang decides to compete to see who can find a new, better tail for him. Meanwhile, Owl misinterprets a note left by Christopher Robin, which sends everyone into a panic fearing that Christopher Robin has been kidnapped by an evil monster that's coming for them next.
