Quickies...
The Thing (2011)
Mediocre with no reason to exist. The movie actually contained a lot of practical effects, but they were almost all covered up by a ton of ugly CGI. The movie is almost a shot-for-shot rehash throughout most of its run time. There was absolutely no suspense or paranoia amongst the characters, as the creature is exposed almost right away. If this film didn't try to attach itself to one of the best horror flicks ever made, it would have been mediocre. As it stands though, it's little more than a terrible imposter than needs to be incinerated.
Conan the Barbarian (2011)
Lame and boring. The only reason I even watched this was because Jason Momoa really impressed me in Game of Thrones. Unfortunately, he just couldn't manage to channel that Khal Drogo attitude within this terrible plot. He didn't even look as buff in this. Rose McGowan was alright.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
I was actually surprised that this was as good as it was. I really wish it hadn't been a reboot of such a great franchise though, because it simply doesn't stand up. The tone is all wrong and the social commentary non-existent. That aside, it was good for what it was... y'know, aside from the terrible CG apes running around everywhere. The animations seemed off in almost every scene involving an ape. Likewise, the lighting was terrible on just about every one of them, making them look plastic and fake. It's hard to fight your suspension of disbelief when you're looking at stuff like this. It's especially laughable given just how great the make-up in the original film looked. Caesar speaking lessened what could have otherwise been two very impactful moments. He knew a full array of sign language but didn't seem to utilize it very often. His keeper quoting Charlton Heston was terrible. It was laugh out loud terrible.
Anonymous (2011)
It was interesting, if not far-fetched. I've always been of the persuasion that the person we know as William Shakespeare was not truly the author of all the works attributed to him. That said, there is so many factual routes that could have been taken to create an interesting film, that I have to wonder why they decided to go the route of political intrigue instead. The acting was all top-notch, with a few very well known Shakespearean thespians turning in great performances. The film kept me pretty well entertained once I realized that it wasn't trying to be a serious historical picture.