Marvel fans waited years for The Avengers to arrive.  Thankfully, when it did, it exploded world wide and became one of the most successful movies in history.  Joss Whedon brought the Marvel Universe together brilliantly in a movie that entertained millions.  The Avengers was a FUN movie to experience.

Movies events like The Avengers don’t come along very often and it’ll be interesting to see where The Marvel Universe takes us next.  If Iron Man 3 is any indication, we’re heading into darker territory which is fantastic.  I can’t wait to see what Thanos will unleash upon Marvel’s heroes in a few years.  Bring on Phase Two.

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Here are the top 10 moments from Marvel’s The Avengers:

10. GALAGA

“That man is playing Galaga.”

I can’t imagine the amount of trouble someone would be in if they played Galaga in the Pentagon during an Alien invasion.  S.H.E.I.L.D is a pretty lenient organization.

9. THE VINTAGE SET

Apparently you’re able to buy the vintage set?  Not sure how collectable and/or cool they would be featuring Chris Evans but an old school comic book Steve Rogers set would be cool.

8. 10 BUCKS SAYS YOU’RE WRONG

I think this moment was meant for audiences.  Many people thought they wouldn’t pull off a movie of this magnitude.  By the time The Avengers ended, we were all happy we spent the 10 bucks.

7. THOR HAMMERS HULK

So Thor nails Hulk with his hammer…  I’m a big fan of the frustration Hulk feels when he can’t pick up Mjolnir.  Puny hammer.

6. SHAWARMA

These poor shop owners are busy sweeping up debris when 6 people come in.

“You guys are open right?”

10 bucks says Thor didn’t have any Earth cash and owes Tony lunch.

5. THANOS

It’s amazing how a tiny glimpse of Thanos sets the stage for Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy & The Avengers 2.  We don’t know what it means yet but Marvel has hit their stride.  Phase Two is going to be pretty special.

4. HULK SUCKER PUNCHES THOR

I saw The Avengers 3 times in theaters and this moment was a crowd favorite every single time.

3. THE LONG SHOT

My favorite shot of the movie.  It’s long and it’s full of incredible and continuous action.  Two moments really stand out during the shot:

1. Captain America reflects Iron Man’s blaster off his shield.
2. Hulk & Thor team up to hammer an electrified sky snake scale into it’s face.

2. THE PARTY

An incredible moment.  Who would have thought Marvel could bring these franchises together?  Seeing all the heroes together ready to take on an army gave me chills and still does.  What an epic cinematic moment.

1. PUNY GOD

The Party could (and probably should) be the number one moment but there are a few reasons why I picked this particular moment.  First, it’s hilarious.  Second, how long have we waited to see Hulk really go to town and smash things.  The Incredible Hulk did an admirable job but this is clearly THE Hulk we’ve all been waiting to see.  He picks up a God and proceeds to slam the crap out of him right in the middle of a monologue.

I hope we get another standalone Hulk movie someday.  It’s been hinted that Phase Three might feature a Hulk movie.  For now we have moments like these to watch as we await The Avengers 2.

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I can’t think of anyone around my age who doesn’t laugh when you quote The Sandlot.  The story of a young baseball team enjoying the greatest summer of their lives is one of the best sports movies of all time.  It’s a story about being a kid, being part of a team and as we grow older, it’s about remembering your childhood.  If the idea of enjoying The Sandlot & The Mighty Ducks back to back doesn’t make you smile then this list probably isn’t for you.

THE TOP 10 SANDLOT QUOTES

10. MR. MERTLE
“Baseball was life…”

9. HAM
“Hurry up, batter. This better be a short game, I gotta get home for lunch.”

8. HAM
“You play ball like a girl!”

7. HAM
“Low and outside…  Just like I like it.”

6. SQUINTS
“The kid is an L7 weenie!”

5. BENNY ‘THE JET’ RODRIGUEZ
“Just stand out there and stick your glove out in the air. I’ll take care of it.”

4. HAM
“You call that pitching? This is baseball! Not tennis!”

3. THE BABE
“Remember kid, there’s heroes and there’s legends. Heroes get remembered but legends never die, follow your heart kid, and you’ll never go wrong.”

2. SQUINTS
“For-ev-ER…  For-ev-ER… For-ev-ER”

And the winner is…

1. HAM

“You’re Killing Me Smalls!

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THE BATTLE FOR HOGWARTS

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released on November 16, 2001. 9 years, 7 months and 29 days later, we finally reached the end of one of the most successful franchises in history.  3528 days may not seem like a long time but for die hard fans of the series, the wait was excruciating.  It was especially hard for people like me who never read the books and didn’t know how it all ended.

Which is why this year’s All Time Best Movie Moment is the long awaited final confrontation between Harry Potter and Voldemort.

This moment is also my favorite individual shot of the year.  Cutting to that epic wide shot was brilliant.

There aren’t many endings that live up to impossibly high expectations like Harry Potter.  The entire film felt like one giant ending and what an ending it was.

Check out my review of Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 here.

But it was that one moment.  The moment when Harry finally faced off against his nemesis.

It was a moment I’ll never forget.  Watching those two fight made after such a struggle made me realize how much I’ll miss waiting for the next film to be released.

10 years is a long time to wait for a resolution.  A cinematic moment like that doesn’t come along too often.

What movie moment captured you in 2011?