30 Minutes or Less (2011)

Director Ruben Fleischer and Jesse Eisenberg — an unwilling bank robber with a bomb strapped to him — don’t deliver another “Zombieland,” but there are some cool moments, like the bank robbery and “The Heat Is On” car chase in the middle 30 minutes.

d: Ruben Fleischer | imdb.com | trailer | This time, it's personal

The Help (2011)

Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett, director Tate Taylor makes an overwrought tear-jerker with some bathroom humor about Southern black maids in the early 1960s. But the movie is well executed, thanks to good performances, especially by Viola Davis.

d: Tate Taylor | imdb.com | trailer | Charlie Rose
Let’s begin. | I need your help. | I got a job. | You is important.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

In this origin story and second “Planet” redux, scientist James Franco raises an ape with the help of a super drug. During Caesar’s maturation, the film does the near-impossible, humanizing the ape as it displays and elicits real emotions.

d: Rupert Wyatt | imdb.com | trailer | Ape escape | Charlie Rose