BIGGEST FILMS AND FLOPS OF 2011

　　This year, we have seen moviegoers flocking to theaters for some huge blockbuster films. Leading the way was the final chapter in the highly profitable Harry Potter franchise, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2." It was this year's top earner, taking in 1.3 billion US dollars globally.

　　"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part2" was followed by "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," which took in 1.1 billion US dollars, despite the departure of starlet Megan Fox, who was dropped from the film.

　　Johnny Depp's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" grossed in over 1 billion US dollars, while the animation flick "Kung Fu Panda 2" earned 665 million US dollars.

　　The latest edition of the "Twilight" franchise, "Breaking Dawn," took in 652 million US dollars worldwide, followed closely by "Fast & Furious 5: Rio Heist" at around 626 million US dollars.

　　Even with negative reviews from critics, Bradley Cooper's "Hangover Part 2" was the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time, with a worldwide earning at 581 million US dollars.

　　However, despite the fact that several blockbuster films have helped lift the overall ticket sales, Hollywood still suffered from a huge decline in box office in 2011. Domestic ticket sales in 2011 fell by nearly 5 percent, which is around 500 million US dollars.

　　And not all big budget films succeeded at the box office.

　　Starred by 007 actor Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, the hybrid sci-fi western "Cowboys and Aliens" fell flat, with a net gross at around 9 million US dollars only. The flick earned 44 percent approval on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 5.6/10.

　　Ryan Reynold's "Green Lantern" found few fans, as its net gross was merely 19 million US dollars for the 200-million-budget film. The film has a 27% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 4.6/10, while many found the flick, "Noisy, overproduced, and thinly written".

　　Other big flops of 2011 include "Conon The Barbarian", Natalie Portman and James Franco's "Your Highness", Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson's "The Big Year", and "Trespass" starred by Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman.

　　Even though this year's box office numbers were down, analysts say that the movies should not take the full blames. The weak box office figures were partially because tickets are getting more and more expensive, and audiences are turning to DVDs or they are just simply watching the films online. In addition, there were too many family flicks this year, pushing out teens and young adults who typically pack the movie theaters.

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