Favorite movies of 2012

#11 The Sessions

Not everyone will like this one, due to the subject matter. I thought it was great to directly tackle such an unusual topic that people usually avoid like this. John Hawkes really sacrificed his body to play this role, and gave a great performance as well. I loved the casting of Helen Hunt. She was perfect for that warm character.


#10 Life of Pi

If the beginning and end of the movie had been left on the editing room floor, this one would probably be a few spots higher. Fortunately, the majority of the movie is quite enjoyable (and totally surreal.) It's also the most visually beautiful movie since Avatar. Worth it for the visuals alone, honestly.


#9 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

While it's not quite on the same level as the LOTR movies, it's not a mediocre cash grab either. There were some fantastic moments in it that made the slow beginning worth sitting through. I get the feeling that I can't really evaluate this one fully until the other movies come out and I can see how the complete narrative plays out.


#8 The Grey

I have a soft spot for survival movies such as The Edge and Cast Away, so this one was an easy pick. I enjoyed the gradual reveal of what happened to the lead character before the timeline of the film starts. Dark, bleak and violent...if that's not your cup of tea, skip it.


#7 Ruby Sparks

The premise here is supernatural, but it's not the main attraction. What makes this film ring so true is that everyone can identify with the relationship issues and ethics that this film thrusts under a microscope. The gulf between what we want/hope for and reality is always present. How do we cope with it? Do we really want what we think we want?


#6 007 Skyfall

After the dreadful Quantum of Solace, the Bond franchise gets back on track with Skyfall. Javier Bardem steals every scene he is in, and makes a worthy adversary for James. This is not one of the movies filled with gadgets, one-liners, and sex. It's a more raw entry for the series, where the characters are at the forefront and the laser-shooting cars are in storage.


#5 The Avengers

There are really no surprises here. It's just simple superhero fun, good action, and snappy dialogue. This might have been higher on my list if the baddies had felt more menacing and credible. It didn't feel like the Avengers had to try very hard to oppose them. Overall though, quite enjoyable. Good job, Joss Whedon!


#4 Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino once again shows that he is a master when it comes to well-written, interesting dialogue. This movie has a simple plot, but it draws you in and you become emotionally invested in the characters. The racial stuff is intense, but it was probably intense in the 1860s (the film's setting) too. I admire QT for unapologetically making the movies he wants to make in an age when most directors are constantly worried about possibly offending anyone.


#3 Flight

The opening flight sequence is both suspenseful and terrifying (easily the best since Cast Away.) Flight is one of the best 'flawed hero' stories I've seen in a long time. Denzel Washington does a great job with the lead role, making you question how you feel and what should happen to him.


#2 Dredd

Easily the best action movie of 2012. I loved that Karl Urban never took off his helmet, and thus had to act the entire movie with only his mouth showing (and did it very well!) This movie knocks it out of the park in all the areas that matter for an action film. Even if you've never seen any other Dredd material, you will easily have a great time with Karl and the gang. Highly recommended.


 #1 Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World

The trailer (skip it) would have you believe that this is a comedy, but that's misleading. It's got some dark humor, sure, but this is ultimately a drama dealing with love, death, and how you spend your time on this earth. Steve Carrell showed me some acting range that I've never seen out of him before. Funny, sad, and touching.


 Honorable mentions that did not make the top 11:

-Argo
-Zero Dark Thirty
-Cabin In The Woods
-Here Comes the Boom
-End of Watch
-Men In Black 3
-Snow White and the Huntsman
-Looper
-Ted



And now...the dishonorable mentions:

The Dark Knight Rises

Coming from a Christopher Nolan fan, he totally dropped the ball on this film. Hey Chris! You want to know how to f**k up a Batman movie? Make it 3 hours long, and have 8 minutes of Batman. Nobody wants to watch cops trapped in a sewer for hours in a Batman movie. Nobody believes you can just punch a severe back injury and make it better either, even in a silly comic-based world. Still, the first two films were excellent, so 2/3 ain't bad.


Prometheus

I had very high hopes for this film. It was one of the few I went to see in the theater. I still can't believe what a disaster this was. The best way I can describe this movie is this: Imagine you are reading one of those Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books where the story branches depending on your choices. Now, imagine at every single choice that comes up, you pick the dumbest choice available. Repeat this for almost 3 hours, and you have Prometheus. There is so much stupid in this movie that I could write a book about it. Ridley Scott, what happened to you? You gave us Alien and Blade Runner and Gladiator... *sigh* At least it looked pretty.


Cloud Atlas

I almost always like Tom Hanks. Here, although he is helped by an all-star cast, I just could never get past the impression that this movie was very self-indulgent and pretentious. The narrative structure was exhausting and difficult to follow (Telling 6 stores at once, and skipping around every 2 minutes will be pretty jarring and annoying to most viewers.) Even worse, the ham-fisted message about reincarnation is unwelcome and certainly doesn't need 3 hours of screen time to get across. I just can't imagine most people enjoying themselves with Cloud Atlas.


Total Recall

This isn't a movie. It's a series of video game action sequences strung together. You don't feel a thing about any of the characters or particularly care what happens, because there is basically no character development. Just because we're dealing with sci-fi here doesn't mean it HAS to be stupid. An elevator that takes people through the center of the earth to get between Britain and Australia? UGH. Living in a colony on Mars is actually a lot more plausible. The original film explored Dick's themes a lot better, plus we were actually invested in Arnie's character and what was happening to him. A needless remake that falls far below the original.

So, what movies from 2012 did you like best? Which ones annoyed the crap out of you? Let me know! :)