2012 has officially come to a close and
if you ask me, it has been one of the best year for movies... ever!
After a rather forgettable year of films in 2011, 2012 has been a
breath of fresh air as there has been so many great movies this year
offering much variety to moviegoers. But, that also means that doing
a list of the best movies of the year is going to be extremely hard.
It was such a great year that this isn't a Top 10 list, this is a Top
12 list for 2012. It was a challenge just to condense this
list down to that number because at one point, I had 17 different
films that potentially contended for a spot on this list. So, with
that said, I'll start off with a few honorable mentions before we get
to the main list.
First off, I just want to mention that this will be a spoiler-filled discussion of some of the year's best films, so I recommend you see these films first before you read what I have to say. Second, like with any year, I did not see all of the critically acclaimed movies of the year, like 'Moonrise Kingdom' or 'The Cabin in the Woods', so don't expect those films to be on this list. Finally, if there's a movie on here that you did not like, don't post any comments saying that I suck for picking that movie. Be respectful as this is my opinion and it won't be the same as everyone else.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
TED: After a weak year for comedies in
2011, 2012 was a far better year for the genre and while there may
not be a straight-up comedy on my Top 12 list this year, it's just
more proof of how great of a year it was for movies. The first comedy
I want to talk about is 'Ted', the directorial debut for Family Guy
creator Seth MacFarlane. While the show has been on a rather weak run
as of late, the movie is easily one of the funniest films of the
year. Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane work off each other very
well, especially considering that MacFarlane's character Ted was only
a visual effect that was added in post-production and even though the
movie is very raunchy from beginning to end, it's not mean-spirited
and the ending is a pretty heartwarming one.
21 JUMP STREET: The other big comedy
from this year. I think this one caught a lot of people by surprise
considering that it was based off of a show from the 80's that I
don't think most people know much about aside from the fact that it
starred Johnny Depp. But like Ted, this is another extremely funny
comedy and leads Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum (boy, he had a great
year) are great together.
CHRONICLE: Who would have thought that
one of the year's best movies would have come out in February of all
times? Well, Chronicle is that movie. I went into this movie a little
weary because I wasn't a big fan of the found-footage genre but this
film managed to avoid falling to the cliches of the genre with a
steady camera and a well-written script that allows us to sympathize
with the main character of Andrew (played by the next 'Harry Osborn',
Dane Dehaan), even when he ultimately becomes the villain.
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK: This was a
tough one to leave off the list. The latest film from the director of
'The Fighter' is a well-balanced mix of drama and comedy with truly
Oscar-worthy performances from its cast, including Bradley Cooper and
Jennifer Lawrence who have great chemistry together.
LINCOLN: Another Oscar-worthy
performance here from Daniel Day-Lewis as our 16th
President Abraham Lincoln and while the movie itself is rather slow,
it gives us a down-to-earth portrayal of Lincoln and his efforts to
end slavery.
So with the Honorable Mentions out of
the way, let's get started on the Top 12. I'm starting this list off
with an animated film. I must admit, I feel that 2012 was just an OK
year for animated films. No, there wasn't any bad animated film that
I remember seeing this year, but I just didn't see any of the more
critically acclaimed animated films that came out this year, like
Pirates: The Band of Misfits or Paranorman. But I did manage to see
one really great animated film this year. The one I am talking about
came from Disney, and was
based around a genre that is very near and dear to me.
12. WRECK-IT RALPH
At number 11, we have a prequel to one of the greatest trilogies ever made. Now of course, most prequels are never really that good and while I can't say this one is as good as the trilogy that it precedes, it still is a really good movie and a great return to the land of Middle-Earth.
11.THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
The thing about this film is that it
sort of feels like Peter Jackson is trying to combine the
kid-friendly tone of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary novel 'The Hobbit'
with the epic nature of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But that's
where part of the problem lies. 'The Hobbit' was a children's novel,
so the material here is fairly simple and not really along the lines
of what Lord of the Rings was. Also, it was notably much shorter
which leads to my main issue with this first film in that it feels
just a bit too long. Now of course, each of the three Lord of the
Rings movies were three hours long, but this film feels like we are
already watching the Extended Edition of the film, as there are some
scenes that just slow the movie down.
Really, I'm just worried about the idea
of a trilogy as I feel that it would have worked better as two films,
which was the original plan. It seems to me like this year's 'The
Desolation of Smaug' will end the story of the Dwarves reclaiming
their home from the evil dragon Smaug, so I wonder where 2014's
'There and Back Again' will go. From what I've read online (I haven't
read the book), after the dwarves take back their home, Bilbo finds
the Arkenstone, an heirloom of Thorin's family, and takes it. He then
tries to ransom it, which strains his relationship with Thorin, and
after a battle, Thorin dies but not before reconciling with Bilbo. I
don't know, I'm not sure if that can serve as enough material for a
film but that’s just me. Then again, Jackson is using material from
the appendices that Tolkien wrote so who knows?
But with that said, The Hobbit is still
a very entertaining fantasy film. No one can do a fantasy epic quite
like Jackson. The film is also well-acted, with standout performances
from Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, and Andy Serkis.
Another big thing about this film is the company of dwarves that
Bilbo joins on their quest to reclaim their home. While admittedly
some dwarves are focused on more than others (Thorin, Balin, Fili,
and Kili are the four that are probably in it the most), they are
what make this movie so memorable because you feel like part of the
group. All in all, 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' is a very
welcome return to Middle-Earth. I eagerly await the next two films.
At number 10, we have an adaptation of
a popular teen book, directed by the author himself, about a teenaged
boy's first year in high school and out of all the films of the list,
this is a film that I can relate to the most.
10. THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
The best way to describe this film is
to use a word that my friend Hannah used to describe it,
'life-changing' and I agree with that. Now I say that as a senior in
high school, but really this is a film that I feel that a lot of
people can relate to because director Stephen Chbosky, who also wrote
the book, really did capture the ideal representation of what high
school is really like. The main character of Charlie is incredibly
relatable, and a lot of this also comes from Logan Lerman, as this is
easily his best performance yet, definitely worthy of an award. But
that can also be said for the two other leads as well, including Erza
Miller, who pretty much steals the show as the eccentric Patrick.
Finally, there's Emma Watson, fresh off of Harry Potter, who shines
as the free-spirited Sam. That is why 'Perks of Being a Wallflower'
lands the Number 10 spot on this list.
Check back soon for Numbers 9-7
Special Thanks to Hannah DeCelles
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