The year is almost over and the apocalypse hasn’t happened yet. Anyway, 2012 was a good year in movies and thought it would be fun to list down and discuss our favorite films of the year. Though there are still a number of critically-acclaimed films I haven’t seen yet, here’s my top 10 list for now:
1. Wreck-It Ralph
2. End of Watch
3. The Cabin in the Woods
4. Dredd
5. The Avengers
6. Argo
7. Looper
8. The Hunger Games
9. The Raid
10. The Grey
The above list is not really set in stone as I feel I need to rewatch some of the films to properly rank them. Below is a brief summation of each movie in my top 10 and the link to the full review. Since the search function is down, I'lll try to fill out the rest later.
1.
Wreck-It Ralph
The film is an inventive witty fun family flick providing equal dose of action, comedy and tender heartfelt moments. The astoundingly wonderful script by Jennifer Lee and Phil Johnson and the tight direction of first-time feature filmmaker Rich Moore that makes Wreck-It Ralph a head above the rest of the standard family animated films. Not only is it the best animated film of the year, it's probably the best video game film of all time.
4.
Dredd
Despite its relatively modest budget, Dredd 3D is a dazzlingly violent sci-fi action thrill ride that breathes new life into the franchise. The plot is relatively simple but director Pete Travis and screenwriter Alex Garland still delivered a gritty claustrophobic action spectacle. Barking orders with a Clint Eastwood growl, Karl Urban brings a minimalistic stoic approach to his Dredd performance but still exudes a commanding presence.
5.
The Avengers
Writer-director Joss Whedon has done an outstanding job of assembling the six distinctive comic book personalities and gelling them together to create a spectacular summer blockbuster flick with lots of heart and humor. Not only does each superhero get some quality spotlight, Whedon masterfully orchestrates some dynamic interaction among each other. The Buffy creator is renowned for his layered characters and witty dialogue and he delivers the latter brilliantly in here.
10.
The Grey
The Grey started the year on a great note, so to speak. Joe Carnahan’s survival thriller is a powerful story of not only man versus nature but also man versus his own nature – whether to go quietly into the night or fight against the dying light. Liam Neeson gives a compelling performance as a broken man leading a bunch of oil drilling crew who survived a plane crash against the harsh Alaskan wilderness and a pack of wolves that watched too many slasher films.
Honorable mentions:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
21 Jump Street
Brave
Premium Rush
Pitch Perfect
Skyfall
Most disappointing film of 2012:
Prometheus
Movies I haven’t seen yet but have the potential to be among my favorites:
Moonrise Kingdom
Beasts of the Southern Wild
The Master
Flight
Lincoln
Life of Pi
Hitchc0ck
Killing Them Softly
Cloud Atlas
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
The Impossible
Amour
Jack Reacher
Les Miserables
Django Unchained
What were your favorite films of 2012? For the full list of films in 2012, click
HERE.
