It was a good year to be a movie lover. There were some duds, but there were also some well-deserved blockbusters as well. 2013 looks like it's shaping up to be a good year with releases such as 'Iron Man 3', 'Hunger Games: Catching Fire', 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug', and remakes of horror classics 'Carrie' and 'The Evil Dead'.
So now, I give to you, my pick for my favorite 10 new movies of 2012.
10.
Brave
'Brave' kind of went two separate ways with me. It is a really good movie. But as a Pixar movie, with expectations always held high, it can also be a little disappointing. Not 'Cars 2' disappointing, but it doesn't have the same "magic" (or plot) that makes most of the previous Pixar entries so memorable. Regardless of that, it is quite enjoyable, and the animation is stunning.
9.
Moonrise Kingdom
This isn't a mainstream film, and sort of has that indie flick vibe to it, but if you haven't heard of the movie, I sympathize for you. It is such an odd, yet endearing, movie about young love and the lengths they go through to be together. It is definitely a dark comedy, so if that's not your thing, you may not be as impressed as I was. But there's a lot of heart in this movie, and has a great cast to go with it.
8.
Ted
'Ted' could possibly be one of the most offensive and crude films made thus far. But what else would you expect from 'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane? It had me laughing from the get-go straight through to the end.
7.
The Amazing Spider-Man
I've made my criticisms of 'The Amazing Spider-Man' no secret. I liked this movie a great deal, but not even close to as much as I liked the original trilogy. I would've preferred a 'Spider-Man 4' in the previous series, but instead we got an unnecessary reboot. With that being said, it was still a very enjoyable movie, and the special effects are astounding.
6.
Prometheus
This sort-of prequel to 'Alien' was one of the biggest surprises to me. I wanted to see it out of curiousity moreso than interest peaked by the trailer. But the movie had me totally engaged in it. This goes to show Ridley Scott CAN still make good movies.
5.
The Hunger Games
I was kind of skeptical at how this would turn out. Another tween series adapted into a movie. I love the 'Harry Potter' movies, but as of late, the successful franchise of now seems to be the horrible 'Twilight' franchise. The plot is reminiscent of 'The Long Walk' by Stephen King, but aimed at younger audiences. The cool thing is that you can be over 15 and really dig this movie.
4.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Peter Jackson's much-anticipated return to Middle Earth yielded great results. Is it as good as the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy? Nah. And I'm still wondering how they're going to fill two more three hour movies without adding a ton of fluff, since it's all based on one book. But it was quite nostalgic going back to the Shire and embarking on another quest with familiar faces.
3.
The Dark Knight Rises
After 'The Dark Knight', it was going to be hard to come up with a Batman movie that could live up to it. And while, in my opinion, 'The Dark Knight' is still the superior entry in the series, this one at many times gives it a run for it's money. At first I was pretty pissed about the casting of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, because even though I think she's a terrific actress, she didn't look the part to me. Well, I ate my words. She nailed it. This is an example where reboots work. Of the older Batman movies, the only one I REALLY liked was 'Batman Returns', but Nolan's 'Dark Knight Trilogy' has been great from start to finish. Unfortunately, with the announcement of a Justice League movie, we can expect ANOTHER reboot of the character.
2.
The Cabin in the Woods
'The Cabin in the Woods' is one of the smartest and wittiest horror movies I have seen in years. You take everything you know about horror movies, and throw it away. Joss Whedon successfully wrote a horror movie that leaves you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
1.
The Avengers
Speaking of Joss Whedon, creator of my all-time favorite television show 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', he directed a movie that was released this summer that you may have heard of. Of course you've heard of it. This superhero movie has become the third highest grossing film of all time. And it's justified. The whole Marvel Cinematic Universe film series has successfully created this world that pulls you in, and 'The Avengers' weaves all of those individuals together into one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. It's smart, witty, and action packed, and despite it's astounding special effects and huge ensemble cast, it doesn't suffer from a lack of story in the process. 'The Avengers' is easily the big winner this year, and put other ensemble superhero movies, such as 'X-Men' to shame.
