January 4, 2013

Best Movies of 2012


Here's all the movies I saw in 2012 that came out in wide-release in 2012. I've organized them by my Top 10 and then in descending order based on the price of the ticket they warrant. Each of the Top 10 has a quote from a critic that sums up my feelings about the movie, where possible.

Top 10
1. Argo
"Argo has that solid, kick-the-tires feel of those studio films from the 70s that were about something but also entertained. Only it's as laugh outright amusing as it is sobering." - Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

2. The Avengers
"It really is an astounding achievement - a film that juggles an unenviable number of elements; combining what we've seen before, slotting them together and then adding enough depth, action and humour to make this a remarkable standalone film." - Matt Looker, TheShiznit.co.uk

3. Looper
"This is the real deal, folks – intelligent, humorous, exciting entertainment that happens to be sci-fi but is by no means limited to that genre’s target audience in terms of appeal. Anyone who appreciates good fiction, science- or otherwise, will find much to enjoy in what amounts to the latest proof that Rian Johnson is one of the best up-and-coming filmmakers in America." - Eric D. Snider, ericdsnider.com

4. The Cabin in the Woods
"The ideal audience for Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s ingenious deconstruction of horror movies is people who have seen a lot of them, and who have thought about their tropes and cliches ... for those of us who are into this sort of thing, “Cabin in the Woods” is the most exciting shake-up in the horror world since Scream.” - Eric D. Snider, ericdsnider.com

5. Skyfall
My number one or number two favorite Bond film ever.
"Skyfall epitomizes what a Bond movie should be, and its director, for once, justifiably deserves much of the credit." - Gabe Leibowitz, Film and Felt

6. Zero Dark Thirty

7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
"Painfully, piercingly honest and vulnerable. So, while it's not a perfect movie ... I really loved it, and it brought me back to a time when hearing "Heroes" by David Bowie for the first time was a discovery." - Davey Morrison Dillard, grassrootsshakespeare.com

8. Moonrise Kingdom
"With its deadpan dialogue and damaged characters, Moonrise Kingdom casts a unique and charming spell and is surprisingly hopeful." - Eric Melin, Scene-Stealers.com

9. Les Miserables
"A brilliant adaptation of the long-running stage musical, it raises the goose bumps like no other theatrical presentation of its kind, film or stage." -David Kaplan, Kaplan vs. Kaplan

10. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
"A marvel of filmmaking wizardry and engrossing adventure storytelling ... marks another triumph by director Peter Jackson who once again takes J.R. Tolkien's words and brings them to life with skilful, passionate expertise." - Matthew Pejkovic, Matt's Movie Reviews

Full Price
The Impossible
The Amazing Spider-Man
Django Unchained
Wreck-It Ralph
Premium Rush
Pitch Perfect
The Secret World of Arrietty
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Jack Reacher
The Raid: Redemption

Matinee
The Dark Knight Rises
Brave
ParaNorman
The Bourne Legacy
Ted
Cloud Atlas
Savages
Lincoln
21 Jump Street
This is 40
Hotel Transylvania

Red Box
Mirror Mirror
Frankenweenie
Dredd
The Grey
Prometheus
Snow White and the Huntsman
The Hunger Games

Streaming
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Chronicle
Men in Black 3

Skip It
Lockout
Total Recall

2 comments:

Dag said...

Totally rad Brett...I've been waiting for this. Always find some gold in your picks for sure. Happy new year!

Unknown said...

Thanks, bro! HNY to you too.