Favorite Films of 2012

[AR_Six]

I actually think Cabin in the Woods might top the list for me. I haven't seen Argo, though. Actually I haven't really seen a ton of movies though I have seen a lot of the ones on lists here and in light of that you'd have to call this a pretty mediocre year for movies.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

oooh, thanks for the reminder bosox_fan05,

I definitely recommend Safety Not Guaranteed. Really good movie.

I was really excited about that movie, but it let me down. Found the ending oversimplified and unrealistic, and not just for the obvious part (won't mention it if others are going to see it) but in how the female lead ended up reacting to the male lead after she found out more about him. Also felt like some of the issues were unexplored, and more could have been done with the film. Also wasn't as funny as the previews hinted at. Nothing against people who did like it, I just wanted to share that I felt letdown cause I was pretty excited about it. Maybe someone has a comment that might make me look at it a different way (or vice versa).

Will agree with those that had Moonrise Kingdom up there. A gem of a film.

I don't really go for comic book films or action only films so can't or wont comment on many of the rest people have up there.

Definitely waiting on the Hobbit though. LotR was such an achievement. I'm going to have to rein in expectations a little I think because not only will it be hard to live up to the original movies, especially since the wonder and magic of seeing a lot of those new things will be gone (the elven sets, Gollum, the world in general) but the book is quite different too. Not as epic obviously.

Haven't seen Lincoln yet either.

[trackercowe]

Zero Dark Thirty will likely be the odds on favorite to win Best Picture, and be the top movie on many critic lists.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/zero_dark_thirty/

100% rating with a 9.0 average, which is very high comparatively (The Hurt Locker for example only received an 8.4).

Hopefully it will be easy to find in theaters on the 19th, as moves such as these don't really get a wide release until they are closer to Oscar season. But with the praise this one is receiving I don't think the producers will hold it back.

[sa226]

Originally Posted by zamler

How could 'Rises have any hope of ever getting a best picture nod? The film is a mess from beginning to end, it blows my mind how people think it's a good movie. I understand personal tastes, some movies I've seen I didn't like, but recognize they are very well done and deserve accolades. But 'Rises is a whole lot of expensive nonsense, it should be in the running for worse picture of the year.

People must be clinging to the legacy of the first two Nolan films and wanting desperately for the 3rd to be as good, but sadly it's not, not even close. Now John Carter, that's on another level of bad, it is one of the most expensive flops of all time for a reason.

You see, posts like this usually annoy the heck out of me, because it is an absolute statement that is essentially opinion. I recognize that "Rises" is flawed and there are some giant leaps, but that doesn't change the fact that I thought it was great. But "in the running for worst film of the year"? Come on....

Then I remember that I found one of the biggest films of all time (Avatar) to be an overhyped piece of crap (slight hyperbole)....So I try to bite my toungue

[sevenarms]

My 2012 top 5 thus far:
Cabin in the Woods
The Dark Knight Rises
Skyfall
Dredd 3D
The Avengers

Bottom 5:
Wanderlust
Chernobyl Diaries
The Raven
John Carter
The Expendables 2

[saskflames69]

I have seen 4 movies this year..

Ted
The Amazing Spider-man
Goon
The Hunger Games

Quite frankly, Ted was the only one that exceeded my expectations.

[rayne008]

The Grey was by far the worst movie I've seen in a very long time.

Not only was in not very entertaining, I certainly didn't leave the theatre
with any sort of emotional connection with the story other than the fact
I had wasted a few hours.

I'm actually a little interested to find out why people consider it one of the best movies of the year..

[cDnStealth]

Originally Posted by rayne008

The Grey was by far the worst movie I've seen in a very long time.

Not only was in not very entertaining, I certainly didn't leave the theatre
with any sort of emotional connection with the story other than the fact
I had wasted a few hours.

I'm actually a little interested to find out why people consider it one of the best movies of the year..

Agreed, it was simply awful and I am a huge Liam Neeson fan. The wolves were completely ridiculous as well.

[Erick Estrada]

While not bad movies I simply don't understand the love for the Avengers and Cabin in the Woods. I consider them both decent movies but to be at or amongst the best movie of the year for some?

[sevenarms]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

While not bad movies I simply don't understand the love for the Avengers and Cabin in the Woods. I consider them both decent movies but to be at or amongst the best movie of the year for some?

The Avengers only made my top 5 because I have been really disappointed with the 2012 movies.

[rayne008]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Amazing how many people liked Dark Knight rises. I thought it was okay after I saw it, then watched it again and it was terrible.

This blog is a little indulgent but it does go into some of the reasons I really didn't like the movie.

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/news/?a=64971

Haha - I've seen the movie once in the theaters, and I agree with about 90 of his points. TDKR was a big disappointment to me.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by sevenarms

The Avengers only made my top 5 because I have been really disappointed with the 2012 movies.

Yeah it wasn't a banner year although things picked up somewhat in the fall.

[polak]

This seems like it'd be more fun then work so I ranked every movie I've seen this year

To give you an idea of my thoughts when I give a rating, with an example of a couple of serious movies and a comedy:

10 - That was perfect. Wow. (Bourne Ultimatium, Inception, The Hangover)
9 - Amazing movie. (The Dark Knight, District 9, Superbad)
8 - Great movie. (Taken, Social Network, Wedding Crashers)
7 - Good Movie. (In Time, Body of Lies, I Love You Man)
6 - Okay Movie. (Die Hard 4, Pineapple Express)
5 - Very meh, wouldn't watch again. (Green Zone, Shes out of my league)
4 - Not good. (2 Fast 2 Furious, Funny People)
3 - Bad. (Salt, Dinner For Shmucks)
2 - Terrible. (The Forgotten, Norbit)
1 - Leave the theater. (The American, Date Movie)

Top 10
1. Avengers 9/10
2. Dark Knight Rises 9/10
3. 21 Jumpstreet 8/10
4. Hunger Games 8/10
5. Amazing Spiderman 8/10
6. Safehouse 8/10
7. Ted 7.5/10
8. American Reunion 7/10
9. Skyfall 7/10
10. Project X 7/10

The Rest:
Five Year Engagement 7/10
The Grey 7/10
Bourne Legacy 7/10
Chronicle 6.5/10
Taken 2 6/10
The Dictator 6/10
Battleship 5/10
Expendables 2 4/10
Act of Valor 3/10
The Campaign 2/10

Fyi, I found it really hard to judge across genres. Also my 7/10's are almost completely interchangable.

[trackercowe]

Well The Dark Knight Rises made AFI's top ten list for the year.

The American Film Institute has thrown an awards lifeline to The Dark Knight Rises.

The group doesn’t choose a best picture, it only ranks the 10 best movies of the year and lists them alphabetically, and this year’s list could easily mirror the eventual best-picture field for the Academy Awards. The six locks for a nomination — Argo, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty — are all on AFI’s list.

But the Oscars could select anywhere from five to 10 nominees, and with so many worthy contenders this year the list is likely to go long. So could AFI’s choices be a good gauge for what might fill those other four slots?

If you’re Christopher Nolan, you’ve got to hope so.

When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expanded its best picture field three years ago, it was in part due to the feeling that The Dark Knight was best-picture worthy, but fell just short. Including more movies, including pop favorites like that one, was seen as a way to excite more viewers about the telecast.

But so far, The Dark Knight Rises hasn’t generated the same awards heat. It’s in the conversation, for sure, but this is also a stellar year for films and competition is fierce.

Among the other movies jockeying for a slot on the best picture list are Moonrise Kingdom, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Django Unchained — which are also on AFI’s list.

The choice by the AFI jury, made up of scholars, and film and TV professions, to include The Dark Knight Rises gives that movie a much-needed jolt of adrenaline in the awards race. Oscar voters are certainly aware of the film, and Nolan and company have been out campaigning for it a lot lately, but the AFI mention should remind those Academy members to give it some consideration for best of the year.

Here’s the full list, followed by the group’s ranking for best TV shows:

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
The Dark Knight Rises
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
American Horror Story
Breaking Bad
Game Change
Game of Thrones
Girls
Homeland
Louie
Mad Men
Modern Family
The Walking Dead

Pretty solid lists on both accounts I must say.

[3 Justin 3]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

While not bad movies I simply don't understand the love for the Avengers and Cabin in the Woods. I consider them both decent movies but to be at or amongst the best movie of the year for some?

I get why people wouldn't like Cabin, I think you either love or hate it and that's why you see it on people's Top 5 list and then people's worst of the year list.

For me it's top 5, for others its bottom 5. I grade films on entertainment value though, because Argo is on my top 5 as well and it isn't the same as those two at all (not an all out action/comedy movie).

[J pold]

The only movies I’ve seen this year that I’d recommend are The Dark Knight Rises, and maybe Skyfall. Neither were that great however, without my bias towards the overall series of both I likely wouldn’t recommend them as standalone films.

[polak]

Originally Posted by J pold

The only movies I’ve seen this year that I’d recommend are The Dark Knight Rises, and maybe Skyfall. Neither were that great however, without my bias towards the overall series of both I likely wouldn’t recommend them as standalone films.

Well aren't you a bundle of joy.

[BlackEleven]

I might get flamed for this because I know a lot of people didn't like it, but my favourite film of 2012 was Moonrise Kingdom. I'll give an honourable mention to Monsieur Lazhar, that was also a solid movie.