2012 Movies
The Year in Review
2012 was a great year for films. There were so many that I wanted to give the top spot to. I had intended to chose the one that made me laugh the most (the muppets). It's funny that the two funniest films were the muppets and Ted. I guess real live people just aren't funny any more. Anyway, although the muppets hit Australia in 2012 it was actually released in 2011 so instead, the award goes to the Hunger Games.
My Top Picks
The Hunger Games: Great. Not what I was expecting at all. Much, much better. I was expecting this to be half twilight and half Battle Royale. Turned out completely different to my expectations and much better. I wish I'd seen it at the cinemas now.
The Muppets: Yes, It really was that good. The muppets have demonstrated that it's still possible to make a great comedy and musical without pandering to the kiddies and without all the crassness that the post Shrek "kiddie movies for adults" come bundled with.
Prometheus: It had a lot of hype and was very good. I thought it would knock the muppets off but not quite. Unlike most people, I wasn't expecting an action film so I wasn't surprised when one wasn't delivered. Some interesting concepts but it never reached the heights of the first two alien films.
Skyfall: This was the first Daniel Craig Bond film that I've really liked and it would have been much higher on the list in any other year. Unfortunately 2012 had a lot of great films. The Adele song was probably the highlight.
The Dark Knight Rises: It certainly lived up to the hype and IMHO, was much better than the Avengers. It would have been better if I'd had any clue about what Bane was saying. Update: Miles better on Blu-ray with the subtitles turned on.
Chronicle: I'm so over those "found footage" films, but somehow Chronicle was different.
Argo: Finally saw this in 2014. Wow, very impressive.Easily the best "totally serious" film of the year. It deserved the acclaim that it got.
Life of Pi: Funny and very pretty too.
Rise of the Guardians: Unexpectedly good. Great to see a kids film move away from the traditional interpretation of Santa.
The Avengers: It's the biggest box office film this year but I didn't get as much joy out of it as the muppets.
Notable Mentions ("Surprise" Films)
The Muppets: Wow. This was so unexpectedly good. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard at the movies.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island: This was so much better than it had any right to be, thanks to the comic relief
The War Horse: It was good considering I probably wouldn't have gone to see it without prompting.
Wreck-It Ralph: Very good, hit a bit of a nerve with me.
The Lorax: This movie is only in this list because of the cute bear.
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, The: I'd forgotten the twist ending to the book, so the film was actually fairly refreshing for me.
Mirror Mirror: I got told that this was terrible, so I waited three years to watch it. It wasn't brilliant but it was far better than expected. Very colourful
The Biggest Disappointments
Raid, The (aka The Raid Redemption): So highly praised and yet, so ordinary.
Wrath of the Titans: Wow. I thought that the only direction left after the terrible remake of Clash of the Titans was Up. How wrong I was.
Total Recall: This was absolute rubbish. Even if they'd copied the Arnie original scene by scene it would have been better than the trash they served up here. It's one of the best demonstrations of why Hollywood has it so wrong these days.
John Carter: I don't remember a lot of this film seeing as I fell asleep but from what I can remember, it was going nowhere fast.
Brave: Not a bad film at all, just less lively by Pixar standards.
All the films I've seen at the Cinemas in 2012
War Horse, The
Muppets, The
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
Pirates! Band of Misfits, The
Avengers, The
Five-Year Engagement, The
Prometheus
Dark Knight Rises, The
Total Recall
Ted
Taken 2
Skyfall
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The
Films from 2012 I've seen on the "small screen"
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
Amazing Spider-Man, The
American Reunion
Battleship
Big Wedding, The
Bourne Legacy, The
Brave
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, The
Cabin in the Woods, The
Chronicle
Cold Light of Day, The
Contraband
Devil Inside, The
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Dictator, The
Django Unchained
Dredd
Expendables 2, The
Finding Nemo 3D
Frankenweenie
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
Grey, The
Haywire
Hunger Games, The
Ice Age: Continental Drift
John Carter
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lockout
Looper
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
Man on a Ledge
Men in Black 3
Mirror Mirror
ParaNorman
Raven, The
Resident Evil: Retribution
Rise of the Guardians
Scary Movie 5
Silver Linings Playbook, The
Snow White & the Huntsman
Titanic 3D
Underworld: Awakening
Woman in Black, The
Wrath of the Titans
Wreck-It Ralph
What's Left to See from 2012
The boldfaced titles are the ones I'm most interested in;
Those with an asterisk * are ones I've acquired but not watched yet.
21 Jump Street
7500
Act of Valor*
Apparition, The*
Beauty and the Beast 3D
Being Flynn
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The
Big Miracle
Bully Project, The
Butter
Casa de mi Padre
Chimpanzee
Damsels in Distress
Dark Shadows*
Darling Companion*
Deep Blue Sea, The
Dog Fight
Fun Size
Gone
Good Deeds
Great Hope Springs
Halloween 3D
Here Comes the Boom*
House at the End of the Street*
Hunter Killer
I Hate You, Dad
Jeff Who Lives at Home*
Joyful Noise
Lucky One, The
Magic Mike*
Marriage Counselor, The
Moonrise Kingdom
Movie 43
My Mother's Curse
Neighborhood Watch
Odd Life of Timothy Green, The*
Of Men and Mavericks
One for the Money
Outrun
Parental Guidance
Playing the Field
Possession, The*
Premium Rush
Project X*
Red Dawn
Red Tails*
Rock of Ages
Safe
Safe House*
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Savages
Secret World of Arrietty, The*
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Silent House
Sinister*
Sparkle
Step Up 4
Think Like a Man
This Is Forty
This Means War
Thousand Words, A
Three Stooges, The*
To The Arctic 3D
Undefeated
Vow, The
W.E.
Wanderlust
Wettest County, The
What to Expect When You're Expecting
Won't Back Down