Best Films of the Year

nyarlothothep

Now that the Hobbit is out I thought it would be a good idea to review the best films of 2012. These are the best in order of bestness.

1. The Hobbit
2. 21 Jump Street
3. The Cabin in the Woods
4. American Mary
5. Lawless
6. Prometheus

munster87

I would have The Raid there somewhere

nocoverart

Can't understand all the fuss with The Cabin in the Woods, really didn't get it. I heard Prometheus is awful so I gave it a miss.

80s Child

nyarlothothep wrote: »

Now that the Hobbit is out I thought it would be a good idea to review the best films of 2012. These are the best in order of bestness.

1. The Hobbit
2. 21 Jump Street
3. The Cabin in the Woods
4. American Mary
5. Lawless
6. Prometheus

I genuinely thought that 21JS was one of the worst films I have ever seen. Absolutely horrific.

Agree with Lawless though; a really well told, tremendously shot film.

saintsaltynuts

The Master.
Skyfall.
The Dark Knight Rises.
End Of Watch.
Silver Linings Playbook.

krudler

Best and favourite are two different things but for me:

The Grey: Its Taken-with wolves! except it's not, biggest surprise of the year for me, was expecting a dumb action flick when its something far more than that.

The Raid: Dear Hollywood, this is how you do action, m'kay? Absolutely superb stuff.

The Avengers hugely enjoyable, crowdpleasing blockbuster fare.

The Master- Divisive, challenging, worth watching for the two main performances but Amy Adams excels as well.

Samsara Limited release but one of the most jaw droppingly beautiful films you'll ever watch, might find an audience on blu-ray.

Honorable mentions:

TDKR (flawed but has some standout sequences)
Seven Psychopaths- hilarious in places, flawed in others but always entertaining.
Skyfall- I enjoyed it, dunno if it'll hold up on repeat viewings but will check it out on blu-ray again.


I haven't seen The Hobbit yet so dunno if that'll make the list. Overall 2012 has been a year of a lot of average stuff (Premium Rush, Brave, Madagascar 3, Prometheus, Spider-Man) and a few standouts, oh and some awful films (Haywire!)

nyarlothothep

80s Child wrote: »

I genuinely thought that 21JS was one of the worst films I have ever seen. Absolutely horrific.

Agree with Lawless though; a really well told, tremendously shot film.

21JS was comedy genius! Lawless was a nice film, it reminded me of True Grit, but unlike True Grit I still think it's a good film.

longshotvalue

End of Watch
Moonrise Kingdom
Angels Share
Ruby Sparks
Looper

not sure really enjoyed them all

krudler

does 2012 also have a record for most movies that start with "The" in the title?

MagicMarker

Thought Lawless was pretty meh, and I was constantly distracted by Tom Hardy's Crash Test Dummies impression, I was expecting him to break out into a rendition of Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm at any second.

DazMarz

Skyfall is most positively in there somewhere. One or two critics I read believed that Javier Bardem should get a Best Supporting Oscar Nomination for his role there, and I wouldn't disagree.

Volvic12

Go to cinema every 2/3 weeks so went through quiet alot of films this year.

Top 10 would be:

1. Perks of being a Wallflower
2. The Dark Knight Rises.
3. Silver Linings Playbook
4. Looper
5. The Hunger Games
6. Lawless
7. Argo
8. End of Watch
9. The Master
10. Skyfall

FortuneChip

1 - Argo. Really good thriller that didn't rely on over-the-top action sequences. The story was obviously tweaked for dramatic effect, but it was just really good. Lots of tension, and laugh out loud funny too.

2 - Safety Not Guaranteed. I know it's not out in the cinema yet, I'll gladly go see it again when it is. Just found it an incredibly charming film with a really likeable group of actors. Helps that Aubrey Plaza is gorgeous. A real feel good movie.

3 - The Dark Knight Rises. Not the best of the Nolan Batman movies, I'd even say it's one of his weaker movies, but it was a great way to round off the trilogy. Still doing Bane impressions in work, much to the dismay of everyone.

4 - Skyfall. It's no Casino Royale, but it was a well enjoyable movie. They could have put Bardem in for another 30 minutes, and he still would have been underused!!!

I still haven't seen The Master, The Hobbit or Silver Linings Playbook.

krudler

**** I totally forgot Argo, yeah that too.

lotar

1. Moonrise Kingdom
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
3. The Avengers

e_e

25. Shame
24. Shut Up and Play the Hits
23. The Artist
22. Berberian Sound Studio
21. The Hobbit
20. The Turin Horse
19. The Descendants
18. The Grey
17. Argo
16. Dredd
15. Killer Joe
14. Killing Them Softly
13. Looper
12. Alps
11. Amour
10. Cosmopolis
9. Holy Motors
8. Carnage
7. Planet of Snail
6. Himizu
5. The Raid
4. The Dark Knight Rises
3. The Master
2. This Is Not a Film
1. Samsara

A few I would have loved to see but missed out on, but another excellent year for film. The top 3 in particular would go on my top 100 movies of all time list.

johnny_ultimate

I've been working away on the pointless annual list for a week or so. A harder prospect than ever this year - there was an absolute avalanche of worthy new releases coming in all shapes, forms, languages and genres. Finally managed to narrow it down to twenty, or at least twenty until I inevitably remember one or two that should be there. The top three stand just that little bit above the rest, but I think after that numbers become basically meaningless. Suffice to say, all twenty offer brilliant, rewarding experiences - some for pure entertainment, others for taking the medium a step forward (or, in some cases, a step back).

1. About Elly
After A Separation, I was unsure whether Asghar Farhadi’s long-delayed previous film could match the heights of last year’s best film. The uncertainty was foolish – this is another near-perfect masterwork. I honestly cannot find fault with this devastating and masterly put together film. Farhadi’s films have illustrated the best cinema has to offer for two years in a row now. Let’s hope he manages a hat-trick.

2. Holy Motors
Leos Carax provided 2012’s most invigorating jolt of pure, electrifying cinema with Holy Motors. Beautiful and bold, the film encompasses a series of individual sequences (with protagonists all played by a shapeshifting Denis Lavant in this year’s best leading performance) but ultimately forms a complex, thematically provocative whole. A cinephilic treat for anyone interested in where cinema has been, where it is now, and where it might be going.

3. Himizu
The frighteningly productive Sion Sono repurposed Himizu to reflect the aftermath of 2011’s tsunami, and the results were astonishing. While Sono fans and critics will instantly recognise his trademark indulgences, Himizu is a more disquieting and emotive drama than his other recent features. After a steady assault of despair and violence, Himizu ultimately ends on a bittersweet yet surprisingly triumphant and optimistic note. Few films this year provided the same ferocity of vision and gauntlet of emotions.

4. Martha Marcy May Marlene
Debut features as impressive as Sean Durkin’s MMMM come around very rarely indeed. Steeped in paranoia and uncertainty, this is an unnerving character study that is so much more intriguing that its ‘woman gets drawn into cult’ setup would suggest. For introducing the world to the first genuinely talented Olsen sibling, we are forever grateful.

5. Amour
It would be unfair to dismiss Amour as ‘straightforward’, but it certainly lacks the profound narrative deception and stylistic trickery that has defined many of Michael Haneke’s films to date. No matter – Amour is still stunning filmmaking from a master director. Intense, claustrophobic and wonderfully acted, Amour offers barely a single dull frame.

6. Margaret
Kenneth Lonergan’s second feature threatened to never see the light of day due to all sort of legal and creative disputes. But we were finally gifted with his post 9/11 opus, and it didn’t disappoint. An imperfect beast, no doubt, but the scale and ambition of Margaret could not help but wow the distressingly few people lucky enough to track it down. Anna Paquin has never been better, finally delivering on the promise of her childhood Oscar.

7. The Master
If Paul Thomas Anderson’s feature is indeed one of the last hurrahs for 70mm projection, it’s a fine swan song. As odd, unwieldy and divisive as The Master is, it’s undeniably the work of a fascinating singular director. The psychological warfare between Joquain Phoenix’s troubled military veteran and Philip Seymour Hoffman’s unstable cult leader provided some of this year’s most electrifying cinema.

8. Moonrise Kingdom
A triumph of colour and charm, Moonrise Kingdom is Wes Anderson’s grandest film since Rushmore – and I say that as an Anderson devotee. As deadpan and eccentrically composed as always, a strangely affecting adolescent romance at the core ensures this is an accessible and entertaining delight.

9. I Wish
I don't want to oversell this comparison too much because it's kind of ridiculous, but I Wish is sort of like a Japanese arthouse version of The Goonies. Of course, I Wish is much more naturalistic and reserved than the swashbuckling thrills of The Goonies, but they're both joyous celebrations of young imagination in the face of adversity. Director Hirokazu Koreeda has thread vaguely similar ground before, in the much darker, more sobering Nobody Knows. I Wish's comparative accessibility and lightheartedness, however, do not diminish the artistry and achievement of the work. Resistance is pretty much futile during the film’s most joyful and emotional moments.

10. Tabu
Like Holy Motors, Tabu is a film for film lovers. But where Carax’s film wasn’t averse to embracing technology new and old, Miguel Gomes’ fascinating feature is particularly indebted to old school aesthetics. Shot in 35 and 16mm stock and presented in classical Academy Ratio, the film is intoxicatingly nostalgic while still retaining an identity of its own. The film’s stunning Africa-set second half offers 2012’s most irresistibly melodramatic tragic romance.

11. The Raid
Whatever about the film itself – a thrilling kick to the arse for the action genre, by the way – for me The Raid is particularly unforgettable as it offered the most exhilarating cinema trip of the year. With a sold-out audience almost entirely at the same wavelength, the film’s Dublin premiere in February was a terrific communal viewing experience. Director Gareth Evans and star Iko Uwais more than earned the rapturous standing ovation they received as the lights came up.

12. Safety Not Guaranteed
This film chipped away at my cynical critical faculties with a full-on charm offensive. Almost impossible to dislike – a simple, oddball rom-com populated with characters I couldn’t help but root for. Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass are this year’s most charismatic screen couple.

13. Monsieur Lazhar
‘Motivational teacher’ dramas tend to be one of my least favoured sub-genres. Monsieur Lazhar, however, is a smart and compelling twist on a recognisable formula. Simply terrific.

14. The Dark Knight Rises
It divided audiences like few others this year, but The Dark Knight Rises was the most brave and adventurous blockbuster of the year, and also the most thrilling. Some undeniable rough edges aside, the film’s thematic complexity provided an epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s gloriously accidental trilogy.

15. Looper
Mainstream sci-fi done right. Rian Johnson’s time-travelling thriller benefited from the director’s love of noir atmosphere and understated genre subversions. A fun, character-driven thriller that offered a surprisingly rich near-future setting to boot.

16. What Richard Did
Lenny Abrahamson delivers his most accomplished work yet with this understated and thoughtful drama. Come for the excellent lead performance from Jack Reynor, stay for the subtle direction and zeitgeist capturing portrayal of middle-class adolescence.

17. From Up On Poppy Hill
After the disaster of his first directorial effort, I was ready to dismiss Goro Miyazaki’s second feature completely. Luckily, this nostalgic and good-natured comedy-drama was a real treat, and a worthy addition to Ghibli’s diverse filmography.

18. Cabin in the Woods
This giddily playful satire from Drew Godard and Joss Whedon more than made up for the disappointingly meek Avengers. Self-consciously silly, and yet also entertainment that provokes the audience to question their allegiance to genre through a cleverly realised meta-story. Mostly, though, it’s just a ****load of fun.

19. Keyhole
Visually speaking, this might be the year’s finest – Guy Maddin reliably playing with our senses through bold black & white cinematography, intense surrealism and frankly insane editing. I think I need a second viewing to unpack the dense and obtuse narrative that goes along with it, but aesthetically this is an absolute triumph.

20. Berberian Sound Studio
A film with as bold an audioscape as Berberian Sound Studio helps us realise how often that vital cinematic component is underexplored. A delightfully odd and atmospheric film all-in-all, complete with gleefully giallo-inspired visuals, but it’s the soundtrack that allows Peter Strickland’s film to soar.

(I haven't seen Beyond the Hills or This is Not A Film - two films which are being flagged in an awful lot of year end reviews. Looking forward to seeing them both).

pretty poor year at the movies I thought.

Killing them softly
Avengers
Shame

were good, haven't seen Argo. Batman was average I thought - over-hyped.

Son0vagun

1 - The Raid
2 - Lawless
3 - Avengers
4 - The Dark Knight Rises
5 - Argo

Josey Wales

Might be a bit early for best of 2012 films with a couple of big films yet to open like Jack Reacher and Django Unchained. But here is my list anyway. Apart from my number one movie which was far and away my favourite this year the rest of the list is fairly interchangeable.

The Dark Knight Rises - This was my most anticipated movie of the year and thankfully it delievered in every way for me. I made the trip to the London BFI IMAX to see it and it was well worth it. It may not have been quite as good as The Dark Knight but as a film to wrap up the trilogy it was perfect. So many third movies in a franchise fail to deliver. It is a shame that the official thread on this movie ended up in an interminable discussion on plotholes that may or may not have been there.

Take This Waltz - I am so surprised that I like this film so much. I was only a few minutes into it when I thought to myself that this was shaping up to be great.

Looper - I really enjoyed this movie even if it wasn't exactly what I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be a more complex film than it turned out to be but that isn't a criticism. Joseph Gordon-Levitt had a great year for me because of Looper, TDKR and I also watched 50/50 and Brick for the first time in 2012.

The Grey - I think this was the first film I saw in the cinema this year. I thought I was going to see an average action movie in which Liam Neeson punches some wolves. He still gets to take on some wolves but there is so much more to this film than I was expecting.

The Descendants - I haven't been a big fan other other Alexander Payne movies but I really enjoyed this one. George Clooney was great but it was also fascinating to see a different side of Hawaii than we normally get to see on screen.

The Avengers - The fact that Joss Whedon actually managed to tie all the Marvel movies together into a cohernt film giving all characters something to do was impressive. But that the film is one of the better comic book movies in recent years is amazing.

The Raid - This was something a little different. Just pure action almost from the first scene to the last.

Skyfall - This is one of the best looking films I have ever seen and certainly the best looking Bond film. That is the one thing that stands out most to me about this film. The title song was also pretty great too. I did enjoy the movie but I find it hard to reconcile all the praise I've seen lavished on the film with the one I saw. It was better than QoS and on a par with Casino Royale in my opinion.

Magic Mike - Channing Tatum has had a pretty good year with this and 21 Jump Street. Magic Mike was very enjoyable and a reminder that Steven Soderbergh can still make a good movie. The one thing I felt is that the movie really lacked any kind of real drama.

Indie Game: The Movie - I was surprised at how well shot this documentary was. I'm a big fan of video games so I had a good knowledge of the three main games the film was focusing on. This film really captured the joy of having all your hardwork really pay off. The scenes with the developers of Super Meat Boy when the game finally goes live and they are watching its success unfold are some of the best this year.

At the beginning of the year I would have assumed The Master would be high up that list so I'm surprised it doesn't even feature.

Those are the best 2012 movies I've seen this year. But I have seen a lot of movies for the first time in 2012 that were from previous years. The best of these were 50/50, 25th Hour, Into the Wild and Drive.

Duggy747

Dredd 3D was the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the year for me at the cinema. I thought the trailers for it didn't make the film look anyway decent or did the early pics of Urban as Dredd.

Having to see it in 3D didn't go down well with me but when the movie was over I was very happy with the end result.

It definitely was a Dredd movie, Urban finally had a platform for himself and the 3D was used accordingly in the slow-mo scenes, allowing you to take in and observe the effects.

Will have to do up a list later.

ricero

Big shout out to plan b's debut film as a director which was the fantastic ill manors. Not only Best british movie of the year but also of 2012

Kylo Ren

ricero wrote: »

Big shout out to plan b's debut film as a director which was the fantastic ill manors. Not only Best british movie of the year but also of 2012

Is that not the same thing?

Evenstevens

ricero wrote: »

Big shout out to plan b's debut film as a director which was the fantastic ill manors. Not only Best british movie of the year but also of 2012

Good but so depressing.

I'm gonna put a punt in for Grabbers which was one of the funniest Irish films I've seen in a long time. Methinks will be a cult classic.

ricero

Keno 92 wrote: »

Is that not the same thing?

I feel a lot of british and irish films tend to be overlooked

JP Liz V1

Evenstevens wrote: »

Good but so depressing.

I'm gonna put a punt in for Grabbers which was one of the funniest Irish films I've seen in a long time. Methinks will be a cult classic.

+ 1 on Grabbers, it was very funny

Corholio

In no particular order

The Raid
The Master
Samsara
Dark Knight Rises
Rust and Bone
The Angels Share
Searching for Sugar Man

snausages

nocoverart wrote: »

Can't understand all the fuss with The Cabin in the Woods, really didn't get it. I heard Prometheus is awful so I gave it a miss.

Prometheus isn't that bad. It's a perfectly serviceable sci-fi. A 5 or 6/10 film. A little disorganised maybe, but fun enough to watch. It's just that so many people got buoyed by the hype that when it ended up being merely ok there were a lot of extremely negative and hypercritical reactions.

e_e

I believe there may be great film in an extended cut of Prometheus . It's a beautifully made and enjoyable movie which makes all the gaps in the story seem even worse (would still make my top 40 though). I'd take it over Avengers/Spider-Man any day.

SarahBM

some of the stand out films for me this year were

The Avengers (way better than I expected, loved it)
The Dark Knight Rises (didnt disappoint, considering all the hype)
The Descendants (not a Clooney fan, but thought he was great in this)
This Means War ( by no means an oscar contender but I thought it was gas!)
Hunger games (havent read the books and got dragged to see it. Pleasantly surprised.)
Rock of Ages (Hilarious!)
The Bourne Legacy ( great action film. and Jeremy Renner)
Skyfall ( my fav bond film)

and last but not least The Hobbit. I have been waiting what seems an entire age of Middle Earth for this and I was so thrilled! I loved it! I want to go again.
cant wait to see Pitch Perfect too. looks good.

billyhead

There would be only 2 films I would say are worth mentioning and I have been a frequent visitor to the cinema
End of watch and

Lawless

johnny_ultimate

Slightly amazed Lawless has been cited so much in this thread. It isn't a bad film, it's actually a bit worse than that - it's just a plain old mediocrity, full of lazy caricatures and a half-baked script.

As for Prometheus? I'd defend it as well, although it's without a shadow of a doubt semi-crippled by its baffling script issues and inconsistencies. Still: the art style was the best offered by any of the major blockbusters (crashing ship SFX aside) and the had a wider scope that attempted and occasionally succeeded in addressing grander sci-fi concepts. I'd totally take it over the likes of Spiderman or Avengers either. At worst, it was an admirable failure, at best flawed yet intriguing.

Prometheus and other films were victims of excessive hype this year. With so many high-profile follow-ups and continuations, I do think discussions about their relative merits and demerits got weighed down by extreme hyperbole from all sides. I've never found it as hard to read sensible critiques of blockbusters as this year (or at least the noise was more pronounced than ever), especially with the insane amount of Internet 'plothole' nitpicking that went on with almost all major releases. When people are getting death threats over bad reviews before the film is even out, then that's a pretty sad situation IMO. They're just films at the end of the day, and frankly not even the most important or interesting ones.

JP Liz V1

I really enjoyed Mission Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol, The Dark Knight Rises, Lawless, Argo, Skyfall, Avengers Assemble, The Sapphires, Mental, Shadow Dancer, Grabbers and Paranorman

phil1nj

My top 5 films this year were:

1: Dredd
2: The cabin in the woods
3: Argo
4: The Avengers
5: The Dark Knight Rises

I missed a few of the other big ones (The Master being top of my list). Seen a few others that left me downright cold (Prometheus, Seven Psychopaths being 2 that spring to mind). All in all, thought it was a good year for trips to the cinema.

Magill

Still haven't seen a good few of the newer releases (Anything not on bluray yet besides the hobbit).

But top 3 for me so far would probably be.. The hobbit, Batman, Avengers. Saying that I've not really had time to watch a lot of the lesser known films this year, enjoyed a lot of the blockbusters this year tho... nothing really disappointed me so far anyway.

Galvasean

Don't like arranging lists as I always end up changing my mind.

I like my big blockbusters so Avengers, Dredd, Looper and Skyfall all did it for me.

In terms of comedy I really enjoyed The Dictator, Cabin in the Woods and Seven Psychopaths.

I also quite enjoyed End of Watch, Rampart, John Carter, Prometheus, Dark Knight Rises, Expendables 2, Ted and Grabbers.

PS: we should bookmark this thread for the next time someone starts a 'bad year for films' thread. Considering all the stuff I missed out on it seems to have been a great year. I still have yet to see Argo, The Life of Pi, The Raid and the Hobbit.

krudler

Grabbers was good fun, I'm a sucker for small town invaded B movies and really enjoyed it.

duckworth

My favourites - missing a few, especially The Master which I've been impatiently waiting for for years, only to not be able go see it when it finally was released:

1. Holy Motors
2. Amour
3. Shame
4. Into The Abyss
5. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Holy Motors was just such a blast - I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so much. Amour was like a slap in the face, and affected me quite a bit.

Close calls: Michael, Despicable Dick & Righteous Richard, What Richard Did.

InchicoreDude

Of the films I saw this year, the best was "The perks of being a wallflower"

shanesheridan

Djanjo unchained is simply fantastic. Well written (as Tarantino always delivers) great acting (Oscar nods) great action and comedy and even at a long running time, it seems to flow endlessly. Brilliant.

The Dark Knight Rises
Skyfall

but I havent seen any indie films yet

nocoverart

I don't think any film this year has moved me as much as Shame. An unbelievably well made film.

johnny_ultimate

Amour is just stunning filmmaking - I'd recommend anyone to check it out. Such a terrifically acted and directed film, where even a brief moment of rage can be emotionally devastating. And the decision to let us know how it ends at the start was a brilliant dramatic decision that shapes our perception of everything that follows.

Holy Motors will inevitably prove more divisive, but more than any film this year it went for broke and Carax achieved something very special indeed. Denis Lavant's performance was brave and fascinating from beginning to end. Plus, it has my favourite scene of the year. Might seem odd out of context, but in the middle of the film it's a wonderfully energetic tangent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdvBLFI5kIs

jonnyfingers

The films I most enjoyed this year were:

1. Dredd
2. The Imposter - nabbed a free screening and a Q&A with the director for this one. Great true story.
3. Cabin in the Woods
4. The Avengers
5. Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
6. The Raid
7. Looper

Have yet to see Argo, Lawless, The Master and some other that have been mentioned.

Films that did not live up to my expectations were:

Prometheus - I enjoyed it and it is not a bad film by any means. But as johnny_ultimate called it, an admirable failure is a good way of describing it.

The Dark Knight Rises - I was so disappointed with this. Still am. Thought it was overlong, at times all over the place, and not a patch on the two other films in the trilogy. Now I love Nolan's Batman, I've seen Batman Begins and The Dark Knight multiple times. The Dark Knight is in my top 5 films of all time. But I just can't make myself watch The Dark Knight Rises again. I know I have to give it another shot but it's the film that left me most cold out of any I've seen this year.

Roddy23

Top three of the year for me:
Rust and Bone
Argo
The Dark Knight Rises

Absolutely loved Rust and Bone though - fantastic performances all round, and a great soundtrack too.
Also Moonrise Kingdom is one I'd forgotten about. Cracking film.

sxt

Best film for me , not many have seen because not many places would have shown it and it is definitely not entertaining in the conventional sense!

The Turnin horse is a challenging film. The premise :Nietzsche in middle age witnessed the whipping of a horse and was traumatised by it , he tried to protect the horse by wrapping his arms around the animal. Nietzsche was soon after diagnosed as insane. This film asks the question ..What happened to the horse and the horse driver ?

Does the film justify Nietzsche's belief that God is dead ...

Two characters , Father and daughter live near a mountain top. The other main character is the wind that constantly swirls thru out their daily routines. Their only livelihood/ transport they have is an aging horse .They are completely isolated otherwi

The film making is very special .. A film with little to no dialogue, with two actors who do mundane daily rituals, like eating and lighting fire and gathering water , can remain so hypnotic and engaging...


It is played out over 6 days. Each day is similar but each day is shot in a different way. The use of lingering shots , scenes of absolute silence (I think the first word spoken happens 2o minutes in),the uses of different views that were not revealed the day before from similar events is engaigng...and makes you see and think in a different light

It is shot in black and white .There is a very poignant repetitive soundtrack which tells the audience what they should be feeling , and there is the contant howling bitter wind outside their cottage which adds to the claustrophobia menace


It is an hugrainan movie with english subtitles

Goldstein

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

As for Prometheus? I'd defend it as well, although it's without a shadow of a doubt semi-crippled by its baffling script issues and inconsistencies. Still: the art style was the best offered by any of the major blockbusters (crashing ship SFX aside) and the had a wider scope that attempted and occasionally succeeded in addressing grander sci-fi concepts. I'd totally take it over the likes of Spiderman or Avengers either. At worst, it was an admirable failure, at best flawed yet intriguing.

No. If it comes down to a choice of no real sci-fi or the utter intellectually bereft wannabe crap that was Prometheus was I'll take nothing every time. It'll make the next worthy film more meaningful.

johnny_ultimate

Goldstein wrote: »

No. If it comes down to a choice of no real sci-fi or the utter intellectually bereft wannabe crap that was Prometheus was I'll take nothing every time. It'll make the next worthy film more meaningful.

How can you claim it doesn't try to address more interesting themes than your average sci-fi blockbuster? I'm not arguing that it was an intellectual triumph. You can think it addresses said themes extremely poorly and that the film is ultimately a load of vague bull**** - that I can happily accept. But given the film frequently stops dead in its tracks to discuss (in occasionally completely hypocritical terms, granted) faith, origins of life and the search for knowledge, it at least aims to be placed on a pedestal with the smartest the genre has to offer. I think it's a vastly inferior film to those greats (although obviously still overall liked it), and TBH the film wouldn't make my top 50 of 2012. But, despite the issues I have with the film - and I have quite a few, particularly with the wildly illogical script - the one thing I give it absolute credit for is that it tries, and in a year where we were subject to some of the most pitifully derivative blockbusters Hollywood has ever offered, that is at least one IMO admirable trait. Then again Hollywood might just have lowered my expectations so spectacularly low that any film that doesn't feature an endless string of CGI explosions for 120 minutes automatically gets some sort of free pass.

skimpydoo

How can nobody not have mentioned the hunt. It's a must see movie and Mads Mikkelsen is class in it. I also loved Skyfall, The Hobbit and The Raid as well as Iron Sky.

Forgotten_1

1. Prometheus
2. Prometheus
.
.

TheDoc

In no particular order

Dark Knight Rises
The Raid
Dredd
Looper
Skyfall
Ted

There are maybe a few others, but if I'm honest my love of cinema is swindling every year, with me being able to remember less and less good films as each year goes by : /

vard

80s Child wrote: »

I genuinely thought that 21JS was one of the worst films I have ever seen. Absolutely horrific.

Agree with Lawless though; a really well told, tremendously shot film.

Have to agree with you there. I couldn't understand the praise it got. I thought it was entirely unfunny with poor performances and a weak story!

Comedy is particularly subjective though; I don't tend to like that particular American style.