First of all, I would like to wish you movie fanatics a merry Christmas and also a Happy New Year in advance! I have good news. This is the first time I have compiled a list of the ten best movies in 2012 for Elemental Reviews. To be honest, when it comes down to compiling a ‘best of’ list I am not very good at it. Every movie has its own strong points and its own weak parts, so listing them would not be fair as some of the movies have nothing in common. I have put these kind of thoughts behind me and I am glad to be able to present to you Elemental Reviews’ Top 10 Movies of 2012, even though not all of them have been reviewed here. After all, listing remains extremely subjective – so my Christmas presents to y’all: one themed review each day until the second of January. Have fun and enjoy the holidays.
10. Ted
“The dirtiest and funniest teddy of the year wastes no time and spares no one. No girl is safe for him. No boy wants to be with him. (…) The dynamic relation between the interesting, yet somewhat mysterious, characters (…) has made Ted one of the best comedies I have watched in a long, long time…continue reading
9. 21 Jump Street
“…a mashup of screwball comedy, action and the Odd Couple formula.” READ: ROGER EBERT’S REVIEW. I agree 100%: pure fun.
8. Brave
Love the animations, love the story and love the originality of how the producers were able to give an original twist to the well-known princess story. This is Pixar at its best.
7. Cloud Atlas
Highly anticipated, Cloud Atlas seemed to disappoint many. It is a beautiful and ambitious movie though. Erik Kain writing for Forbes described it as ‘a gorgeous mess’ (READ: CLOUD ATLAS’ REVIEW). But I see it differently. The problem here is that these reviewers have read the novel and prepared going to the theatres with some overly high expectations. The truth is…Cloud Atlas overwhelms you – the way the producers managed to interconnect all these totally different storylines and put it on the screen can be seen as messy, but in fact is an extraordinary job.
6. Life of Pi
An incredible production, yet Life of Pi is a simple movie. Although in 3D, nothing is special about how the story has been portrayed….you expect. But all of a sudden you are drawn in the magical reality of the story and for a second you forget you are seated in a theater watching a movie. The spiritual and semi-religious themes make you question your own beliefs. A simple and good story told wonderfully.
5. Skyfall
Bond on number 5? Have I become crazy? Honestly, Skyfall blew me away from my seat. It is one of the best Bond productions ever. “Sam Mendes seems to be the right person to breathe new life intro the everlasting franchise. His style is satisfactory enough for the new but also old generation: Skyfall is the Bond movie we have all been waiting for.” READ: ON “SKYFALL”.
4. Argo
Ben Affleck. Should I say more? Well, okay then. Ben Affleck has changed. One of his best productions ever, Argo is suspenseful, has a twisted storyline which compared to the Hollywood standards is not bad at all, and most importantly the actors did an outstanding job.
3. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Highly anticipated. Although I like the JRR Tolkien series-based movies, I am not really what you call a ‘fan’. I usually don’t go for the adventure movies. The question is not whether we need this movie. I understand that many Tolkien fans felt disappointed – of course The Hobbit is nothing compared to the LOTR series. However purely observing, The Hobbit is a masterpiece.
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Reading the plot you’d certainly imagine one of those cheesy storylines. I did. But The Perks of Being a Wallflower is so much more than that. The moving characters and mature themes such as mental illness, alcohol and drugs raised the bar, but eventually led to a real and touching production.
And the winner is...
1. The Dark Knight Rises
My Favorite Movie of 2012. The Dark Knight Rises concluded the series millions had been waiting for, literally with a blast. Christopher Nolan has worked with an excellent cast and crew and has managed to portray this final chapter with as much realism as possible. The mystery, the suspense, even the soundtrack… Legendary.
Great List, I think the only ones I might disagree with are Cloud Atlas and The Hobbit, But I absolutely loved that you included TDKR and especially Perks of being a wallflower. I can’t remember any film I’ve seen this year that I connected with as much as the latter, and I only wish it could get a bit more recognition
Thanks. Rewatched the Perks of Being a Wallflower yesterday evening.. and I just love it more if that’s even possible. It’s a shame though that many people haven’t seen it.
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Love love love this list! Great picks!
Thanks. (I am going to watch Lincoln tomorrow – based on what I have read and heard, it will probably make my top 10 too.)
I’m glad you put Cloud Atlas on here. It’s a shame this didn’t last long in theatres.
Thanks for responding. I loved Cloud Atlas. Indeed, what a shame. It got such a negative reception from the critics it didn’t deserve.