Mike's Musings: The Top 10 of 2012
I put this off for a while on the account that I haven't seen the last two Top 10 contenders. I went to see "Les Miserables," but left early because the audience members were so rude (they brought their own food and didn't understand the meaning of the term "be quiet"). I didn't care for what I saw, but as a film critic, I'll see it again. I saw "Django Unchained" last night, but I was tired so I want to see it again before I review it. Because neither film is going to be on my Top Ten list, I'm free to write it.
So here goes...
10. This Means War. Admittedly, this movie went down a few notches because it wasn't as funny on repeat viewing. Or maybe it was because the TV in the kitchen is so high that it became distancing. Whatever the reason, "This Means War" was one of the year's most enjoyable surprises.
9. 21 Jump Street. 2012 was a great year for comedy, and although this isn't the funniest movie of the year, it's up there. Channing Tatum was in his first of two excellent movies, and he shows that he is capable of getting a laugh. Consistently funny and occasionally sidesplitting, this is one of four of the years great comedies.
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I did not expect to like this movie. I did, but it was so much more than an entertaining 107 minutes. It was emotionally rich, realistic and ultimately uplifting human experience. If there's any reason why this movie doesn't reach up higher its because Logan Lerman's performance is low-key to the point where it's a little hard to form a connection to him. But the experience is worth it because we get to spend time with some truly interesting and real characters.
7. The Cabin in the Woods. When I first saw the trailer, I was intrigued. But most trailers promise more than they deliver. Not so with "The Cabin in the Woods." It's a throwback to old style horror with plenty of gore and nudity. At first. Then things start getting really weird. But with all the twists and surprises, director Drew Goddard never forgets to craft characters we can identify with and some decent scares. Well done.
6. Ted. The most successful R-rated comedy of all time overwhelmingly deserves a place on my Top 10 list, albeit for a reason entirely different from its box office performance: it's funny. It's very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very funny. Not only is it a laugh-till-it-hurts comedy, it's also touching. I believed in and I liked the characters. Nuff said.
5. Looper. Rian Johnson's sci-fi thriller is definitely ambitious, and more importantly, successful. It successfully navigates the philosophical trappings of time travel, and presents a compelling story and characters. It's a movie that demands repeat viewings.
4. Rise of the Guardians. 2012 was a great year for Chris Pine. Not only did he appear in one of the funniest movies of the year, he appeared in the film with the most dazzling computer animation I've ever seen. It's a good movie too, and a lot of that has to do with Pine's vocal performance. It's a pity that there's no Oscar for voice acting, because Pine would win hands down.
3. Brave. The year's other big animated movie is better, albeit marginally, than "Rise of the Guardians" because it packs a slightly bigger emotional punch. The growing bond between Merida and Elinor is not exactly new ground for a film, especially an animated one, but it is touching. And the humor works too.
2. Sinister. I've only seen a few movies that scared the living hell out of me, and I can count them on one hand. "Sinister" is one of them. Move over Wes Craven, John Carpenter and Neil Marshall! There's a new name in terror, and his name is Scott Derrickson!
1. Magic Mike. One of the downsides of being a film critic is hearing people scoff when you try to tell them to see a good movie. This happens with essentially every foreign film, or independent film that is not directed by Wes Anderson. "Magic Mike" is one of them. Unfairly described as "the male stripper" movie, "Magic Mike" is so much more than that. It's about the conflict between money and personal happiness (delivered in a way not usually addressed), and it features a truly eye-opening performance by Channing Tatum. This is one of those movies that was stuck in my mind for hours after watching it.
So here goes...
10. This Means War. Admittedly, this movie went down a few notches because it wasn't as funny on repeat viewing. Or maybe it was because the TV in the kitchen is so high that it became distancing. Whatever the reason, "This Means War" was one of the year's most enjoyable surprises.
9. 21 Jump Street. 2012 was a great year for comedy, and although this isn't the funniest movie of the year, it's up there. Channing Tatum was in his first of two excellent movies, and he shows that he is capable of getting a laugh. Consistently funny and occasionally sidesplitting, this is one of four of the years great comedies.
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I did not expect to like this movie. I did, but it was so much more than an entertaining 107 minutes. It was emotionally rich, realistic and ultimately uplifting human experience. If there's any reason why this movie doesn't reach up higher its because Logan Lerman's performance is low-key to the point where it's a little hard to form a connection to him. But the experience is worth it because we get to spend time with some truly interesting and real characters.
7. The Cabin in the Woods. When I first saw the trailer, I was intrigued. But most trailers promise more than they deliver. Not so with "The Cabin in the Woods." It's a throwback to old style horror with plenty of gore and nudity. At first. Then things start getting really weird. But with all the twists and surprises, director Drew Goddard never forgets to craft characters we can identify with and some decent scares. Well done.
6. Ted. The most successful R-rated comedy of all time overwhelmingly deserves a place on my Top 10 list, albeit for a reason entirely different from its box office performance: it's funny. It's very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very funny. Not only is it a laugh-till-it-hurts comedy, it's also touching. I believed in and I liked the characters. Nuff said.
5. Looper. Rian Johnson's sci-fi thriller is definitely ambitious, and more importantly, successful. It successfully navigates the philosophical trappings of time travel, and presents a compelling story and characters. It's a movie that demands repeat viewings.
4. Rise of the Guardians. 2012 was a great year for Chris Pine. Not only did he appear in one of the funniest movies of the year, he appeared in the film with the most dazzling computer animation I've ever seen. It's a good movie too, and a lot of that has to do with Pine's vocal performance. It's a pity that there's no Oscar for voice acting, because Pine would win hands down.
3. Brave. The year's other big animated movie is better, albeit marginally, than "Rise of the Guardians" because it packs a slightly bigger emotional punch. The growing bond between Merida and Elinor is not exactly new ground for a film, especially an animated one, but it is touching. And the humor works too.
2. Sinister. I've only seen a few movies that scared the living hell out of me, and I can count them on one hand. "Sinister" is one of them. Move over Wes Craven, John Carpenter and Neil Marshall! There's a new name in terror, and his name is Scott Derrickson!
1. Magic Mike. One of the downsides of being a film critic is hearing people scoff when you try to tell them to see a good movie. This happens with essentially every foreign film, or independent film that is not directed by Wes Anderson. "Magic Mike" is one of them. Unfairly described as "the male stripper" movie, "Magic Mike" is so much more than that. It's about the conflict between money and personal happiness (delivered in a way not usually addressed), and it features a truly eye-opening performance by Channing Tatum. This is one of those movies that was stuck in my mind for hours after watching it.
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