The Top Ten Movies of 2012

My Top Ten Films of 2012

By Jeremy Cooper: Layout Editor

2012 has been a particularly strong year for movies. Every year there will be disappointments and schlock, but I can’t recall a year where so many films that I have wanted to be good have managed to live up to my expectations. I haven’t seen everything that came out this year (namely Moonrise Kingdom and Amour), but I think my 10 favorites of this year will remain this way. 

*This is all my opinion and should not be interpreted as anything else.

Top Five:

1.      Zero Dark Thirty

·         “Zero Dark Thirty is a near masterpiece and the best film of this past year. Deftly crafted, superbly acted and meticulously researched, it is a film that will outlive its current relevance and be seen as a classic in the near future.”

2.      Django Unchained

·         “Outrageously entertaining from start to finish, Django Unchained is another gem in Tarantino’s nearly flawless collection.”

3.      Looper

·         “Looper is exciting, engrossing, and thought-provoking, as well as great acting, writing, and directing, it will please both action fans and those craving for something original.”

4.      The Master

·         “The Master is the rare thing; a truly original film. Led by two brilliant, career-best performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman, as well as some impeccable direction by Paul Thomas Anderson, it may well become a classic within time. This is a movie that will strongly divide audiences, but lovers of cinema will see to it that The Master lives on forever.”

5.      Skyfall

·         “Skyfall successfully continues the trend of a darker, more character-driven Bond film while also serving as a celebration of the classics. It’s one of the best in the series to date and quite possibly the best action film of the year.”

And the Rest:

6.      Lincoln

·         “Led by another staggering performance from Daniel Day-Lewis, an excellent script and one of the best casts of the year, Lincoln succeeds where many recent biopics have failed in crafting a layered, engaging and moving portrait of its iconic subject.”

7.      Argo

·         “Riveting, rousing, and crowd-pleasing, Argo is one of the year’s best films with tension, humor, great writing, and impressive directing.”

8.      The Raid: Redemption

·         “There may not be a whole lot in the way of story or character development, but The Raid: Redemption is an exception to the rule because it goes above and beyond the standard action movie by being a full-throttle blast of pure adrenaline and exhilaration from start to finish, with some of the best action sequences ever made, setting a new standard for the genre.”

9.      The Dark Knight Rises

·         “It wasn’t perfect and certainly wasn’t as good as its predecessor, but The Dark Knight Rises still proved to be a smart, emotional and even, dare I say, epic conclusion to a great trilogy”

10.  The Avengers

·         “The Avengers delivered all that it promised to be by being an exhilarating, funny blockbuster and all-around good time at the movies.”