2012 Bottom and Top 5

Having seen 36 movies in 2012, coming up with a Top and Bottom 10 would have been excessive. Thus, the best 5 and worst 5 movies I saw in 2012:

Bottom 5

5 movies that I would rather not have seen, and while I’ve rated all of them 2 stars out of 4, #1 and #2 only achieved that high a rating because of the movie making quality. In every other aspect I loathed #1 and #2:

5. Our Idiot Brother

Paul Rudd has some funny lines in an otherwise completely pointless, unfocused, and unfunny bait-and-switch of a movie. I saw this in March of 2012 and can barely remember anything from it just more than a year later.

4. The Darkest Hour

With a premise like this it must have been hard to screw it up like this. The acting is shallow and belongs in a horror-movie. I was almost more afraid of a houseplant in The Happening than I was of the invisible aliens (never revealed) here, and I really hated The Happening.

3. 21 Jump Street

Unnecessary swearing and juvenile jokes turned up to 11, 21 Jump Street is on this list because it is such a waste of potential. R rated debauchery with no redeeming value at all, not even one really funny joke, 21 Jump Street is not one of those movies you remember fondly years later.

2. War Horse

A friend of mine rates War Horse as one of his top movies of 2012. I don’t see it. I gave War Horse 2 stars because visually Spielberg still managed something, but in everything else in this movie is an intolerable drag, and I only managed to stay awake because I was well-rested upon entering the movie.

1. J Edgar

Maybe I shouldn’t have expected to enjoy a history lesson about a driven but somewhat misguided FBI director. Maybe. But I did expect it, since Eastwood directed and DiCaprio starred I certainly expected it. And what I got in return was a movie that was even more boring than War Horse. Yawn.

Top 5

After getting the bottom movies out of the way, the ones leaving absolutely no desire to even go to the movies – the following 5 are their exact opposite – the reason we go to the movies, great movies, be it because of visual splendour or just plain beauty of story.

5. Prometheus

Visual splendour and space paranoia combine to make a thrilling movie in Ridley Scott’s return to the genre he kicked off in the 70’s with Alien, sci-fi horror. Creating a new world that is both beautiful and terrifying, Prometheus brings back the Alien nostalgia  with a modern look and feel that still easily translates to the Alien movies.

4. We Bought a Zoo

Not everyone will agree with having this movie on this list, but I think for pure heartfelt honesty this definitely deserves to be here. I am a big fan of Cameron Crowe’s movies, and with We Bought a Zoo he makes a beautiful family movie with a rich and sweet story. Matt Damon also proves his acting ability that little bit more, as this role is as far removed from Jason Bourne as can be.

3. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Another one that’s on this list for beauty in the story, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is emotional, hilarious, and just a good old time. Maggie Smith is stunning as a grumpy and biting lady and every one of the other actors also deliver beautiful performances. I would have had this pegged as the feel-good movie of the year, but my #1 for this year eclipses this one by the slightest margin.

2. The Dark Knight Rises

The breath-taking finale to Christopher Nolan’s Batman opus, The Dark Knight Rises answers the insanity of The Dark Knight and its main antagonist, the Joker, with the starkly contrasting and methodically merciless Bane. Large-scale action and a great thriller in its own right, The Dark Knight Rises almost reaches the brilliance of The Dark Knight. Almost.

1. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is my feel-good movie of the year and also my favourite for 2012. Focussing on a boy’s self-discovery towards finding a bright bit of light at the end of a very long and very dark tunnel, this movie addresses some tough issues with a respect and gentleness that you’ll rarely find anywhere else. I loved Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.