Sunday, 13 January 2013

The Movies Of 2012: Tinker, Jailors, Hunstman Guy

Much like the films of 2011, now's the time I rank the fifty films from 2012 that I have seen, over the course of three posts.

Just a reminder of the ground rules (and for new readers, this will be the first time you see these rules) that I have obeyed for the year's film crop:

  • Since I've done reviews for each 2012 film listed, I'll provide the links to those if you want a greater analysis or general plot details, otherwise these posts would be bigger mountains of text than they are.
  • Some of these films may have seen release in 2011 overseas, but since I'm Australian, I'm going on Australian release date and availability for myself.
  • Not everything is going to be a huge, blockbuster release, so remember that this isn't what I think are the best films of the year, these are ALL the films released this year that I have seen and reviewed and all of them will be ranked. Granted, I did want to see stuff like Killing Them Softly, Wreck-It-Ralph and Argo (that's my biggest movie regret in 2012, not watching that one), but I can rectify that with DVD.
  • Much like the 2011 rankings, the top five and bottom five will be in the last post, and the first two posts will count downwards. This post will cover #45-26.

With that out of the way, let's get started!

#45. 50/50 (Jonathan Levine)

The performances are right, but something's lacking in this comedy about cancer. Not a bad film, but missing something to properly propel it. Critically acclaimed, for reasons I don't get. 3/5
http://imsureiwasmakingsomekindofpoint.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/cancer-cults-and-carl-jung.html

#44. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (Troy Nixey)

Oh, I'm not afraid of the dark. I'm actually laughing at it, because the creatures of the night are pathetic. The acting's OK, but I'm not sure this was clamoring for a remake. I hope this doesn't deter re-release of the original, though, I'd like to see that. 3/5

#43. Total Recall (Len Wiseman)

Speaking of remakes we weren't screaming for, I have a question for this movie: why so serious? A movie that has confused itself with Blade Runner, except forgetting that both that movie and the original Total Recall had ambiguity at play. Yeah, the action and music are decent, and Bryan Cranston is dynamite, but there isn't much more on offer. 3/5

#42. Hostel Part 3 (Scott Spiegel)

Still not sure why “Part” is a necessary word, this isn't the Godfather trilogy we're dealing with. Just another standard straight-to-DVD horror movie with tenuous connection to its predecessors. Gore-wise, yes, it's good, but if you don't see this, it's not the end of the world. 3/5

#41. The Woman In The Fifth (Pawel Pawlikowski)

The book is almost always better than the film, and this certainly proves that right. This adaptation feels watered down, and the ending is just as big a cop out as the book's. If you have to choose between one or the other, go with the book. 3/5

#40. Martha Marcy May Marlene (Sean Durkin)

Elizabeth Olsen is great in this film, but the dialogue doesn't leave us with anyone truly likeable. A lot more could have been done with this premise. A shame, really. 3/5

#39. Red State (Kevin Smith)

Smith's trying to move out of his comfort zone here, and this is proof of why staying in the comfort zone isn't always a bad thing. The action works, and John Goodman nails his role, but if you're trying to make me sympathetic to the one dimensional characters, I'm confused as to what you're trying to say. Oh well, they can't be juggernauts, eh? 3/5

#38. The Descendants (Alexander Payne)

On the one hand, the scenery is lovely and Clooney's very good. On the other, some of the supporting characters are dreadful, and the ending infuriates me. All in all, though, a nice film. 3/5

#37. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Tomas Alfredson)

Great choice in cast, and the atmosphere is fitting, but it's not always that engaging. Maybe if I had read the book before hand. But hey, it's Gary Oldman in a lead role, so that's almost always a win for any movie. 3/5

#36. Snow White And The Huntsman (Rupert Sanders)

In which the Huntsman is the more interesting character (and better acted). Kristen Stewart is meh, Charlize Thereon is all over the place, and the final confrontation stretches credibility. But still, an enjoyable fantasy tale, though where will they go from here now that the sequel has been confirmed? 3/5

#35. Ted (Seth Macfarlane)

If you like Family Guy, here's more of the same! If you don't, turn away now. I can tolerate Family Guy these days but Ted should have risen above it, even just slightly. But it suffers from some of Family Guy's problems, like trying to have a heartwarming ending after tons of dick and fart jokes. Not buying it, guys. Still, acting's great, Patrick Stewart's narration is hilarious and I dig the premise. A good first try for Seth's film directing career, but let's hope he builds upon it from here. 3/5

#34. Rock Of Ages (Adam Shankman)

The perfect movie example for a balanced set of pros and cons. Pros: very good supporting cast and good music selection. Cons: poor choice in leads and bait-and-switch villains. For me, the good ultimately wins out, but only just. Doesn't deter me from wanting to see the stage musical, though. 3/5

#33. One For The Money (Julie Anne Robinson)

I was hoping this would have found a larger audience, I love the books (the ones I've read so far at least) and I want this to be a franchise. And I did have fun, but not as much as I should have been. Something's lacking, but I can't put my finger on it. Still, I didn't hate Katherine Heigl's performance, and I really don't like a lot of the stuff she's in. Maybe we can try again in TV series form? Please? 3/5

#32. A Dangerous Method (David Cronenberg)

I have to wonder if this was a stage production turned film, because it certainly seems like it. The three leads are well utilized and turn in marvelous performances. Good thing too, because the film would have fallen apart with nothing else to rely on. Still very much recommended. 3.5/5

#31. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns- Part 1 (Jay Oliva)

It should have been a slam dunk. Take a classic Batman story, split it into two films to properly cover it, and let the magic happen. But the creative team made the critical errors of removing the internal monologues and brightening the look of Gotham, a serious detriment to this and, potentially, Part 2. That's not to say it's all bad, but this is probably my least favourite from the DCUAO line. Please, please let Part 2 be better. 3.5/5

#30. The Great Mint Swindle (Geoff Bennett)

The only made-for-TV film on the list, and the only Australian one, but a decent effort. Shane Bourne goes against type, and the rest of the cast is very good, too. I doubt too many of you will see this, but it's not bad. 3.5/5


#29. Chronicle (Josh Trank)

The plot's an interesting take on the superpowered person angle. Shame the villain and his motivations are so textbook. One of the better found footage films I've seen, filled with surprises. I hear a sequel is in the works, curious as to how that will turn out. 3.5/5

#28. Superman Vs. The Elite (Michael Chang)

I think a 4 rating was a little too generous, now that I think about it. Sure, it's a very good film, but not quite up to snuff with previous Superman animated features (namely, All-Star Superman). Voice cast is nice, the story is great, but it just feels a little too streamlined. Still, none of the DCUAO films have sucked, but this year's batch hasn't been as good as the previous years. 3.5/5

#27. The Woman In Black (James Watkins)

If this is Hammer's way of saying “We're back”, consider that a good return. Supporting cast doesn't do much supporting, but the atmosphere works and the attempts at jump scares properly utilize the concept. Nice work, Daniel. Good to see you do well in post-Potter productions. 3.5/5

#26. My Week With Marilyn (Simon Curtis)

Very pleasant biopic, and Michelle Williams delivers a stellar performance as Marilyn. Hope her profile gets an increase after this, she is the best aspect of the film. 3.5/5

Alright, that's Part 1 done. Part 2, it'll be movies #25-6.
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