My Top 25 Favorite Movies of 2012, Part 4

I'm going on an adventure!


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

So what, precisely, is wrong with this movie, Part One of "The Hobbit" trilogy?  Well, for starters, it's full of musical numbers and childish humor.  - It was written for kids. -  It's got the exact same story structure as "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.  - Just like the original novel. -  It's drawn out with too much extra stuff from the appendices of "Rings".  - People complained that too much of the original novels were left out of the "Rings" trilogy. -  We already know how it's going to turn out.  - Of course we do.  It's a prequel .-  Peter Jackson is waaaaay too overindulgent as a filmmaker.  - Absolutely.  But if you love what he's indulging in, it's heaven on Earth.  A four-hour extended cut of "King Kong"?  Bring it on, says I! -  I like "An Unexpected Journey".  It's the least best of the five "Rings" movies released so far but, heck, the riddle scene with Gollum, on its own, is better than most of the movies released in 2012.  Returning to the rich and detailed cinematic world of Middle Earth that Jackson and company have created is always a pleasure.  Note:  My preferred version of this movie is the Extended Edition.  The difference is not as great as the one between the theatrical and extended versions of the original trilogy (I can't watch the theatrical versions of the OT - too much of my favorite stuff is missing, it's distracting), but it's still improved:  The pacing is better, there's more focus on Bilbo Baggins (who often felt like he was missing from his own movie in the theatrical cut), the funniest jokes in the movie are in the extended cut, and the Rivendell and Goblin Kingdom sequences are filled out and much more satisfyingly complete.  But that's just my opinion.  It's your call.

Dredd

Remember the 80's?  Remember all of the hyper-violent police thrillers and sci-fi epics released during that golden decade?  Well, one filmmaker certainly does.  His name is Pete Travis, director of "Dredd", the latest movie incarnation of the cult hit British comic book character named "Judge Dredd".  Sylvester Stallone previously attempted to portray the character in the 90's, but that didn't really work out (the first two thirds of the movie was fun, but it fizzled out miserably in the final act).  They got it right this time.  Despite having a lower budget than the Stallone version, "Dredd" manages to be the gritty, entertaining action flick it should be, with a whopping dose of in-your-face violence, dark satire and good 'ole lovable 1980's cheese.  Karl Urban is the new Judge Dredd, and while, yes comic book fans, he keeps his helmet on the entire time, he also play it perfectly, complete with a "Dirty Harry"-era Clint Eastwood line delivery.  Since Dredd is an immovable rock of absolute justice, the real character arc of the story belongs to Judge-in-training Anderson, played very well by Olivia Thirlby.  The plot, while heavily reminiscent of the superior action movie "The Raid: Redemption", remains effective nonetheless and the 3D effects are quite stunning, so catch it in that format if possible.  "Dredd" is a straight-up point-A-to-Point-B sci-fi action flick that satisfies.

Sinister

Here's an example of a perfect cross-genre movie.  What's a perfect cross-genre movie, you ask?  Well, if you remove one the movie's genres, it still manages to be a great movie.  Example: "Sinister".  I describe it as a horror/drama.  Take out the drama and it would be a fantastic horror flick.  Take out the horror and it would still be a gripping drama.  Instead, it's a pitch-perfect blend of both.  Drama-wise, it's about a controversial real-crime writer (Ethan Hawke) who moves his family into the house of his latest subject, an unsolved murder case involving an entire family.  Tension mounts with local law enforcement, the strain on his family threatens domestic turbulence, and his obsession with the case may lead him down the path of madness.  Add to that the real cause of all the tragedy - an ancient Babylonian demon named Baghul, who targets the writer's family as his next victims.  It's great to see Hawke in a horror movie.  Besides just being one of my favorite actors, he's also really, really good at being scared (and fun to watch).  Director Scott Derrickson ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose", "Hellraiser: Inferno") is a master of building tension, creating effective jump scares, and composing disturbing imagery.  The only "drawback" is this: While the end twist of the film is too easy to see coming, at the same time, you don't want it to be true.  It's fine, though.  The icing on the cake is the utterly frightening score.  The music, in and of itself, is freaky as hell.  If you put this score over a Muppet movie, you will still brown your shorts in fear.  "Sinister" is the best horror movie of 2012.

Moonrise Kingdom

A mix of French New Wave cinema, cartoon realism, East Coast 60's retro trappings, fairy tale romanticism, stage play theatrics, madcap comedy, and a dash of dark satire, "Moonrise Kingdom" is the latest gem from Wes Anderson, whose entire filmography is composed of all those disparate elements.  In fact, it's safe to say that if Anderson releases a movie in a year, it will appear on my favorites list of that year.  This time the comedy is centered around a whimsical romance between two young lovers, gifted kids with inventive minds enraptured by the fog of first love.  Swirling around these two love birds is an entire East Coast island full of eccentric characters played by cool character actors (Bob Balaban rocks).  Everything about this movie tickles my funny bone.  Plus, the Khaki Scouts of America bring back my fond memories of the Boy Scouts and all of the lightweight wilderness adventure that came with it.  Ah, memories. . .

. . . of poison ivy, leeches, ticks, sunburns, nasty pranks, splinters, soaking rain, bloodthirsty bears. . .

Skyfall

James Bond received a wonderful present for his 50th birthday when "Skyfall" opened in theaters in 2012.  Not only was it the first Bond movie to make over $1 billion, but it was intelligently made and just plain wicked cool.  Under the direction of accomplished filmmaker Sam Mendes ("American Beauty", "Road to Perdition"), it manages to be one of those rare sequels that satisfies all of the genre requirements while simultaneously turning all of the old standby conventions on their head.  It always amazes me how captivating this movie is, and it's all due to the performances.  Daniel Craig remains one of my favorite Bond actors, Javier Bardem is one of the best and scariest Bond villains ever, Judi Dench finally gets the lengthy screen time she deserves, and the rest of the cast, all the way down to the extras, are fantastic.  Aside from the big, bold opening sequence, it's not the most action-packed Bond of all time.  It's very character-driven, and the reason you can't look away is because the actors involved are so high caliber that every scene is an electric charge of awesome.  That's not to say that the rest of the film is lacking - it's not.  Everything is quality with "Skyfall":  the music, the cinematography (especially the cinematography), the editing, the stunt work, etc.  Speaking as a longtime Bond fan, this was not only a fine tribute to all that's come before, but it's a vital reinvigoration that leaves you craving more.  James Bond will return?  You bet your finely-tailored ass he will!

Next time - the final chapter.