Top Ten Films of 2012

I thought it might give you a good idea of my own personal preferences and biases as a reviewer if you could see what films from the last year I really liked. Take into account that I still haven't seen two films that I was eager to see in 2012 - Seven Psychopaths and The Man With The Iron Fists, both of which I suspect were awesome. 

10. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey  - A bit over long, and the story's not as epic as the film tries to make it out to be, but a fantastic lead performance from Martin Freeman, the best scene ever done with Gollum and the usual midget-based action adventure from Jackson snuck this film in over Skyfall

9. The Dark Knight Rises - The Dark Knight is my favourite film of all time, and this film comes nowhere close to matching its predecessor,  so all in all this film disappointed me (mostly plot-based issues). However, Nolan's final outing with the Caped Crusader had some explosive action, an engaging and entertaining villain and typical Batman badassery. Never fails to please

8. Dredd - Mindless violence, little characterisation - exactly how a Judge Dredd movie should be. The tragedy that was the Stallone adaptation can become a happily distant memory thanks to this all-out, ball-busting thriller of an action movie. Sit back and watch the big man kick some ass.

7. Killing Them Softly - A concise, well-paced (but not slow) story, Killing Them Softly, had some genuine grittiness to it (For the record, anybody who tries to call the Bourne trilogy and similar action films 'gritty' needs to be slapped with a dictionary), and the realistic, painful portrayal of violence gave this film some excellent tension and, much as I hate this word, realism. Brad Pitt does his leading man thing, while Ray Liotta gives a humble and incredibly impressive turn as a wormy, cowardly mobster.

6. Looper - In the spirit of Inception, this films sees Joseph-Gordon Levitt being solemn, handsome and snarky to a backdrop of inventive and original science-fiction. The action was great, as was the drama and the acting. And it's nice to see Bruce Willis in an honest-to-god serious action movie.

5. The Hunger Games - Inferior to the book, but the strong, gripping story and the excellence of Katniss' character (brought to life excellently by Jennifer Lawrence) remain. The film's fantastic visuals in the Capitol (I can't get enough of dystopian futures. One of my favourite fictional concepts) contradicts the tension and action inside the arena wonderfully. 

4. Ted - Dumb? Undoubtedly. Side-splitting? Also true. I can't remember the last time I saw a genuinely  hilarious comedy in cinemas, but Seth Macfarlane's Ted takes all the best things about Family Guy (essentially just offensive comments and pop culture references) and brings it to the big screen successfully. Seeing the roguish bear talk about 9/11 and Flash Gordon definitely sticks in the memory.

3. Prometheus - Alright, alright, settle down. I loved this film. To pieces. I don't care about the negative reception it got; the film had great action, an A-list cast bringing their A-game, some genuinely smart ideas, ambition and darkness - this was how The Dark Knight Rises should have been. Just with less spaceships. On a similar note, Michael Fassbender's outstanding performance as David is probably the best cinematic acting I've seen since Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

2. Avengers Assemble - I am proud to say that I am and forever will be a Joss Whedon fanboy. And Christ, did he validate my high opinion of him this year. Combining fantastic set-pieces, sublime dialogue, truly convincing performances and balanced characters, Avengers showed the world how action-comedies need to be made. And kudos to it for avoiding being 'Tony Stark and friends'

1. The Cabin in the Woods - We're not finished with Joss yet. Whedon may have only co-wrote it, but his dazzling wit and affinity for the unexpected shine through in this twisty-turny, surprising and mesmerising psychological-comedy-drama-horror-spoof-action-conspiracy-sci-fi-fantasy-thriller. A film that remains hilarious and shocking without sacrificing intelligence, Drew Goddard's directorial debut also boasts spot-on performances and one of the greatest plots to ever hit the screen. Once again, Joss Whedon demonstrates to the world why I love him more than my friends, my family, and my own existence.