The Summer Movie Season comes to a close this weekend and we’re now two-thirds of the way through 2012. Today is a good time to look back at the films that have hit cinemas thus far this year and reflect on what you have enjoyed, what you’ve loved, what met your expectations, what disappointed you, and what left you vomiting on the sidewalk.
Below is my own take on the year so far from the few films that have clicked with me, the ones I had various issues with, the painful experiences I wouldn’t do again, and the stuff I’ve missed or haven’t caught thus far which I’m determined to see before the year’s out.
What’s yours? Please leave your responses in the comments below:
Five Most Enjoyable Films Thus Far:
“The Avengers,” “21 Jump Street,” “The Grey,” “Ted,” “Chronicle”
Impressive But Oddly Disassociative:
“The Dark Knight Rises”
Solid, Should’ve Been Seen By More People:
“The Woman in Black,” “John Carter,” “The Secret World of Arrietty”
Solid, Hype Level Was About Right:
“The Hunger Games”
A Pretty Good TV Movie At Best:
“Haywire”
An Unremarkable TV Movie At Best:
“Magic Mike,” “Man on a Ledge”
Decent Starter With Potential, Sequels Need To Improve:
“The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Bourne Legacy”
Deeply Stupid Movie, Enjoyed It Anyway:
“The Expendables 2,” “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”
Best Gratuitous Nudity, Better Than Expected Film To Boot:
“Savages”
Had Potential But Almost Wastes It All:
“Bel Ami,” “The Dictator,” “God Bless America,” “Silent House,” “Safe House”
Some Good Elements That Didn’t Gel, Ultimately A Disappointment:
“Dark Shadows,” “Men in Black III”, “The Innkeepers”
Impressive FX, Absolutely No Other Redeeming Qualities:
“Total Recall,” “Snow White and the Huntsman”
Fascinating, Ambitious, Deeply Flawed, Disappointing:
“Prometheus”
Just Plain Atrocious:
“Piranha 3DD,” “Battleship”
Would Not Watch Again:
“Intruders,” “Albert Nobbs,” “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” “Underworld Awakening,” “Mirror Mirror,” “Wrath of the Titans,” “Lockout,” “Seeking Justice,” “Gone.”
Wanted To See But Haven’t Had A Chance Yet:
“Beasts of the Southern Wild,” “Bernie,” “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Brave,” “Cabin in the Woods,” “Cosmopolis,” “The Deep Blue Sea,” “Headhunters,” “The Intouchables,” “Kill List,” “Killer Joe,” “The Lady,” “Lawless,” “Monsieur Lazhar,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” “Paranorman,” “The Pirates! Band of Misfits,” “The Raid,” “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” “Side by Side,” “The Sound of My Voice”
About The Critic
