Top 10 Best Films of 2012

Better late than never, right? At least this list has the benefit of time and a few re-watches!

The Best of 2012 Films

Better late than never? Here are my picks for the best in film of 2012!

Retro DVD/Blu-Ray Update Week #36

DVD & Blu-Ray Collection Update #34 "Bond"
Date Posted: November 26, 2012
Summary: New DVD & Blu-Ray Collection Update. Check out my DVD & Blu-Ray collection update featuring old and new movie releases. Television Series' also featured. Mini Review included.

DVD & Blu-Ray Update March 2013

#1. Skyfall

After the the lifeless and mediocre Quantum of Solace, Skyfall manages to resume the top notch writing and character exploration initially set up in the first Daniel Craig Bond film, Casino Royale. Skyfall introduces a villain more in line with the classic era of Bond antagonists, played wonderfully by Javier Bardem, delivers some spectacular and exciting action sequences captured with glorious cinematography, offers the greatest Bond song since Goldeneye, and continues to explore the relationship between Bond and M in a compelling story that results in one of the best films of 2012.

#2. Mulan/Mulan II 3 Disc Special Edition

For whatever reason, Mulan does not have the reputation of being one of the great Disney films. Perhaps this was because the film was released near the end of Disney's resurgence and most were tired of the tried and true formula of a misfit hero seeking something more in their life with the help of comedic animals? Who knows...but as far as I am concerned, this film is excellent. The three main problems with the film are that the songs  (with the exception of "I'll Make a Man Out of You") are not particularly memorable, some of the antics of Eddie Murphy's Mushu character fall flat at points where it seems the writers were trying too hard to be comical, and the transition into the final act feels extremely forced (The final scene is also really lame). However, these are relatively minor problems in a film that has fantastic visuals in addition to the lively and engaging characters. Perhaps most impressive is the films ability to truly develop and explore the relationship between Mulan and the supporting characters. Disney tends to rush through the details of romances and motivations, but in this film a lot of attention is giving to forming these story points through conversations. Mulan is not nearly as flawless as some of the Disney greats, but the film is certainly strong and entertaining enough to belong in their company.

#3. The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2 Movie Collection

While I would argue that Mulan is a far better film that given credit...The Hunchback of Notre Dame is far less easy to defend. The main problem with the film is that the protagonist, Quasimodo, feels like a supporting cast member whose desire to experience life outside the church walls is pushed aside to focus on the motivations of antagonist Frollo and the romance between Esmeralda and Phoebus. Quasimodo is constantly a plot device used to progress their stories and only towards the end of the film does he finally become the primary participant. One could argue that considering his isolation from the real world, this is a perfect role for his character to play in the film, but even in that case the film still could have focused more on exploring his goals and thoughts rather than designating the task of motivating Quasimodo to the supporting cast. I do not share the hate most have for the Gargoyles, but they admittedly feel unnecessary and while some of their jokes offer laughs, at least as many fall flat. In fact, the comedy in this film is really weak and it drags the slapstick moments of hijinks on far too long. Conversely, the film is bold in it's exploration of the dangers of lust and the hypocrisy of religion while the animation, musical score, and songs are actually very damn good. It is a film with noticeable and cringe worthy flaws, but there is also a lot to admire about this film. Far from perfect, but an amusing watch.

#4. Wreck-It Ralph Collectors Edition

While the Disney Renaissance may have ended with Tarzan, some have argued that beginning with The Princess and the Frog Disney has begun a Third Golden Age. Considering the both Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph, the two films to follow Princess and the Frog, are excellent films, I would be inclined to agree with such statements. While the first two films are of the classic Disney Fairy Tale sort, Wreck-It Ralph would be the first modern times, high concept, type of Disney film (Oliver & Company, The Rescuers, ect.) of this proposed Third Golden Age and fortunately, it is a success. Granted, the films narrative is a little too predictable for its own good (even the biggest twist of the film, which admittedly caught me off guard, will have those who are surprised by it acknowledging that they should have caught on) and those who are bothered by puns will quickly find this film irritating. However, the film is filled with colorful characters who are brought to life with passion and personality by a great cast of voice-actors and even at its most predictable, the film is not afraid to go to cruel lengths to test our characters while hurrying through the more tiresome cliches. Fans of video games will find all kinds of little gems and gags geared directly towards them and the creativity behind the video game world is highly admirable (Sugar Rush game and theme are the best!). Also, as someone who gets a kick out of puns, the humour was right up my alley. Simply put, Wreck-it Ralph was made with a lot of love and is a lot of fun.

#5. Lincoln 4-Disc Combo Pack

Following Munich, the last truly great Steven Spielberg film before 2012, it was a difficult time to be a Steven Spielberg fan. While I would have and will continue to defend Spielberg as a genuinely great filmmaker, the period following Munich made it hard to do so. Indiana Jones 4, The Adventures of Tintin, and War Horse were fine films but no doubt failed to live up to the Spielberg greats and one could not help but groan at announcements of Spielberg's intentions to remake untouchable films such as Harvey or Old Boy. Then Spielberg may as well have walked up to me, given me the finger, and told me to never doubt him again with his newest film: Lincoln. Lincoln is a quiet and intimate film driven more by characters and performances than anything else. Both the content of the film and the way it is shot resembles 12 Angry Men in its ability to capture beautiful shots in simple locations such as offices with a script that is both intriguing and informative. Of course the brilliant Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a performance of legend, but every single actor and actress contributes greatly to this film in their ability to create such engaging characters. Considering the film literally consists primarily of people talking behind closed doors, those uninterested in politics may find themselves easily bored by this film. However, those like myself who are fascinated by the political world will be entranced by Lincoln, a film which presents a heist-film-like story where votes are the goal and both Abraham Lincoln and politics themselves are presented as flawed and in need to some rule bending in order to see justice prevail over ignorance. This is without a doubt one of the top 3 films of 2012.

#6. Peter Pan Diamond Edition

It had been years since I had last seen Peter Pan and while it was never one of my favourite Disney films as a child, I did develop a new found appreciation for the film when I finally revisited it on Blu-Ray. The voice acting is enthusiastic, making up for some characters who can, frankly, be annoying and/or uninteresting, the animation is imaginative and vibrant, and most importantly...the comedy is genius. Turning to physical gags and slapstick comedy, the film offers some big laughs, especially during the antics between Captain Hook and Mr. Smee. A classic film that gets a much deserved outstanding restoration on this Diamond Edition Blu-Ray.

#7. Breakfast at Tiffany's 50th Anniversary Edition

Little known fact about me: I have a huge 'thing' for Audrey Hepburn. Aside from the fact that she was beautiful beyond words, she was also an immense talent and legend with the kind of class all too uncommon today. Yes, I understand the flaws of creating an "idea" of someone. Like any human being she was probably far from perfect and had her own demons. However, as an actress, humanitarian, and public figure...she was nothing less then exemplary. Breakfast at Tiffany's features Audrey Hepburn in what is widely considered her most iconic role and for good reason. Her performance is extraordinary and is aided by an outstanding supported cast directed masterfully by Blake Edwards. Many have called Hepburn's character to be one of the earliest examples of the 'manic pixie dream girl' stock character featured in films such as Garden State or (500) Days of Summer. This statement really sells Hepburn's performance short. With Hepburn's talent, Edwards' direction, and George Axelrod's writing, together these artists have created a character far more fascinating and real than a brief four word description. A little cheesy? Perhaps. However in a time where 'real cinema', as pretentious douchebags would call it, must be harsh and dreary to reflect the tragic reality of life....a film like Breakfast at Tiffany's remains a testament that films for hopeless romantics like myself have their merit when handled with care and can become one of the greatest films of all time.

#8. Schindler's List 20th Anniversary Edition 

Many film snobs have written Schindler's List off as mere piece of Oscar baiting, emotionally manipulative, Hollywood fluff. They would be wrong. As someone who has seen his fair share of films centered around the Holocaust which take the lazy "it's the Holocaust...how can you not cry!" route, I can say with absolute conviction that Schindler's List is a masterpiece. The film can have it's detractors such as Terry Gilliam or Michael Haneke (the former mistakes it as a film that depicts the Holocaust as a triumph while ignorant to the fact that it is by Spielberg's own admission one singular story which took place during the Holocaust, while the latter has had the scene they criticized proven to be historical fact by actual survivors), but at the end of the day...none of it matters. Shot beautifully with a haunting score from John Williams, the film uses the black-and-white effect to create a raw and authentic feel to the film that immerses the audiences into the horrors of history. Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes lead a supporting cast and every single performance in this film is outstanding. Not only is this one of the greatest Spielberg films (I would argue THE greatest) but it is also one of the most important films ever produced. This moving film shocks, enlightens, and humbles you in ways that make for not only a superb film, but a transformative experience. 

STAR TREK INTO DARKNIGHT

I'll admit that I was never a Star Trek fan. I didn't hate it, I was just never exposed to it. Even to this day my knowledge on the Star Trek universe and the history of the show(s) is limited to character names, catchphrases, how Wrath of Kahn is supposedly the best film of the series, and anything else that can be learned from a quick wikipedia read-through.

Having said that, I was a fan of J.J. Abrams' reboot of the franchise. The reboot didn't entice me into the world of Star Trek any more than I already was (or wasn't) but the film did do its job as far as I'm concerned. It had great characters, a solid narrative, pathos, and it was an exciting popcorn flick. Now, after an unusual amount of time later, Star Trek Into Darkness is months away and the latest trailer has just made its debut.

There's something about this trailer that feels...ok. I get that this is a teaser and I'll be the first to admit that I complain when people whine about teasers not showing enough material, evidently failing to understand the definition of the word 'tease'. However what IS being presented here is still concrete enough to come to some conclusions. First, there isn't anything presented here that is bad or anywhere near worthy of being hated, in fact the film looks pretty solid and will probably be alright. However there isn't anything remotely noteworthy either.

Perhaps the problem lies in the style of the teaser, which opts for a The Dark Knight-esque vibe involving the villain spewing a monologue questioning the morals, safety, and societal structure of the heroes alongside the quickly getting irritating 'Inception horns'.

Now don't get me wrong, I do not agree AT ALL with this sudden ever growing idea of Christopher Nolan apparently being worst thing to happen not only to film, but just about every other medium as well. However this teasers style ultimately just leaves me with the impression that the film will be just like every other big summer blockbuster. Explosions? Got it. Villain giving ominous speech? Got it. Characters running and screaming in panic as chaos in unleashed amongst the public? Got it.

It also seems weird that with most of the films hype surrounded by the question of who Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing, they don't present him in any way to grab audience interest aside from suggesting he won't be much different than The Joker or Skyfall's Raoul Silva. Granted both aforementioned  characters are great villains, but with so much of this films buzz centered on this mystery, it'll be disappointing if they have little new to offer.

I get that this is a teaser and they may very well simply be going to the old familiar well of promotional techniques to get the average audiences excited for it, but as it stands, for a film that took this long to hit theaters, it doesn't exactly scream 'This is worth the wait!'

I Fall For "Skyfall" Theme

I’ve got to level with everyone. I’m not a huge fan of Adele. That’s not to say I hate her. I don’t. She has a great a voice and is a natural performer, but I don’t like any of her songs all that much. They’re fine (With the exception of the ridiculously annoying song “Rumor Has It”) but I can’t really bring myself to rave about them as much as everyone else seems to. However in general I feel what can only be described as ‘indifference’ towards her.

So when I recently found out she was lending her voice to the newest James Bond theme song for the upcoming film Skyfall, I was less than enthusiastic. It wasn’t completely due to her involvement as much as it was, to me, another bad sign pointing towards one more in a long line of recent forgettable or down right terrible Bond songs.

And so here it is….

What do I think?

Allow to me swallow my pride and admit that I really dig the hell out of it.

When it came to their theme songs, my problem with the Brosnon Bond films was that they were either bland or terrible (see Madonna’s “Die Another Day”). Now while I feel Casino Royale successfully rebooted the Bond franchise by bringing the character back to his bad ass roots in the best 007 film since Goldeneye, Chris Cornell’s song “You Know My Name” was a solid piece yet like many of its more recent predecessors, failed to be anything memorable. As for “Another Way To Die” by Alicia Keys and Jack White? Well let’s just say that Quantum of Solace has some big problems and the song doesn’t exactly help matters.

Now Adele’s “Skyfall” does something the last two Bond themes didn’t…it actually sounds like a James Bond song. Forget the fact that the song manages to include hints of the actual Bond score theme itself, it also has a suave and cool feel to it. You can just imagine a relaxed and casual Bond entering a room full of sophisticated socialites. Charming and cool, but underneath, ready to kick ass all with this song playing in the background. It just fits! Of course credit must go to Adele herself. Her voice is perfect for this song and her singing style makes it feel as though it could easily belong to more classic era of Bond films. She nails it.

After being somewhat disappointed with Quantum of Solace, I’m hoping Skyfall can continue the momentum set up by Casino Royale in bringing James Bond back to what made the character a legend in the first place. So far Adele’s “Skyfall” is a great indicator that the franchise is back on track.