Top Films of 2012

Over the past year I haven’t caught as many movies as I would have liked but there were still some gems amongst the ones I did get round to.

Instead of a traditional top ten list I’ll use this end of year post to point out some of the highlights of the past 12 months.

These are in no particular order and weren’t necessarily released in 2012.

Avengers Assemble – The first film to feature Marvel heroes Captain America, The Hulk, Iron Man and Thor turned out even better than anyone dared to hope. Bring on the sequel!

The Grey – Liam Neeson leads a group of plane crash survivors through the wilderness but they encounter a pack of hungry wolves. Manages to be exciting and thought-provoking with great turns from Neeson and Frank Grillo.

The Angels Share – A Scottish comedy drama about a group of offenders attempting to steal a very rare and valuable whisky. After a bleak start this becomes a hilarious tale of misadventure.

Stay Cool – A successful author returns to his own high school to give a speech to students. Marketed as a romantic comedy this funny and often poignant film is much more than it appears to be as the thirtysomething finds himself back in situations he first experienced as a teenager.

Dredd – Karl Urban delivers a true representation of the comic book judge / jury / executioner as Dredd must take on a feared drug dealer while training a rookie Judge. Mega-violent and fast paced this will please fans of hardcore action films.

End Of Watch – Two cops find themselves with a price on their heads in this top notch action thriller.

American Pie: Reunion – Jim, Stifler and the gang are as funny as ever in this cast get-together that must spawn further films. Far better than expected.

Rise Of The Guardians – A brilliantly animated film that breathes life into the legends of Santa, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, The Sandman and the unlikely hero Jack Frost as they take on the evil Pitch Black.

You can use the search facility to find my full reviews of all of the above.