I already posted my Top 13 Best Movies of 2012 and of course it is natural that I also post my Top 13 Worst.

These are my top personal picks and I’m not saying that these are the movies that you should hate, these are just the movies that I watched last year that I personally hated for one reason or another. There are some other bad movies that came out this year that wouldn’t be on this list because I didn’t get to see them (chose not to see for some). Take Breaking Dawn Part 2 for example. I chose not to see it because I know I’d hate it. And the money spent watching it would be better spent on something else like giving it to beggars on the street. However, for the movies that I did see here they are:

13 Men In Black 3

It just didn’t work for me. Will Smith is Will Smith and he will always be awesome in whatever he does but it wasn’t enough to save the movie. I still want to give them another chance to redeem themselves though and make another one but it might already be too late.

12 Dredd

I had great expectations with this movie because the whole point of it all was to make everyone forget about the Stallone version. But It turned out, the Stallone version was more likable compared to it. 

11 Total Racall

Another reiteration of an 80’s movie meant to reintroduce it to the younger generation that failed miserably. Easily forgettable, like you’ll forget about it in T-minus 2 days. Yup, already forgotten.

10 John Carter

I thought it was great the first time I watched it in the cinema but then thought it wasn’t the case in my second viewing at home. Taylor Kitsch should find another agent because he keeps on showing up in every shitty movie that came out in 2012.

9 Rock Of Ages

Tom Cruise as an asshole rockstar? What could go wrong? Everything. It had some fun moments but it just didn’t work for me. 

8 Dark Shadows

It screened the same time as Brave in our local cinema and I chose it over Brave. Wrong move. As a result, I missed Brave and had to wait for it to come out in DVD. It was just so tempting. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton together again, this was meant to be awesome but ended up the other way around. The sequel could be something to look forward to though.

7 The Grey 

Liam Neeson sort of had a rough time last year in my opinion. From Aslan, Zeus, Qui-Gon Jinn, and a badass dad in Taken, then we get this, a lonely guy who gets to punch a wolf. It had some great philosophical and spiritual themes in it but it was too dragging and a total waste of over 2 hours for me.

6 Underworld: Awakening

Do we really need a fourth installment? Nope. I thought Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans was a great closing of the book for the franchise but they had to do it. And it felt forced and unpleasant to watch.

5 Taken 2

The trailer gave me chills when it first premiered and I was really excited about the whole thing. I really loved Taken and I thought I would have the same feeling with the sequel. Totally not the case. Come on Liam Neeson, you have to get your shit together man and bounce back hard. 

4 Battleship

See what I’m talking about? Taylor Kitsch, you should fire your agent. It was a good alien invasion movie but tying it up with a classic kid’s board game? Give me a break.

3 The Dictator

We have harnessed the power of fire, evolved into a great civilization and are set to expand our knowledge by seeking out intelligent life forms in the distant stars. This movie is an embarrassment for mankind. 

2 Expandables 2

Too much testosterone for my taste. At the same time senseless. And stupid. That is all.

1 Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance

Nicholas Cage WHAT THE FUCK? How can a movie be this bad? We don’t deserve this. We deserve better. You should’ve given up the role to somebody else. This isn’t going to work. 

Runners up: Snow White And The Huntsman, The Three Stooges, Resident Evil: Retribution

“Throughout most of the Depression, Americans went assiduously, devotedly, almost compulsively, to the movies… the movies offered a chance to escape the cold, the heat, and loneliness; they brought strangers together, rubbing elbows in the dark of movie palaces and fleapits, sharing in the one social event available to everyone.”                         

- Director Carlos Stevens

Although the Great Depression has been long forgotten in the consciousness of today’s generation, it is surprising to know that in 2016, it is estimated that Americans will be spending $30.9 Billion on movies (theater, dvd, downloads).

I love watching movies because it’s a form of escapism. For just a few hours in the cinema or even just seated in front of your laptop, you get to forget the pressing stuff of the real world and just be entertained. 

Below is a list of 13 movies that I have enjoyed watching this year:

13 Chronicle

What would you do if one day you wake up and realise you have powers to move objects and fly? Me, there will be no hesitation. I will make a costume and become a superhero. But the characters in Chronicle did the exact opposite. The movie was an awesome warm welcome to a year full of superhero films.

12 Safe House

Denzel Washington is just a badass actor. He can do whatever he wants. There were a lot of action/thriller movies that came out this year but Safe House stood out the most in my opinion.

11 Ted

I’ve been a fan of Seth McFarlane’s works ever since and I knew I had to watch this movie the first time I heard about it. The dude just keeps on proving to everyone that he can deliver. The story is about a dude who lives with a teddy bear that came to life as a result of a childhood wish. 

10 Bourne Legacy

I’ve always been a fan of Bourne movies. In my opinion, I think the Bourne Identity revolutionized the way Hollywood made spy movies. It made the creators of Bond films rethink the way they treat their main character and had to reboot. Bourne Legacy is the fourth installment of the franchise but Jason Bourne isn’t even in the movie. It has the longest car chase I’ve ever seen and it was shot in the streets of Manila, Philippines. The only thing that sort of made this movie become included on this list.

9 Argo

Ben Affleck is rapidly turning into one of today’s best directors in Hollywood. He’s been on a roll from Gone Baby Gone to The Town and now this, Argo. It’s a true story about the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran. Affleck plays Tony Mendez, a CIA specialist who develops a plan of  creating a cover story that the escapees are Canadian filmmakers, scouting “exotic” locations in Iran for a similar sci-fi film titled “Argo”. The last half of the movie made me bite on my nails so hard that I’m still having a hard time typing this.

8 Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World

This year is the end of the Mayan Calendar and there are a lot of theories suggesting that it will be the end of the world as we know it in a few days. I can’t say entirely that I don’t believe in it but maybe I’m just too scared to believe. I would like to believe in what the other skeptics say: it won’t be the end of the world it will merely be a renewal of a cycle. It will be just like throwing away last year’s pocket calendar during New Years. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World is a movie about a lonely guy who meets a girl just a few days before an asteroid hits earth.

7 Brave

When the first trailer came out, I thought it was going to be a story about Goldilocks and the three bears. Instead, it’s a story set in the highlands of Scotland about a skilled archer named Merida who defies an age-old custom, causing chaos in her kingdom. After consulting a witch for help, her family becomes cursed and Merida is forced to undo the spell herself before it is too late. Simply the only computer generated movie I enjoyed this year.

6 Skyfall

Daniel Craig returns in his final Bond movie as an aging 007 who has fallen from grace but comes back, although rusty, to stop a terrorists who targets the MI6. Now it could make for a boring James Bond movie but it’s not. It still has that dark and more realistic theme that we have seen in Casino Royale but it also has some fun and throwbacks in reference to the old school classic James Bond that fans wanted. We get the James Bond movie that we deserve. And the one we need.

5 Rurouni Kenshin

Samurai X was the best anime in my opinion. Or maybe I just don’t really watch a lot of anime but regardless. The first time I heard that they were going to make a live action adaptation my initial reaction was rage. It could ruin the legacy of the anime and the manga just like what happened to Deathnote and worst, Dragonball. But then I started to hear a lot of good things about it on its initial release, I gave it chance. And surprise surprise! It’s as close to perfect! The part where Kenshin wore that red kimono for the first time gave me chills. It was a legit all around awesome movie. 

4 Dark Knight Rises

One of my most anticipated movies that came out this year. Although I was quite adamant at first when images of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman came out. But in the end I thought it was a great way to end the trilogy. It’s a fact that no one will ever live up to Heath Ledger in the The Dark Knight but Tom Hardy also did a great job. I do hope though that Nolan will reconsider and make another sequel.

3 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

For those of you who know me and those of you who don’t, I am an enormous LOTR fan. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is part one of a trilogy that takes place before The Lord Of The Rings that tells the story about Bilbo and his adventure with Gandalf and a bunch of dwarves and how he found the ring that changed the fate of everyone in Middle Earth half a century after. Bilbo Baggins is being played by Martin Freeman and he owns it as Bilbo! You watch this movie and you’re like, “this is the only Bilbo Baggins that I want to know”. You don’t even think about Ian Holmes, I mean I love Ian Holmes in LOTR but all I’m saying is, Martin Freeman is completely perfect. We also have Ian McKellen back as Gandalf and he is back to being Gandalf The Gray again because we’re back half a century in the past and he kills it in the the movie also. We get a lot of Gandalf screentime this time and any movie that has a ton of Gandalf screentime is a pretty good movie to me. There are a lot of dwarves in the movie and they all have their own personalities that stand out but Thorin was a complete badass. I wanted to like this dude in the movie and I liked him as much as I wanted to. His and Bilbo’s relationship is something that you wanna grasp into and how they try to become friends is the movie’s whole centerpiece and I loved it. The Last two hours just completely blows all the cylinders. It’s everything I wanted The Hobbit to be. The riddle in the dark segment with Gollum was awesome. I could watched that in 3 hours and still be completely entertained. That was a great scene and Gollum looks awesome. The tech they used on Gollum is now advanced ten years and he looks picture perfect. The movie is a great welcome return to Middle Earth and if you’re an LOTR fan, watch it and if you’re not an LOTR fan and if LOTR didn’t win you over, I think this movie will. I want to watch it all over again.   

2 Prometheus

Prometheus is a Sci-Fi movie directed by Ridley Scott. The setting takes place in the same universe as Ridley Scott’s previous Alien movies and it follows a crew of scientists on a ship called Prometheus who are convinced that they have found the origins of us and all lifeforms and it’s from a certain planet deep in space and they plan on going there to say hi. So afterwards, they land there and then bad shit starts happening and at some point IQ’s start dropping to zero. I mean it’s a typical sci-fi movie, you know that getting in the movie but what I like about it is the premise. Where did we all come from? Why are we here? Don’t tell me those questions haven’t crossed your mind at some point in your life. What if the answer is in the heavens, but instead of a bearded deity, what if our creators were extraterrestrials? And, if so, who or what created them? Movies like this makes me think and be entertained at the same time and that’s the reason why it’s number two on the list.

1 The Avengers

Four years ago in the movie Iron Man, we were promised The Avengers and even then we were all, “is it real?” And this year it has come to fruition. The movie is like two hours and twenty minutes long and that’s completely perfect. In fact, when you’re watching the movie you’re like “dude I don’t want this to end”. Usually for a two hour and twenty minute movie, by the time it ends you’re ready for it to end. Now in the Avengers movie you’re like “no I wanna see him Hulk out more!” and “I wanna see Thor smash Loki with his hammer more!” The last twenty minutes of this film is worth it. It was just awesome and kickass but also, you get the first two hours that is also pretty good like it’s the end of an era kind of stuff. I know they will make another Avengers movie again and they will all come together again in the future but it won’t be as cool as the first time you see all these great characters together in one movie ever. It’s a sort of feeling that you don’t quite get in movies these days anymore.

Runners up: (Cabin In The Woods, 21 Jump Street)

The thing that made me really interested with the movie when I first heard about it last year was the inclusion of Chloe Moretz in the cast. I’ve been in love with this girl since she wore that Hit-Girl costume and that feeling was exemplified in Let Me In. 

I just love everything about the movie. The vibrant color schemes the most. My only regret is not seeing it on 3D. James Cameron reportedly said that the film’s 3D is the best he’s ever seen. 

“I’d imagine the whole world was one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts, you know. They always come with the exact amount they need. So I figured if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn’t be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason too.”

I’m a sucker for movies with a lot of existentialism in it and this movie is one of them. Deism. New schools of thought. Rationality. Enlightenment. The Age of Reason. People taking comfort in the idea of logic in the universe. Just a few of the things that I love about the movie’s inner meaning.

I haven’t really read the book and I was a bit surprise because I wasn’t aware that the movie was gonna be about the early days of cinema. Back when it was a new experience to everyone. Do you remember the first movie you watched when you were a kid? I can still remember vaguely, my first memory of me watching a movie was back when I was about 5 or 6. It was Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. That memory is special and I will never forget that feeling of awe. In Hugo, there’s this brief sequence that reminded me of that feeling. An audience cowering as a train looms out of the screen at them.

We’ll never get back to that childlike sense of awe those early viewers felt back when movies were still in their infancy, we can only feel a little shiver of envy.

At first, I thought Hugo was gonna be another one of those movies that are solely made to bag some Oscars. I was wrong. It’s another Scorsese masterpiece.

Today I celebrated my birthday 2 days early. I took my mom, aunts, cousin and nephew out to watch Chronicle. And man I really loved it!

If you don’t like spoilers, you can skip reading this post.

Ever since I saw the trailer during the holidays last year, I’ve been really curious what it was about. I didn’t even know it was gonna be another “found footage” type of movie (which honestly speaking, is way too overused these days). But I think it’s a step up for that movie genre because the creators (director Josh Trank and screenwriter Max Landis) packed it with smartness. 

The way in which shots are framed is really clever, it really does seem as if we’re seeing everything through Andrew’s (one of the protagonists and later turned antagonist) lens.  From brushing his teeth to the bullies in his life, everything. The rock and roll of teen emotions is really reflected in such a way that it all seem real. 

What I also like about the movie is how they explored telekinesis in a whole new perspective. If you have telekinesis, we all know you could move stuff with your mind but what we didn’t know is that you can also move yourself! Which means if you concentrate real hard, you could actually fly!  Who hasn’t dreamed about flying? I have! A thousand times!

Another thumbs up for the creators was when they used the characters’ telekinetic powers to their advantage. As Andrew gets way more powerful, he realizes that there is no need for him to carry the camera with his hands, he can control it to follow him around wherever he goes. That enables the viewers to have awesome different points of view aside from the traditional boring static or “shaky” footages in previous movies in this genre.

It was really fun watching them develop their powers over time. At first, they didn’t even know what to do with it. They would spend a lot of time doing a lot of pranks just like what normal teenage boys would do. But seriously man, none of them even thought of being a superhero? Come on! If I had those powers, the first thing I’d do is make a costume and think of a smart and catchy superhero name! But anyway, the main story of the movie is centered around Andrew, a social outcast and troubled kid who gets bullied a lot at school and at home by his drunk father. All throughout the movie you’d be like, “Oh just wait til he gets powers. Oh he’s gonna fuck you all up all over the place.” And he does. It’s not a superhero origin story movie, instead it’s more of an interesting super villain origin story. 

The ultimate battle in the end was really sick! A whole compilation of cellphone, CCTV, news report cameras, miltitary footage of Andrew and his cousin Matthew doing an epic battle in the city of Seattle. Again, another step up in the “found footage” genre.

I enjoyed the living shit out of Chronicle. More than I thought I would. And that’s saying something. What I thought was a cool movie but would end up being stupid and a joke turned out to be innovative, smart and really entertaining.

After the movie, we had some pizza and chicken. Just a simple but very fun way to celebrate my birthday :D

The movie comes out today, in the USA, Canada, Poland and Italy only. It won’t be showing in most places until next week (see this info).

This is a request going out to the people lucky enough to be in the first release group. Please put your spoilery reactions and any images behind a cut. Please. Tumblr has been awful for movie spoilers lately, especially as cam releases now seem to be arriving within a day or two of release. And it really sucks being exposed to the entirety of a movie in gif form before it even arrives in the theatre.

Please be courteous, that’s all.

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