2012 is coming to a close and so Kevin and I wanted to talk about the movies we liked this year, you know, cause we love movies like most people love music.
Of course we couldn't see everything and there are quite a few movies we would've liked to see on our list but couldn't because we didn't get around to seeing them. So the first section is:
3 Movies we wanted to see:
Isaiah: Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook, Rise of the Guardians
Kevin: Argo, Seven Psychopaths, Moonrise Kingdom.
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There are always those movies to admire but aren't quite worthy of a top 10 spot. In no particular order:
Kevin:
- 21 Jump Street
-The Hunger Games
-The Amazing Spider-man
-The Avengers
Isaiah:
-The Dark Knight Rises
-The Hunger Games
-The Avengers
-21 Jump Street
-Bernie
And the list begins. With #10-6...
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| The Raid: Redemption |
Isaiah
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| The Hobbit: Unexpected Journey |
I wasn't as nearly as excited as everyone else was for the Hobbit. Seeing the first trailer, It felt like Peter Jackson was away from the lore for too long and it just looked like it was going to be an odd film that would be all over the place in terms of action and character. Good thing I was wrong considering I spent over 10 dollars to see an almost 3 hour film. The hobbit isn't Peter Jackson's best middle earth adventure, but neither was "Fellowship of the Ring," and the two share similar direction and pacing. On a technical note The Hobbit has improved in CGI if you can believe it, and while there can be too much of it. The comedy, performances, and incredible action for what seems to be the lightest of the trilogy is certainly worth of watch if you're a fan of Jackson's LOTR series.
Kevin
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| Cloud Atlas |
I always admire filmmakers who tackle on book adaptations that are usually considered "unfilmable." In this day and age I don't think there is such a thing as an unfilmable book. The really big question people should be looking at is whether it translates well to the screen. Cloud Atlas is six stories told through six different time periods that inevitably tell one large story. It takes a while to get used to the way the film is edited. Instead of having one story play all the way through then going to the next it shows all the stories happening simultaneously through various intercutting. It's jarring at first but works well in telling these stories as one singular story. The acting in the film was amazing with each cast member portraying six different roles. It does get a bit distracting when you know a certain character is suppose to be a certain race or gender then gets changed completely but its a minor distraction. A really well done film that will be polarized for years to come.
Isaiah
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| The Amazing Spider-Man |
If I had to pick a comic book movie that would be a top 10 movie, it would be The Amazing Spider-Man. It had a lot to look forward too: Marc Webb as the director, Gwen Stacy, The Lizard, Talented Andrew Garfield as the lead role, and not Sam Raimi. It also had a lot going against it. The reboot seemed too soon, Old actors playing young high school roles, and it was going against The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers. Despite doubts, the movie was able to deliver. Great performances, visuals, action, and a more acrobatic spider-man made this popcorn hero flick something a little bit more. As for being rebooted so quickly: There are so many different universes for spider-man in comic books and comic books are always being rebooted, offering new takes on classic heroes. Why can't it be the same for movies?
Kevin
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| The Hobbit: Unexpected Journey |
I'm a really big Lord of the Rings...movie fan. However I wasn't really that excited for the Hobbit. It's probably my whole bias against prequels that stemmed from Star Wars. I don't hate all prequels but I don't really find them necessary. I enjoyed the film but knowing that The Hobbit is just one book and that the plan is to split it into two films which later turned into three left me with this feeling: Was splitting it really necessary? I felt some scenes dragged on way too long than they're suppose to because it is trying to make up for the time length needed for a feature length film. I honestly believe this could've just been told in one film, or even two, but not three. I'm still excited for the other two parts though and do enjoy this one. It is just the start.
Isaiah
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| Skyfall |
Stuck in the fail that was MGM, Daniel Craig's James Bond is back with Skyfall. Half Reboot, half Origin Story, "Skyfall" brings a pretty simple easy to follow plot. (I'm looking at you "Quantum") Mix that in with well crafted action sequences, beautiful Bond Girls, (Known as Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe, and Aston Martin) Sam Mendes' direction, and an entertaining villain, and the result you get is Classic Bond. James Bond.
Kevin
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| Prometheus |
Ridley Scott is one of my favorite directors. His ability to create worlds is one that I'm extremely fond of. When it was announced that he was going to be creating another science fiction movie I was excited to see him return to a realm that is not real world or historical epic. The grand scale and the magnificent visuals kept me locked in and invested in the world. The opening sequence of the film is probably my single favorite scene in a film for this year. Story was complex but cliche in the context of me being an avid science fiction fan and would know the kind of ideas they were exploring beforehand. The acting was good with everyone giving fairly decent performances. However I cannot really forgive the stupidity of most of the characters during pretty dire situations. The director's cut does explain why they make these stupid decisions but it's still a gripe I have. All in all I enjoyed it. Michael Fassbender's performance as the android, David, is truly something to watch.
Isaiah
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| Chronicle |
Found footage is pretty much a miss when it comes to movies. It's now a definitive template of the Horror Genre every year and there hasn't been a proper american execution of it since "Cloverfield." Then you get movies like "chronicle," which not only tackles found footage, but also the superhero genre. There's something special with the way Max Landis writes these young characters that separates them from the like of Peter Parker. It might be that they all don't deserve these abilities, even if one of them is already aware of the consequences that could come with being gifted. Josh Trank's direction brings not just a dark tone to the movie, but also a raw one, wisely using the found footage format to create a horrific story about one child becomes mad with power. It's also nice that they don't use the word "superhero" in it either.
Kevin
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| Rise of the Guardians |
A lot of childhood memories get brought up in the film. The same can be said about "Wreck-it-Ralph" but there was something about the visual design and animation of Guardians that I found to be far superior. The visual edge of the film makes it stand out and very much brings these fantasy characters to life in a greater sense. The story wasn't all that but it was pretty much all that was needed in order to have all these characters together. It could've gone into several different directions but it is understandable why they decide to stick with a story that is not too complex. This is mainly targeted to kids after all. The cast was great, however I was kind of a little distracted by Chris Pine's voice. This is mainly due to him playing a much younger character and while his voice fits the character it is a little distracting that he sounds like a guy in his 20s playing a younger teenager.
Isaiah
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| Safety Not Guaranteed |
I couldn't say that I was finished watching "Safety Not Guaranteed" once the credits started rolling. It was ridiculous. The story of 3 offbeat characters, led by Aubrey Plaza, meeting another extremely offbeat character (see picture above) provided for some extremely hilarious character drama, but there was something that had me go "What?" A week after watching it I was still thinking weather I liked the movie or not. My conclusion It's funny, it's charming, IT'S ORIGINAL, and the four characters in the film all stand out on their own. I loved it. It's one of the hidden gems of 2012.
See the "Top 5" here
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