Looking back, I have to say that 2012 was a pretty decent year for films. 21 Jump Street turned out much funnier than I’d expected and Kristen Stewart managed to not be entirely awful in Snow White and the Huntsman. (Wish I could say the same for the abominable Twilight shitfest.) I enjoyed the much-anticipated blockbuster that was the The Hunger Games as well as the low-budget indie Chronicle, both fresh perspectives on relatively stale ideas (rebellion in dystopia and kids with super powers, respectively). Ted and Wanderlust both offered tons of laughs despite their inferior plots (or lack thereof, in Ted‘s case) and Oliver Stone finally broke the Hollywood trend of making movies that try to appeal to as broad an audience as possible by giving us Savages, a movie for grown-ups, dammit. Looper didn’t get nearly as much hype as it deserved and sadly, Prometheus got too much.
Amongst the good, the bad (I’m talking to you, Sinister) and the mediocre were a handful of films that pretty much blew my mind. Here is that handful (each linked to their respective review):
DJANGO UNCHAINED – My review is in the works so in the meantime, I’ll merely say that I loved every minute of Django. The costumes, the music, 
the violence, the scenery – it all completely and utterly dazzled me. And the dialogue is some of the best I’ve heard in a film. Ever. Jamie Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson are typically delightful but the divine talent exhibited by both Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio is the stuff legends are made of. I had been waiting for this flick for months, had trumped it up in my head as the highlight of the year and now, having watched every delicious minute, all I can say is: it did not disappoint. Long live Quentin Tarantino.
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS – with spoilers and without spoilers
Which of 2012′s movies are your favorites?
~Nikki
Have put up my list of favorites on my blog. As for the choices you made I can agree with you for the movies I have seen (still waiting for Django and Silver Linings to be released).
My list is not too different from yours at all–I’d say I loved Avengers, Looper, and even MIB III, and of course applause to The Hobbit. But my total fave was–kind of obviously since I wrote the review, haha–Cabin in the Woods.
Omigod, I forgot The Hobbit!! How could I possibly forget my beloved Gollum?! For shame! I can’t believe I did that! *slaps forehead*
I did really like The Hobbit and am working on its review. It wasn’t perfect but it did get some things perfectly right and my issues with it were all relatively minor. More on that to come…
I haven’t seen Les Miserables yet but if it’s as good as its reviews have claimed, I may want to add it to this list, too.
Thanks!
Nikki