Martin McDonagh’s first feature, In Bruges, was a powerful home run when it arrived in 2008, and if Seven Psychopaths does not quite reach those same exhilarating heights, it was more than worth the wait. This clever and introspective meta-narrative is a marvel of screenwriting and characterization, and is as purely, blissfully entertaining as any other film in 2012.
Seven Psychopaths is not currently playing in theatres, but will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray January 29th, 2013.
Christopher Nolan’s epic conclusion to his Batman trilogy is not quite on par with 2008’s The Dark Knight – easily the best film of its year – but it is still a pretty tremendous movie in its own right, filled with big ideas, an ambitious scope, and great character work all around. Even with some questionable narrative logic here and there, The Dark Knight Rises soars as a more than satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, and as one of 2012’s greatest treats.
The Dark Knight Rises is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray.
15. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Yes, I have several major structural complaints about Peter Jackson’s first Hobbit film that led me to call it “mildly disappointing” in my initial review. But this is still a very, very good return to Middle Earth, one of the best cinematic landscapes ever created, and a more-than-solid companion piece to The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, which are my favorite films of all time. So even though I have more critical things to say about The Hobbit than other movies on this list, it deserves a high spot for the simple knowledge that I will be returning to this film more than most movies in 2012. Imperfect as it is, the film will have great longevity in my life, and that has to count for something.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is currently playing in theatres nationwide. Just be sure to see it in 2D.
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