Films Of 2012
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- DirectorTim BurtonStarsJohnny DeppWinona RyderDianne WiestThe solitary life of an artificial man - who was incompletely constructed and has scissors for hands - is upended when he is taken in by a suburban family.I watched this film at a retro screening, the first time to see it since it came out over 20 years ago! Really great gothic storytale. The ladies in the neighbourhood where he moves to are caracatures to say the least (almost like Peggy from "Married With Children"), but Johnny Depp shines (although I don't believe he has any lines?!) and it was good to see a young Winona Ryder. A real classic.
- DirectorCraig GillespieStarsAnton YelchinColin FarrellDavid Tennant"Fright Night" - A new neighbor moves in next to Charley, who discovers that he is an ancient vampire who preys on the community. Can he save his neighborhood from the creature with the help of the famous "vampire killer", Peter Vincent?Very enjoyable remake of the 1980s classic. Quite gory in parts, and recent Dr. Who actor David Tennant is superbly cast as the vampire hunter.
- DirectorTroy NixeyStarsKatie HolmesGuy PearceBailee MadisonA young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend believes that she has released creatures from a sealed ash pit in the basement of her new home.I found this to be a really chilling horror film, and possibly the first time for me to see a Katie Holmes film. It had me on the edge of my seat, covering my eyes, in various parts, and finished on a bleak note, which was refreshing (I don't like horror films that end happily). A big thumbs up, and I'm now dying to see the original.
- DirectorOliver ParkerStarsRowan AtkinsonRosamund PikeDominic WestJohnny English goes up against international assassins hunting down Chinese Premier Xiang Ping.Very different from the other films I've seen recently! A really light-hearted、innocent and fun film、and the first time to hear Rowan Atkinson speak in years. He was cast perfectly as the unlikely hero. I could kick myself for not recognizing X-Files' Gillian Anderson in one of the main roles. Although I hadn't seen the previous film、I soon caught up - there were plenty of references to it :)
- DirectorUbaldo RagonaSidney SalkowStarsVincent PriceFranca BettoiaEmma DanieliWhen a disease turns all of humanity into the living dead, the last man on earth becomes a reluctant vampire hunter.The fantastic first film adaptation of the book "I Am Legend" - later remade with Charlton Heston as "The Omega Man" and more recently with Will Smith as "I Am Legend. The black-and-white imagery adds to the eerieness, and there are a few differences from the later versions, most notable the ending. Vincent Price gives a fine performance in the lead role.
- DirectorKirsten SheridanStarsFreddie HighmoreKeri RussellJonathan Rhys MeyersA musically gifted orphan, Evan, runs away from his orphanage and searches New York City for his birth parents. On his journey, he's taken under the wing of the Wizard, a homeless man who lives in an abandoned theater.A real feel-good movie about a boy who grows up in a care home and has almost a sixth sense when it comes to music... he hears rhythms in everyday sounds etc. Good performances all round、 especially from Robin Williams.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsDaniel CraigRooney MaraChristopher PlummerJournalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for 40 years by young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander.Excellent thriller, quite long, but kept my attention throughout. I realised partway through that Christopher Plummer is the guy who played the father in The Sound of Music... no singing in this film thankfully :) Great soundtrack, by the way.
- DirectorRupert WyattStarsJames FrancoAndy SerkisFreida PintoA substance designed to help the brain repair itself gives advanced intelligence to a chimpanzee who leads an ape uprising.Really great prequel to Planet of the Apes, nice CGI, lots of angry simians, and an open ending pathing the way for another prequel following on from it.
- DirectorBill CondonStarsKristen StewartRobert PattinsonTaylor LautnerThe Quileutes close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses a threat to the Wolf Pack and the towns people of Forks.My first "Twilight" experience - quite different from the usual vampire film in that the focus is much more on the relationships between the characters, the complications of having an ex-partner who's a werewolf, honeymoon complications that arise when you marry a vampire etc. A soap opera aimed at teenagers set in a world of humans, vampires and werewolves. Thoroughly entertaining, and looking forward to the next part.
- DirectorSteve McQueenStarsMichael FassbenderCarey MulliganJames Badge DaleA sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay.Controversial film of the moment, I believe. To be honest, I didn't think the storyline was that well-developed, and found it to be quite downbeat and bleak.
- DirectorAndrew NiccolStarsJustin TimberlakeAmanda SeyfriedCillian MurphyIn a future where people stop aging at 25, but are engineered to live only one more year, having the means to buy your way out of the situation is a shot at immortal youth. Will Salas is accused of murder and on the run with a hostage.Great sci-fi film, liked the concept of time as currency, with poor people dying young because their time has run out etc., with Justin Timberlake giving a fine performance as the main character who is on a mission to overturn the system.
- DirectorJames BobinStarsAmy AdamsJason SegelChris CooperA Muppet fanatic with some help from his 2 human compatriots must regroup the Muppet gang to stop an avaricious oil mogul from taking down one of their precious life-longing treasures.Really nice Muppets film, with lots of homage to classic Muppet songs, TV show and earlier films. The recreation of The Muppet Show intro sequence, and the Muppet Show theatre, after all these years brought a tear to my eye. To top it off, Kermit and Miss Piggy singing together on The Rainbow Connection. It doesn't get much better than this!
- DirectorAndré ØvredalStarsOtto JespersenRobert StoltenbergKnut NærumA group of students investigates a series of mysterious bear killings, but learns that there are much more dangerous things going on. They start to follow a mysterious hunter, learning that he is actually a troll hunter.After the initial shock of this film being entirely in Norwegian (leaving me with no choice but to read the Japanese subtitles!), I found it to be an enjoyable, documentary-like film, with a very simple storyline and impressive special effects - it genuinely felt like the team encountered trolls for real.
- DirectorYoshitaka MoriStarsShun OguriBuzz AldrinKumiko AsôAs children, two Japanese brothers promise to one day be astronauts and meet each other in space. Years later, the older one has recently lost his job when he remembers that childhood's dream his younger brother is so close to fulfilling.Based on a manga series of the same name, "Space Brothers" tells the story about two brothers who are fascinated with space when they are little boys, and dream that one day they'll go into space. Really nice, feel-good movie about making dreams come true.
- DirectorMichel HazanaviciusStarsJean DujardinBérénice BejoJohn GoodmanWhen George, a silent movie superstar, meets Peppy Miller, a dancer, sparks fly between the two. However, after the introduction of talking pictures, their fortunes change, affecting their dynamic.A modern black-and-white silent movie - it took a lot of courage to make such a film, but I think it paid off. Surprisngly easy to get into, despite the lack of dialogue. I enjoyed this very much, but by the end, I found myself thinking, "Please, somebody, say *something*!" :)
- DirectorHideki TakeuchiStarsHiroshi AbeAya UetoKazuki KitamuraLucius, a Roman architect, is transported through time to modern-day Japan, where he learns about Japanese bathhouses and uses this to his gain back home.Strange film based on a Japanese manga comic about a man in ancient Rome who, while bathing, gets sent forward in time to modern day Japan, where he finds intrigue in cultural and technological differences. He tries his best to implement some of the things he finds using old techniques in ancient Rome. Funny at first, but it gets repetitive.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsGeorge ClooneyShailene WoodleyAmara MillerA land baron tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident.Interesting film about a father who has to get to grips for the first time with dealing with his two teenage daughters after his wife falls into a coma after a watersports accident. Set in Hawaii, this film explores family relationships and good performances by all.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsJohnny DeppMichelle PfeifferEva GreenAn imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.Dark, haunting mansion, black magic, witches, and a vampire who's just woken up in the 1970s after a 200-year sleep. Very cool, enjoyable gothic romp, and another great Tim Burton - Johnny Depp collaboration. They have a lot of fun working together on these films, I reckon!
- DirectorRupert SandersStarsKristen StewartChris HemsworthCharlize TheronIn a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.Awesome live-action version of the Snow White story that's more akin to Lord of the Rings than the Disney classic. Stunning performance from Charlize Theron, whose face changes from old to young and back so many times during the film I lost count. A chorus of "Heigh-ho" would have gone down well though :)
- DirectorMarc WebbStarsAndrew GarfieldEmma StoneRhys IfansAfter Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider, he gains newfound, spider-like powers and ventures out to save the city from the machinations of a mysterious reptilian foe.An action-packed film, which goes into how and why Spiderman came to be, which has lots of great CGI. My only question is - why are they restarting the Spiderman series again? (it's like what they did with Batman). Nevertheless, it has a slightly different style from the Tobey Maguire series and I found it very enjoyable.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleTom HardyAnne HathawayEight years after the Joker's reign of chaos, Batman is coerced out of exile with the assistance of the mysterious Selina Kyle in order to defend Gotham City from the vicious guerrilla terrorist Bane.Very enjoyable action film, kept me on the edge-of-my-seat. However, it felt more like a Die Hard film than Batman - and when Batman did make an occasional appearance, he seemed a bit out-of-place - I was expecting Bruce Willis!
- DirectorScott DerricksonStarsEthan HawkeJuliet RylanceJames RansoneA controversial true-crime writer finds a box of Super 8 home movies in his new home, revealing that the murder case he is currently researching could be the work of an unknown serial killer whose legacy dates back to the 1960s.A very creepy ghost story which kept me on the edge of my seat. The piecing together of disturbing footage with horrific past events, plus numerous ghostly appearances, was seriously unsettling. Good performance by Ethan Hawke!
- DirectorJen SoskaSylvia SoskaStarsKatharine IsabelleAntonio CupoTristan RiskThe allure of easy money sends Mary Mason, a medical student, into the world of underground surgeries which ends up leaving more marks on her than her so-called "freakish" clients.An intriguing film about a medical student who gets lured into the seedy world of strip clubs, gangsters, and controversial surgical operations. Enjoyable, but a bit too much gore for my liking.
- DirectorPaul DavisStarsReece ShearsmithPollyanna McIntoshDavid SchofieldGregory Brewster is a serial killer, only problem is, he's agoraphobic.Magical little film - billed as a cross between the 1980s TV sitcom "Sorry" and the classic film "Psycho". Reece Shearsmith, of "The League of Gentlemen" TV show fame, is perfect as the agoraphobic serial killer.
- DirectorConor McMahonStarsRoss NobleTommy KnightEoghan McQuinnA clown comes back from the dead to haunt those who took his life during a fatal party mishap.A laugh-out-loud rollercoaster of a film about a reluctant clown who arises from the dead and goes on a killing spree. Bad taste, gore and Ross Noble. One of my favourite films of the year.