2012 Capsule Reviews

Django Unchained
rating: *****
review: Jamie Foxx exhibits effortless cool in the title role of this initial period drama from Quentin Tarantino, featuring a thrilling showdown between Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio.  Tarantino reaches new heights of focus with this one.

Seven Psychopaths
rating: *****
review: A cult favorite waiting to happen, and a hugely enjoyable ensemble that helps make it happen, along with Martin McDonough's undeniable skills as a storyteller, perhaps never more apparent, to date, in a movie.

The Dark Knight Rises
rating: *****
review: Where Christopher Nolan reached greatness with the help of a transcendent performance from Heath Ledger with The Dark Knight, here he achieves it by boldly completing his vision of the Batman saga.

Beasts of the Southern Wild
rating: *****
review: A must-see fable from the real-life tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.

Killing Them Softly
rating: *****
review: The infrequent films of Andrew Dominik are always thrilling.  Here he uses the gangster flick to critique the state of America.

Life of Pi
rating: *****
review: A transcendent book becomes a transcendent movie.

Total Recall
rating: ****
review: When a remake happens, especially of a well-known movie, it becomes difficult for most viewers to forget the prior version and just enjoy the merits of the new one.  I haven't seen the original.  I like this one quite a bit.

Mirror Mirror
rating: ****
review: Here's Tarsem distilled to his most accessible, with his version of Snow White, bursting with endearing charm, with fresh faces Lily Collins and Armie Hammer in the lead and Julia Roberts boldly embracing the villain's role.

A Thousand Words
rating: ****
review: At a time when they were both preparing to lay low, Eddie Murphy does what had been a typical Jim Carrey plot.  It's the complete opposite of what Murphy is known for.  Of course he nails it.

Savages
rating: ****
review: Oliver Stone's last great creative statement to date, stolen by supporting performances from Benicio Del Toro and John Travolta (his last great appearance in a film to date).

Flight
rating: ****
review: Denzel Washington's best recent performance (in a movie later somewhat copted by Tom Hanks in Sully), with a breakout cameo from James Badge Dale that Hollywood still hasn't caught up with.

Looper
rating: ****
review: Rian Johnson's high concept time travel story that's starting to look more and more old school Hollywood by today's standards: Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the young Bruce Willis.

The Amazing Spider-Man
rating: ****
review: Peter Parker was never more endearingly earnest, and believable, than depicted by Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield.

Liberal Arts
rating: ****
review: Josh Radnor, in his second attempt, nailing the transition from sitcom star to filmmaker.

Silver Linings Playbook
rating: ****
review: Bradley Cooper becomes a movie star.

Coriolanus
rating: ****
review: This must-see Shakespeare adaptation stars Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler.

Zero Dark Thirty
rating: ****
review: The hunt for Bin Laden, compellingly centered around Jessica Chastain.

End of Watch
rating: ****
review: Sort of Training Day without the big Denzel Washington scene.  But still compelling.

Argo
rating: ****
review: Alan Arkin sort of steals this one, but it's still a welcome peak into history, and one of its most unlikely stories.

Lawless
rating: ****
review: Tom Hardy steals this one in a supporting role as the brother who's nearly impossible to kill.

Hyde Park on the Hudson
rating: ****
review: Unexpectedly perfect casting with Bill Murray playing FDR.

Trouble with the Curve
rating: ****
review: Clint Eastwood probably at his most cuddly.

Prometheus
rating: ****
review: A lot of fans were disappointed, but as someone who's not particularly invested in the series, this is my favorite in the Alien sequence.

Les Miserables
rating: ****
review: Anne Hathaway completely steals it. 

Marvel's The Avengers
rating: ****
review: Joss Whedon successfully sets the tone for the MCU.

Rise of the Guardians
rating: ****
review: Basically Frozen before Frozen, moreso than Tangled, without the Disney model.

This Means War
rating: ****
review: Chris Pine and Tom Hardy as romantic comedy spies.  It totally works.

MIB 3
rating: ***
review: If Will Smith can't have Tommy Lee Jones to bounce off of, at least Josh Brolin can mesmerize in his Jones impersonation.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
rating: ***
review: As someone who stopped loving the Lord of the Rings films basically after Fellowship of the Ring, this was basically a step in the right direction, even if Peter Jackson still gets lost trying to keep the journey thrilling.  But it gets better in later entries.

Wrath of the Titans
rating: ***
review: A straight action sequel to Clash of the Titans.

John Carter
rating: ***
review: This one's become a sort of cult favorite, with adherents insisting the trailer screwed it all up.  But the truth is, the lead character, and not so much Taylor Kitsch, is too generic.  Basically Disney preparing to acquire Star Wars.

Chronicle
rating: ***
review: A found-footage superhero flick.  The only problem here is the complete charisma void in the cast.

Cloud Atlas
rating: ***
review: I think if the focus had centered on Tom Hanks, rather than a sprawling cast of characters played by a small number of actors, it would've been a greater success.

Skyfall
rating: ***
review: Daniel Craig's Bond forgets what made him cool, and just sort of tried to be artful.

For Greater Glory
rating: ***
review: An earnest historical Christian drama.

The Hunger Games
rating: ***
review: Having somewhat reluctantly read the books, I was shocked at how little effort was made to capture the story.  I don't mind different interpretations.  But this is like Peter Jackson randomly changing things in his Lord of the Rings, mistakenly believing he's making sound creative decisions.  The epitome is the "girl on fire" dress that...doesn't nail it.  At all.

Ice Age: Continental Drift
rating: **
review: An increasingly perfunctory series.

Wreck-It Ralph
rating: **
review: I think this was just a bad year for animated movies.  This one's far too complicated.

Brave
rating: **
review: Pixar officially just makes a typical Disney film.

Hotel Transylvania
rating: *
review: I had to endure repeated screenings of this one.  Whatever charm it possesses is betrayed by extremely obnoxious distractions.