Top 20 films to see in 2012
Here they are, the top 20 films to see in 2012:
#20 – This Is Forty
(21st December)
Remember back when Judd Apatow was really good? Around the era of The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up we were thrown into the world of the Bromance, and revelled in every stained-t-shirted moment of it. With Apatow returning to Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann’s characters in the filmThis Is 40 – a married couple bored with their familial bliss – can he repeat his earlier success? Based on the strength of the cast (joining Rudd and Mann are Albert Brooks, Chris O’Dowd, Jason Segel and John Lithgow, to name but a few), we’re going to say YES.
#19 – Coriolanus
(20th January)
Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler, locked in a bloody, desperately wordy battle to the death – we’re not sure what’s going to be more interesting to witness, Fiennes’ directorial decisions or Butler’s struggle with Shakespearean prose. But still, Roman marching, bitter feuds, an epic tale and lots and lots of fighting; we reckon this is a perfect way to balance culture with blood-lust.
#18 – The Darkest Hour
(20th January)
We love aliens, ALIENS ALIENS ALIENS YES ALIENS. But lately, people seem to be running out ideas as to what these aliens should look like; odd, because they aren’t real, and so can look like literally anything. So we’re excited by the film The Darkest Hour, which has solved this problem by having aliens that are invisible, and so look like nothing at all. Hurrah!
#17 – Sleeping Beauty
(4th January)
Now that we’ve all finally gotten over the crippling disappointment that was Sucker Punch, we reckon it’s time to give Emily Browning another chance. A dark, stylish looking tale based around a creepy high-class brothel and a girl who is paid by men to be drugged into paralysis, we’re quietly intrigued by this one. Intrigued and disturbed. Our favourite combination.
# 16 – Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
(27th August)
Based on the 2010 mashup novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, this promises to be ridiculous, brilliant fun. What’s a young president to do when he discovers that his mother was murdered by vampires? Team up with old pal Edgar Allen Poe, a rugged vampire hunter and head for NOO YORK CITY, of course. To be honest, all we can really be sure of is that it’s got Rufus Sewell and Dominic Cooper in it. What more do you need to know?
#15 – Cloud Atlas
(October, date TBC)
Making the list on STAR POWER alone, Cloud Atlas – the adaptation of the smash novel by David Mitchell – will feature performances from actors including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant. The tale is split into six narratives, spanning the 19th century to a post apocalyptic future, exploring the impact of tiny actions through time and space. So, kind of like a less complicated Love Actually? No?
#14 – The Hunger Games
(23rd March)
Another adaptation eh? Well, you know what they say: what’s the point of writing a book unless you’re going to make a film out of it? Anyhoo, The Hunger Games is set in a dystopian world where every year, 12 children are chosen to compete in a televised fight to the death. We’re hoping it’ll be a breakout role for Jennifer Lawrence, who’s already impressed us with performances in Winter’s Bone and X-Men: First Class. And if not, Woody Harrelson’s in it – a fairly good indicator of aceness.
#13 – Men In Black 3
(25th May)
We know, we know, we’re all still trying to recover from the colossal disappointment that was MiB 2, but dammit, we still have faith in the world’s first, last and only line of defence against the worst scum of the universe. Promising time jumps, an all-star cast (RIP TORN) and the return of Tommy Lee and Will to our screens dressed in the suits we know so well, we’re gluttons for punishment. And if nothing else, we can almost guarantee a killer theme song with comfortingly specific dance moves.
#12 – The Woman In Black
(10th February)
It’s time to find out whether Daniel Radcliffe will have a life post-Potter. Based on the novel by Susan Hill, The Woman In Black is a gloriously spooky gothic tale about a ghostly lady haunting a small British town, and the man who’s life becomes dominated by her. From what we’ve seen so far this looks to be a tightly wrought, confident and genuinely eerie take on a successful novel and play, hopefully stretching Radcliffe beyond ‘clutching head and gurning’ territory.
#11 – Prometheus
(1st June)
If we’re totally honest with you, we know very little about Prometheus. We know that it’s set in space, we know that being directed by Ridley Scott, we know that one of the creators of Lost is handling the screenplay, and we know that the cast is mindblowing. Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Noomi Rapace – we feel like we’re in pretty safe hands.
#10 – The Avengers
(27th April)
Considering that Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America were essentially just elongated trailers for the film that HARNESSES THEM ALL, The Avengers better be pretty freaking good. Joss Whedon fans rejoiced when they learnt that he was not only writing but directing, they rejoiced all over again when they learnt that Nick Fury would be played by none other than Samuel L, and got almost sick of rejoicing upon learning that the token breasts would be provided in abundance by Scarlett Johansson. No pressure guys, but it all comes down to this.
#9 – The Amazing Spider-Man
(4th July)
Before we’d even had time to buy Spider-Man 3, look at it, put it down and forget its existence totally, we were informed that ANOTHER Spidey flick would be swinging its way onto our screens. And, after initial distain, we might as well admit that we’ve all come happily round to the idea. Andrew Garfield promises to be a much moodier Peter Parker, Emma Stone will obviously be delightful as Gwen, and if there’s one thing Marc “(500) Days Of Summer” Webb can do, it’s young, offbeat, exquisitely dressed romance. Er, we mean, action films.
#8 – Skyfall
(26th October)
It’s time for Daniel Craig’s third outing as Bond, and this might be the one that seals his 00-fate. Casino Royale was wonderful, Quantum of Solace was pants – Bond 23 could swing it either way. But with Sam Mendes on-board to direct, Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris locked in as cast and Judi Dench keep an eye on proceedings this is shaping up to be a fairly safe bet. Apparently based on the recent Bond novel Carte Blanche and currently shooting in India, we’re just praying that the next outing sticks to what we love best: things that don’t involve Olga Kurylenko.
#7 – Brave
(17th August)
The only animated film to make the list, it wouldn’t be a yearly run-down without a Pixar offering. Brave is set in the ancient Scottish highlands, and centres on a young princess determined to save her kingdom from ruin. There’s also a bear involved, but everyone’s being rather cagey about that part. Stunning visuals, captivating characters, a nuanced tale and that bit that makes you want to weep forever: you know what you’re getting with team Pixar.
#6 – Les Miserables
(22nd December)
Tom Hooper exploded (in a deeply refined way) onto our screens this year, directing the monster hit The King’s Speech and carrying home every possible award it was possible to win for it. His next project is altogether rather less British – directing the musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s French revolution epic Les Miserables. The show has been a West End staple for nigh on 30 years (the longest running musical in the world), so there’s no small amount of pressure to get it right. So far locked in are Hugh Jackman as the lead Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as his nemesis Javert and, sigh, Anne Hathaway as some character she’ll be dreadful for.
#5 – Django Unchained
(25th December)
Quentin Tarantino. Leonardo Di Caprio. Samuel L Jackson. Christoph Waltz. Jamie Foxx. Kevin Costner. KEVIN COSTNER. A gangster western, a stolen wife and score to settle. Literally. Cannot. Wait.
#4 – The Great Gatsby
(TBC)
Considering we’ve been wrestling with Lurhmann Gatsby casting news for what feels like years, we’re pretty much ready to stop talking about the damn thing and get to watching. Based on the classic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald and starring Leo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Isla Fisher and more, The Great Gatsby, a tale of one man’s brush with the fading glamour of America in the post-war 1920s. In EYE-POPPING 3D, let us not forget. It simply must be marvellous. There is no other option. It must be.
#3 – The Dark Knight Rises
(20th July)
The final piece of Nolan’s Bat-puzzle is finally falling into place, and unless you’ve been living under an airtight, fanboy-less rock for the past few years, you’re probably already well aware of it. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy – you ever heard of stars aligning for a historic occasion? Yep. Choosing not to film in 3D so that the final chapter would have the same feel as Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, we’re not really sure what we’re going to look forward to once this utterly brilliant franchise closes its sleek black doors for the final time.
#2 – The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists
(28th March)
Now, we understand that this may seem like a rather renegade entry, but just watch the above trailer and tell us that this doesn’t look like the greatest film you’ve ever seen. Our beloved Aardman animation team are back with a tale of pirates, of Charles Darwin, of dastardly fiends, of monkey butlers and of an angry queen Victoria. With a cast that includes Hugh Grant, Jeremy Piven and Salma Hayek, a soundtrack that made our ears leak with happiness and a return to the stop-motion animation that make Aardman a house-hold name, we simply couldn’t be more excited. Shall we watch the trailer again? Let’s watch the trailer again.
And coming in at number one…
1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
(14th December)
It was never really going to be anything else, was it? After fighting more complications than that of a quick nip down to Mordor, we’re finally in the position where we can look forward to the LOTR prequel. Peter Jackson directing, the entirety of the original cast back on-board, more dwarves than you can shake a cursed artefact at and Martin Bloody Freeman, the only thing that makes us happier than the prospect of watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the knowledge that after it’s all over, there’s still There And Back Again to look forward to.
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