Joss Whedon

From A to Z – The Top Ten Movies of 2012

2012 turned out to be a pretty darn good year at the movies. There were two films which I gave perfect scores to this year, one of which the majority of the country won’t be seeing until early next year. I’m breaking my own rule of including it on the list, but we’ll get to that in a moment. Between these two films, which naturally open and close the list (as it’s presented alphabetically), are eight other films rounding out the class of 2012.

Cutting down my list to ten means I need to speak for a moment on films that barely missed the cut. John Carter was the year’s most under-appreciated film, The Cabin in the Woods turned the horror genre on its ear, Ang Lee delivered an amazing journey with Life of Pi, Wreck-It Ralph was this year’s best animated feature, Safety Not Guaranteed was a terrific little sci-fi flick almost no one saw, and Moonrise Kingdom was director Wes Anderson‘s best film since The Royal Tenenbaums.

Enough with what didn’t make the list, let’s get down to discussing what did:

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The Avengers

  • Title: The Avengers
  • IMDB: link

the-avengers-posterWell done Joss Whedon. Ensemble casts aren’t always the easiest to deal with, especially when you’ve got stars of several franchises who all need to be showcased. Not only does the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer succeed in giving each hero their own moment to shine, but he crafts what is inarguably one of the best super-hero movies of all-time. I don’t know if The Avengers is going to be the best movie of the summer, but if it’s not I can’t wait to see what could possibly top it.

One thing Whedon and the numerous special effects experts used on the film get just right is scale. From the first time we see the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier to the film’s final battle (which can only be described as epic) the size and breadth of it are awe-inspiring. I viewed the film in IMAX 3D, and while I think a regular screening will still be quite good, the IMAX certainly helped sell the larger-than-life aspects of the script (which Buffy fans should be glad to hear is peppered with classic Whedon one-liners and humorous asides).

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The Cabin in the Woods

  • Title: The Cabin in the Woods
  • IMDB: link

the-cabin-in-the-woods-posterDespite languishing in obscurity for three years (the film was completed back in 2009) Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard collaborative effort is a stunning success. Co-written by the pair, and directed by Goddard, The Cabin in the Woods pokes fun at horror movie convention before providing one of the most memorable final acts you’ll see in theaters this year.

The perspective of the film is broken into two groups. On one hand we have a quintet of college kids (played by Hollywood actors in their late 20’s and early 30’s: Kristen ConnollyChris HemsworthAnna HutchisonJesse Williams, Fran Kranz) out for some weekend fun in the mountains. On the other hand we have a group of scientists (Bradley WhitfordRichard JenkinsAmy Acker) preparing for the most important night of the year.

Without giving two much away, the two stories are linked. Those in the secret compound are controlling the horrors that will unfold on the unsuspecting group of students whose every choice will lead to how they will meet their end.

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