My Top 5 of 2012

So It's that time a year where we all look back at all the movies we've seen and shutter to think of how much we've spent in tickets, popcorn and drinks. We can also look back at another great year of films. The past two have been good ones full of surprises and flops (sorry John Carter.) Last year we found a hit in an unlikley place. The Artist brought black and white silent films to a new generation. This year my number 1 was also an unexpected film. so lets get started with number 5.

#5 The Hunger Games

This was one of my wifes favorites for the year for sure(along with that vampire movie.) Having read the books I was excited to see this one. I thought the film overall was good, but the reaping scene had my heart racing even though I knew exactly what was going to happen. The scene I was most excited for was the openeing cornicopia scene. I was very curious to see how that would turn out. I have yet to revisit it since then as i'm scared it may have not been as great as I remember.

#4 Rise of the Guardians

For the past two years I have been taking the boys to a holiday movie on Thanksgiving. Last year we saw Arthur Christmas, which I loved. This year we went to see Rise of the Guardians. A story about Jack Frost and his role as one of the Guardians. It was a great movie with some great characters. I mean, how could you not like a Santa Clause (named North) who has the naughty and nice list tatooed on his forearms and with the the boogieman(Pitch Black) as the bad guy. I had forgotten about the boogieman and loved hearing my boys talk about how the boogieman was going to get them.

#3 The Dark Night Rises

I am not much of a fan of superhero movies, but there were a few good ones this year.
I had no desire to go see the new Dark Night movie. My wife took the kids out of town for a few days, so I decided to go see a movie. The only one that looked decent was the batman movie. It got some good reviews so I went. I as not expecting such a good film. I am nt a fan of Anne Hathaway, but she was good in this. I was also nice to see a villian that could really beat the good guy. Minus a few plot holes (How did batman get back into gotham when no one could get out) it was a great movie. It also holds up on video too.

#2 The Avengers

Again, I am nt much of a superhero guy. I don't like the Spiderman movies. I have not seen a Hulk movie (Which I hear I am not missing out on anything special.)So I went to make Heather happy. It was much better than I expected. Most superhero movies have cheesy lines that you wonder why no one said anything when they were filming it. I'm talking to you X-men First Class. This film had only one that I thought was dumb. Of course, the line is givien by the Hulk. I thought that the villiam was great. He was not over the top and played the part well. Scarlett Johanson in her evengers outfit was nice too. I loved the jokes and the simplicity of the story. The end ghting scene was long, but still worked.

#1 Beasts of the Southern Wild

I was not expecting this to be my favorite movie of 2013. I saw the preview of it a year ago while watching The Artist and thought it might be a good one to see while the family was away. So I saw it along with about 5 other people and fell in love with it. I was amazed with the story that I left the theater feeling so full at a story so full of sadness. I took a friend to see it for a second time. I felt the same way about it the second time. The movie has one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a long time too. It is a movie about a little girl living in the delta of Louisiana. The film is shot from her perspective, and is about hurricane Katrina(though they never name it) and of trying to survive alongside her ailing father. If you have not seen it go to the theater and see it when it gets re-released or go to Redbox and check it out.

Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away

Cirque Du Soleil has always been on my want to see list. I have never been in a place to see one of the shows, so when I found out that they were flming one for a 3D film I wanted to take the boys to go see it. With New years a good day to do nothing and this no being a very largley advertised movie we decided to hit the early show.

Cirque is about a girl who lives in a small town and goes to visit a traveling carnival. She is facinated by the carnival and sees a man who she fancies. She goes to leave and stopped by a silent clown who persuades her to go see the aerialist who is the man she is smitten with. She goes to watch him on the trapeze and distracrs him causing him to fall to the ground. she rushes to him and th ground gives way sending them dow to the world of Cirques Du Soleil. They spend the rest of the movie trying to find eachother, coming across the amazing acts of Cirque Du Soleil. Many of the scenes are made up of their stage preformances such as "O", "Beatles: Love," and "Viva Elvis." They acts were great in 3D, They were not overwheming or full of cheap tricks. The scenes are just as you would see on the stage , just bigger. My favorite character was the ringmaster, a creepy clown-like man, who helps the girl find the aerialist.

My boys were fascinated by the acts. There are the usual circus acts with rings and ropes and then there are new ones with water and rotating walls. There is very little talking but the visuals are great. I did however feel it was 15-20 mins too long. The last 30 mins my 5yr old asked how much was left. However, when it was over he said "That was awesome." I asked my 8yr old he he thought it was cool and he said he loved it. We went with our Aunt and cousin. She said it felt as if she had spent the last 2 hrs in another world. It was lots of fun to see these amazing artist without paying the price for a Vegas show. There was onyl about 10 people in the theater. I think the film still is flying below most peoples radar. It is a good family film. Lots of fun for old and young.

7 out of 10