Blockbusters of 2012

Happy New Year to all! Here comes another year and there goes the year that was. But before making the final goodbye, let’s have a review of the best films of 2012. While there were several fantasy films, 2012 gave it a balance by having a fair amount of action, sequels and animations, too — not much horror though. (Films are listed in no particular order.)

The Avengers. Put all comic-heroes in a movie and what do you get? A hit that will surely be talk of the town. The Avengers combined great marvel superheroes such as The Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and many others. No wonder viewers, especially comics fans, couldn’t stop talking about the film.

MIB 3. The Men in Black came back in 2012 for its second sequel. This time, K (Tommy Lee Jones) and J (Will Smith) need to be on the lookout because someone is out to get some revenge to kill K. More aliens and actions than ever for its fans — and time traveling, too!

Skyfall. 2012 is a special year for James Bond. The people’s favorite secret agent is celebrating its 50th year. In the film, Bond tries to find out about the attacks to M16 and a threat to kill M. It turns out someone from the past is out to get some revenge.

The Expendables 2. They’re back! After the success of their first film in 2010, the guys are out again to give viewers pure action, great laughs and some reminiscing. Actually, most viewers would say that what drives them to watch the film is because it starred all-time favorites such as Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean Claude van Damme, Bruce Willis, Jet Li and many others.

The Amazing Spider-Man. At first, many viewers thought that this was just an entire remake of the first film that was shown 2002, but actually The Amazing Spider-Man gave the Spider-Man story a new twist and with other villains, too. Some viewers would say this is better than the first, but there are others that would still stick to the original one.

The Dark Knight Rises. Batman returned in 2012 to welcome viewers, once again, to his beloved Gotham City. This time, Batman is faced with villains such as Cat Woman and Bane. After deciding to retire from being Batman, Bruce Wayne is again forced to face the reality that Gotham City needs him.

The Bourne Legacy. This is the third sequel to the series of Bourne films. However, this time, Jason Bourne doesn’t appear. Instead another agent by the name of Aaron Cross appears and takes on a mission. Well, everyone knows why this film is close to the hearts of the Filipinos — it was shot in the Philippines!

Flight. After a crash landing that saved many passengers, Captain Whip was considered a hero. However, further investigation revealed that he is intoxicated with alcohol and drugs so now he is blamed for the plane crash. It is funny how things can turn into a complete opposite direction. Life is full of surprises.

Prometheus. A group of explorers tries to find a location from a map that was dated during the ancient times. What was supposed to be an exciting exploration turns into a tragedy. Well, you know what they say about some things are better left unknown — guess we should always take that into consideration.

Hunger Games. Surely, reality game shows are in now but the film is not about just playing a regular game. It is a game of life and death. Only the last one to stay alive will be the winner. The film could be a bit violent but viewers didn’t mind watching it.

Taken 2. Retired CIA agent Bryan Mills finds himself in action again. This time, together with his daughter, Agent Mills tries to save his family from some people who are out to avenge the death of their loved ones, whom Agent Mills killed.

Breaking Dawn (Part 2). And so the love story of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen continues in this second part of Breaking Dawn. Now that they have a child, Bella and Edward, together with the other Cullens, try to protect the child from the bad guys. This is said to be the final sequel to the Twilight Saga.

Paranormal Activity 4. Despite not getting good reviews from critics, the third installment was still a hit among viewers and fans of The Paranormal Activity movie series. The story of the movie is connected to the first sequel. It does get scarier as the sequel continues — many would agree.

Brave. The animated film is about a skilled archer who tries to be different but instead gets her family in trouble. Now, she has to solve the problem to save her family. She definitely needs to be brave to get out of this one.

Cloud Atlas. The independent film delivers six stories that are actually interrelated. It shows that for every decision someone makes or for every action someone does, a corresponding effect happens — it can be good or bad. As the film’s tagline says, “Everything is connected.”

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. From the novel by J.R.R Tolkien, the film is set years before the events of The Lord of the Rings. Bilbo, together with 13 dwarves, sets off on a journey to reclaim Lonely Mountain.

Argo. Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) is about to take on a risk that could actually endanger his life. He tries to rescue six American diplomats who escape from a hostage taking that took place at the US Embassy in Iran. The film is based on true events that happened in 1979.

The Vow. Based on a true story, the film is about a married couple, who after meeting a car accident, deal with the aftermath that could cause their relationship to fall apart. Well, relationships surely have problems but this one is pretty big.

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria came back in 2012 to share another of their fun adventures traveling and finding where they belong. On the third part of Madagascar, they land in Europe and get into circus. Of course, the adorable penguins are still in it.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax. Ted is a 12-year-old boy living in a place where everything is artificially made. To impress a girl he has a crush on, he tries to look for a real tree — as this is her ultimate dream. So Ted sets on a mission to get the tree. It’s always nice to have an animation that teaches about love for nature.