Favorite Movies: 2012
by ModishMovies | created - 24 Feb 2015 | updated - 02 Jun 2019 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Django Unchained (2012)
R | 165 min | Drama, Western
With the help of a German bounty-hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington
Votes: 1,693,557 | Gross: $162.81M
Amazing dialogue, a smart, original story, and very intriguing characters make this one of Tarantino's best films with the most fun, exciting climax of any of his films. 10/10
2. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
R | 122 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.
Director: David O. Russell | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver
Votes: 742,454 | Gross: $132.09M
Sweet and heartfelt, but never sentimental or cheesy. 9.5/10
3. Skyfall (2012)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Judi Dench
Votes: 730,821 | Gross: $304.36M
The best James Bond film with a fantastic story and good characters and an excellent conclusion. 9.5/10
4. The Avengers (2012)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Sci-Fi
Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.
Director: Joss Whedon | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner
Votes: 1,458,728 | Gross: $623.28M
THE superhero movie of all superhero movies. While not the most developed in characters or deep in story, the action sequences and moments with the Avengers as a team make up for that. 9/10
5. Chronicle (2012)
PG-13 | 84 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery underground. Soon they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.
Director: Josh Trank | Stars: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly
Votes: 264,349 | Gross: $64.58M
A surprisingly intense, smart, creative, and emotional superhero story told intelligently through interesting, realistic teenage characters. 9/10
6. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
PG-13 | 94 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Two 12-year-olds, who live on an island, fall in love with each other and elope into the wilderness. While people set out on a search mission, a violent storm approaching them catches their attention.
Director: Wes Anderson | Stars: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray
Votes: 366,649 | Gross: $45.51M
Surprisingly, it’s Wes Anderson’s most emotional film, even though his distant, (e)motionless cinematography often contradicts that. 8.5/10
7. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
PG-13 | 136 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider, he gains newfound, spider-like powers and ventures out to save the city from the machinations of a mysterious reptilian foe.
Director: Marc Webb | Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Irrfan Khan
Votes: 701,858 | Gross: $262.03M
My favorite Spider-Man movie. It has an engaging story and reinvents Peter Parker and other characters in a smarter, more creative, realistic and enjoyable way than before. 9/10
8. Starlet (I) (2012)
Not Rated | 103 min | Drama
An unlikely friendship forms between twenty-one-year-old Jane and the elderly Sadie after Jane discovers a hidden stash of money inside an object at Sadie's yard sale.
Director: Sean Baker | Stars: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Boonee, Stella Maeve
Votes: 8,676 | Gross: $0.09M
While the characters aren't given much depth, you can't help but be engaged and interested in their lives. The ending really sneaks up on you and will stay with you for a long time, even if it feels as though nothing is changed. 8.5/10
9. The Master (2012)
R | 138 min | Drama, History
A Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by the Cause and its charismatic leader.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons
Votes: 186,116 | Gross: $16.38M
Very thought-provoking with strong, well thought out characters, and a mildly-interesting story. 8/10
10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
PG-13 | 103 min | Drama
Charlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past.
Director: Stephen Chbosky | Stars: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd
Votes: 547,697 | Gross: $17.74M
Emotional, touching, and relatable. The situations are well written. The relationships are palpable. And the characters are truer and more heartfelt than in every other cliche teen film, despite feeling a lot like one at times, but never in an unbearable or pandering way. 8/10
11. Lincoln (2012)
PG-13 | 150 min | Biography, Drama, History
As the Civil War rages on, U.S President Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the slaves.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Votes: 272,524 | Gross: $182.21M
Deep, factual, and expertly-crafted, but unmoving. 8/10
12. Argo (2012)
R | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History
Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.
Director: Ben Affleck | Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin
Votes: 638,884 | Gross: $136.03M
Interesting story, however unrealistic and dramatized it is. 8/10
13. Life of Pi (2012)
PG | 127 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain, Tabu
Votes: 666,539 | Gross: $124.99M
A very beautiful, exciting, haunting story, until the misplaced, unnecessary ending makes all of that pointless. 8/10
14. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
PG-13 | 169 min | Adventure, Fantasy
A reluctant Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it from the dragon Smaug.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis
Votes: 872,593 | Gross: $303.00M
A great adventure film with fun characters and engaging action scenes, even if a little too lighthearted and familiar to be taken seriously. 8/10
15. Seven Psychopaths (2012)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Crime
A struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster's beloved Shih Tzu.
Director: Martin McDonagh | Stars: Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken
Votes: 273,806 | Gross: $15.02M
While choppy during the first half, the second half is riveting and redeeming; enough to make this a memorable film. 8/10
16. Men in Black³ (2012)
PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Agent J travels in time to M.I.B.'s early days in 1969 to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K and changing history.
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement
Votes: 386,815 | Gross: $179.02M
The best Men in Black film with an engaging story and creative twists, even if weak at tunes. 7.5/10
17. Premium Rush (2012)
PG-13 | 91 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
In Manhattan, a bike messenger picks up an envelope that attracts the interest of a dirty cop, who pursues the cyclist throughout the city.
Director: David Koepp | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez, Sean Kennedy
Votes: 118,454 | Gross: $20.28M
Intense and thrilling, but weak in some places. 7.5/10
18. The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)
PG | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A childless couple bury a box in their backyard, containing all of their wishes for an infant. Soon, a child is born, though Timothy Green is not all that he appears.
Director: Peter Hedges | Stars: Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, CJ Adams, Odeya Rush
Votes: 48,594 | Gross: $51.85M
Emotional and sweet. That's it. 7.5/10
19. Frances Ha (2012)
R | 86 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A New York woman apprentices for a dance company and throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as the possibility of realizing them dwindles.
Director: Noah Baumbach | Stars: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen
Votes: 94,220 | Gross: $4.06M
20. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012)
PG | 94 min | Comedy, Family
School's out. Summer vacation is on. However, Greg may not have the best summer vacation ever. What could go wrong?
Director: David Bowers | Stars: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Devon Bostick, Steve Zahn
Votes: 29,798 | Gross: $49.01M
Hilarious and on-par with the absurdity of the books. A Wimpy Kid movie for fans of the books’ humor, not story. 7/10
21. Prometheus (I) (2012)
R | 124 min | Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Following clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron
Votes: 643,876 | Gross: $126.48M
While intelligent and subtle, it also lacks an engaging story and stand-out characters. 7/10
22. Pitch Perfect (2012)
PG-13 | 112 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
Beca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school's all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.
Director: Jason Moore | Stars: Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp
Votes: 330,549 | Gross: $65.00M
Fun, happy, and cheesy. 7/10
23. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
PG | 101 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A video game villain wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives.
Director: Rich Moore | Stars: John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Sarah Silverman
Votes: 458,140 | Gross: $189.42M
Blatant rip-off of a far superior film, The Emoji Movie (2017) 7/10
24. Hotel Transylvania (2012)
PG | 91 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count's teenaged daughter.
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky | Stars: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez
Votes: 280,840 | Gross: $148.31M
25. Ted (2012)
R | 106 min | Comedy
John Bennett, a man whose childhood wish of bringing his teddy bear to life came true, now must decide between keeping the relationship with the bear, Ted or his girlfriend, Lori.
Director: Seth MacFarlane | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Joel McHale
Votes: 656,796 | Gross: $218.82M
26. Brave (2012)
PG | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.
Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell | Stars: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters
Votes: 441,952 | Gross: $237.28M
27. 21 Jump Street (2012)
R | 109 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.
Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller | Stars: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Brie Larson
Votes: 598,167 | Gross: $138.45M
28. The Dictator (2012)
R | 83 min | Comedy
The heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.
Director: Larry Charles | Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, John C. Reilly, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 334,551 | Gross: $59.65M
29. The Hunger Games (2012)
PG-13 | 142 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death.
Director: Gary Ross | Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci
Votes: 1,003,148 | Gross: $408.01M
Entertaining and establishes the world well, but forgettable. 6.5/10
30. Chasing Mavericks (2012)
PG | 116 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
When young Jay Moriarity discovers that the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, exists just miles from his Santa Cruz home, he enlists the help of local legend Frosty Hesson to train him to survive it.
Directors: Michael Apted, Curtis Hanson | Stars: Jonny Weston, Gerard Butler, Elisabeth Shue, Abigail Spencer
Votes: 34,527 | Gross: $6.00M
31. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)
PG | 88 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz for the Pirate of the year Award. The quest takes Captain and his crew from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London.
Directors: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt | Stars: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, Martin Freeman
Votes: 51,396 | Gross: $31.05M
Ridiculously fun, but not as witty or subtle as usual Aardman films. 6.5/10
32. Les Misérables (2012)
PG-13 | 158 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after breaking parole, agrees to care for a factory worker's daughter. The decision changes their lives forever.
Director: Tom Hooper | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried
Votes: 345,902 | Gross: $148.81M
Uninteresting, overlong, and boring, but very well-made and acted (but not well-sung). 6.5/10
33. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
PG-13 | 164 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
Eight years after the Joker's reign of chaos, Batman is coerced out of exile with the assistance of the mysterious Selina Kyle in order to defend Gotham City from the vicious guerrilla terrorist Bane.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman
Votes: 1,826,087 | Gross: $448.14M
Overrated and overlong, even though some action scenes are amazing. 6.5/10
34. The Possession (I) (2012)
PG-13 | 92 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A young girl buys an antique box at a yard sale, unaware that inside the collectible lives a malicious ancient spirit. The girl's father teams with his ex-wife to find a way to end the curse upon their child.
Director: Ole Bornedal | Stars: Natasha Calis, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick, Madison Davenport
Votes: 63,193 | Gross: $49.13M
35. John Carter (2012)
PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Transported to Barsoom, a Civil War vet discovers a barren planet seemingly inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter Woola and a princess in desperate need of a savior.
Director: Andrew Stanton | Stars: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Samantha Morton
Votes: 286,104 | Gross: $73.08M
36. Man on a Ledge (2012)
PG-13 | 102 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
As a police psychologist works to talk down an ex-con who is threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop, the biggest diamond heist ever committed is in motion.
Director: Asger Leth | Stars: Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Mandy Gonzalez
Votes: 158,513 | Gross: $18.62M
37. Jack Reacher (2012)
PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper responsible for a mass shooting.
Director: Christopher McQuarrie | Stars: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog
Votes: 364,891 | Gross: $80.07M
38. ParaNorman (2012)
PG | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Directors: Chris Butler, Sam Fell | Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Tucker Albrizzi
Votes: 109,889 | Gross: $56.00M
39. Dark Shadows (2012)
PG-13 | 113 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter
Votes: 280,394 | Gross: $79.73M
40. The Woman in Black (2012)
PG-13 | 95 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A young solicitor travels to a remote village where he discovers that the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.
Director: James Watkins | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer, Ciarán Hinds, Emma Shorey
Votes: 192,570 | Gross: $54.33M
41. The Lorax (2012)
PG | 86 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.
Directors: Chris Renaud, Kyle Balda | Stars: Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Danny DeVito, Ed Helms
Votes: 129,702 | Gross: $214.03M
42. The Three Stooges (2012)
PG | 92 min | Comedy, Family
While trying to save their childhood orphanage, Moe, Larry, and Curly inadvertently stumble into a murder plot and wind up starring in a reality television show.
Directors: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly | Stars: Sean Hayes, Chris Diamantopoulos, Will Sasso, Jane Lynch
Votes: 33,175 | Gross: $44.34M
43. Project X (2012)
R | 88 min | Comedy
Three high-school seniors throw a birthday party to make a name for themselves. As the night progresses, things spiral out of control as word of the party spreads.
Director: Nima Nourizadeh | Stars: Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown, Dax Flame
Votes: 233,204 | Gross: $54.73M
Stupid, pointless, and painfully unfunny, even if wild at times. 4/10
44. House at the End of the Street (2012)
PG-13 | 101 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
After moving with her mother to a small town, a teenager finds that an accident happened in the house at the end of the street. Things get more complicated when she befriends a boy. A double murder is not an accident.
Director: Mark Tonderai | Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue, Max Thieriot, Gil Bellows
Votes: 81,296 | Gross: $31.61M
45. Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
PG | 88 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.
Directors: Steve Martino, Michael Thurmeier | Stars: Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Aziz Ansari
Votes: 224,765 | Gross: $161.32M
46. Amazing Love (2012)
Not Rated | 80 min | Drama
When a confrontation occurs among the youth group, Stuart takes the opportunity to share with the group the touching story of the Old Testament prophet Hosea.
Director: Kevin Downes | Stars: Sean Astin, Elijah Alexander, Kenton Duty, Samantha Hanratty
Votes: 1,044
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