Top 5 Movies to Get Excited For in 2012

With Summer 2012 rolling around, some fantastic movies are on the horizon with Spring and Summer release dates. Though it was difficult to cut the list to five, here are my picks for the best summer flicks that you won't want to miss:


5) Looper

I hadn’t even heard of this one until I started looking up movies for this list, but it sounds awesome!  Staring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt, the description claims it is a Science Fiction Thriller about a killer who works for the mob of the future, and recognizes one of his targets as his future self.  It’s written and directed by Rian Johnson, who also wrote and directed The Brothers Bloom. Though there is little information about the film out on the web, I am still excited to see this film!


4)  The Avengers 

To be perfectly honest the superhero movies that have sprung up in the past few years have really been favorites of mine. Though I have never been a superhero fan, the new Batman and Ironman movies that have came out in recent years are favorites of mine. Though I was a bit disappointed with Iron Man 2, when I heard Tony Stark would be appearing in the new Avengers movie I got really excited. I thought Robert Downy Jr. played an amazing Tony Stark and I was hooked on the superhero movies since their buildup starting back in 2008. And considering the buildup for the Avengers has spanned four years and five movies, the film has big shoes to fill.




3) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy had an impact on me that few films franchises have even approached. Furthermore, The Hobbit’s years and years of questionable production had many wondering if it was ever going to get made. What's better is even though a decade has passed since the original films, most actors are returning for this new installment. The film was also shot on the new RED Epic cinema cameras, footage I am truly looking forward to seeing. One disappointment is the film's release in 3D as opposed to IMAX; however, it is this stereo release that prompted Peter Jackson to chose the RED cameras for production. Their small size allows easy stereo footage at amazing resolutions in a much smaller package than traditional 3D rigs. 

2) The Hunger Games: 

As a self proclaimed Hunger Games hipster (I read the books before they even became popular), I have been awaiting the release of the Hunger Games movie since I finished the first book years ago. This film actually put up a fight for the number one spot on my list, but it's number two slot is not to be underestimated. For those of you who haven't read the series, the books are set in a future, dystopian United States, where 24 children between the ages of 12 and 18 are pitted against each other to fight to the death each year. The novel follows Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence), who volunteers herself for the annual Hunger Games when her younger sister's name is drawn. Ever since Lionsgate studios picked the film up I have been following it's progress eagerly, and I don't expect the film to disappoint fanatic fans like myself. 

1) Dark Knight Rises

I love Batman. Regardless of the bad publicity Batman gets for being a "fake" superhero, he has always been my favorite comic book hero. And as a Christopher Nolan (Director) and Wally Phister (Cinematographer) fan, their past two Batman films, especially Dark Knight, have become some of my favorite movies of all time. Although I was disappointed at the revelation of which villain the Dark Knight would be facing in this third film, Bane, I'm excited to see the  much-needed re-imagining of this antagonist. It’s also interesting to see how Catwoman will play into the story, but then again, I was slightly skeptical as to how Two-Face was going to play out in a story involving the Joker in The Dark Knight, and look how that turned out. All in all, Nolan's Dark Knight was a cinematic masterpiece, and he will be sure to not disappoint with his latest and possibly last installment in his Batman trilogy.