Top 10 Movies of 2012

Okay, folks. It's that wonderful time of year again, when any movie buff or film fanatic worth his salt looks back on a year's worth of going to the movie theater (or Redbox) and cobbles together a list of the top ten films that struck his or her fancy. Now, I must preface the dramatic unveiling of this list by saying that I have NOT seen every single film released in 2012, because, unfortunately, I don't have the time nor the cash flow to accomplish that. We are, after all, in an economic recession (and I'm also a college student), so cut me some slack. But I did put forth my best effort to see the films that most appealed to me and others that received either strong critical acclaim or positive word-of-mouth. I should also mention that these might not necessarily be the best movies of the year, so to speak, but they are the ones that I loved the most, and I don't expect everyone to agree with all of my choices. For example, Zero Dark Thirty has been receiving high praise from critics everywhere, but it didn't open at a local theater. So, I never had the chance to see it, and as such, you won't find it included on this list. But enough rambling. Have at it!

10. The Cabin In The Woods. You've seen one horror film, you've seen 'em all. Dumb teenagers engage in all sorts of lascivious activities involving sex, drugs, and alcohol before falling victim, one by one, to some type of murderous (and often times, supernatural) antagonist. The Cabin In The Woods takes this formula and turns it on its head, giving us a horror film that is both familiar and unlike anything you've ever seen before. Five college students spend the weekend at a remote cabin in the middle of the woods and find themselves fighting for their lives against a group of backwood zombies, unaware that there are people watching, controlling, and manipulating these horrific events. To say anything else about the plot would spoil the surprise, and this is certainly a film that is keen on keeping the viewer guessing by playing with audience expectations and genre conventions. There is a tongue-in-cheek quality to it that keeps the mood light - even with a gruesome climax that turns into an all-out bloodbath - and it never takes itself too seriously, with much of the humor coming from Fran Kranz's lovable pothead Marty. The Cabin In The Woods is smart, imaginative, and the perfect antidote for a genre that has grown stale after being inundated with endless installments of cheap and tasteless "torture porn" like Saw and Hostel.

9. Argo. With 2007's Gone Baby Gone, 2010's The Town, and now Argo under his belt, Ben Affleck can seemingly do no wrong from behind the camera. It is hard to believe that this is the same man whose career hit rock bottom after his much-publicized relationship with Jennifer Lopez culminated with 2003's Gigli, an undeniable stinker that went up in flames with both critics and audiences upon its release, but Affleck has risen from the ashes and Hollywood is much better for it. Argo is a dramatized version of an audacious rescue mission attempted by the CIA during the shocking 1979 crisis in Iran, when revolutionaries stormed the American Embassy and took hostages, with the exception of six Americans who were able to find refuge in the home of the Canadian Ambassador. Affleck, in addition to directing, is also the star of the film, giving an understated performance as Tony Mendez, the extraction expert tasked with getting the six fugitives out of Iran before the authorities can figure out where they're hiding and execute them. Argo benefits from a memorable supporting cast led by veteran actors John Goodman and Alan Arkin and the skilled direction of Affleck, whose obvious talent is most evident in the thrilling final half hour of the film, where he delivers a master class in tension and suspense.

8. The Avengers. This was never supposed to work. Bringing together the titular superheroes from four (albeit, second tier) comic book film franchises - Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, and Captain America - and squeezing them into a single film should have been a logistical nightmare. But writer/director Joss Whedon was more than up to the daunting task, and the result is a stunning achievement and a landmark addition to the superhero genre. The Avengers are assembled by Samuel L. Jackson's dour Nick Fury to combat a threat from another world in a battle for the fate of mankind, but our heroes must first learn to set aside their egos and work together as a team before saving the world. It might not carry the same dramatic weight as The Dark Knight Rises, but what it lacks in strength of plot it makes up for in sheer execution, successfully spreading the wealth amongst its multiple leads and giving each hero his due in terms of action, dialogue, and character development. There isn't a weak link in the bunch and quite a bit of well-deserved praise has been heaped upon Mark Ruffalo for his performance as Bruce Banner, the mild-mannered scientist with an unfortunate anger problem. The Avengers is the impressive culmination of a monumental (but dubious) promise that has been in place since the release of 2008's Iron Man.

7. Seven Psychopaths. It took a couple viewings before I began to appreciate writer/director Martin McDonagh's debut film In Bruges (also starring the underrated Colin Farrell), but once I did, I couldn't wait to see what he had in store for us next. But Seven Psychopaths was not at all what I was expecting, and I mean that as a compliment. I was expecting more of a straightforward comedy, which was foolish of me considering McDonagh was at the helm, and what I got instead was a darkly comic deconstruction of the action genre through the eyes of Farrell's struggling screenwriter Marty. Helping Marty through a bout of writer's block as he attempts to pen a new film with nothing but the title Seven Psychopaths is his wily best friend Billy, played with manic brilliance by the always reliable Sam Rockwell. Now, I know what you're thinking. A film from Martin McDonagh called Seven Psychopaths about a screenwriter named Marty writing a film called Seven Psychopaths? Trust me, it only gets more bizarre from there - and you'll love every minute of it. Though Rockwell steals the show, Woody Harrelson and Christopher Walken shore up the supporting cast as the volatile gangster Charlie and the non-violent Hans, respectively, and their inspired performances complete what might be one of the most entertaining ensembles of the year.

6. Silver Linings Playbook. I remember when Jennifer Lawrence first burst onto the scene with an impressive performance in 2010's Winter's Bone, displaying a maturity beyond her years that has been absent in generic performances from X-Men - First Class and The Hunger Games. Lawrence re-captures some of that gravitas in Silver Linings Playbook, portraying a tortured and emotionally damaged widow trying to regain some sense of control over her life. It isn't until she crosses paths with Bradley Cooper's bi-polar former school teacher - fresh off an eight-month stint in a mental institution after a violent incident - that she begins to find her footing again, and it is their mutual journey towards personal fulfillment that gives the film its heart and soul. Director David O. Russell, who received widespread critical acclaim for 2010's crowd-pleaser The Fighter, has brought us another film packing quite the emotional punch, and the performances are all top-notch, especially Robert De Niro in his best role in years. At its core, Silver Linings Playbook is an uplifting but heart-wrenching drama that will make you laugh as much you'll cry, as it tells the story of two people struggling to find happiness in a world more interested in sweeping their problems under the rug than helping them overcome the inner demons threatening to destroy them.

5. Lincoln. Daniel Day-Lewis is the greatest actor of our generation. There is no question about it. If it wasn't obvious enough after his mesmerizing turns as Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York and Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood, it should be more than apparent now after his awe-inspiring portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, which will no doubt earn him another Best Actor Oscar come February. Day-Lewis, a method actor, spent a year researching and preparing for the role, and his hard work - both in his appearance and his performance - is evident every time he appears on the screen. But what makes this an exceptional film is the fact that Day-Lewis is supported by an all-star cast, with veteran actors Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field delivering powerhouse performances as Thaddeus Stevens and Mary Todd Lincoln, respectively. Jones almost steals the show in his crowd-pleasing role as the Radical Republican Congressional leader and fervent abolitionist who must go toe-to-toe with the Democrats who would love nothing more than to see the proposed Thirteenth Amendment (to abolish slavery) go up in flames. This is also somewhat of a return to form for acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, who, working off an outstanding screenplay from playwright Tony Kushner, appears to have re-captured some of the magic that helped him usher in modern classics such as Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan.

4. The Dark Knight Rises. With 2008's The Dark Knight, writer/director Christopher Nolan delivered quite possibly the greatest comic book film of our time, re-defining what a filmmaker could accomplish in the modern superhero genre. You can imagine the impossible expectations audiences would have for a follow-up, and The Dark Knight Rises falls well short of them, due to some plot holes, a few ill-advised subplots, and a surprising lack of attention to detail. But it does succeed where other third installments have failed, bringing closure to the trilogy while also raising the stakes and turning the focus back to Bruce Wayne. The Joker took center stage and wreaked his havoc in The Dark Knight, and this film is all about Bruce picking up the pieces now that he is left broken and alone, "defeated by victory," to borrow the words of his formidable new foe Bane. Tom Hardy, saddled with the unenviable task of having to follow Heath Ledger as the antagonist, doesn't quite the capture the larger-than-life quality that made the Joker so unforgettable, but his turn as the cold and merciless Bane is one of the film's highlights. It's not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but it does bring one of the most revered trilogies of our generation to a spectacular finish, even if we're not quite ready to say goodbye to these characters.

3. Skyfall. Shot in the chest and presumed dead (in the first 15 minutes, no less), this is James Bond like you've never seen him before. After setting the bar in terms of silly, over-the-top action with 2002's Die Another Day, Casino Royale saw Bond make a welcome return to his roots, with Daniel Craig taking the reins as a more grounded and realistic incarnation of the iconic 007. Quantum of Solace, with production handicapped by the writer's strike, was an unfortunate stumble for the franchise, but Craig and director Sam Mendes have more than made up for it with Skyfall, which might just be the best Bond yet. Here, we find Bond broken and defeated, living a meager existence on an unnamed island while his superiors, who believe him to be dead, are none the wiser. That is, until a threat that hits close to home emerges and Bond decides that the time has come for him to return to action, even if he might be a little worse for wear. For the first time in the franchise, Bond is rendered more human than ever, and Craig is well up to the task of bringing to life a haunted but driven Bond who is fast becoming an analog player in a digital world. But the true gem here is Javier Bardem, who, as the enigmatic Raoul Silva, continues to prove that he was born to be a villain and provides us with the kind of Bond baddie this franchise has been missing.

2. Looper. There is a scene in Looper where a character portrayed by Paul Dano allows his future self - whom he has been tasked with killing - to escape, prompting his employers to use a unique (and horrific) method of torture to lure him back. It was during this scene, this disturbing moment of ingenuity, that I realized I was going to love this movie. I had seen both The Brothers Bloom and Brick, the previous works of writer/director Rian Johnson, and, while I admired the technical brilliance of the films, neither of them struck me as special. Looper, on the other hand, is an amazing film, and I was completely engaged from start to finish. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, outfitted with make-up and facial prosthetics to mimic the appearance of a young Bruce Willis, is compelling as Joe, the apathetic looper who must elude his own employers and find his renegade future self before both of them end up dead. Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt, who both have had their share of recent misfires, more than hold their own, but I must reserve most of the praise for seven-year-old Pierce Gagnon, whose role (and I won't spoil it here) is key to the second half of the film. To put it simply, this is the most thrilling and inventive film of 2012, and you'll not want to miss it.

1. Django Unchained. What makes writer/director Quentin Tarantino such a unique and brilliant filmmaker is his talent for borrowing elements of the films that he loves - in this case, cult classic Spaghetti Westerns like 1966's Django, 1967's Day of Anger, and 1972's The Grand Duel - and repurposing and reconstituting them into something that feels fresh, entertaining, and original. Tarantino puts that talent to excellent use in Django Unchained, which, like his previous film Inglourious Basterds, is a revenge fantasy, this time centering around a slave liberated from his chains by a sympathetic bounty hunter who agrees to help him find his long lost wife in exchange for his help in tracking three wanted men. As much as Django is a shining example of his skills as a master storyteller, Tarantino also continues to have a brilliant eye for casting, with Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson all delivering some of the best work of their respective careers. I could talk at length about each of their performances, but I'll reserve most of the praise for Foxx and DiCaprio. DiCaprio, in particular, appears to be having the time of his life as the despicable plantation owner Calvin Candie, whose Southern charisma masks an ugly and sadistic nature. More than anything, Django Unchained is the outstanding work of a master filmmaker whose love of cinema permeates every frame of this epic, good old-fashioned Western.

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Just A Bit Outside: 21 Jump Street, Chronicle, Cloud Atlas, Flight, The Hobbit: Part 1 - An Unexpected Journey, Moonrise Kingdom, ParaNorman, and Ruby Sparks

Biggest Surprise of the Year: Magic Mike. Yes, I saw a movie about male strippers. But if you go into it expecting nothing more and nothing less than that, you'll be disappointed, because this is a character drama, more than anything. Channing Tatum (who also impressed with his comedic chops in the underrated 21 Jump Street) gives his best performance to date in a semi-autobiographical role as Magic Mike, a stripper and self-proclaimed entrepreneur who has aspirations of owning his own business, but can't seem to find his exit from this self-indulgent lifestyle. It is, by no means, a great film, but I have to give a lot of credit to director Steven Soderbergh for taking what could have been a raunchy, laughable chick flick and producing an interesting study of a man forced to face the repercussions of living two different lives.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: The Master. I have a great appreciation for the work of writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson (with Magnolia and There Will Be Blood be among some of my favorite films), so you can imagine how I felt when The Master fell far short of lofty expectations. I'll admit, the performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman are more than deserving of praise and recognition, but the script is something of a mess, bordering on pretentious and tedious at times. I can understand that Anderson likes to leave a lot open to audience interpretation in his films, but I've never felt more frustrated or confounded than I was while watching The Master, especially in the latter half of the film. I'll have to watch it again and see if it improves on a second viewing, but the first time around left a lot to be desired.

And with that, we close the book on another year of movies. For a look back, please take a few minutes and check out the amazing video below:

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Part 3 of 3)

Eight years after the death of Harvey Dent, Batman is no more, hunted by the Gotham Police Department and condemned by the public when he assumed responsibility for the murders perpetrated by Two-Face. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has become a recluse, exiling himself to the re-built Wayne Mansion and leaving the day-to-day operations of Wayne Enterprises to his trusted CEO Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), all the while still struggling to cope with the death of his childhood sweetheart Rachel Dawes at the hands of the Joker. Gotham City, as a result of new legislation enacted in the wake of Dent being murdered, has seen its crime rate plummet to an all-time low, with much of the credit going to Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), the man tasked with perpetuating the lie that has helped Harvey Dent become a symbol of hope for the people of Gotham. Bruce is drawn out of seclusion when, at a gala held at his house in honor of Harvey Dent, a cat burglar manages to abscond with one of his most precious possessions, leading him to track down the enigmatic Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a woman with a mysterious agenda who warns him of a coming storm. When the terrorist leader Bane (Tom Hardy) and his forces descend upon Gotham City, Bruce is forced to don the cape and cowl once again to defend his home, but it soon becomes clear that this might be a battle even Batman can't win.

Where do I begin? I will admit, I have mixed feelings about THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, mere hours after leaving the midnight premiere. But, more than anything, I feel closure, and that is what Christopher Nolan set out to do when he began constructing this final chapter to his epic saga. While there are new characters added to the mix in Selina Kyle, Bane, John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is all about Bruce Wayne. Here, eight years after taking the fall for Harvey Dent, Bruce is a man without a purpose, unable to move on with his life despite living under the belief that he sacrificed his alter ego for the greater good. Back in BATMAN BEGINS, Bruce decided to put on the cape and cowl because he wanted Batman to serve as a symbol for the people of Gotham and inspire them to believe in good. In THE DARK KNIGHT, Bruce believed he had accomplished that goal by positioning Harvey Dent as the white knight of Gotham, certain that he - not Batman - was the hero that could inspire the citizens to take action. But, as THE DARK KNIGHT RISES explores, the foundations of that success were tenuous at best, built on a lie that, if exposed, would cause Gotham to collapse on itself like a house of cards. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is about Bruce realizing that Batman is the hero that Gotham needs and coming to terms with the fact that, in order to be that hero, he must first confront his own personal demons, rather than let them continue to define him.

There are some flaws to be found in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, but a lot of them are forgivable. Most of the performances are top notch and the writing behind the characters works well enough, with the lone exception of Miranda Tate, whose character never seems to find her footing even as she takes on a more pivotal role towards the end of the film. I never expected to love Anne Hathaway as much as I did, having had some misgivings about her initial casting as Catwoman, and I am happy to report that my one complaint about her character is that she wasn't given more screen time, taking a backseat to Bane during the film's cataclysmic second half. Because much of the focus is on Bruce Wayne, Bane isn't given a whole lot to do here, unlike his predecessor the Joker, but Tom Hardy still owns the role nonetheless, functioning as a brutal force of nature the likes of which Batman has never faced before. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES struggles at times to find an equal balance of its characters, with regulars like Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine) and Jim Gordon assuming minimalized roles in favor of John Blake, an earnest beat cop who serves as a sobering reminder to Batman of the kind of good he once intended to inspire. But it never feels bloated or overcrowded, like what we saw from SPIDER-MAN 3, and the worst criticism I can give it is that I left the theater not quite ready to say goodbye yet to some of these characters.

Was it better than THE DARK KNIGHT? No. Was I at all disappointed? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't, but that doesn't detract from the quality of the film. I went into THE DARK KNIGHT RISES with unrealistic expectations, certain that Christopher Nolan was going to top THE DARK KNIGHT, but what I got instead was a final chapter that was more interested in providing closure than spectacle. The writing here isn't as tight as THE DARK KNIGHT, with a couple ill-advised plot twists that don't quite work as well on screen as they might have on paper, but this might be the most ambitious entry of the trilogy, tackling issues of class warfare, social injustice, and the difference between heroism and vigilantism. I'll need to watch it again one more time to see how well it holds the second time around, but this is without question the swan song that Bruce Wayne deserved and I tip my hat to Christopher Nolan, who managed to close out his trilogy with a spectacular final film that felt both necessary and cathartic. With crisp storytelling that brings everything to a satisfying finish and an all-star cast that leaves it all on the table in terms of performance, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is a poignant end to a trilogy that has re-defined comic book films as we know them, and I will miss this version of the Caped Crusader more than any of his predecessors.

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Part 2 of 3)

Months after saving Gotham from Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Shadows, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has turned his focus to organized crime, working together with Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and ambitious district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to bring down the mob. Bruce is aware that Batman cannot last forever and views Harvey as his true successor, the public hero that Gotham needs and one who is willing to fight crime without having to hide behind a mask, despite the fact that Harvey has been dating his childhood sweetheart Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Their plan to clean up the streets of Gotham is put to the test when the Joker (Heath Ledger) strolls into town and offers up his services to the mob, orchestrating a campaign of terror and destruction that pushes Batman to his limits. As the death toll begins to mount and chaos reigns throughout Gotham, Batman is forced to question how far he is willing to go to take this madman down - and what he is willing to sacrifice for the sake of the greater good.

I remember sitting in the movie theater during opening weekend of THE DARK KNIGHT and there was a moment during the film where I thought to myself, "I never want this to end." I went in with highest of expectations and, for the first time in a long time, I left the theater feeling like I had witnessed something special - a moviegoing experience that I would remember for the rest of my life. It was that good. It isn't without its flaws, like some will point out that Bruce Wayne takes a backseat to the Joker and Harvey Dent, but there is so much that Christopher Nolan gets right that his missteps are more than forgivable. And, to be quite honest, there is a reason Bruce gets lost in the shuffle at times, and its because the drama happening around him is so intelligent and compelling that the weight of the film didn't need to be on his shoulders. I'll get to the Joker in a minute, because I'd first like to talk about Harvey Dent, whose character arc provides the framework for THE DARK KNIGHT and brings the various plot strands together. Played with effortless charisma by Aaron Eckhart, Dent represents the kind of hope that Batman was meant to inspire, an ordinary citizen who believes that good can prevail over evil and is willing to fight the good fight to protect the people of Gotham. But, like the opposing sides of a coin, Dent also embodies the idea that even the most noble of men have a dark side and all it takes is the right push, as the Joker so aptly illustrates in his manipulations of Dent in the latter half of THE DARK KNIGHT. Like BATMAN BEGINS before it, THE DARK KNIGHT raises the question of whether or not the people of Gotham can be saved and explores the dichotic nature of mankind through Harvey Dent, whose tortured soul serves as the ultimate prize in the battle between Batman and the Joker.

But while I found the transformation of Harvey Dent to be the heart of THE DARK KNIGHT, what elevates this film to another level is the performance of the late Heath Ledger as the Joker. Simply put, it is one of the most iconic performances of our time, which makes his premature death all the more tragic. Almost unrecognizable behind the clown make-up, Ledger transformed himself into the Joker, so much so that you can't help but feel mesmerized every time he appears on the screen. From his nihilistic behavior to his lack of an origin, this is how the Joker was meant to be portrayed, and I give as much credit to Ledger as I do to the writers, who clearly understood the character and what makes him tick from the get-go. This kind of respect for the source material is what sets this franchise apart from other comic book films of the past, in this new era of fandom where filmmakers can win over a fan base by simply taking a serious approach to these characters and their storylines. By continuing to keep Batman grounded in the real world, Christopher Nolan has achieved something that no other comic book film could have even dreamed of, and it is the idea that these movies can reflect something about ourselves while also keeping us entertained. Which is why THE DARK KNIGHT functions not just as an exceptional comic book film, but also as a thrilling crime drama not seen since Michael Mann's HEAT. THE DARK KNIGHT addresses modern issues of justice, morality, and terrorism, hefty baggage for a superhero film, but it never feels forced because all of them are natural elements of this world the filmmakers have created.

I consider THE DARK KNIGHT to be one of the best films that I've ever seen because it excels in all aspects of filmmaking, both behind the camera and in front it. The look of the film is crisp and stunning, the writing is brilliant and imaginative, the acting is all top notch and headlined by a performance well deserving of its Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and the soundtrack from Hans Zimmer, as usual, is nothing short of magnificent. This is the kind of film that will be remembered for years to come, reminding us of the greatness that Hollywood is capable of producing when its most talented people are allowed to come together and work their magic.

Check back on Friday for Part 3!

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Part 1 of 3)

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES hits theaters this Friday and, in a tribute to one of the greatest cinematic trilogies of our time, I will be revisiting each of the films and discussing what makes them so great, starting with BATMAN BEGINS, moving on to THE DARK KNIGHT on Wednesday, and finishing up with THE DARK KNIGHT RISES on Friday. Having spent countless hours of my childhood sitting in front of the television watching episodes of BATMAN - THE ANIMATED SERIES, Batman is a character that I hold very close to my heart, and I can't even begin to describe how amazing it has been to see him brought to life on the big screen. There are those who still hold 1989's BATMAN and its sequel BATMAN RETURN in high regard, but for me, this incarnation of Batman is the greatest that I've ever seen, largely because of how much respect it has for the source material, the skill with which its been adapted, and the care that has gone into preserving the themes that have come to define the world of Batman in comic books, television, and film.

Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is a man haunted by the past, traumatized as a child after witnessing the murder of his beloved parents at the hands of a petty thief. Raised by his trusted family butler Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine), Bruce grew up with an uncontrollable rage burning away inside of him, an anger that refused to subside even when the man who murdered his parents was shot dead outside of a courtroom. Leaving behind his life in Gotham City, Bruce flees to a third world country in hopes of ingratiating himself into the criminal underworld, but ends up drawing the attention of Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson). Ducard reveals himself to be a member of the League of Shadows, an organization that answers to Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Watanbe) and seeks to fight injustice across the globe, and convinces Bruce to become a part of their cause, teaching him how to use fear against those who prey on the fearful. But when Ducard insists that he execute a common criminal, Bruce draws the line and, after escaping the League in an explosive confrontation, returns to Gotham a new man, now certain of his role as the sworn protector of the city. With the help of the idealistic Sergeant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and assistant district attorney Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes), Bruce attempts to clean up the streets of Gotham under the mask of the caped crusader Batman, striking fear into the hearts of the criminals who have held a stranglehold over the city for decades. But when a plot to tear the city apart emerges, Batman is forced to put his abilities to the rest and the fight to save Gotham from total destruction begins.

Back in 1997, BATMAN AND ROBIN was released and the result was the death of Batman, or at least the death of his film career for the foreseeable future. It would be almost a decade before we would ever see Batman on the big screen but how could you blame them, what with Arnold Schwarzenegger forced to spout a slew of excruciating puns as Mr. Freeze, Batman committing the infamous fashion faux pas of adding nipples to his costume, and director Joel Schumacher obsessed with using as much neon as possible. It was a trainwreck, from start to finish. But, in hindsight, this disaster did have one redeeming trait, as it could be argued that it paved the road for the triumph of BATMAN BEGINS. This is the origin tale that Bruce Wayne deserved but never received, not even in Tim Burton's BATMAN. With two lesser known villains in Ra's Al Ghul and Dr. Jonathan "The Scarecrow" Crane (Cillian Murphy), much of the film is spent focusing on the psychological issues that drive Bruce, with Batman unseen until at least an hour into the running time. BATMAN BEGINS dares to ask the question "What kind of man chooses to spend his nights beating up criminals in a bat costume?" and exposes Bruce for the broken man that he is - a man so consumed with anger and grief that he needs to create an alter ego to exorcise his personal demons. What makes Batman so accessible is that, like the rest of us, Bruce has his own issues, but instead of letting them destroy him, he channels into them into a force for good.

What sets BATMAN BEGINS apart from the previous incarnations of the Caped Crusader is the decision to ground it in the real world, which makes sense given that Batman, unlike his comic book brethren, possesses no super powers. Just like the tagline of 1978's SUPERMAN promised that you'll believe a man can fly, BATMAN BEGINS braves the task of convincing the audience that a hero like Batman could exist in the real world, and does so with impressive skill. You see the bruises that Bruce wakes up with in the morning after a night out crusading, the constant struggles of a cop like Jim Gordon forced to operate in a police department rife with corruption, and the sufferings of the impoverished people who serve as the lower class of Gotham, and the audience is all the more invested as a result. None of the problems that Batman is attempting to combat are confined to Gotham City and that is what elevates BATMAN BEGINS above its peers in the comic book film genre, because it wants to use Batman to reflect the issues of fear, justice, and class that we encounter in our own lives. There are two conflicts presented in BATMAN BEGINS that become the driving forces of this trilogy, one being the battle between Bruce Wayne and his own personal demons and the other being the battle between Batman and those who believe that the people of Gotham City are beyond saving. We live in a brutal world full of violence, greed, and murder, and Batman represents the idea that mankind, with all of its flaws, is still worth fighting for.

Something else worth mentioning about BATMAN BEGINS is the impressive cast list, which, at the time of its release, was rare for a comic book film, but also a sign that we were entering a period where superhero films could be considered more than popcorn fare. There isn't a weak performance in the group, even though some will point to Katie Holmes at a weak spot, with much of the praise belonging to the terrific trio of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman. While often overshadowed by the enormous popularity of its successor THE DARK KNIGHT, BATMAN BEGINS is quite an achievement on its own, providing a blueprint for how to deliver a proper origin story and ushering in a new era of superhero films that would aspire to be something more.

Be sure to check back for Part 2!

"What's Your Favorite Movie?"

X-MEN. DEATH TO SMOOCHY. BIG FISH. WEDDING CRASHERS. THE DEPARTED. And, for the past four years, THE DARK KNIGHT. At one point or another, these are the answers that I've produced when asked the question that every film buff dreads... "What's your favorite movie?" It all started back in 2000, when I walked out of the theater having just seen X-MEN, passing standees of some of the film's larger-than-life characters as I left, and realized that what I had just witnessed was awesome. From that moment on, I was obsessed with X-MEN, making multiple trips to Toys "R" Us with my dad to collect all of the action figures and even dressing up as Cyclops (my favorite member of the X-Men) on several occasions, doing battle with the various supervillains that frequented my house. And from that obsession with X-MEN, my love of movies was born.

And from that point forward, "What's your favorite movie?" went from short answer to essay question. Looking back on it, each of the movies that stood atop my favorites at one point or another said something about me at the time, and I find that to be a credit to the power that a film can hold. For me, X-MEN represented the idea that imagination wasn't reserved for childhood and that the cartoon heroes I watched on television after school could be more than just two-dimensional drawings. Seeing those characters brought to life on the big screen made them real and, after that, it dawned on me that the possibilities of what you could bring to life through film were endless and unimaginable. DEATH TO SMOOCHY, which would take the reins from X-MEN, was a little less grandiose in scope, but that didn't keep me from laughing every time that I watched it. I've revisited it a couple times and, while I still think it has quite a bit of dark comedic value, it isn't a great movie by any measure, lacking focus and logic. But for me, during the time that I first saw it, it had a cynicism to it that I found to be a refreshing change of pace from the cheeseball kiddie fare that I'd become accustomed to, and I came to appreciate humor that had some bite to it.

Then BIG FISH rolled into town and changed everything for me. I have no idea why, but I was more excited to see BIG FISH than I was for any other movie that came out during 2003. I can't explain it. It didn't have a big budget, wasn't a summer blockbuster, had no characters with super powers, and its biggest star was Ewan McGregor, someone I was only slightly familiar with at that point. But I went to see it and I loved it. I'm not sure I realized it at the time, but I think the reason it struck a chord with me was because I could relate to both main characters, Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) and Will Bloom (Billy Crudup), a father unsatisfied with the boring and mundane limitations of the real world and a frustrated son desperate to get to know a man obsessed with tall tales and half-truths. For the first time that I can remember, I was able to create a deep emotional connection with the characters and, as a result, I saw something in BIG FISH that was below the surface level. WEDDING CRASHERS, which came along a few years down the road, took the mantle from BIG FISH for the simple fact that it was the funniest movie that I had ever seen and, like a cherry on top of a delicious sundae, it was a raunchy comedy that had real heart and intelligence. It was a balanced mixture of clever, hilarious, and romantic, and it felt fresh and polished to boot, something that I had not seen in a modern comedy before. It showed me that you could make people laugh without having to throw common sense out the window, and that is a lesson I will never forget.

But THE DEPARTED was a different animal from WEDDING CRASHERS. When I first saw THE DEPARTED, I was enthralled in it from start to finish, which felt odd to me because I had expected more of a slown burn effort from director Martin Scorsese. And it had an all-star cast that included Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and Martin Sheen, all of them combining their stellar efforts to bring a commanding presence to the film that I had never seen before. It was dark, gritty, and violent, and I ate it all up, from sitting on the edge of my seat as Bill Costigan (DiCaprio) races against time to prevent his dual identities from being exposed to watching Colin Sullivan (Damon) weasel his way through the police department with aims at self-preservation to sitting in awe as Nicholson took over each scene as the ruthless, homicidal and paranoid Frank Costello. It was mesmerizing to watch the fireworks as these men collided and a wave of collateral damage unfolded onscreen, leaving bullets, blood, and dead bodies in its wake.

All of these paled in comparison to THE DARK KNIGHT. I remember sitting in the theater on July 20th, 2008, watching the events of THE DARK KNIGHT unfold on the screen, and thinking to myself that I never wanted it to end. Everything was perfect. I wasn't watching Heath Ledger acting onscreen, I was watching the Joker terrorize Gotham City, the face of a former heartthrob buried beneath a layer of clown make-up that made him virtually unrecognizable. It was incredible to watch. On top of that, Aaron Eckhart almost stole the show from him with his turn as Harvey Dent, the ambitious district attorney who descends into madness when the Joker tears him down and transforms him into the vengeful Two-Face. It was a comic book film that strived to be more than that, incorporating modern elements of justice, terrorism, and herosim that elevated it to a level not seen before by a movie about a man in a cape and cowl. I saw it three times in theaters, the most times I've ever seen the same film more than once, and I've watched it countless times on DVD.

Looking back on this list, I can't help but notice how much my idea of "favorite movie" changed and evolved over time, from X-MEN to WEDDING CRASHERS to THE DARK KNIGHT. Does this mean these are the best movies that I've seen? I doubt that, given that DEATH TO SMOOCHY is among them. Part of it could be attributed to the fact that I was fickle when I was younger. But these were the movies that meant the most to me at the time that I saw them and, even now, they remain some of the most memorable of the hundreds of movies that I've seen to date. I challenge you to think of your own favorite movie, consider why you see it as your favorite, and think about what it meant to you at the time that you saw it. You might be surprised by what comes to mind.

So... "What's your favorite movie?"