2012 was a great year to be a dude at the movies. While there were a number of films we had to suffer through for the sake of our ladyfriends (I’m grinding my teeth just remembering that there was a What to Expect When You’re Expecting big screen “adaptation”), the cineplex offered plenty of self-medication for guys looking to boost their Low T. Grab a brew and plop down on your favorite recliner, because we’re counting down the top ten movies of 2012 that put some hair on your chest (and maybe some other places, too).
WARNING: Spoilers for movies will certainly follow, as will the possibility of salty dialogue, since that’s how sailors talk. And sailors are almost the epitome of manly, right below lumberjacks and underground street fighters.
10. The Bourne Legacy
It takes some serious cojones to step into another man’s well-established franchise and prove you’ve got what it takes to keep the ship afloat. Jeremy Renner did that and more with this year’s The Bourne Legacy, showing America that not only can he be as badass as Matt Damon (an adjective not usually thrown Mr. Damon’s way) but he can do it with an almost terrifying ease. Aaron Cross is just as cunning as Jason Bourne, but Renner gives the man an edge that the sweet-faced Damon couldn’t hope to have even if he spent the next twenty years chain-smoking cigars and drinking a Big Gulp full of whiskey every day. I hope the franchise continues, and we get to see Aaron Cross and Jason Bourne discuss the most efficient way to kill bad guys while enjoying a nice cup of morning coffee.
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12 Comments
Good list – although, no.4 needs to be swapped with no.1 (or, “Raid” no.1, “Dredd” no.2). Having said that, I’m so glad they brought out a Dredd film that longtime fans could finally be proud of. None of this “I’m not playing Dredd because he doesn’t show his whole face” crap (as Arnie once turned the role down for, leaving it up to Sly and Danny Cannon to massacre the first attempt to bring JD on screen). Karl Urban was fantastic in the lead role, playing him with the right demeanour associated with our anti-hero.
Not sure if they’re gonna make any more Dredd films after the poor performance in the US market, but it’ll be a travesty if they don’t.
I hope the home video sales are great. That’s the only hope we have of seeing a sequel. I’m buying it the day it streets.
And you are totally justified in placing The Raid at #1. Dredd was just the perfect amalgamation of everything I wanted out of it, so it topped my personal list.
I could have added ‘Looper and lawless’ somewhere.
They were certainly considered. Lawless came very close, but I didn’t manage to catch that during its run. If I had, I have a feeling it would’ve replaced something like The Avengers. Looper was almost on this list. It came very close, until I remembered Universal Soldier.
They were certainly considered. Lawless came very close, but I didn’t manage to catch that during its run. If I had, I have a feeling it would’ve replaced something like The Avengers. Looper was almost on this list. It came very close, until I remembered Universal Soldier.
I never heard of this site until last week but now it is my favorite due to incredible lists like this. I would have never thought that Dredd would be number one. The trailers I saw looked awesome but it never came out near me. The Raid was my number one film of the year with the coolest fight scenes that should provide every action fan joy. I will not sit here and tell you where to put films, just continue to support the new and underrated action films that have been released and the ones that are on there way.
You are one of my favorite commentors (I don’t care if that’s not a word) ever. Thank you for enjoying the list! Hope you’ll come back for more!
Finally Dredd isn’t trashed on this site FOR ONCE. It was a very well made, awesome action film. THANK YOU.
I think the people who ended up trashing “Dredd” on this site were fanboys of “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Prometheus” – you know, the type who like to dissect every single frame of every single clip of every single part of the movie, and tell anyone who’s just like them on what they think they know actually happened…instead of just sitting down, switching off, and enjoying a simple story where things are blown up, people are killed, and a badass law enforcer and his rookie recruit battle through to save the day. A true and proper 18 certificate film…
One of my favorite things about Dredd is that it didn’t try to stuff in a huge villain or a grandiose plot. It really does feel just like a regular day on the job, and that’s the kind of movie it is. Not everything has to attempt to be the pinnacle tale of a property. Sometimes, you do just want to kick back and see a story that feels completely contained and singular, but is well-told and has a spirit of sick fun. Dredd is certainly that movie, in my opinion.
You’re welcome. Who is trashing Dredd? I know it bombed at the box office, but I feel like people are recognizing how effectively simple a movie it is. That’s my favorite aspect about it: it’s not convoluted or preachy or heavy-handed. It’s a straightforward action flick that feels like a Cannon Films picture made with today’s tools. Haters gonna hate, I guess. Oh well. More viewings of Dredd for us!
Where is The Grey?! With it’s depictions of both “macho” and “vulnerable” side of masculinity, as well as it’s violent nature and survivalist overtones, I felt it was far and away the “manliest” movie of the year. (However, I didn’t see Dredd or Expendables)