15 Awesome Films That Ruled 2012

By David Keeble / December 31, 2012

7. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson's return into the magnificent mind of J.R.R. Tolkien garnered mixed reviews with the majority of critics arguing that it was "bloated" and "too long". I suppose it would be hard to disagree with them. However, this film is based on extensive and intricate, detailed material by J.R.R Tolkien, so if any fantasy epic deserved to be long or bloated it is one of his adaptations. Although I am not a huge fan of the 3D format, Peter Jackson utilised it correctly, all within a sharp, crystal clear frame rate of 48 FPS. Not once did I find myself complaining throughout this long fantasy epic. The photography of New Zealand was stunning once again, and Freeman, Serkis and McKellen turned in effortless performances, while Jackson stayed true to Tolkien's material, giving us a fitting return to Middle-Earth.

6. Prometheus - Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott returned in full force to the genre he helped define more than three decades ago, most obviously with Blade Runner, and what a grandiose return it all was. It goes without saying that Prometheus was designed as the forerunner to Scott's sci-fi horror masterpiece Alien and its surrounding mythos. While it lacked the claustrophobic horror punch of its successor due to a larger scale, it made up for this in philosophical and mysterious storytelling, strong thematics, a canvas full of spectacular visuals and 3D that enhanced rather than depleted. A fantastic piece of sci-fi film-making and one that will be appreciated more over time.