2012: The Underrated, Surprising, Disappointing and the Overrated

Another year of films has passed and what can I say, it turned out to be pretty decent. Not sure how many films I watched this past year but some did leave me with a smile on my face while some left me with a huge sigh. It was a year we saw a few films hit the one billion dollar mark and also set the highest total box office gross ever. Every year, there are films that get overlooked or receive undeserving poor reviews. Then there are those which are over-praised.

Here's what made my underrated/overrated bunch of 2012

The Underrated, the Overlooked and the Surprises

Looper

Very original. I loved the futuristic concept, good action sequences, great impersonation by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, oh and nice seeing Bruce Willis being a bad-ass again. Totally underrated.

John Carter

John Carter is the most expensive movie made and it didnt do as well as expected financially and it received an onslaught of poor reviews. However I enjoyed this movie for what it was. Poorly acted yes but some elements just reminded me of the Star Wars films, which I liked and I adored the ending.

Dredd 3D

Solid performances, visually splendid, great action sequences accompanied by an awesome futuristic score. It flopped financially but Dredd 3D is a remake that worked.

Act of Valor

This is another film which I thought didnt deserve the onslaught of poor reviews. It's cliched yes but I totally loved the Call of Duty-like action sequences.

Cosmopolis

Not the most audience friendly film because of its complex dialogue and somewhat weird content but once you get into the characters and the dialogue, it is surprisingly engaging.

Pitch Perfect

Laced with energy, great musical numbers and consistent humor, Pitch Perfect was surprisingly fun. I initially thought it would be another cheesy competition film but it turned out to be a lot better than I had expected.

Magic Mike

Mathew McConaughey led the way in this film. He was sexy and so was the rest of the stripping cast. I adored the choreographed dance numbers on stage and the acting. 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit opened up to a slew of mediocre reviews from critics but after watching the movie for myself, I lost faith in these critics. It's not easy being a followup to the masterful and acclaimed The Lord Of The Rings but Peter Jackson gave us a fun start.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is well acted, well written and lovely story. This movie not only gives us a look into the lives of retired seniors but also a grand look at India's culture.  

Haywire

Gina Carano was a bad-ass and she really carried this film. Haywire is laced with impressive action sequences, nice cinematography and special effects. It was a win for me.

Other underrated films:
Ruby Sparks, Killer Joe, Headhunters, Jeff Who Lives At Home, Bernie

The Disappointing and the Overrated

Overrated doesnt necessarily mean it's a bad movie, but after watching I was left thoroughly underwhelmed especially with all the hype that had surrounded these films.

The Dark Knight Rises

The long awaited sequel for the most impressive The Dark Knight didnt quite meet my expectations. Too drawn out, unnecessary dialogues and too little character development.

Prometheus

This movie has great visuals but story-wise, it was an absolute fail.

Taken 2

My hopes were not that high for this sequel but I didnt expect it to suck so bad. So lazily written and acted, this was a joke.

Flight

I really do believe they could have done more with this story. Denzel was solid but the story was really lacking in the second half of the film and I found some characters underused. 

Resident Evil: Retribution

I'm a fan of the Resident Evil brand so I was looking forward to this installment. I thought the reintroduction of Jill Valentine would do good but I was left disappointed with how crappy this was done. Retribution is lone CGI and no substance.

Other underwhelming films I saw:
Sinister, The Hunger Games, Rise of the Guardians, Zero Dark Thirty