Much has been said about sluggish box office weekends this year, but there's no denying that we had an abundance of great movies to choose from. To get an idea of which films stood out the most for our readers, we asked them to choose their favorite 10 pictures out of a mix of 20 major releases that arrived in theaters between January and December 7, 2012. Here are the results:
The final installment of "The Twilight Saga" isn't a surprising entry on the list, but what might surprise you is how close it came to getting knocked off entirely. "Breaking Dawn -- Part 2" just barely edged out "The Amazing Spider-Man" to make it to No. 10 on our list. Here's a review of "Breaking Dawn -- Part 2," and here's a refresher course on the "Twilight Saga" in case you need it.
Of the three films Channing Tatum, left, starred in this year, "21 Jump Street" was widely received as a defining moment for the 32-year-old star, who's since been named People magazine's sexiest man. We saw the writing on the wall after this comedy with Jonah Hill arrived, and called 2012 a standout year for the actor.
The premise behind Seth MacFarlane's "Ted" had the potential to be either hilarious or hilariously awful, but the movie became one of the summer box office's best. Starring Mark Wahlberg as a man who still hasn't let go of his relationship with his (raunchy) teddy bear, voiced by MacFarlane, "Ted" was a risk that paid off well.
The positive buzz was huge for "Argo" and actor/director Ben Affleck, right, after his success with "The Town." "Argo" still stands out among December's heavy hitters, as it hasn't been forgotten by the SAG or Golden Globe Awards.
What Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" has lacked in box office receipts it's made up for in critical praise. The lengthy examination of Abraham Lincoln's presidency and his pivotal push to end slavery and the Civil War is considered one of the best films of the year.
No surprise here: If you paid any attention at all to "The Avengers'" box office reign after it opened in May, you knew it had to show up on a public-voted "best" list. It's the highest-grossing film this year, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com, earning $623 million domestically to date. The sequel is on its way.
Much has been said about sluggish box office weekends this year, but there's no denying that we had an abundance of great movies to choose from. To get an idea of which films stood out the most for our readers, we asked them to choose their favorite 10 pictures out of a mix of 20 major releases that arrived in theaters between January and December 7, 2012. Here are the results:
The final installment of "The Twilight Saga" isn't a surprising entry on the list, but what might surprise you is how close it came to getting knocked off entirely. "Breaking Dawn -- Part 2" just barely edged out "The Amazing Spider-Man" to make it to No. 10 on our list. Here's a review of "Breaking Dawn -- Part 2," and here's a refresher course on the "Twilight Saga" in case you need it.
Of the three films Channing Tatum, left, starred in this year, "21 Jump Street" was widely received as a defining moment for the 32-year-old star, who's since been named People magazine's sexiest man. We saw the writing on the wall after this comedy with Jonah Hill arrived, and called 2012 a standout year for the actor.
Disney/Pixar's summer animated feature "Brave" was on trend with a strong heroine at the center of its story in addition to featuring oh-so-hot archery. The movie was praised for its independent protagonist, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe award in the best animated feature category.
The premise behind Seth MacFarlane's "Ted" had the potential to be either hilarious or hilariously awful, but the movie became one of the summer box office's best. Starring Mark Wahlberg as a man who still hasn't let go of his relationship with his (raunchy) teddy bear, voiced by MacFarlane, "Ted" was a risk that paid off well.
The positive buzz was huge for "Argo" and actor/director Ben Affleck, right, after his success with "The Town." "Argo" still stands out among December's heavy hitters, as it hasn't been forgotten by the SAG or Golden Globe Awards.
What Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" has lacked in box office receipts it's made up for in critical praise. The lengthy examination of Abraham Lincoln's presidency and his pivotal push to end slavery and the Civil War is considered one of the best films of the year.
With the "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" franchises in our rearview, pulled from young adult books. Based on the trilogy by Suzanne Collins and starring the indomitable Jennifer Lawrence as the fearless heroine Katniss Everdeen, the adaptation managed to please both the fans and the industry.
The final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, "The Dark Knight Rises," was one of the year's most highly anticipated and widely praised films, but it will also be forever linked in our minds with the horrific movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado.
No surprise here: If you paid any attention at all to "The Avengers'" box office reign after it opened in May, you knew it had to show up on a public-voted "best" list. It's the highest-grossing film this year, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com, earning $623 million domestically to date. The sequel is on its way.
