Listmania: 100 Reasons 2012 Was a Great Year for Movies (Part 1 of 5)

Looking back on 2012, many could say that it was another average year. However, the further that I look, the more that I have trouble accepting that. There have been many things that made this year exceptionally great, or at very least interesting. One of the notable things is the output of movies, which weren't always successful, but often provided looks into an interesting future of cinema. The following is a week-long journey through the year in cinema and what made 2012 a great year for movies.

1. Haywire

The year started off strongly with this female spy flick from director Steven Soderbergh that turned MMA Fighter Gina Carano into the next big action star. Not only does is far exceed many of this year's male counterpoints, but it proved to be a great, inspiring start to the 2012 movie season.

2. Girl Walk//All Day

Another amazing effort that launched 2012 into a great year is this film that paints New York as a dance floor set to Girl Talk's "All Day." The results are infectious and almost serves as the best portrayal of New York in cinema in years.

3. The Grey

Liam Neeson fights wolves in this captivating, emotional drama that turns nature into an amazingly bleak landscape. With a polarizing ending, this was far and away one of the most overlooked films of the year, if just because it was dumped in January.

4. Chronicle

Bringing new life to found footage movies is director Josh Trank as he gives a bunch of unruly teenagers superpowers. While it doesn't have nearly the influence that Project X has on the youthful crowd, it did prove that the genre was still capable of doing something fresh and new, especially on the coattails of the Devil Inside Me.

 5. Rampart

Not necessarily a great film by nature, but a great performance by Woody Harrelson that turns a racist cop into an endearingly complicated man. It also serves as a decent commentary on the police force in the Rampart District set to a gripping and gritty story.

6. The Secret World of Arrietty

Another year, another film from Studio Ghibli that sees an adaptation of "the Borrowers" come to life with great animation and an equally fantastic story. It is only a shame that it wasn't noticed at the end of the year when Wreck-It Ralph and ParaNorman took top priority.

7. This Is Not a Film

This is a story of a filmmaker with passion that is under house arrest and cannot make a film for 20 years. Shot over the course of a day, it is almost the most engaging film, if just because it aptly explains the importance and passion that film plays in our lives.

8. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

A film that explores the world of sushi through the eyes of one of its biggest innovators. It's one of the early runaway hit documentaries of 2012 capturing foodies and curious bystanders' attention alike.

9. 21 Jump Street

A film that shouldn't have worked because of leads Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, became one of the year's funniest and more successful films of the year. It played all of the right beats in turning this studio comedy into a clever parody of the series while paying loving homage to it.

10. Casa de Mi Padre

A mediocre flop that attempts to turn Will Ferrell into a Mexican soap opera star by making him speak Spanish. However, the film is worth it just for the sake of hearing co-star Nick Offerman butcher the language and continue to prove why he is one of the greatest supporting actors working today.

11. Jeff, Who Lives at Home

Jason Segel gives his best performance since Forgetting Sarah Marshall in a film that explores what fate means based on watching M. Night Shyamalan's Signs. The simple tale is the most profound look at the meaning of family and love that came out in 2012.

12. The Hunger Games

The film that turned Jennifer Lawrence from the Oscar-baiting young actress of Winter's Bone into the bonafide celebrity. It also launched a new, more appealing franchise that will prove to be more transcendent than Twilight has been on the modern market.

13. The Raid: Redemption

Easily the best action movie of the year takes a bunch of people and has them fight to the death in one high rise building. It will blow your mind how great some of the realistic, gritty violence is that breathes new life into a genre that is obsessed with guns and explosions.

14. Mirror Mirror

Tarsem Singh makes the superior Snow White film of 2012 with this tale that turns the familiar character into a strong, independent woman. With gorgeous costume designs and an equally funny story, this is one of the best live action children's films in recent years.

15. Goon

Jay Baruchel penned this hockey comedy starring Seann William Scott and finally helped him get out of his American Pie typecasting. With a brilliantly brash yet forgiving sense of humor, this is one of the under looked, hilarious gems that may seem overly Canadian, but that's what makes it funny.

16. Bully

It is impossible to determine what aspect of Bully was more interesting: the content or the infamous MPAA debate for a PG-13 that continues to question how ratings work. However, it is the stories at the heart of the film that suggests that something needs to be done for bullying in an effective, emotionally gripping way.

17. The Cabin in the Woods

The year of Joss Whedon started strong with a film that redefined horror and caused the term "spoilers" to mean something again. It is one of the greatest, funniest, most original horror films of the last few years that deserves to be seen to be believed, or at very least, discussed.

18. The Pirates! Band of Misfits

The slapstick claymation tale follows pirates on the high seas as hilarity and plenty of monkey humor ensues. Another example of great original, fun films that have been overlooked from the year based on its early release.

19. Get the Gringo

Mel Gibson goes to Mexico in this comedy and while it may be an awkward choice for the notoriously racy actor, it is definitely one of the more interesting grab bag films of 2012. It may not make any lists, but it is sure to leave some people with a sense that Gibson is not entirely washed up just yet.

20. The Avengers

After years of waiting, the Avengers hit the scene with high strides, box office success, and almost made talk of the Dark Knight Rises obsolete. Widely considered the ultimate superhero film, it features plenty of faithful nods to the Marvel characters and brings the uninitiated in with action, wit, and a story that can metaphorically be about modern society.

Come back tomorrow for the next entry in which we explore reasons 21-40.