The year in cinema shouldn’t really be gauged by its highs and lows, as there will always be a few terrible movies and a few great ones. The state of Hollywood is best measured by everything in between – the movies that range between pretty good and utterly forgettable.

Thankfully for 2012, the scale tips closer to “pretty good.” While greatness remained a rarity, the year had its share of standouts.

Out of the 103 movies I saw that were released theatrically in 2012, these were my favorites.  It doesn’t include “Zero Dark Thirty” (not screened yet) or some of the smaller films still in limited release. Even without them in contention, it wasn’t hard filling slots.

1. Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson’s movies exist in a world slightly askew – rich with characters and details that seem trapped in a time that is simultaneously more romantic and somber than the real world.

Anderson’s lesser movies (think “The Darjeeling Limited”) lack an emotional connection to reality, but his best movies, like “The Royal Tenenbaums” and now “Moonrise Kingdom,” mix the eccentricities with universal truth.

“Moonrise Kingdom” isn’t particularly complicated. The central characters, two pre-teens played by newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, fall in love and run away together. Their relationship is pure, innocent and without the awkward mugging that more “experienced” young actors might attempt with the material. Their scenes capture a feeling of rebellious youth – something that can’t easily be recreated for those of us who are well past our grade school years.

That the movie fills in this altered-but-impassioned world with an outstanding supporting cast (Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand and Bill Murray) is an added bonus. This is Anderson’s most assured and relatable effort to date, and the best movie of 2012. (more…)

Ever since “Jaws” terrified audiences back in 1975, summer has been the go-to season for event-level filmmaking. And in many cases, extinction level events like asteroids and malevolent aliens are the focus.

From May through August, there’s at least one new, expensive blockbuster every week. Not all are created equal. Many make money, but only one or two truly enthrall the moviegoing public for months at a time.

So we break down the best blockbusters, year-by-year, since 1990. The measure of criteria is threefold: Thrills, Fun and Buzz. These movies aren’t necessarily the “best” from each summer, just the ones that best embody the term,“blockbuster.”

Meaning this is the only list where “Armageddon” will ever rank above “Saving Private Ryan.”

2012 – The Avengers
Apologies to the Caped Crusader. “The Avengers” brought fun back into the superhero epic.
2011 – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
There were better movies last summer (“Super 8”), but EVERYBODY had to see if the boy wizard could stick the (broom) landing. For the most part, he did.
2010 – Toy Story 3
Just edges “Inception” for being the quality, must-see for ages 2-102. The complicated plot of “Inception” might slice decades off each side of that scale.
2009 – Star Trek
The nerds griped about how it deviated from the source material, but everyone else had a blast.
2008 – The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger as The Joker was the highlight of Christopher Nolan’s epic second installment in his Batman trilogy.
2007 – The Bourne Ultimatum
In a year of disappointing trilogy cappers (“Spider-Man,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” Shrek”) Matt Damon punched and kicked his way to the top of the heap.
2006 – Mission: Impossible 3
2005 – Batman Begins
The last “Star Wars” was OK, but nobody expected Batman to return to such form after the disastrous “Batman & Robin” in 1997.
2004 – Spider-Man 2
2003 – Finding Nemo & Pirates of the Caribbean
Too close to call. They’re both water-centric, so a tie seems appropriate. (more…)

We can have our good values and we can have our dignity, but sometimes we just need a paycheck.

This is most true in Hollywood, where even the most respected actors and filmmakers work on a project for the sole purpose of banking a few million bucks.

Some actors, however, seem perfectly content taking money for less-than-passable projects. Some are stuck trying to repeat iconic past performances, while others appear to be sleepwalking through every endeavor.

This list is particularly painful, because I love a lot of these performers. But these people are slumming it, and we all should expect more. (more…)

I’m a firm believer that good movies are relatively easy to find, and of the 108 movies I saw from 2011, I enjoyed quite a few of them.

I just didn’t love very many.

North Idaho has yet to receive late season standouts like “The Artist” or “A Separation.” Still, the calendar year hasn’t been marked by any significant benchmarks in cinema (although “The Tree of Life” could go down as this generation’s “2001: A Space Odyssey”).

Nevertheless, my top 20 films of 2011 definitely deserve your attention. A few you will love, some you’ll probably hate, but hopefully most are easy to enjoy.

Update: An updated article will be posted in the first part of February, which will (hopefully) include more late season titles.

1. Moneyball
On the surface, it’s a movie about baseball and statistics. It’s all the characters talk about, yet “Moneyball” tells a compelling and universal story about what it means to be the underdog.

Brad Pitt plays Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane as a man who learns that winning a little less than the big guys can be winning enough. It’s the most compelling performance of Pitt’s career, and you won’t find a snappier script this year than the one effortlessly crafted by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Available Tuesday on home video.

2. Super 8
The smartest and most entertaining blockbuster of the year, made by J.J. Abrams as a tribute to the science-fiction work of Steven Spielberg, who serves as a producer on the project. Stacked with a talented cast of young actors and a more-than-meets-the-eye monster, “Super 8” pays homage to all the best parts of “E.T.,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Jaws” and “The Goonies” while also playing on its own terms. Available on home video.

3. The Descendants
George Clooney delivers another terrific performance as a man who must deal with a comatose wife, rebellious daughters and a land deal that will literally change the landscape of Hawaii. It’s another unique mix of comedy and drama from Alexander Payne, writer and director of “Sideways.” (more…)

It could have been much worse.

Of all the 2011-released movies I saw this year (a little more than a hundred), most fell into the “merely OK” category. Like many of you, I chose not see some of the year’s obvious clunkers, like Adam Sandler’s cross-dressing “Jack and Jill” or the new “Chipmunks” movie. And, after sitting through 120 excruciating minutes of the last “Twilight” movie, I decided not to bother with “Breaking Dawn.”

The following list, however, were cinematic experiences I hope will be forgotten by 2012.

In alphabetical order:

Arena
I typically don’t see straight-to-DVD movies because, well, they’re terrible. Samuel L. Jackson stars as a sleazy promoter of an online fighting league where the competitors brutally kill each other. I’ll watch Sam Jackson in anything. I just won’t be watching this ever again.

The Hangover Part II
It’s the same as the first movie minus humor and originality. How did this make so much money?

Larry Crowne
Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts play “ordinary” people in this insulting and insipid look at middle-aged, middle-class folks trying to make it in the new economy. Oh, and Hanks’ character joins a hipster motor-scooter club.

To make things worse, Hanks and Roberts spend the closing credits waving and smiling at the audience as if to say, “Look, we’re movie stars! We’re only pretending to be like you!”

Mars Needs Moms
A dull, grimy-looking motion-capture cartoon about Martians kidnapping and murdering human moms. Don’t worry. Your kids will be too bored to even notice the nightmarish storyline. (more…)

“The Social Network” and “The King’s Speech” will ultimately duke out for the year’s top prize, but there are other nominations and categories to consider.

Here are my predictions, as well as a few long-shot picks that deserve more respect. Official predictions are in bold.

Best Picture
If there were only five nominees, it’d be easy: “The Social Network,” “The King’s Speech,” “The Fighter,” “Inception” and “Black Swan.” They’ve all appeared in pretty much every Oscar precursor (Guild nominations, critics’ lists, etc.). The other good bets: “Toy Story 3,” “True Grit,” and “The Kids Are All Right.” The final two slots will go to one of these three: “Winter’s Bone,” “127 Hours,” and “The Town.” Gut feeling: Ben Affleck’s excellent heist film just misses the cut.

Needs More Respect: Edgar Wright’s brilliant video game epic “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” (more…)

Years from now, esteemed film scholars will decide the true great films from 2010. Until then, critics’ awards and Top 10 lists only give us an impulsive view of cinema in the past year.

A Best-of list so soon after the new year can only be a gut feeling. With limited time and opportunity for repeat viewings, the selections that make up this list are the movies that made the strongest first impressions. Some are technically dazzling. Others explore wrenching human emotions. Some just put a smile on your face– a tall order these days.

Here, out of the 110 films from 2010 I saw last year, are the 20 (ish) movies more than worth a second experience.

Editor’s NOTE: This is the first edition of my list of the best movies of 2010. Stay tuned for updates as I get around to seeing more of the late-2010 contenders (including “The King’s Speech” and “Blue Valentine”).

1. 127 Hours
Based on the incredible true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston, “127 Hours” is an exhausting moviegoing experience that, by the end, makes you feel lucky to be alive.

Director Danny Boyle, while still utilizing his dynamic photography and editing style, has crafted a more cohesive narrative than his Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire.” The script by Simon Beaufoy turns what is essentially 90 minutes of a man stuck on a rock into one of the most enthralling tales of survival to ever be put to screen.

The key to the experience is James Franco in an Oscar-worthy, one-man show. He makes you feel stranded on that rock alongside him, exhausting every last ounce of water, levity and hope. He’s so good, you even feel the sting in the arm when it comes time for one final choice.

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Big Stars. Huge Budgets. Disastrous Results.

In a tough economic climate, Hollywood still managed to waste colossal amounts of time and money in the hopes of suckering the American public. Save yourself the headache and avoid these 10 awful titles released in the last 12 months.

The Bounty Hunter

Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler star as bickering exes in the most broadly-drawn and unwatchable “romantic romp” to come along since, well, whatever movie Jennifer Aniston or Gerard Butler made last.

Jonah Hex

Clocking in at a trim 70 minutes, this DC Comics Western makes no sense whatsoever. Josh Brolin emerges from this mess relatively unscathed, but Megan Fox’s hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold has likely sent the actress careening into a Lindsay Lohan career trajectory.

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Nobody can deny that most animated movies are made for kids. As adults, we’re supposed to ignore “Looney Tunes” and engage in more “intellectual” fare. For most of Americans, that means “CSI: Miami” and “Dancing with the Stars.”

Pretend those social norms don’t exist for a minute. Because when it comes to truly memorable onscreen characters, animation is the only consistent place to find it. Since we all, to an extent, grew up with certain cartoon personalities (be it Mickey Mouse or Shrek), they tend to leave a much stronger impression than most other fictitious characters.

Presented here are the 50 favorite animated movie characters from one lifelong kid-at-heart. The only limitation to the list: Characters needed to be featured prominently in at least one theatrically-released, feature-length film. While this lone rule knocked a few television favorites out of contention, there were still plenty of characters vying for a spot.

1. Buzz Lightyear & Sheriff Woody – “Toy Story,” “Toy Story 2,” “Toy Story 3”
No reason to split up this dynamic duo. Pixar’s “Toy Story” films take on many of the biggest complications associated with growing up, from issues of abandonment to even gloomier notions of life and death.

Woody is the emotional center of the trilogy. In every movie he faces a problem that tests his loyalty to owner Andy and his fellow toys. It’s a testament to Tom Hanks that Woody never loses his charm through every selfish mistake.

Buzz always brings the bullheaded comic relief, but in the original “Toy Story,” he also faces a major identity crisis. When Buzz discovers he isn’t a real space ranger hero, he is forced to adjust to a life of smaller pleasures.

And just for fun, “Toy Story 3” presents a greatest hits of Lightyear personality: Lovable leader, delusional ranger-wannabe and, a new one– sophisticated “Spanish Buzz.”

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You’ve already burned through multiple viewings of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and “Ernest Saves Christmas” still sits with a “very long wait” in your Netflix queue. Luckily, the bandwidth-sucking empire also offers several holiday streaming options to tide us all over until Dec. 25. Get these yuletide offerings in your Instant Queue today.

Movies

A Christmas Carol (1984)

One of a billion adaptations of the Charles Dickens classic, this George C. Scott version is the streaming pick (unless you adore the “All Dogs Go to Heaven” franchise, in which case there’s the “All Dogs Christmas Carol.”

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus

The long-running comedy franchise lampoons this bizarre 1959 movie about Santa Claus battling the evil El Diablo. The MST3K edition of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,” sadly, is only available on disc.

A Christmas Tale (2008)

For the art house crowd, this acclaimed French-language drama concerns a dysfunctional family coming together for the holidays.

Meet John Doe (1941)

Lesser-known Frank Capra drama centers on a journalist who cooks up a hoax concerning a hobo (Gary Cooper) planning to commit suicide at City Hall on Christmas Eve. (more…)