[7.25/10] Arbitrage (2012)

Arbitrage (2012)

QuickRating: Not only "Arbitrage" is a stylish, thoughtful, well-paced and utterly compelling character-driven thriller, but it showcases the iconic Richard Gere in top form, who delivers of the best performances in his long career. The success of this debut full-length feature by young writer/director Nicholas Jarecki, lies in the smart script, which keeps us guessing from beginning to the end, offering as much sheer suspense as drama, as well as a very interesting glimpse at financial elite.

[5.00/10] Compliance (2012)

Compliance (2012)

QuickRating: Although based on a true story, "Compliance" is hardly believable, and sadly, in spite of the intriguingly gripping beginning, soon after that the film becomes more and more tiresome to watch. The performances may be great, and characters may be likable and very sympathetic, but they all make an unbelievably stupid decisions, that more often that not don't make any sense at all. At least on thing is for sure - "Compliance" is a thoroughly disturbing piece of indie cinema.

[4.50/10] Cosmopolis (2012)

Cosmopolis (2012)

QuickRating: Hm, has mastermind David Cronenberg lost his touch? Judging from this movie, probably yes, as "Cosmopolis" is joyless, cold, pretentious, overwritten, and thematically overcomplicated bore, featuring tons of tedious dialogues and yet another stiff performance by Robert Pattinson, plus, the fact that pretty much the entire movie takes place in a limo, makes it even more difficult to watch. One of this year's biggest disappointments!

[6.50/10] Ted (2012)

Ted (2012)

QuickRating: "Ted" has an original, if kinda goofy premise, the fictional title character is utterly adorable, but in a naughty sort of way, and both Mark Wahlberg and the Mila Kunis deliver amusing performances and have an engaging on-screen relationship, but despite all these positive aspects and the undeniable moronic charm it exudes, "Ted" barely lives up to its big potential, and it's not as hysterically funny as it's supposed to be, mainly due to its inconsistency and lack of focus.

[5.25/10] Step Up Revolution (2012)

Step Up Revolution (2012)

QuickRating: The choreography is impressively innovative, the dance routines are bigger, better, and more creative and spectacular than ever before, with the one in the art gallery being the absolute highlight of the movie, but it's the ridiculously contrived and painfully predictable script that really brings "Step Up Revolution" down, therefore, despite its reasonably high entertainment value, unfortunately the movie ends up being pretty forgettable.

[3.75/10] That's My Boy (2012)

That's My Boy (2012)

QuickRating: Irrelevant, tasteless, at times outrageously cynical, often deeply embarrassing to watch, and featuring mostly crude humor, lame jokes, lame performances, and even lamer characters, Sean Anders and John Morris' "That's My Boy" (may or) may not be the worst Adam Sandler movie, but it's pretty darn close, and despite some amusing scenes here and there, it's totally devoid of genuine laugh-out-loud moments, or any sort of wit.

[7.25/10] Looper (2012)

Looper (2012)

QuickRating: "Looper" is slightly  confusing and difficult-to-follow at first, but once you get into the highly original and well-thought-out story, you'll find yourself utterly compelled by it. Rian Johnson's shooting style is reminiscent of Chris Nolan's, if more tone-downed, the CGIs are superb, the tone is suitably grim, and the make-up effects are top-notch. The most down-to-earth sci-fi flick in years also boasts a stellar cast, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt being unrecognizably brilliant in the leading role.

[5.00/10] Taken 2 (2012)

Taken 2 (2012)

QuickRating: It's far from terrible, and it's even tense, exciting and thrilling during the action scenes, but "Taken 2" still relies heavily on the success of its truly memorable predecessor, and in spite of Liam Neeson's charismatic performance, and some very interesting shooting locations, this disappointing sequel doesn't really add anything new, or different, or sadly, even remotely refreshing  to the original, hence, it feels overly familiar, and basically 'more of the same'. Bummer.

[4.00/10] The Cold Light of Day (2012)

The Cold Light of Day (2012)

QuickRating: Unoriginal, derivative, and short on creative ideas, "The Cold Light of Day" fails miserably to set itself apart from the bunch of similar films we've seen thousand times before, and although Henry Cavill and the rest of the cast try to do their best with the lame script they've been given, they can't make up for the countless weaknesses this poor movie has. At least, being shot in Madrid, Spain, it has a nice scenery and decent visuals.

[7.50/10] Butter (2012)

Butter (2012)

QuickRating: "Butter" is all about butter, but in an artsy sort of way. It's also satirical, witty, and even sentimental, yet always feel-good. The visuals have that refreshing, vintage feel about them, the butter creations are fantastic indeed, and the ensemble cast delivers: Jennifer Garner gives a hilarious, enjoyably over-the-top performance as the snobbish Laura, Yara Shahidi is cute as a button, but surprisingly, it's Olivia Wilde that shines the most as the amusingly cheeky hooker.

[7.25/10] Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

QuickRating: "Fantastic Mr. Fox." director Wes Anderson's latest  feature may be a bit too bizarre for more traditional viewers, but this dreamy, surreal, and delightfully whimsical kids' adventure is still unique and charming in it's own way. The acting is top-notch, and the relationship between the two protagonists is genuinely adorable, plus, set in the mid 60s, "Moonrise Kingdom" has a cool retro vibe to it, shown through the vividly warm color palette and vibrant visuals.

[6.00/10] The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)

The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)

QuickRating: Slightly moody and not particularly enjoyable, yet still charming, touching, good-hearted and somewhat magical, "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" learns youngsters that being different and even weird is okay, and encourages them  to embrace that in a very delicate, yet honest way, and even though you'll either love or hate the film's peculiar nature, you couldn't deny the wonderful performances from everyone involved.

[7.50/10] Pitch Perfect (2012)

Pitch Perfect (2012)

QuickRating: Clever, witty, original, pleasant to watch, delightfully quirky, downright hilarious, and featuring catchy musical numbers, tons of great laughs, and awesome performances from Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Ester Dean, Skylar Astin, and the talented Anna Kendrick, the-"Mean Girls"-of-musicals, "Pitch Perfect", not only hits all the right notes, but constantly feels like a breath of fresh air, despite the formulaic plot it has, and it offers a 'pitch perfect' entertainment for all tastes, because it's fun, fun, fun!

[5.25/10] Rock of Ages (2012)

Rock of Ages (2012)

QuickRating: An occasionally funny musical about fame, love and rock music, strictly for for die-hard rock fans, "Rock of Ages" is cheesy, loud and overcrowded, but still watchable and somewhat enjoyable most of the time, plus, you can't help but notice that the actors involved, mainly Tom Cruise in particular, are having the time of their lives with the challenging roles they've been cast for, and while their singing is unimpressive, the staging is pretty spot-on.

[5.00/10] Sparkle (2012)

Sparkle (2012)

QuickRating: The singing is, of course, phenomenal, and all the performances from Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter, and last but not least, Whitney Houston, are  solid and beyond convincing, but "Sparkle" is formulaic, cliched, and predictable from beginning to the end, plus, compared to similar musicals such as "Dreamgirls", it's rather forgettable, despite Salim Akil's reasonably solid direction and the retro-ish visuals that capture perfectly the 60s Motown era.

[6.50/10] The Man with the Iron Fists (2012)

The Man with the Iron Fists (2012)

Brief review: Driven by his gigantic passion for Chinese martial arts, Wu-Tang Clan leader and actor, RZA, finally makes his directing debut, giving us "The Man with the Iron Fists" - a semi-successful martial arts fantasy flick for western tastes, that is heavy on action, but very light on plot. The story, narrated rather poorly by RZA himself, is unnecessarily complicated,  confusing, and not particularly original, and as a result the film feels forced and all over the place. RZA's inspiration from old-school kung-fu films is obvious, but he also gives the movie a modern edge in order to mix things up. He may be a lazy narrator and sub-par director, but RZA certainly has taste for visual panache, and that shows through the movie's lavish overall look and strong production values. The action sequences are frenetic and highly-stylized, complemented by first-rate wire-work, and featuring a surprising amount of violence and gore. The choreography by the legendary Corey Yuen is very creative, though at times, there's too much going on on the screen, and that combined with the choppy editing, makes the fights a bit hard to follow, if still thrillingly spectacular. There are far too many characters in the movie, none of which is particularly memorable. The colorful, international cast including Lucy Liu, Russell Crowe, and Dave Bautista do their best with the given material, but it is the mediocre script that doesn't let them shine.

Overall summary: It's wildly uneven, and overstuffed with characters, and the weak plot is just an excuse for some over-the-top action scenes, but "The Man with the Iron Fists" still can be fully enjoyed for what it is -  a visually stimulating martial arts extravaganza for grown-ups.

[8.00/10] Sinister (2012)

Sinister (2012)

Brief review: Aptly titled "Sinister", this is "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" director Scott Derrickson's latest movie, about a true-crime writer, who comes across some weird clues, while writing his new book. To call "Sinister" a proper horror movie would be fair, because its succeeds on pretty much every single level. The writers has put so much thought into the script, successfully balancing murder mystery, true-crime drama and heavy supernatural elements, with sense of style and sophistication, and even though the plot itself seems familiar at first, the end result is a gripping and intriguing fright-fest, destined to become a horror classic. In terms of atmosphere and scares, "Sinister" certainly lives up to its title, and then some. Delivering everything from jump-of-your-seat boo scares and ghastly images to nail-biting tension and edgy suspense, "Sinister" is one of those horror movies, that quickly gets deep under your skin and stays there long after the credits roll. The film's intentionally gloomy look, ominous setting, and effective music score also add to the eeriness factor, not to mention the creepy-as-hell Mr. Boogie / Bughuul, who will surely come to haunt you in your dreams. Ethan Hawke gives a spot-on comeback performance, brilliantly portraying one of the most memorable male protagonists in recent 'horror' history. The supporting cast does a solid job as well, complementing Hawke's character so perfectly.

Overall summary: Atmospheric, superbly-conceived, and compellingly mysterious, "Sinister" is every bit as creepy as its title suggests, and also one of the best horror movies of 2012, as it manages to deliver genuine scares and tons of suspense, without having any major flaws.

[5.75/10] The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012)

The Twilight Saga:

Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012)

Brief review: Let's face it, "The Twilight Saga" is cheesy stuff for teens. Thankfully though, after last year's nicely-shot, yet ultimately boring "Breaking Dawn Part 1", director Bill Condon manages to deliver the most watchable and reasonably entertaining entry in the popular series, since Catherine Hardwicke's guilty pleasure-ish original. It wouldn't be a lie if we call "Breaking Dawn Part 2" eventful, because there are more things happening in this installment alone, than all the other  four put together. Yes, the cheesy 'yawn' parts are still there, and but the plot is more intense, exciting, and tightly-paced than ever before, and the entertainment value is much higher. "Part 2" also introduces many new, mostly secondary characters, without feeling overcrowded, with Bella's daughter being at the center of attention. The final battle is epic, indeed, and certainly the biggest highlight of the movie, and the franchise in general. After shooting "Part 1", Bill Condon's love for the series has obviously grown, and that shows through his improved direction. He also adds the much needed slickness to the visuals, and therefore gives the film a much more polished look. Bella and Edward still lack a believable chemistry, despite the actor's real-life relationship. Pattinson continues to be stiff as a board, but at least Stewart finally displays some charisma, exposing a tougher, grittier side of her otherwise dull character.

Overall summary: All the typical cheesiness and some below-par acting aside, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2" feels like a delicious dessert at the end of a mostly bad five-course meal - it's enjoyable, well crafted, and definitely better than its 3 lifeless predecessors.

This review is also featured on TVFilmNews.com