The Man with The Iron Fists

RZA's The Man with The Iron Fists (US, 2012) - As endearing as it is exhausting, "The Man With the Iron Fists" bears strong resemblance to a hyperactive puppy: sloppy, scatterbrained, manic and migraine-inducing, but possessing an earnest sense of excitement. Working with actors, a crew and resources of a far higher caliber than his level of filmmaking expertise would seem to countenance, first-time writer-director-star the RZA turns in a postmodern martial-arts experiment that's equal parts Shaw Brothers, Adult Swim and amphetamine-fueled student film. For an utterly bonkers vanity project, it's more fun than it ought to be, and should bring a small yet sufficient ruckus to the B.O. RATING: 4

2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

BEST FILM OF THE YEAR

GREAT MOVIES
Amour - Michael Haneke - Austria

Anna Karenina - Joe Wright - UK

Argo - Ben Affleck - US

Beasts of The Southern Wild - Benh Zeitlin - US

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The - John Madden - UK

Can - Rasit Celikezer - Turkey

Cloud Atlas - Tom Tykwer, Wachowski Bros - US

End of Watch - David Ayer - US

Flight - Robert Zemeckis - US

The Hunt - Thomas Vinterberg - Denmark
The Impossible - Juan Antonio Bayona - Spain / UK
Les Miserables - Tom Hooper - UK -
Lincoln - Steven Spielberg - US

The Master - Paul Thomas Anderson - US

My Brother The Devil - Sally El Hosaini - UK

Rust and Bone - Jacques Audiard - Belgium

Searching for Sugar Man - Malik Bendjelloul - South Africa
Silver Linings Playbook - David O. Russell - US
Talaash - Reema Kagti - India

Trouble With The Curve - Robert Lorenz - US

Xingu - Cao Hamburger - Brazil
Zero Dark Thirty - Kathryn Bigelow-US

Wreck It Ralph

Rich Moore's Wreck-It Ralph (US, 2012) - Audiences buckle up for one kind of movie but end up strapped in for another in "Flight," director Robert Zemeckis' welcome return to live-action after a dozen years away. Serious-minded drama steers a horrifying nightmare at 20,000 feet into one man's turbulent personal struggle with his drinking problem -- and not in the jokey "Airplane!" sense, either. Denzel Washington is aces as a commercial airline pilot who pulls off a miraculous mid-air stunt while flying with a 0.24 blood alcohol concentration, only to face his demons on the ground. Pic should soar on all platforms -- except in-flight, of course. RATING: 4.

Flight

GREAT MOVIES: Robert Zemeckis' Flight (US, 2012) - Audiences buckle up for one kind of movie but end up strapped in for another in "Flight," director Robert Zemeckis' welcome return to live-action after a dozen years away. Serious-minded drama steers a horrifying nightmare at 20,000 feet into one man's turbulent personal struggle with his drinking problem -- and not in the jokey "Airplane!" sense, either. Denzel Washington is aces as a commercial airline pilot who pulls off a miraculous mid-air stunt while flying with a 0.24 blood alcohol concentration, only to face his demons on the ground. Pic should soar on all platforms -- except in-flight, of course. 2012NYFF. RATING: 9.

Young Frankenstein

Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein (US, 1974) - A laugh riot from beginning to end, this classic parody from director Mel Brooks stars Gene Wilder as Frederick Frankenstein, who detests his family history but ultimately can't resist the temptation to follow in his infamous grandfather's footsteps. Adding to the fun is a brilliant supporting cast that includes Marty Feldman as bug-eyed assistant Igor, Madeline Kahn as Frankenstein's frosty fiancée and Peter Boyle as the zipper-necked monster. 1975AA, 500ECM, 1000NY, 1001M, EFS. RATING: 8.

Anna Karenina

GREAT MOVIES: Joe Wright's Anna Karenina (UK, 2012) - The third collaboration of Academy Award® nominee Keira Knightley with acclaimed director Joe Wright, following the award-winning box office successes Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, is a bold, theatrical new vision of the epic love story, adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s timeless novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love). The story powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart. As Anna (Knightley) questions her happiness and marriage, change comes to surround her. Also starring Jude Law and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. 2012TOR. RATING: 9.

The Bay

Barry Levinson's The Bay (US, 2012) - Veteran filmmaker Barry Levinson takes a distinct change of cinematic direction with The Bay, a smartly made found-footage style creature feature that eschews big-star casting and instead goes of natural performances and slow-burn chills. The film is an environmental catastrophe film that feels all too real, and given the right word-of-mouth is the sort of film that could creep up on audiences and give them a shock. / A brutal and harrowing film about a deadly parasite, The Bay chronicles the descent of a small Maryland town into absolute terror. 2012NYFF, 2012SANSz, 2012TOR. RATING: 7