Well it’s a new year, which means new movies that will either blow us away or fill us with rage.  But before we can review those movies, lets take a look at some of the best films of last year.  Keep in mind that I didn’t see every movie this year, so I definitely missed out on some great movies.  As a result this is a list of the best movies that I saw this year.

5: The Dark Knight Rises
It was a difficult task to follow up 2008’s fantastic The Dark Knight, and while it’s nowhere near as good as that film, The Dark Knight Rises is still a satisfying sequel.  The entire cast gave fantastic performances, especially Tom Hardy as Bane, the film’s main antagonist.

4: The Avengers
It was the highest grossing movie of the year, and it didn’t disappoint.  Although it got off to a slow start, this Marvel superhero crossover ended up being an exciting action movie and one of the most exciting movies I saw this year.  If you are one the few who has yet seen it, do yourself a favor and see it now, you won’t be disappointed.

3: Chronicle
I went into this film with no expectations whatsoever, but I found myself being pleasantly surprised with the level of quality of this film. This found-footage film about teens who gain superpowers, was told in a unique way and had great cinematography.  It may have received mixed reviews from critics but the movie is very underrated and is worth a watch.

2: Lincoln
Even though this film didn’t feature vampire slaying, this Steven Spielberg biopic was still one of the best films of the year and is strong contender at the Oscars.  Daniel Day Lewis’s portrayal of the sixteenth president was fantastic and one of the best of the year.  While the film may get dull at times, the performances will still hold your attention.

1: Skyfall
After the disappointing Quantum of Solace, this 007 film redeems the fifty-year old franchise in one of the best Bond films to date.  Daniel Craig gives us one of the best portrayals of James Bond to date, actually making you care about the character.  The cinematography was also beautiful with some breathtaking shots during action sequences.  Javier Bardem also gives a great performance as the films villain, who actually has a clear goal that we can identify with besides the standard “take over the world” plot.  It’s definitely one of the best action movies that I’ve seen in a long time.