Bigelow, Chastain Shine in Bin Laden Manhunt

Maya (Jessica Chastain) takes charge of a decade-long manhunt to bring Osama Bin Laden down.

Imagine if Zero Dark Thirty was released two, perhaps three years ago, sticking to its original premise immersed in the crossfire of the 2001 Battle of Tora Bora. While focused on one decisive event in the capture of Osama Bin Laden, award-winning producers Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal would have found themselves boxed in by one of the most nail-biting "to be continued" cliffhangers for the most significant manhunt in American history.

Fortunately, the hunt Bin Laden ended in May 2011 as he was permanently compromised in his Pakistani compound. But that's just the end of the decade-long story. Zero Dark Thirty covers a much larger scope, commencing with audio clips from the September 11th attacks. Heartbreaking to listen to, the 9/11 audio ultimately serves its purpose in establishing the gritty tone for the next 150 minutes as the CIA interrogates every level of Bin Laden's hierarchy.

Latest "Chainsaw" Slasher Forgets Its Terrorizing Past

Leatherface prepares for another round of killing in Texas Chainsaw 3D.

Four decades have been more than plenty to terrorize the citizens of Texas, but after going for an gratuitous seventh slaughter-fest, Leatherface needs to be put out to pasture. Technically, the chainsaw-wielding maniac should have hung up his mask and signature weapon a decade ago, perhaps even two. Texas Chainsaw 3D is proof that there are limits to how far a series can go, and now this cash-grab is by far the laziest tactic for prolonging it.

Texas Chainsaw 3D opens up by recapping the events of the original 1974 film. Executed as nothing more than a vague setup even for those familiar with Leatherface, the first few minutes preface the lack of directorial heart and cliché narrative expected to unravel over the following 90 minutes. This time around, Heather (Alexandra Daddario) and her stereotypical slasher tagalongs have business down in Texas over her inherited estate. For Heather, there's more than just an estate, but also her crazy cousin, Leatherface.

"Les Miserables" Challenges Difficult Broadway to Hollywood Transition

Fantine (Anne Hathaway) is one of many characters who change the life of ex-convict, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman).

At the 83rd Academy Awards, Tom Hooper took home the top prize for directing The King's Speech and in just a short time of two years, he's already managed to surpass his own success with a more confidently directed adaptation of the beloved Boublil Broadway musical, Les Misérables. The musical and this big screen version are based on the classic 19th century Victor Hugo novel of the same name.

Les Misérables spans nearly two decades chronicling the life of ex-convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), who stole a loaf of bread to provide for his family. An insignificant crime perhaps, but Valjean constantly finds himself at odds with police inspector Javert (Russell Crowe), whose by-the-books mindset disrupts his gradual reformation in becoming a respectable member of society. In the guise of a well-off factory owner, Valjean's compassion is put to the test when one of his employees (Anne Hathaway) is unjustly dismissed. Regretting his initial ignorance of the situation, Valjean promises to adopt her mistreated daughter child from a couple of exploitive innkeepers.  

Top 10: Most Anticipated Movies of 2013

Hollywood has its work cut out in 2013. 2012. For starters, where do superhero movies go from here after competitors Marvel and DC exponentially raised the genre's bar with The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises? How about smaller films? Lincoln, Argo and Silver Linings Playbook all transformed into critical darlings overnight and that magic is only duplicated for the rare few.

Even with audience expectations set at a higher level than before, there are still ten movies that must be experienced in theaters as early as possible. Below are my choices for my most anticipated movies released in 2013.
   

Top 10: The Best Films of 2012

For any film critic, myself included, compiling together a "best-of" list spanning an entire year is unquestionably one of the most difficult tasks out there. How can you craft a definitive list if you haven't seen every single release out there (or at the very minimum, every wide release)? And how do you weigh a popcorn superhero juggernaut like The Avengers against a slew of thought-provoking art-house films?

I admit, I've missed out on some key awards contenders - Lincoln, Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty for starters. So don't expect them to make the list. I do however, plan on seeing several more films from 2012, including the ones mentioned, so there is a possibility this list could be adjusted.

However, for the hundred or so movies I have been privileged to see in 2012, it's fair to say that the fifteen films selected for my "best-of" list left an impression on me that won't leave me anytime soon. These are the films that defined 2012 for me as a critic, a moviegoer and a cinemaphile.

Now a Trilogy, "Hobbit" Destined for Epic Adventure

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and his dwarf companions set out for the first part of their journey east.

It just seemed like yesterday that Steven Spielberg announced the clean sweep of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at the 76^th Academy Awards and like the final shot of the epic trilogy, the door to Middle-Earth had finally closed.  However, Peter Jackson’s interpretation of Middle-Earth lived beyond his three epic films, yet no slew of video games, Lego sets or collectibles could quench fans’ thirsts as much as the actual movies. But after eight long years, we’re just about there, back on the doorstep of a brand new hobbit adventure split over two movies. Or so we thought. 

Pixar Returns Under the Sea for Another 3D Re-Release

You can't help but wonder why these sea turtles sound like surfer dudes.

Andrew Stanton is one of those few directors in recent cinema, who genuinely understands that animation is just not about the set the visuals bar and the abundance of Hollywood voice acting, but it's a medium of art that can bring generations together time and time again. Back in 2003, Disney and Pixar submerged audiences to a world of wonder and as enormous of a canvas as the ocean itself. Technically, it was the ocean itself. But if by chance you were one of the few to miss its original run nearly a decade ago, Disney is re-releasing Finding Nemo 

Finding Nemo starts off with an extremely dark opening for a G-rated film as two clownfish, Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Coral, are forced to defend their anemone home from a menacing barracuda. As a result, Coral is killed as are the majority of their eggs, leaving only Marlin and one egg, an unborn Nemo. The incident leaves Marlin as an overprotective single father. During his first day of school, Nemo (Alexander Gould) defies his high-strung father and ventures off with his classmates to a drop-off point, only to captured by an Australian diver. Frantic for his son's survival, Marlin teams with Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a Blue Tang with memory issues to find his taken son back into theaters with a gouging 3D premium.