Usually when a year ends, people forget about it and move on. But 2012 was no ordinary year; it was one of the better ones in recent times. Not only did the most amazing movies made it to the screen in the past 12 months, most of them even managed to carve a separate identity for themselves.

No doubt, the year belonged to the Marvel spectacle, The Avengers. In the movie, as many as six super heroes — including Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk and Captain America — fought a common enemy and saved the world from alien domination. Not only was the movie a smash hit but it also set the bar high, something the producers of Batman and Spider Man had to match when The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider Man made it to the cinema screens. Both the Batman and Spider Man flicks were declared successful as well but The Avengers stood out as it had more action that both the movies combined.

Two movies loosely based on the Snow White fairytale — Snow White and the Huntsman and Mirror, Mirror — hit the screens as well but both didn’t fare well, as expected. Drew Barrymore’s Big Miracle, Dwayne Johnson’s Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and the comedy caper The Three Stooges were not made with kids in mind but was liked by the younger audience. The much-anticipated The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey made it to the screens finally after repeated delays but Lord of the Rings’ fan club as well as new fans took a liking to the new franchise.

The year also saw the release of the third instalment of Men In Black in which Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones (Agent J & K respectively) travel back in time to save Agent K from being killed in the past.

Another sequel that was released during the year was Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance which failed to attract viewers unlike its predecessor.

This was also the year of animations like John Carter, The Brave, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Frankenweenie, Dr Seuss’ The Lorax, Ice Age: Continental Drift and Wreck-It Ralph and the re-release of Star Wars: Episode I Phantom Menace, Beauty and The Beast, Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo in 3D made kids and parents happy. Targeted at the younger audience, all these animated movies were able to entertain the young, and for all parents, that’s a blessing in disguise. — S. F.