It has been a year since "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was released. Has 2012 released a film anywhere near as good? Heck, no! In fact, no movie released since "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" has been as good.
We all know Oscar voters are about as intellectually gifted as Ayn Rand or Donald Rumsfeld-or Ayn and Donald put together for that matter-so it came as little surprise that these people failed to recognize "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was deserving of its little award honoring the best film of the year. In an attempt to allow the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to retain some little shred of dignity, I won't remind you by title of the film they actually chose to represent the best of 2011. I'm sure most of you have already forgotten the movie that won Best Picture. And if not, don't worry: the big band memory won't last long.
Much hype has been placed upon the films of the summer of 2012. Briefly there was thought that the Oscar voters might actually to try make up for such lapses in lucidity as handing out awards for the art of filmmaking to the hack known as James Cameron by recognizing the complex political subtext of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" that makes Cameron's equally atrocious Oscar failure, "Avatar" look like a Saturday morning cartoon from Hanna-Barbera by comparison.
Needless to say, the momentary expectation of genuine insight into the art of filmmaking by those who really should be expected to know better was short-lived. Which brings us to the films of 2011. For about 12 hours there, the hype surrounding "The Dark Knight Rises" seemed to indicate that the awarding of the final installment of a fantasy trilogy with a Best Picture crown might occur for the second time ever and deservedly so for the first time ever. Then shots rang out and eyes flipped open. "The Dark Knight Rises" is many things, but one thing it most especially is not is a chance for the Oscar voters to correct their oversight of great films with a version of the word "rise" in the title.
As for "The Avengers," well, why not? It's at least as unoriginal and disappointing as "The Artist."
Whoops! And I said I wouldn't remind you!
For more from Timothy Sexton, in case you don't already hate him enough, check out:
Why the Star Wars Prequels are Better Than the Original Trilogy
Why "On the Waterfront" Should Be Avoided at All Cost
A Brief Overview of Some of the Most Overrated Movies of All Time: What You Call Classics
