Near the start of the summer I made a big list of the movies I wanted to see over the summer. Then I didn’t end up going to see most of them. I didn’t consciously avoid the cinema, I just didn’t make time to go. So instead of having enough movies seen to make a real top 10 list, I can only remember seeing 8 movies. Assume anything else I saw would rank below these movies if just because I forgot seeing it. Honestly, with a few exceptions, I found most of the movies I saw this year flawed, if enjoyable. To the countdown

8: Star Trek: Into Darkness – I liked this quite a bit coming out of the theater, but the more I thought about it the less I liked it. It doesn’t hold up well to scrutiny. It also trades a little too hard on Wrath of Khan nostalgia. Still, I didn’t hate it.

7: Oz The Great and Powerful – I don’t know, I enjoyed it, but nearly forgot about it within a month. There were definitely some really nice visuals in this that much I do remember.

6: Man of Steel – It is still a flawed take on Superman, but I can’t help but enjoy it anyway. The moments where is gets things right makes me yearn for a whole movie that gets Superman.

5: Iron Man 3 – I’ve never like the Iron Man movies as much as everyone else seems to. This was a well-made superhero movie, but there isn’t anything here you haven’t seen before. Downey, Jr is still highly entertaining and the action is passable. But it is definitely one of the lesser Marvel Superhero movies.

4: GI Joe 2 – It is dumb as hell, but highly entertaining. Bruce Willis may have phoned in his performance, but The Rock was awesome as were the ninjas. I liked it more than I should have.

3: 42 – A really solid baseball drama. I really liked Harrison Ford in this, and really the whole movie was entertaining. Just a solidly good movie.

2: Pacific Rim – There is a significant gap between movies 2 and 3 on this list. Below this are okay movies, above are great movies. Pacific Rim is like nothing else seen in theaters this summer. It is original spectacle, something that is hard to find in this day and age. It is better than any giant robot movie should be. I loved everything about this movie. The fight scenes were great, so were the monsters and the robots. This movie, people. This movie.

1: The World’s End – This is pretty much a perfect horror comedy. I guess its horror, isn’t that where alien invasions generally fall? It is the perfect complement to the other two Cornetto movies, Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. I’m not sure I like this better than Hot Fuzz, but it is close. It is great to see Pegg be the screw up for once, while Frost is the together one. I love all the little details in the background, like how the names of the pubs tell what is going to happen in them or how the character’s names tell their roles in the group. I wish I could watch it again right now.

I missed a several movies I wanted to see. Most importantly Monsters University. Excluding Cars 2, that was the first Pixar movie I’ve missed since Finding Nemo. Also, after seeing it on Tarantino’s Top 10, I wish I would have seen the Lone Ranger. I’ll see both of them eventually.

As for the rest of the year, I plan to see Thor 2 and Hobbit 2. I will absolutely see those two. I might see Ender’s Game and Anchoman 2. These are iffy. I am considering seeing The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Frozen and 47 Ronin. These are unlikely.

If Thor and The Hobbit deliver as they should, this should still be a pretty good year for movies. Top heavy, but good.