2013 was an interesting year for movies. We saw everything from the great (12 Years a Slave) to downright awful (this). We learned that superhero movies can still bring in ridiculous amounts of money, and that the Scary Movie franchise isn’t getting any better. We learned that yes, a movie about Sandra Bullock plummeting through space can actually be pretty good. And perhaps most importantly, we learned that when it comes to box office gross, there are no guarantees. Now as we approach Jan. 1, reporter Josiah Masvero compiled a list of his favorite, and least favorite movies, of 2013.

BEST

Iron Man 3

Directed by: Shane Black

The third movie in the trilogy, Iron Man 3 was not as anticipated as the original, and after the embarrassing sequel, a lot of people were scared. A fan of the Marvel franchise, however, I was excited for its release in May. I was not disappointed. Robert Downey Jr. plays anxious billionaire, superhero Tony Stark, who after his near-death experience in New York, is unable to sleep. He tinkers in his garage night after night, building new Iron Man tech. With the perfect ratio of humor to action, Iron Man 3 had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was glad to have seen it in IMAX, since I felt completely surrounded by the action.

Now You See Me

Directed by: Louis Leterrier

With an exciting plot and famous cast, Now You See Me features four street-magicians as they pull off the biggest magic trick ever. The storyline of the film led me down a rabbit trail of confusion as I watched incredible actors like, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Michael Caine, and Woody Harrelson fight for their piece of fame and glory. As the illusionists elude the FBI and Interpol in this mysterious thriller, they perform four shows, ripping off millions of dollars from the world’s richest men every night. I was thoroughly impressed with the twisting, turning plot and perfect characterization.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Directed by: Francis Lawrence

Of course, last month, the Hunger Games: Catching Fire left me awed.  With new director, Shane Black, the political plot thickened and left me thinking. Just like its predecessor, Catching Fire burned me with deep questions. It isn’t every day you can sit in front of a screen and question society the way I did while I watched. Less focused on the violence, and more on the emotion, this movie was a better sequel than most second-runs are. One thing that I attribute to the success of the series is author, Suzanne Collins’ involvement in the production, which keeps the story as true as it can be. I just can’t wait until the story unfolds in the upcoming Mockingjay movie.

WORST

Pacific Rim

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

Even though the CGI and 3D effects were incredible, Pacific Rim lost my interest when themes of Avatar, Armageddon, and Battle L.A. repeated themselves. Again. The cliche story revolves around the Army’s fight against an invading, alien species. As a last-ditch effort to save the planet, the world unites to fight the apocalypse (sound familiar?).  For two hours, I felt more like I was living in a Halo game instead of an interesting movie world. Special effects and green screen can only be used so much before a live action movie becomes a cartoon. I would be remiss not to mention Mako’s awkwardly placed back story. With its overly intense voice-overs, a weak plot, and bad acting, It probably should’ve been called “Pathetic Rim.”

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Directed by: Thor Freudenthal

The second film in the Percy Jackson series, Sea of Monsters disappointed me more than the original. As a kid who grew up with the books, I went to see it just to see how the story played on screen. I wasn’t thrilled with what I saw. The story kept true to the book for the most part, but the acting worsened and the action was sacrificed for campy humor. Even though I had read the book, I was still confused by the end of the movie. Where character development was lacking, I found most of the cast hard to believe.

The Wolverine

Directed by: James Mangold

Although the X-Men franchise has been successful for years, The Wolverine fell short of the expectation for those movies. The film follows Logan as he travels to Japan to see an old friend. But, in a mortal state, he gets caught up in a battle for his life; the one thing he’s never had to worry about losing before. While there was plenty of action, there was nothing added to Logan’s back story in this movie (which is what Wolverine movies should be about) so I was disappointed, to say the least.