First, a disclaimer: this isn’t generally the sort of movie that I go for. I’m absolutely fascinated with stories like the one that this is based on, but I tend to avoid reading any more about them than summaries and short articles. For movies and novels, I tend towards fantasy and science fiction, avoiding things that are more realistic.

That being said, Argo was a powerful film. The underlying story does an excellent job of showcasing some of the best and worse aspects of humanity. It’s entirely believable that such a situation could arise even in today’s world and there are heroes willing to put their lives on the line for others. That translated well to the silver screen, making me really feel for the characters, rooting for them the entire way.

I went into the film having not read up on the history of the event so right up until they got onto the plane, I didn’t know who would actually make it. I had a strong feeling that they wouldn’t have made the movie if the mission had been a failure, but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t have been forced to leave one or more of their party behind. Reading about the actual details afterwards, it seems that the last half hour or so of the movie is more “based on” than “true story”, but really that doesn’t bother me. It doesn’t detract from the original details and it makes for a stronger finish.

Overall, Argo was well worth watching and I’m glad I went. Granted, it’s not the sort of movie that I’ll likely ever go back and see again (whereas I’ve seen each of my current top 3 at least twice), but I’ll still put it in at the #5 spot for the year. I highly recommend either going to see it or at the very least reading about the true story on which it’s based. It’ll be worth your time.

Ranked: 2012 Movie Reviews

Show: [current] [all]

1. The Avengers
2. The Cabin in the Woods
3. Wreck-It Ralph
4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
5. The Dark Knight Rises
6. Looper
7. Argo
8. Rise of the Guardians
9. Brave
10. Life of Pi
11. Skyfall
12. Men in Black 3
13. Total Recall
14. Cloud Atlas
15. Lockout
16. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
17. Dark Shadows
18. John Carter
19. The Amazing Spider-Man
20. The Bourne Legacy
21. The Hunger Games
22. Breaking Dawn - Part 2
23. Snow White and the Huntsman
24. Hotel Transylvania
25. Mirror Mirror
26. The Five-Year Engagement
27. Prometheus

First, a disclaimer: this isn’t generally the sort of movie that I go for. I’m absolutely fascinated with stories like the one that this is based on, but I tend to avoid reading any more about them than summaries and short articles. For movies and novels, I tend towards fantasy and science fiction, avoiding things that are more realistic.

That being said, Argo was a powerful film. The underlying story does an excellent job of showcasing some of the best and worse aspects of humanity. It’s entirely believable that such a situation could arise even in today’s world and there are heroes willing to put their lives on the line for others. That translated well to the silver screen, making me really feel for the characters, rooting for them the entire way.

I went into the film having not read up on the history of the event so right up until they got onto the plane, I didn’t know who would actually make it. I had a strong feeling that they wouldn’t have made the movie if the mission had been a failure, but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t have been forced to leave one or more of their party behind. Reading about the actual details afterwards, it seems that the last half hour or so of the movie is more “based on” than “true story”, but really that doesn’t bother me. It doesn’t detract from the original details and it makes for a stronger finish.

Overall, Argo was well worth watching and I’m glad I went. Granted, it’s not the sort of movie that I’ll likely ever go back and see again (whereas I’ve seen each of my current top 3 at least twice), but I’ll still put it in at the #5 spot for the year. I highly recommend either going to see it or at the very least reading about the true story on which it’s based. It’ll be worth your time.