In 2012, box office tallies increased for the first time in three years, hitting an all-time high of $10.8 billion, according to a recent Huffington Post article.

Superheroes, secret agents, strong females wielding weapons, and animated fare took seven of the top 10 slots in terms of domestic gross, with Marvels' The Avengers raking in more than $623 million, The Dark Knight Rises over $448 million and the Hunger Games over $408 billion.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

• Skyfall ($290 million)
• Breaking Dawn Part 2 ($286 million)
• The Amazing Spiderman ($262 million)
• Brave ($237 million)
• The Hobbit ($223 million)
• Ted ($219 million)
• Madagascar 3 ($216 million)

While they may not (yet) be in the $200 million+ range, a number of other films are both critically and popularly acclaimed. The recently opened Les Miserables and Django Unchained seem likely to cross that barrier, while Lincoln, Argo and Life of Pi will probably enjoy a second life on DVD and in the rental market, according to the experts.

What were your favorite movies in 2012? Have any of the advertised offerings for the new year stirred your interest?

Share your thoughts with your fellow Patch readers in the comments section below.