2012 has come to an end and while my year wasn't quite as good as many other peoples were, I still had a good year at the movies with four great films that I saw: Argo, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers. With the exception of those films, I didn't see anything too great. But those four were truly great. Honestly I would say that I saw more classic films this year that were great than I did at the theater. I watched films this year that I will be revisiting and re-watching over and over again in the years to come. Some of my favorites include Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, along with The Shining, Singin' in the Rain, Casablanca, Close Encounters, Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, The Bridge on the River Kwai and much much more. While I won't be writing a top ten list yet (I haven't seen Les Miserables or Silver Linings Playbook yet), I figured that I would write up a list of all the films that I am anticipating in 2013.
25. WARM BODIES
The zombie comedy is pretty much uncharted territory (with the exception of Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland) and before the trailers I thought that this would be less comedy and more Twilight. But after watching a few of the trailers, I'm convinced and hoping for one of the best pictures of the year. It looks like the perfect mix of action and comedy and I think that this might be Nicholas Hoult's breakout year. I actually might see this on Thursday, because of advance screening tickets. We'll see, but no matter one I think that this looks really good.
24. OBLIVION
Tom Cruise's latest picture looks interesting, but not really in a good way. I like two kinds of sci-fi. The kind where there's a ton of aliens and explosions and it's just really entertaining and then the kind where it is like 2001 and really thought oriented. This looks like neither. Joseph Kosinski always delivers great-looking movies (see Tron: Legacy for reference) but they are pretty much substance less. The only reason this film is on the list is because it looks like a mysterious film, one that we won't know much about going in. I've seen the trailer a couple of times and each time it looks better but still, I'm waiting to get really excited for this one.
23. JACK THE GIANT SLAYER
Another Nicholas Hoult feature looked like it was going to be great at first before Warner Bros. delayed it nearly a full year and moved it from a prime release date to a March one. Now, it seems that everybody has forgotten about it. I think that the cast is too good to pass up and the promise of some action in March seems exciting. I think that the quality of the trailers has gone done but it still might surprise me.
22. THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG
I wasn't all that impressed with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and it won't be on my top ten list but I think that the films can only get better and I hope that The Desolation of Smaug regains the magic that Lord of the Rings captured. The only thing that I will say that I really disliked about The Hobbit was it's odd and sometimes distracting color pattern that made the film look overly computer generated and fake. Lord of the Rings always looked real and I hope The Desolation of Smaug recaptures that. But I think that Peter Jackson is going to really have to do some digging to make two more great movies.
21. G.I. JOE: RETALIATION
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was not very good. It was fun but kind of stupid. I think that after watching the trailer for Retaliation, I was really excited. And then, like Jack The Giant Slayer, it got delayed for a year to March 29. But my excitement was rejuvenated after seeing the most recent trailer which makes the film look like a lot of fun. I don't know. I like great and quality movies just like most people but Retaliation just looks like fun. Sometimes we need a break from the intense and serious and just have fun watching a movie.
20. ENDER'S GAME
Ender's Game is a book that I had always wanted to read but never did. I tried but I had a really crappy library copy so I didn't get through it. But I think that it has the possibility to be an extremely entertaining science fiction film. And that cast is amazing: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, and Hailee Steinfeld (who gave a great performance in True Grit). I think that I will definitely read the book before I see the movie and based on fan opinion and early buzz, this could be a great movie.
19. THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS 6
I actually don't know if they are calling this Fast Six or Fast and The Furious Six so I just put the latter. But with the promise of a plot about dueling heist teams gets me really excited. I think that Fast Five was a ton of fun despite not loving it like everyone else did. The whole cast is back and I'm waiting for a trailer for this film. And the fact that Universal hasn't moved the film off it's current release date, which it shares with The Hangover Part III, which is a film definitely aiming at the same audience as Fast Six.
18. 47 RONIN
A Samurai movie that sounds really good on paper but when it comes down to it, might be one of the biggest flops of the year. I think that this genre is one that American films have never quite tried out but it could turn out to be the next big thing. This might be something that audiences fall for and it might not. It sounds really weird too which could be a bad thing. But it sounds interesting which is what intrigues me.
17. JACK RYAN
As I'm looking up information for this film, I'm wondering if this should be higher on my list. This might just be the year when Kevin Costner comes back into the spotlight. He has two high profile roles in Jack Ryan and Man of Steel and I think that both films will be blockbusters. Jack Ryan also has Chris Pine as the title character, who is on his way to being a big time star, Keira Knightley and Kenneth Branagh as the director and villain. How much more exciting can you get for a Christmas time action flick? 2011 had a great one with Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol and I hope 2013 has one too.
16. OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL
The Wizard of Oz is a great film, without a doubt. It has been and still is one of the "untouchable" Hollywood films, one that will never be remade or tampered with. Well, The Wizard of Oz is touchable now. Sam Raimi said that he immediately rejected the film but after reading the script, agreed to direct it. It has a stellar cast and impressive visuals that look to give the land of Oz its own new visual flair. It all looks to be there and I hope that we get an Oz movie that does justice by the characters and the original.
15. WORLD WAR Z
I have the book on my list to read but according to most, the movie will be nothing like the book. The film looks like large-scale action scene and crazy fast zombies. That aspect has gotten a mixed reaction. A friend of mine who is a huge zombie fan said that he loved the fast zombie aspect and then a teacher of mine completely rejected the idea of a fast zombie. I don't know but I was impressed by how massive this film is and how big it all seems to be. It truly is a global film and it is dealing with a global pandemic. I hope that it actually has some intelligence to it but I think that it will be enjoyable no matter what.
14. NOW YOU SEE ME
A film that I had no idea existed until I saw the trailer. I'm actually not sure that anybody knew it did. But after I saw it, I knew that we were in for an action-packed, star-studded rise. This film looks like it is going to be the opposite of all the big- budget tentpole stuff. It'll be nice to have a good mystery caper film during the summer and I have a feeling that Now You See Me will be a word of mouth success. Also who can pass up a cast that has Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine? The answer: nobody.
13. DESPICABLE ME 2
Despicable Me is an animated film that I always find funny and I've seen it three or four times. It surprised me big time in 2010 and I've been waiting for a sequel since. I have no clue what the plot is going to be but I don't think that it matters because if we have Gru and more minion madness, it'll be a fun time at the theater. The two trailers have been absolute genius, using the Halloween theme and "Barbara Ann" by the Beach Boys to great effect. This is the animated film that I'm anticipating the second most this year.
12. THE MONUMENTS MEN
A Christmas release that looks like the major Oscar contender at this moment. I know that is pretty far to look ahead but this is another George Clooney directorial feature and the cast has Daniel Craig, Matt Damon, Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, John Goodman and Jean Dujardin about historians searching for stolen pieces of art by the Nazis during WWII. 'Nuff said.
11. THE WOLVERINE
I think that The Wolverine has the opportunity to be a ground-breaking superhero film. Instead of the typical alien invasion plotline, The Wolverine takes place in a foreign country, Japan. It is a sort of samurai movie and stars several Japanese actors. I personally don't love the X-Men films (the best is X-Men: First Class) but I think that being a stand alone film lets The Wolverine do a lot of interesting things and I think that it could be a surprise hit in the late summer.
10. WHITE HOUSE DOWN
When I was younger, I was very excited to see Roland Emmerich's disaster film 2012. It ended up being a disappointment but I still think that he does very good action scenes. For the first time with White House Down, it seems that he is not doing a disaster film and more of a Die Hard-esque thriller. That sounds to me like the perfect summer film and while I have seen no footage for White House Down, the idea alone is what sells me on this being a can't miss film.
9. THOR: THE DARK WORLD
The Marvel superhero universe is expanding and Thor: The Dark World is one of the places where Marvel can expand the most. I liked the original Thor more than most people did and while it is a little campy after a few watches, I think that it got a lot of things right. The Dark World is going to be a lot better than Thor. I can just feel it. It has a director that knows the kind of material that fits this kind of movie in Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones) and the promise of more realms and a more epic storyline. Count me in.
8. PACIFIC RIM
The premise alone is enough to get any action movie fan excited but I found the first trailer to be a bit disappointing. It looks good and all the technical stuff looks great but the action looks a little clunky. The only thing that I'm concerned with is that the scale is so big and that everything is going to be huge and it will get out of control and be a complete mess. I think that there really is a slight chance of that though and Warner Bros. will get their new franchise.
7. THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
I liked The Hunger Games but it felt a little too low-budget and wasn't a film that I loved. Catching Fire is the most ambitious book in the trilogy and it is going to be the best movie unless they screw up really badly. The cast has expanded and is looking better than ever with Jeffrey Wright, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Clafin, and Amanda Plummer all joining the cast. I hope that this film is really good because I love the book and I think that it fits well for the screen.
6. THE GREAT GATSBY
I really love all the trailers for this movie. I love dramatic films and serious films and especially when they have a twist of fun to them and The Great Gatsby. I haven't see a full movie by Baz Luhrmann (I'm currently watching Romeo + Juliet) but I just love the trailers and two of my favorite actors are on screen (DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire) and I just think the film is going to be awesome and a smash. Nice counter programming to the big films of summer.
5. ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND CONTINUES
I just recently watched Anchorman and my excitement for this film was rejuvenated. There are dozens of quotable lines in that film and I'm hoping that Adam McKay and company can create another masterpiece of comedy. The film, which will supposedly focus on the news team as Hispanics enter into play in the news team. I honestly think that this film will be great no matter what because the characters are just so funny and great actors play them. THE comedy smash of 2012.
4. IRON MAN 3
This film looks like a darker Marvel film. I love Iron Man and Iron Man 2 and pretty much all of the Marvel films so naturally I'm excited for this one. I think that the villain is going to be great and I hope that the action is darker and the plot more sophisticated than Iron Man 2. I have confidence in Shane Black who everyone loves to deliver the first GREAT Iron Man film.
The Wizard of Oz is a great film, without a doubt. It has been and still is one of the "untouchable" Hollywood films, one that will never be remade or tampered with. Well, The Wizard of Oz is touchable now. Sam Raimi said that he immediately rejected the film but after reading the script, agreed to direct it. It has a stellar cast and impressive visuals that look to give the land of Oz its own new visual flair. It all looks to be there and I hope that we get an Oz movie that does justice by the characters and the original.
15. WORLD WAR Z
I have the book on my list to read but according to most, the movie will be nothing like the book. The film looks like large-scale action scene and crazy fast zombies. That aspect has gotten a mixed reaction. A friend of mine who is a huge zombie fan said that he loved the fast zombie aspect and then a teacher of mine completely rejected the idea of a fast zombie. I don't know but I was impressed by how massive this film is and how big it all seems to be. It truly is a global film and it is dealing with a global pandemic. I hope that it actually has some intelligence to it but I think that it will be enjoyable no matter what.
14. NOW YOU SEE ME
A film that I had no idea existed until I saw the trailer. I'm actually not sure that anybody knew it did. But after I saw it, I knew that we were in for an action-packed, star-studded rise. This film looks like it is going to be the opposite of all the big- budget tentpole stuff. It'll be nice to have a good mystery caper film during the summer and I have a feeling that Now You See Me will be a word of mouth success. Also who can pass up a cast that has Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine? The answer: nobody.
13. DESPICABLE ME 2
Despicable Me is an animated film that I always find funny and I've seen it three or four times. It surprised me big time in 2010 and I've been waiting for a sequel since. I have no clue what the plot is going to be but I don't think that it matters because if we have Gru and more minion madness, it'll be a fun time at the theater. The two trailers have been absolute genius, using the Halloween theme and "Barbara Ann" by the Beach Boys to great effect. This is the animated film that I'm anticipating the second most this year.
12. THE MONUMENTS MEN
A Christmas release that looks like the major Oscar contender at this moment. I know that is pretty far to look ahead but this is another George Clooney directorial feature and the cast has Daniel Craig, Matt Damon, Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, John Goodman and Jean Dujardin about historians searching for stolen pieces of art by the Nazis during WWII. 'Nuff said.
11. THE WOLVERINE
I think that The Wolverine has the opportunity to be a ground-breaking superhero film. Instead of the typical alien invasion plotline, The Wolverine takes place in a foreign country, Japan. It is a sort of samurai movie and stars several Japanese actors. I personally don't love the X-Men films (the best is X-Men: First Class) but I think that being a stand alone film lets The Wolverine do a lot of interesting things and I think that it could be a surprise hit in the late summer.
10. WHITE HOUSE DOWN
When I was younger, I was very excited to see Roland Emmerich's disaster film 2012. It ended up being a disappointment but I still think that he does very good action scenes. For the first time with White House Down, it seems that he is not doing a disaster film and more of a Die Hard-esque thriller. That sounds to me like the perfect summer film and while I have seen no footage for White House Down, the idea alone is what sells me on this being a can't miss film.
9. THOR: THE DARK WORLD
The Marvel superhero universe is expanding and Thor: The Dark World is one of the places where Marvel can expand the most. I liked the original Thor more than most people did and while it is a little campy after a few watches, I think that it got a lot of things right. The Dark World is going to be a lot better than Thor. I can just feel it. It has a director that knows the kind of material that fits this kind of movie in Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones) and the promise of more realms and a more epic storyline. Count me in.
8. PACIFIC RIM
The premise alone is enough to get any action movie fan excited but I found the first trailer to be a bit disappointing. It looks good and all the technical stuff looks great but the action looks a little clunky. The only thing that I'm concerned with is that the scale is so big and that everything is going to be huge and it will get out of control and be a complete mess. I think that there really is a slight chance of that though and Warner Bros. will get their new franchise.
7. THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
I liked The Hunger Games but it felt a little too low-budget and wasn't a film that I loved. Catching Fire is the most ambitious book in the trilogy and it is going to be the best movie unless they screw up really badly. The cast has expanded and is looking better than ever with Jeffrey Wright, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Clafin, and Amanda Plummer all joining the cast. I hope that this film is really good because I love the book and I think that it fits well for the screen.
6. THE GREAT GATSBY
I really love all the trailers for this movie. I love dramatic films and serious films and especially when they have a twist of fun to them and The Great Gatsby. I haven't see a full movie by Baz Luhrmann (I'm currently watching Romeo + Juliet) but I just love the trailers and two of my favorite actors are on screen (DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire) and I just think the film is going to be awesome and a smash. Nice counter programming to the big films of summer.
5. ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND CONTINUES
I just recently watched Anchorman and my excitement for this film was rejuvenated. There are dozens of quotable lines in that film and I'm hoping that Adam McKay and company can create another masterpiece of comedy. The film, which will supposedly focus on the news team as Hispanics enter into play in the news team. I honestly think that this film will be great no matter what because the characters are just so funny and great actors play them. THE comedy smash of 2012.
4. IRON MAN 3
This film looks like a darker Marvel film. I love Iron Man and Iron Man 2 and pretty much all of the Marvel films so naturally I'm excited for this one. I think that the villain is going to be great and I hope that the action is darker and the plot more sophisticated than Iron Man 2. I have confidence in Shane Black who everyone loves to deliver the first GREAT Iron Man film.
3. MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
A prequel to what is probably my favorite Pixar film with two of the best voice actors in history? Count me in. Monsters University is going to be fun, a lot of fun and it is what us Pixar fans want. I liked Cars 2 but I understand its critics. Brave was ok but sort of depressing for a Pixar film. I hope that the film is as clever as the original and I think that it will be. The whole college landscape is something that Pixar hasn't ever explored so that will be interesting too. While I think that the true Pixar resurrection will happen with The Good Dinosaur in 2014, Monsters University will be a good start.
2. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS
The trailers are very impressive and I think that we may truly be getting one of the best action/sci-fi movies of the year or many years with Star Trek Into Darkness. Copying the Christopher Nolan formula of making superhero and science fiction films with a rather dark edge to them has been rather successful (Skyfall, Nolan's own Inception) but has also had its share of flops (Watchmen). Into Darkness is going to fall into the first category. JJ Abrams has directed three films over the years but two of the three are personal favorites of mine (including my #1 movie of 2011, Super 8). The whole cast is returning and some impressive additions have been made, making Star Trek Into Darkness one of my most anticipated of the year.
1. MAN OF STEEL
And finally, my most anticipated movie of the year is Man of Steel. Two of the greatest filmmakers of the past ten years join forces to help create a darker, better take on Superman along with an all star cast containing some of the greatest actors of the past ten to twenty years. I have never seen a full Zack Snyder film but I know that they are all visually impressive. I have seen a good amount of Watchmen and 300 and they contain some of the greatest effects ever. Christopher Nolan, hands down, is the best filmmaker of the past ten years. He has delivered classic after classic and never ceased to amaze me. This team up is awesome. Visual effects meets the master of plot, character and action. The cast featuring Russell Crowe, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne and Michael Shannon along with Henry Cavill as Superman is one of the greatest put together for a movie about a single superhero. I have never seen a great Superman film in my lifetime. I'm counting on Man of Steel to fill that void.
In addition to all of those films, I will also say that I am very much looking forward to seeing A Good Day to Die Hard, Captain Phillips, The Lone Ranger, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, Cloudy 2, Rush, Elysium, The Mortal Instruments and the 300 sequel.
2. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS
The trailers are very impressive and I think that we may truly be getting one of the best action/sci-fi movies of the year or many years with Star Trek Into Darkness. Copying the Christopher Nolan formula of making superhero and science fiction films with a rather dark edge to them has been rather successful (Skyfall, Nolan's own Inception) but has also had its share of flops (Watchmen). Into Darkness is going to fall into the first category. JJ Abrams has directed three films over the years but two of the three are personal favorites of mine (including my #1 movie of 2011, Super 8). The whole cast is returning and some impressive additions have been made, making Star Trek Into Darkness one of my most anticipated of the year.
1. MAN OF STEEL
And finally, my most anticipated movie of the year is Man of Steel. Two of the greatest filmmakers of the past ten years join forces to help create a darker, better take on Superman along with an all star cast containing some of the greatest actors of the past ten to twenty years. I have never seen a full Zack Snyder film but I know that they are all visually impressive. I have seen a good amount of Watchmen and 300 and they contain some of the greatest effects ever. Christopher Nolan, hands down, is the best filmmaker of the past ten years. He has delivered classic after classic and never ceased to amaze me. This team up is awesome. Visual effects meets the master of plot, character and action. The cast featuring Russell Crowe, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne and Michael Shannon along with Henry Cavill as Superman is one of the greatest put together for a movie about a single superhero. I have never seen a great Superman film in my lifetime. I'm counting on Man of Steel to fill that void.
In addition to all of those films, I will also say that I am very much looking forward to seeing A Good Day to Die Hard, Captain Phillips, The Lone Ranger, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, Cloudy 2, Rush, Elysium, The Mortal Instruments and the 300 sequel.
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