Just like I promised, here is the list for all the movies I'm looking forward to this year. There's quite a few, so I'm not saying much about each one, other than what it's about and why I'm interested. We'll see how many of these actually turn out to be good!
Underworld: Blood Wars
This horror/action series has always been one about which I’ve been a least a little curious. I haven’t seen any of them, so I will probably do some catching up before this film. I’m not really a fan of horror films, but I’m willing to go for an action film with a horror aesthetic. I LOVED Van Helsing, and generally enjoy the Castlevania games, so if these films are anything like that, I’ll give it shot.
The Great Wall
Questionable casting be hanged, I’m excited for this movie. The sheer scale of what’s going on and having one of the world’s greatest landmarks be the stage for it will make for some epic moments. The director can be a bit hit and miss, in my opinion, but he certainly goes for broke each time, and The Great Wall looks no different. Oh, and it has Andy Lau, and for those of you who don’t know, ANDY LAU IS AWESOME!
Wolverine 3:Logan
The X-Men movies, while not great, are decent by my standards, and Wolverine as played by Hugh Jackman is always a pleasure to see. Early trailers seem to show something closer to The Road or The Last of Us, as Wolverine has to protect a child in a harsh, post-apocalyptic world, and to be honest, it looks interesting. Of course, the promised R-Rating may be a part of it as well, but I’m up for a superhero film willing to try some things and has more ideas than just punching the bad buy.
The Wall
Not related to Pink Floyd or Donald Trump, this is a movie about a pair of American soldiers who get caught out by an Iraqi sniper. Looking to be more of a psychological thriller, as the sniper likes to play mind games, and featuring John Cena in a serious movie role, this has some potential.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
I admit that I haven’t seen many Guy Ritchie films, but I did enjoy his Sherlock Holmes movies, and I know he’s got a reputation for really doing his own thing, so I’m excited to see what he does with a more straight-forward fantasy based on the famous legends. The trailers are showing some interesting tweaks already.
Power Rangers
The Power Rangers were never a part of my childhood, as my mother felt they were too violent for kids, so I have no nostalgia going in. However, the fact that we’re getting a new, big budget film seems pretty obvious really, as movie producers continue to dig through the past and make a film on anything that might have nostalgia value. Even so, the only trailer I’ve seen did raise my interest, but I am concerned about a cast of dejected, angsty teenagers. Still, if it has a big robot battle that doesn’t suck, I’m in.
Ghost in the Shell
Classic anime franchise getting the lush, live-action treatment. Scarlett Johansson is perfect for the role as far as I am concerned, and recent interviews and trailers seem to allude to a philosophical approach to its setting and scenario, which is what it should be. I can only hope that it finds that right balance of high-minded and accessible, as the original anime films can be on the pretentious side.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
The first one was great and everyone is back on board for this one. Early trailers look promising, but it’s always hard to follow up on a big success. We’ll see if this one can overcome the traditional sequel slump, but given Marvel’s track record, I doubt there’s much room for concern.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
While I liked the first three, I never saw the last one of this series, and it seems like I didn’t miss much. However, executives are pretty franchise happy these days, so I’m not surprised to see another one of these get cranked out. That being said, I am cautiously optimistic. I doubt they’ll reach the same heights as the amazing first film, but there’s still some potential left in the franchise, I think.
Wonder Woman
Warner Bros. has really struggled with their DC universe movies, and based on the two I’ve seen, I’m not holding my breath for this one. However, there’s always room for things to get better, and Wonder Woman does seem to be trying. The World War I setting is intriguing, but one can’t help wonder if they aren’t copying the idea from Captain America’s first film (putting things in the past to establish a character before bringing them into present).
The Mummy
I’m a big fan of the Brenden Fraser films (except the third one, of course), but this one seems to be trying to get back into the horror roots of the creature. Supposedly the first of a new multi-film continuity revolving around Universal's classic monster line up, this might have some potential. Then again, they tried to do the same thing last time with Dracula Untold and that didn't get them very far.
Transformers: The Last Knight
Despite their many flaws, I still like the Transformer films. I don’t get too many opportunities to see big robots on the big screen, so I take what I can get. I’m not too happy about having Michael Bay for the fifth time, as it’s pretty obvious that this is just another paycheck for him and I’d like to see someone else take a shot with the material. However, things may be taking a more cosmic turn this time, and early trailers show a few peculiar twists already, so it will be interesting to see what comes out.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
I love the MCU, but of the three films coming out for the continuity this year, this is the one that I’m not as eager to see. Sam Raimi’s films are a hard act to follow and while I only saw the first Amazing, it certainly had issues. I may not have cared how Spider-Man was squeezed into Civil War, but I do think they have a good actor for the part. To its credit, the trailer does make it look pretty entertaining (and having Robert Downey Jr. play a mentor role raised my eyebrows), but I just don’t know if I’m in the mood for another awkward teenager turning into a superhero.
Blade Runner 2049
The original is a classic, and they have Harrison Ford back, which is pretty surprising, really. Teaser came out just a little while ago, and I admit that I’m a little excited. If it has any of the atmosphere and intelligence of the first film, this will be worth looking into. Between this and Ghost in the Shell, cyberpunk might be in for a big comeback!
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
The first Kingsman was an irreverent riot of a film, simultaneously over-the-top and visceral, all while being a parody/homage to classic spy films. It will be interesting to see where this one goes, especially with Colin Firth coming back (he ended up rather dead in the first one, so maybe flashbacks? Prequel?). As long as it still has its tongue firmly placed in its cheek, I won’t miss this.
Thor: Ragnarok
The last Thor film, The Dark World, was kind of underwhelming for me. Sure, it was a decent action film, a sort of Norse-themed Star Wars in a way, but there really wasn’t a whole lot of meat to the thing other than introducing one of the Infinity Stones. However, the stinger at the end showing Loki certainly got me excited for this one, and with a subtitle like Ragnarok, I think this one is going to be pretty epic. Apparently both the Hulk and Doctor Strange are along for the ride, which will make for some interesting scenes.
Justice League
As I said for Wonder Woman, the DC movies have yet to prove themselves, and so far, this Justice League lead up seems like Warner Bros. is trying to force success to happen by following MCU’s formula. Still, I suppose there’s potential for something good, so I’m going to give it a shot.
Murder on the Orient Express
I admit that I have never read Agatha Christie or seen any version of this story in film, but I’m definitely interested in this one just because of the people involved. Kenneth Branagh has always been an interesting director (mostly known for Shakespeare adaptations and the first Thor film), and the rest of the cast looks amazing (Johnny Depp, Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench, Michael Pena). I think this one has a lot of promise.
Star Wars Episode VIII
Another Star Wars. To be honest, after Episode 7, a lot of the magic is gone for me. It was a decent film, but it really felt cookie cutter and never had the majesty of the other films (Even the prequels, with all their flaws, still FELT like Star Wars, in my opinion). That being said, Rogue One was slight better, and J.J. Abrams won't be in the director’s chair, so maybe things will pick up and go interesting places this time.
Well, That should keep us busy the whole year. I don't know if I'll end up writing reviews for all of them, but I certainly plan on seeing them all at some point.
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