Yup, it's that time of year again. Just like last year, I won't by trying to identify every film that looks interesting to me, but instead just hitting the highlights. However, even with that rule, I can't deny that this year is looking pretty dang stacked! Here are the movies that stand out to me when looking ahead.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
I know that I've been pretty meh about the continuing cinematic universe that Marvel has been pushing onward, but both of the Ant-Man films are pretty dang good, so I'm expecting the third one to be worth catching. And going down into a micro-verse for an epic story will at least be sorta unique.
John Wick Chapter 4
While this was initially in last year's list, it did get delayed to 2023, but I'm still excited to see where things go. Part of me wonders if this won't be the conclusion of a trilogy they sorta started with Chapter 2, but I know the creators say they'll keep making these as long as people keep seeing them, so who knows where this will end up!
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
While the renowned tabletop RPG doesn't have the greatest of history when it comes screen adaptations, I do think this new film does have a lot of promise. As bummed as I am that it's going for a very Guardians-of-the-Galaxy style action comedy instead of a Lord of the Rings style fantasy epic, I can't deny that does look like a lot of fun.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Another one that was on last year's list but got delayed to this year. After seeing more of the trailers, I have some mixed feelings. I did have some doubts about Chris Pratt's performance, the latest pieces seem to have addressed that a little. However, the big thing that bugs is how much it seems to resemble a Marvel movie. Still, I can't deny that Super Mario is very much a part of my childhood, so here's hoping they can make a decent movie out of it.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Again, like with Ant-Man, the first two of these films were pretty fun, even if the second one did get pretty predictable. However, the trailer will likely show the cosmic side of the MCU get pretty crazy, and the cast looks to be very much onboard with whatever James Gunn has cooking, so I have some decent expectations for this one.
Fast X
sigh Yeah, I'll probably watch this at some point. I'm this far in, I see no reason to stop. I know it won't be very good, and that it won't really matter, because explosions, but I suppose things are building to some kind of finale, and I'll want to see how this ride eventually ends (pun intended).
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Into the Spider-Verse was a visual tour-de-force, and the sequel seems ready to carry their vibrant world forward. While the story of the first film was pretty typical superhero stuff, it will be interesting to see where they take things from here, especially with a planned third film further done the line.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
I know folks had a lot of mixed feelings about the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but I enjoyed it, myself. And while this fifth film won't have either Spielberg or Lucas at the helm, I do think that James Mangold has the potential to still bring that classic magic in. Some folks may be concerned about potential time travel shenanigans, but we'll see how it actually pans out.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Another one for the "dumb but fun" list, I suppose I can tolerate watching Tom Cruise try to show off his physical skills, and maybe we'll get a decent action film along the way. Being a "Part One of Two" is a bit of a tricky sell for the MI franchise, but we'll see what they have in store.
How Do You Live
After years of poking away at it for five years, Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli finally have a release date for their latest work, at least in Japan. The US is supposed to see it at some point this year as well, though. In any case, consider that we weren't sure if we'd ever get another film from the acclaimed studio, this will be quite the highlight, and I'm definitely looking forward to it.
The Equalizer 3
The first film was a very fascinating low-key action thriller that really worked its premise well. The second one didn't quite know what to do with itself, but still featured some neat moments and more Denzel Washington. The third seems keen on carrying this on, with much of the same cast and crew, so it goes on the list.
Dune: Part Two
This might be the film that I'm excited for in 2023. It might be a toss-up between this and John Wick; I don't know. Still, I'm very ready to go back to Arrakis, and with Villeneuve still at the helm, it's going to be quite the visual treat.
Well, that's it for now. I'm sure there will be others that crop up and get my attention. There are also a slew of more superhero films I didn't mention, but I'm feeling pretty mixed about those, so I only added the ones I was genuinely interested in. 2022 was a pretty weak year for movies, all things considered, probably because a lot of stuff got pushed to this year. Still, there seems to be plenty to look forward to in the next 12 months, and I'll be sure to write up reviews for everything I get around to.
No comments:
Post a Comment