Perhaps it's just the New Years hangover (or the fact that the BCS Championship was over after the 2nd quarter), but I've got a little time and, like my friend Mike, I enjoy making lists at the end/beginning of a new year.
So below, I'm offering up the 10 movies that I'm most excited to see in 2008 (that have been announced thus far).
So below, I'm offering up the 10 movies that I'm most excited to see in 2008 (that have been announced thus far).
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TOP 10 MOVIES TO SEE IN 2008:
10. Wall-E - The next Disney/Pixar film that I'm hoping will be stellar after the disappointment that was Cars. The allusion to 'Short Circuit' is undeniable and the trailers that have been released thus far look great. Plus it seems that the titular character doesn't even speak, so that would be quite a feat to pull off (the trailer says the name, "Wall-E," near the end, but it's unclear as to who or what utters it). Keep your fingers crossed...
9. 21 - After watching a special on the MIT Blackjack Team (of whom this film is based on) and also discovering the World Series of Poker and NBC's Poker After Dark, I'm all in for seeing this film as soon as it's out. I've never been to Vegas before, but am itching to go sometime, and am also sure this film will do it's fair share of encouraging (and discouraging) that.
8. Get Smart - Steve Carell is in dangerous territory of becoming the next Jim Carrey in that he made some successful comedies and then just kind of dropped off the radar (Eternal Sunshine and....uhm....what else has he done?.....besides Jenny McCarthy?), so I'm hoping that this franchise will keep him in popular public opinion. Following the poor showing Evan Almighty had and yet to hit something as solid as 40 Year Old Virgin, Carell is in desperate need of a hit here.
7. Untitled X-Files Sequel - It's been awhile since Mulder and Scully graced a screen of any kind, but this long-awaited sequel is trying to re-discover an audience that has been engrossed in LOST and similar fare for awhile now. Can tales of the black ooze and aliens recapture our imagination? We'll all find out in July.
6. Semi-Pro - Similar to the situation mentioned above with Steve Carell, Will Ferrell definitely has his built-in fraternity-minded audience that will make his films do respectively at the box office. But after trying films like Stranger Than Fiction, will he ever rediscover the cult status of an Anchorman? Another strong trailer makes this film look good, but trailers are built to make any Hollywood schlock look good (hello The Day After Tomorrow).
5. The Incredible Hulk - Following Ang Lee's way-too-cerebral and critically panned outing with the big green guy, an interesting casting choice was made that had many a jaw hit the floor. Edward Norton steps into the role of Dr. Bruce Banner and, rumor has it, that the storyline established in the previous Hulk film will be acknowledged. So, if that's true, it will be an interesting justification for the screenwriters to make. Sadly, Jennifer Connelly was also lost in casting this updated version.
4. Iron Man - Speaking of shocking casting moves, who ever saw Robert Downey, Jr., stepping into Tony Stark's shoes in the big screen adaptation of one of Marvel's most popular characters? There is an excellent animated Iron Man film out there that explains his origin story and this film looks to follow that template pretty closely. Meaning, we'll get to see many incarnations of the Iron Man suit and see it develop as Stark starts to figure out little nuances and tricks to make it more effective and streamlined. I'm hoping this one will be good...
3. Cloverfield - This one is on its way in just a few short weeks and, pretty much anything with the name, "J.J. Abrams," attached to it seems to be gold right now. Any fan of LOST will undoubtedly be there opening weekend for this film, whose production team spent no money on high-tech cameras or on actors (using all unknowns, thus amping its believability factor - anyone see The Blair Witch Project?) and blew the entire budget on amazing special effects and editing to make this film the most talked about film in a long time. It's also got the momentum to be labeled the 'blockbuster of the season,' unseating current favorite, I Am Legend, which was strong, but the lame final half-hour really hurt it.
2. The Dark Knight - With the long-awaited screen debut of the new more 'realistic' Joker, people have been salivating for a sequel to the very strong Batman Begins for some time now (whom some state was even a better Batman film than Tim Burton's). Maggie Gyllenhaal replaces Katie Holmes as love interest Rachel Dawes, but no one seems to be up in arms about that at all. And has everyone out there seen the new trailer where we get to hear and finally see Heath Ledger's take on the sadistic Joker with that insane laugh? C R E E P Y....and I can't wait to see it.
1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - The long, long, LONG awaited sequel that no one thought was going to come - especially when you're following a film titled, "The Last Crusade." But at long last and after rumors galore, the stars aligned, Harrison Ford approved, a script was finished, and filming finally began on what will be the final film in the Ford-era Jones movies. Rumors abound as to what role current Hollywood "it" actor Shia LeBouf will play in the film, and the great wonder is if there will be a passing of the fedora to a new generation or if this is the real feather in the cap on one of the strongest film series ever made. At any rate, while not having quite the mystique as the Star Wars releases, this franchise will hopefully fair better critically and in popular opinion than Lucas' last three outings.
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HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Rambo - The ONLY reason this is on here is because I'm curious to see if Sylvester Stallone can do it again or if this is going to the well one too many times. I have this gut feeling that Sly was able to reconnect with his creative side as well as his audience with the great Rocky Balboa film from last year - and I think he should've made that his swan song and been done with it. It left a great impression with everyone and with its subtle weaving of the original Rocky story in there really made us respect the fact that Sly created this character that also earned him the Oscar for Best Film. Now.....we've got Rambo again. I'm just not sure that it's going to resonate as well as his other franchise did and I'm afraid instead of walking away from this film with a nostalgic smile, people will be rolling their eyes.
10,000 B.C. - From the crew that brought you the patriotic Independence Day and the debacle that was The Day After Tomorrow comes the story of how our great, great, great, great ancestors survived mammoths, large reptiles, and each other. Expect spectacular effects for the graphics-whore in all of us (me included), but also expect a weak story, an alphabetical checklist of emotions, a predictable ending, and so-so acting by talents trying to pull out decent performances from a scattered script.
Star Trek - This is in the honorable mentions because I've never really been a big fan of this franchise as, when I was little, there was a Star Wars camp and a Star Trek camp - and the two never mixed. I found myself in the former. But this update to the franchise is actually a prequel and with J.J. Abrams attached, it's already got a ton of positive buzz surrounding it and it's the only real holiday movie I've heard about that coming out near 2009.
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There are some other films out there that piqued my interest, but couldn't put on this list as I'm just not that sold on them. For example, Speed Racer. It's made by The Wachowski Brothers, of The Matrix Trilogy fame, but it's clearly geared towards children - as evidenced by its almost seizure inducing trailer (plus LOST's Matthew Fox is Racer X? What's up with that?). There's also the Will Smith film, Hancock, whose trailer makes it look like a cross between My Super Ex-Girlfriend and Men In Black 2 - and its just not clicking with me yet. It's got potential, however.
And finally, there's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. I barely enjoyed the first movie and it's blatant Christian overtones, but couldn't stand any of the actors chosen as the four children. Not one. And I'm the type of person that tries to find something redeeming or enjoyable in every film that I see. The trailer for this next film is taking a nod from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by showing us nothing but big battles and action scenes, so I imagine I'll go see it......but only with a group.....and with an extremely critical eye. I have this itchy feeling that this franchise will go through a major overhaul - be it casting or something - before it makes it through all of its stories. Something the Harry Potter franchise has thankfully avoided so far (which, I believe, has Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince coming in 2008 - which would, subsequently, add it to my list - but there's been nothing to confirm that yet).
As I said earlier, these are all the movies that have been announced thus far and, looking at the calendar, there was nothing yet advertised for the 2008 X-mas season. However, I'm sure there will be many great films on the way by then and we'll readdress and alter this list at that time.
Hope you all are doing well!
TOP 10 MOVIES TO SEE IN 2008:
10. Wall-E - The next Disney/Pixar film that I'm hoping will be stellar after the disappointment that was Cars. The allusion to 'Short Circuit' is undeniable and the trailers that have been released thus far look great. Plus it seems that the titular character doesn't even speak, so that would be quite a feat to pull off (the trailer says the name, "Wall-E," near the end, but it's unclear as to who or what utters it). Keep your fingers crossed...
9. 21 - After watching a special on the MIT Blackjack Team (of whom this film is based on) and also discovering the World Series of Poker and NBC's Poker After Dark, I'm all in for seeing this film as soon as it's out. I've never been to Vegas before, but am itching to go sometime, and am also sure this film will do it's fair share of encouraging (and discouraging) that.
8. Get Smart - Steve Carell is in dangerous territory of becoming the next Jim Carrey in that he made some successful comedies and then just kind of dropped off the radar (Eternal Sunshine and....uhm....what else has he done?.....besides Jenny McCarthy?), so I'm hoping that this franchise will keep him in popular public opinion. Following the poor showing Evan Almighty had and yet to hit something as solid as 40 Year Old Virgin, Carell is in desperate need of a hit here.
7. Untitled X-Files Sequel - It's been awhile since Mulder and Scully graced a screen of any kind, but this long-awaited sequel is trying to re-discover an audience that has been engrossed in LOST and similar fare for awhile now. Can tales of the black ooze and aliens recapture our imagination? We'll all find out in July.
6. Semi-Pro - Similar to the situation mentioned above with Steve Carell, Will Ferrell definitely has his built-in fraternity-minded audience that will make his films do respectively at the box office. But after trying films like Stranger Than Fiction, will he ever rediscover the cult status of an Anchorman? Another strong trailer makes this film look good, but trailers are built to make any Hollywood schlock look good (hello The Day After Tomorrow).
5. The Incredible Hulk - Following Ang Lee's way-too-cerebral and critically panned outing with the big green guy, an interesting casting choice was made that had many a jaw hit the floor. Edward Norton steps into the role of Dr. Bruce Banner and, rumor has it, that the storyline established in the previous Hulk film will be acknowledged. So, if that's true, it will be an interesting justification for the screenwriters to make. Sadly, Jennifer Connelly was also lost in casting this updated version.
4. Iron Man - Speaking of shocking casting moves, who ever saw Robert Downey, Jr., stepping into Tony Stark's shoes in the big screen adaptation of one of Marvel's most popular characters? There is an excellent animated Iron Man film out there that explains his origin story and this film looks to follow that template pretty closely. Meaning, we'll get to see many incarnations of the Iron Man suit and see it develop as Stark starts to figure out little nuances and tricks to make it more effective and streamlined. I'm hoping this one will be good...
3. Cloverfield - This one is on its way in just a few short weeks and, pretty much anything with the name, "J.J. Abrams," attached to it seems to be gold right now. Any fan of LOST will undoubtedly be there opening weekend for this film, whose production team spent no money on high-tech cameras or on actors (using all unknowns, thus amping its believability factor - anyone see The Blair Witch Project?) and blew the entire budget on amazing special effects and editing to make this film the most talked about film in a long time. It's also got the momentum to be labeled the 'blockbuster of the season,' unseating current favorite, I Am Legend, which was strong, but the lame final half-hour really hurt it.
2. The Dark Knight - With the long-awaited screen debut of the new more 'realistic' Joker, people have been salivating for a sequel to the very strong Batman Begins for some time now (whom some state was even a better Batman film than Tim Burton's). Maggie Gyllenhaal replaces Katie Holmes as love interest Rachel Dawes, but no one seems to be up in arms about that at all. And has everyone out there seen the new trailer where we get to hear and finally see Heath Ledger's take on the sadistic Joker with that insane laugh? C R E E P Y....and I can't wait to see it.
1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - The long, long, LONG awaited sequel that no one thought was going to come - especially when you're following a film titled, "The Last Crusade." But at long last and after rumors galore, the stars aligned, Harrison Ford approved, a script was finished, and filming finally began on what will be the final film in the Ford-era Jones movies. Rumors abound as to what role current Hollywood "it" actor Shia LeBouf will play in the film, and the great wonder is if there will be a passing of the fedora to a new generation or if this is the real feather in the cap on one of the strongest film series ever made. At any rate, while not having quite the mystique as the Star Wars releases, this franchise will hopefully fair better critically and in popular opinion than Lucas' last three outings.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Rambo - The ONLY reason this is on here is because I'm curious to see if Sylvester Stallone can do it again or if this is going to the well one too many times. I have this gut feeling that Sly was able to reconnect with his creative side as well as his audience with the great Rocky Balboa film from last year - and I think he should've made that his swan song and been done with it. It left a great impression with everyone and with its subtle weaving of the original Rocky story in there really made us respect the fact that Sly created this character that also earned him the Oscar for Best Film. Now.....we've got Rambo again. I'm just not sure that it's going to resonate as well as his other franchise did and I'm afraid instead of walking away from this film with a nostalgic smile, people will be rolling their eyes.
10,000 B.C. - From the crew that brought you the patriotic Independence Day and the debacle that was The Day After Tomorrow comes the story of how our great, great, great, great ancestors survived mammoths, large reptiles, and each other. Expect spectacular effects for the graphics-whore in all of us (me included), but also expect a weak story, an alphabetical checklist of emotions, a predictable ending, and so-so acting by talents trying to pull out decent performances from a scattered script.
Star Trek - This is in the honorable mentions because I've never really been a big fan of this franchise as, when I was little, there was a Star Wars camp and a Star Trek camp - and the two never mixed. I found myself in the former. But this update to the franchise is actually a prequel and with J.J. Abrams attached, it's already got a ton of positive buzz surrounding it and it's the only real holiday movie I've heard about that coming out near 2009.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are some other films out there that piqued my interest, but couldn't put on this list as I'm just not that sold on them. For example, Speed Racer. It's made by The Wachowski Brothers, of The Matrix Trilogy fame, but it's clearly geared towards children - as evidenced by its almost seizure inducing trailer (plus LOST's Matthew Fox is Racer X? What's up with that?). There's also the Will Smith film, Hancock, whose trailer makes it look like a cross between My Super Ex-Girlfriend and Men In Black 2 - and its just not clicking with me yet. It's got potential, however.
And finally, there's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. I barely enjoyed the first movie and it's blatant Christian overtones, but couldn't stand any of the actors chosen as the four children. Not one. And I'm the type of person that tries to find something redeeming or enjoyable in every film that I see. The trailer for this next film is taking a nod from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by showing us nothing but big battles and action scenes, so I imagine I'll go see it......but only with a group.....and with an extremely critical eye. I have this itchy feeling that this franchise will go through a major overhaul - be it casting or something - before it makes it through all of its stories. Something the Harry Potter franchise has thankfully avoided so far (which, I believe, has Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince coming in 2008 - which would, subsequently, add it to my list - but there's been nothing to confirm that yet).
As I said earlier, these are all the movies that have been announced thus far and, looking at the calendar, there was nothing yet advertised for the 2008 X-mas season. However, I'm sure there will be many great films on the way by then and we'll readdress and alter this list at that time.
Hope you all are doing well!
Posts
5 comments:
First off... a post at 3:08am? Sheesh!
Second, can I get an Amen!, especially for Cloverfield and The Dark Knight. I did think Batman Begins was the best Batman film, beating out Tim Burton's back in '89. Even with Katie Holmes, who sucks the life out of that movie. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a doll. Why didn't they go with her in the first place? I think she was pregnant. Oh well.
And Cloverfield? I'm on the edge of my seat every time I see a clip!
BTW, also a huge fan of Pixar movies. Next time I see you, ask me to tell you about the time Rob and I flew from San Francisco to Salt Lake with Brad Bird.
I would like to see a list of your top 10 favorite lists.
I'm going to help you out with a quick review of your #3 movie to save your loyal readers time.
Cloverfield:
Save your money.
Agreed, actually. Extremely underwhelming.
Actually, I went with a more poetic description over at the ol' blog in the Haiku Movie Review post.
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