We are now within the confines of 2012 and with the New Year comes a whole new swath of great movies to look forward to! While there are others I want to see too, these are the movies I’ll be going to on opening day!
I’m betting some of them are on your list! Let’s find out, shall we!
10. John Carter
Adapted mostly from the novel A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, John Carter is the story of a Confederate soldier who is whisked away to Mars where civil strife between the planet’s inhabitants threatens all life there. The film is directed by Andrew Stanton, whose Pixar work on Finding Nemo and Wall-E has led him to his first live-action film. With Brad Bird making the animation-to-live action jump and doing well (Mission Impossible IV), I have great hope for Stanton and this film. Will John Carter be able to merge its heavy CGI load with a story that has real heart? We’ll have to wait and see!
In theaters: March 9
9. Men in Black III
When it comes to movies, I have guilty pleasures just like anyone else. The two Men in Black films are two of them. If one of them is on television, the channel doesn’t get changed. So imagine my happiness to see Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith reprising their roles as intergalactic agents given the responsibility of keeping Earth safe from extraterrestrial threats. Looks to be just as fun as the previous installments. Count me in!
In theaters: May 25
8. Total Recall
I grew up watching Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Total Recall, loving it for all its Sharon Stone goodness, so when I heard that Colin Farrell would be taking on the role of Douglas Quaid, I really wasn’t excited. Then I saw the director and cast at 2011 Comic Con and had to admit I am excited for a solid telling of the Philip K. Dick story. Add the gorgeous Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale, and I’m sold!
In theaters: August 3
7. The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins has been a bestselling author ever since she published The Hunger Games in 2008, its two sequels creating a vast fan base. Hollywood quickly took notice—especially after the movie success of Harry Potter and Twilight—and began adapting the first book into a life-action film. The result? A movie that will undoubtedly take the box office by storm and swell Collins’s already large readership. It was scripted by Collins herself, has a helluva cast, a great director in Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit), and is rated PG-13 for the violence required to make the movie strong. I’m eagerly looking forward to this.
In theaters: March 23
6. Brave
Here is the one animated feature that I’m really excited about this year. Brave is the new Pixar movie. In my opinion, how many times has Pixar failed? Not once. Toy Story. Finding Nemo. Up. Wall-E. Monsters Inc.. The Incredibles. All genius. I have every faith in Brave, which appears to be a slight departure for the film studio—a high fantasy type movie similar to How To Train Your Dragon. Can’t wait!
In theaters: June 22
5. World War Z
Zombies. Zombies have re-infiltrated our culture and have grown in popularity until now they are everywhere. Enter Max Brooks, who wrote a great book called World War Z, which is an account of zombie attacks and single-story anecdotes about zombies. It really took on a life of its own—no pun intended—its success rooted in fears America has been having since Y2K, the housing bubble burst, and the economy going into massive recession. Then enter Brad Pitt, who wanted to get the book made into a film. There is a bit of controversy with this adaptation, since a movie must have an overall narrative and the novel World War Z does not, but I’m excited about seeing a large blockbuster zombie movie hit theaters! Let the carnage begin!
In theaters: December 12
4. The Avengers
It all comes down to this. For several year, we have observed Marvel Comics bring their franchises to the silver screen, each movie—whether it be The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, or Captain America—having little interconnecting bits and pieces that were slowly forming a much larger mosaic. Now that tapestry is complete and its called The Avengers. With Earth’s Mightiest Heroes being directed by the incomparable geek Joss Whedon, The Avengers has all the makings of a blockbuster. Assemble!
In theaters: May 4
3. The Dark Knight Rises
Yes, you are reading this right. The Dark Knight Rises is my third most anticipated movie of 2012. That’s a spot or two lower than most people have it. I have my reasons. Needless to say, the third Christopher Nolan Batman movie will be one of the largest weekend openings in history and I’ll be sitting there in a seat on opening night. And the next night. And the next night. The Dark Knight Rises will conclude the work Christopher Nolan will be giving the Batman franchise but I’m sure he will lay down the groundwork for future movies. And since Nolan hasn’t made a bad movie, I have to go into this one completely trusting him. Bring on the bat!
In theaters: July 20
2. Prometheus
The movie Alien left an impression when I was six years old. It scared the hell out of me. It took me years to watch it again but once I did I saw the true genius of the film. Ridley Scott created a masterpiece, one that has spawned many sequels and helped define science fiction and horror in Hollywood. But now, after decades, Ridley Scott is finally returning to his Alien mythos, creating a prequel that appears to be fantastic. Will it have a great story? It’s a Ridley Scott movie. Will it have great visuals? It’s a Ridley Scott movie. No one can hear you scream in space…
In theaters: June 8
1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
December 2012 can’t come soon enough. After the movie adaptation success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it became certain that someone would attempt to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous prequel, The Hobbit. It took longer than I expected, one movie company owning the right to produce the movie and another with the rights to distribute it, but once they settled their differences Peter Jackson began to direct one of the most wonderful children books ever written. Add several actors returning to the roles they made famous, and I can’t wait for the first of two Hobbit movies. The Dwarf song alone in the background of this trailer makes the wait worth it! Precioussss….
In theaters: December 14
These are some pretty good picks. I’m not sure how I feel about prometheus, but it sounds like you’re into that one for more personal reasons so that’s pretty cool. I’m probably mostly excited about hungergames just because I loved the trilogy so much, and I’m excited for batman because…it’s batman.