6 The Hangover 2 (May 26)
Plot: In the follow-up to the record-breaking hit comedy "The Hangover," Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu's wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don't always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can't even be imagined.
Personal opinion: I really enjoyed the first film and am happy to see that this quartet is back again for another round of wacky hijinx. Given the comedic talent that comprises this cast, this film cannot not be funny. My only concern is that it's been only two years since the first. Typically I feel sequels are better when they have a bit more time to percolate. But I understand the 'strike while the iron is hot' mentality. Hopefully, they've got some really good ideas in place and this will be Thai-riffic.
5 Thor (May 6)
Plot: Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, "Thor," which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful, young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It's while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.
Personal opinion: Yes, it's another comic book movie, get used to it next year. This one kicks off the summer and sets the tone for how well everything else will do. While Thor may not be a household name, it seems to have a pretty good story that try to blend mythic elements (which people seemed to enjoy in last year's Clash of the Titans) with modern day kick ass-ery. While the stuff away from Earth will be important to Thor's backstory, I'm definitely more interested in seeing Thor once he arrives and begins to interact with some of the characters from the Marvel universe that we're already familiar with from the Iron Man and Hulk films. And don't just write this off as some dumb action movie, with acting royalty like Sir Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman involved, along with Kenneth Brannagh directing, this may be the classiest comic book film ever made.
4 Cowboys and Aliens (July 29)
Plot: 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents—townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors—all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.
Personal opinion: James Bond and Indiana Jones in a film written by the guys who wrote Star Trek and directed by the guy that did Iron Man about an alien invasion during the wild west? C'mon what's not to love about this film. There's an outside chance that it could be really cheesy and stupid, but I'm hoping against hope that that is not the case. People may laugh at the title when they see it appear in the trailer, but I betcha they'll all be there when this thing comes out next summer. I sure know I'll be there.
3 Sherlock Holmes 2 (December 16)
Plot: Guy Ritchie helms a new action-packed adventure, following the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.), and his longtime trusted associate, Dr. Watson (Jude Law), as they match wits with their arch-nemesis, the criminal genius Moriarty (Jared Harris).
Personal opinion: While some critics did not care for the first entry, I absolutely adored this film and cannot wait for the sequel. Like The Hangover 2, there is the rush factor to be concerned with here, but I'm hoping that since they have better source material, it won't be an issue for this sequel. I'm disappointed that Rachel McAdams seemingly won't be back in this one, but the cast additions they've made seem inspired. I particularly like the casting of Jared Harris, who played David Robert Jones on Fringe, as Moriarty. With this and the new Mission: Impossible opening on the same weekend, it looks like it will be a big box office come next Christmas.
2 Super 8 (June 10)
Plot: Nobody really knows. All we have to go off of is the mysterious teaser trailer that was released last summer.
Personal opinion: Where J.J. Abrams goes, I will follow. It's tough to judge this one since we know so little about the plot, but that level of mystery just makes me all that more interested in seeing this film. I'm hoping that it's not like Cloverfield, which was a similarly shrouded film that turned out to be horror film schlock. Given that Abrams is directing this one himself, I'm expecting something much better. You can bet that the moment I learn more about this film, I'll pass along the information to the rest of you here on this blog.
1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (July 15)
Plot:
In Part 2 of the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the Wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.
Personal opinion: To be honest, I was actually hoping this would not be #1. While I'm certainly looking forward to this, it's not the most interesting top choice. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel there was anything else that I could say without reservation that I was looking forward to more. There was nothing on the slate for next year like Inception, where I just knew I had to see the film. So while there may be some disappointment here, I think all Potter fans can agree that this is highly anticipated. I really enjoyed Part 1 and expect nothing less than greatest as we finally saw goodbye to the Hogwarts gang. This will be sad, exciting, thrilling, bittersweet, and every other emotion mixed in and I definitely can't wait.
So there you have it. Did I miss anything? Did I rank anything too high? Too low? Sound off in the comments below.
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