2013 Fall Movie Preview (November)

THOR: THE DARK WORLD (November 8)
Plot: Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel's "Thor" and "Marvel's The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Quick thoughts: Iron Man 3 proved that there can be life after The Avengers, although that movie had the benefit of having the awesome Robert Downey Jr. Still, I think a lot of people are going to be very interested to see the latest adventures in Asgard, especially if it means more Loki. This should serve as a nice alternative to the mostly sophisticated fare that will around in the fall.


THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (November 15)
Plot: Based on Jordan Belfort's best-selling memoir "The Wolf of Wall Street," which chronicles Belfort's dramatic rise and fall on Wall Street, along with his hard-partying lifestyle and tumultuous personal life, which included drug and alcohol addiction.

Quick thoughts: How does a cross between Goodfellas and Wall Street sound? By itself that would be a winning combo. When you combine that with the fact that this is being directed by Martin Scorsese and has an all-star cast featuring the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, and Jonah Hill, you've got a film that has crazy high expectations. Maybe this is the one that finally earns Leo his Oscar.


DELIVERY MAN (November 22)
Plot: From DreamWorks Pictures comes "Delivery Man," the story of affable underachiever David Wozniak, whose mundane life is turned upside down when he finds out that he fathered 533 children through sperm donations he made twenty years earlier. In debt to the mob, rejected by his pregnant girlfriend, things couldn't look worse for David when he is hit with a lawsuit from 142 of the 533 twenty-somethings who want to know the identity of the donor. As David struggles to decide whether or not he should reveal his true identity, he embarks on a journey that leads him to discover not only his true self but the father he could become as well.

Quick thoughts: The most recent trailer suggests that this will be more of a dramedy than a zany comedy, despite its premise. I'm ok with that as long as the story is good. The fact that the studio pushed this back from its original October release date suggests they have some confidence that this will be a real winner with families during the Thanksgiving holiday.


OLDBOY (November 27)
Plot: "Oldboy" is a provocative, visceral thriller that follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is abruptly kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment.

Quick thoughts: If you are not familiar, this is an adaptation of a cult Japanese film that was released about a decade ago. I have not seen the original, but I will admit that the film's high concept certainly has me intrigued. Spike Lee is often hit or miss with me, but I am hoping that because he's working with proven material here, he'll be able to deliver something that will be equally satisfying.


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
Dallas Buyers Club (November 1)
Last Vegas (November 1)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (November 22)
Nebraska (November 22)