To ring in the new year, I thought I would give everyone a preview of the big films that I'm looking forward to this year. Over the next week, I'll post five movies a day leading up to #1. So without further ado, let's get the countdown started...
30. Avatar (Dec. 18)
Plot: "Avatar" tells the story of an ex-Marine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival.
Personal opinion: This will be James Cameron's first film since Titanic, so the expectations are high here. The story doesn't particularly intrigue me, but given Cameron's talents and the long layoff, I am a bit intrigued to see what he produces. Early reports say this film could revolutionize the way films are made. So at least people aren't setting the bar too high for this movie.
29. The Road (TBD)
Plot: Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortensen, Academy Award winners Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and 12-year-old Kodi Smit McPhee star in the big-screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "The Road" – the story of a man (Mortensen) and his young son (Smit-McPhee) traveling through a desperate, post-apocalyptic world.
Personal opinion: This was originally scheduled to come out this past November. No word if it was delayed for production reasons or as a result of the strike. Delays are never a good sign, but given the pedigree of the cast and the fact that it's based on an award winning book, I remain mildly interested in this one. Once a release date is announced, we should have a better idea if this film is in trouble or not.
28. Star Trek (May 8)
Plot: From director J.J. Abrams ("Mission: Impossible III," "Lost" and "Alias") and screenwriters Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman ("Transformers," "MI: III") comes a new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, "Star Trek," featuring a young, new crew venturing boldly where no man has gone before.
Personal opinion: I'll admit that I've never been a fan of the Star Trek franchise and the early previews of this reboot don't really excite me all that much either. However, I put this on the list for a couple of reasons: 1) I know there are a lot of other people who are very excited about this film and would feel it was an injustice if I didn't include it and 2) J.J. Abrams is directing this and he has rarely steered me wrong, so I may just give it a chance because of him.
27. Knowing (March 20)
Plot: Academy Award® Winner Nicolas Cage ("National Treasure: Book of Secrets," "Leaving Las Vegas") stars in "Knowing," a gripping action-thriller of global proportions about a professor who stumbles on terrifying predictions about the future—and sets out to prevent them from coming true.
Personal opinion: Nicolas Cage usually goes 50/50 in terms of box office hits. For every Ghost Rider, there's a Next. For every National Treasure, there's a Bangkok Dangerous. I believe he's due for a hit again, so let's hope this is it. The film has a cool preference as long as it doesn't become too cheesy like The Number 23.
26. The Brothers Bloom (May 29)
Plot: Academy Award winner® Rachel Weisz ("The Constant Gardener"), Academy Award® winner Adrien Brody ("The Pianist"), Mark Ruffalo ("Zodiac"), and Academy Award® nominee Rinko Kikuchi ("Babel") star in "The Brothers Bloom," a globe-trotting comedy about the last great adventure of the world's best con men.
Personal opinion: This is another film that was originally intended for '08. However, this one has been bumped several times, which doesn't bode well for the film's quality. However, the trailer I saw seems promising and the cast is solid. Until I start hearing reviews to the contrary, I'll still believe that this will be an entertaining film.
No comments:
Post a Comment