So 2008 is about to come to a close. It has been a pretty bad ass year in movies. The Dark Knight, Wall-E, Iron Man, and many more. So what does next year hold? Here is a list of my most anticipated to hit the theater and see.
10. Star Trek - May 8th
A grew up in a trekkie house. My parents and brother were huge Star Trek fans, no they didn't dress up as the characters and go to that extent, but they watched every episode of every Star Trek series religiously. I was hooked on The Original Series and The Next Generation but didn't get into the later versions of Star Trek, like Deep Space Nine and Voyager. I am a little iffy on this though, I fuckin LOVE anything Simon Pegg is involved in but I just don't see him as Scotty. But I'll be there opening day.
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.9. Transformers; Revenge Of The Fallen - June 26th
Transformers made me feel like a kid again. As any boy in the 80's I was obsessed with Transformers, so seeing the live action feature made me all giddy inside, the debut of Optimus Prime, and the fact they kept the original voice actor around made it even better. So why is it only number 9? I fear that Steven Speilberg doesn't has as much influence on this one as he did the first one.
Plot:
Not reall known because of Micahel Bay leaking false rumors, it's hard to say exactly what this is about, but heres hopin for Dinobots.8. Crank: High Voltage - April 17th
I actually gave Crank another watch over this past weekend. I forgot exactly how awesome it was. How visually insane it was. It's almost like watching a live action video game play out. The character runs and runs, stops and picks up power ups, fights mini bosses, everything. I love it.
Plot:
In this high-octane sequel, hitman Chev Chelios' (Statham) launches himself on an electrifying chase through Los Angeles in pursuit of the Chinese mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart. "Crank: High Voltage" is written and directed by Neveldine/Taylor, the duo behind the 2006 hit film "Crank," and the upcoming "Game" starring Gerard Butler.7. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - July 17th
These movies keep getting darker and darker and more and more violent. I've enjoyed the past movies but to me, they keep getting better and better.
Plot:
Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine - May 1st
It took 4 movies, but they finally got Gambit. On top of that this actually looks better than the 3 X-Men movies, sorry but the 1st didn't do much for me, the third was horrible, and the 2nd movie was good but not as awesome as people make it out to be.
Plot:
Leading up to the events of "X-Men," "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" tells the story of Wolverine's epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe.5. Funny People - July 31st
The newest film from Judd Apatow. Unlike the numerous FROM JUDD APATOW films that have been coming out, when I mean newest I mean the newest film he is DIRECTING. After 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, I am anxious to see what this brings, and of course, Seth Rogen is cast.
Plot:
The story of a famous comedian who has a near-death experience.4. The Wolfman - November 6th
This has a fantastic cast. And even though it is a remake, I feel it's a remake that is deserving, since the original is pretty damn old. Unlike most remakes today which are almost just a decare apart from the original. I've been a huge Benecio Del Toro fan since The Way Of The Gun, so anything he gets involved in grabs my interest.
Plot:
Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, "The Wolfman" brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins. Oscar® winner Benicio Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father (Oscar® winner Anthony Hopkins), Talbot sets out to find his brother... and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself.Lawrence Talbot's childhood ended the night his mother died. After he left the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor, he spent decades recovering and trying to forget. But when his brother's fiancée, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns home to join the search. He learns that something with brute strength and insatiable bloodlust has been killing the villagers, and that a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline (Hugo Weaving) has come to investigate.As he pieces together the gory puzzle, he hears of an ancient curse that turns the afflicted into werewolves when the moon is full. Now, if he has any chance at ending the slaughter and protecting the woman he has grown to love, Talbot must destroy the vicious creature in the woods surrounding Blackmoor. But as he hunts for the nightmarish beast, a simple man with a tortured past will uncover a primal side to himself... one he never imagined existed.3. Up - May 29th
The newest Disney/Pixar film. After the amazing Wall-E I really can't wait to see what they do next. To me Pixar has yet to fail.
Plot:
From Disney•Pixar comes "Up," a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. From the Academy Award®-nominated director Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc."), Disney•Pixar's "Up" invites you on a hilarious journey into a lost world, with the least likely duo on Earth. "Up" will be presented in Disney Digital 3-D™ in select theaters.2. Bruno - May 15th
Sacha Baron Cohens follow up to Borat. For those that watched Da Ali G Show you know of Bruno. For those that don't I find this character to actually be funnier than Borat. Which to me, but not to many others, Borat was one of the funniest movies I had seen in theaters, ever, if not THE funniest movie I have ever seen in the theater. I think that Bruno will be even funnier than that.
Plot:
Sacha Baron Cohen's gay Austrian supermodel Bruno comes to the big screen with similar hijinks and celebrity interviews as seen on "Da Ali G Show."1. Toy Story 3D - October 2nd
Yeah. A re-release is my most anticipated movie of 2009. But hey, it is TOY STORY. This marks the beginning of the countdown. Disney/Pixar will release Toy Story 2 in 3D after this, and then follow it up with the release of Toy Story 3, in 3D. Toy Story is the first movie from Disney/Pixar that launched what Pixar is today, the makers of some of the best films released. And to see Toy Story come back this time in 3-D will really be something amazing.
Plot:
Disney•Pixar's "Toy Story" kicks off a Disney Digital 3-D™ "Toy Story" celebration, which includes "Toy Story 2," opening Feb. 12, 2010, and culminates in a brand new adventure starring Buzz and Woody: "Toy Story 3"—in theaters June 18, 2010.
So where do I start, because this one is epic... or at least the movie is epic, so epic that I'm not sure how to even put it in to words. I probably won't do my usual style of review, because I really don't want to give anything away. I just want to stress to you, rather you be a fan of Star Trek or not, that this movie is all kinds of awesome. It was the complete package, hands down. I don't have one single complaint, except that maybe there just wasn't enough Simon Pegg... but that's not even a big deal. He just took a bit to show up. This new-ish guy, Chris Pine, just solidified himself as a major movie star I think. He held up to the job and did a really superb job. He's absolutely believable as Kirk. Zach Quinto as Spock... holy shit. Zach Quinto is nuts. His Spock is nuts. I mean, in all reality, everyone in every role was fantastic. Simon Pegg was spot on Scotty, Anton Yelchin was great as Chekov, fucking John Cho was the shit as Sulu... but Karl Urban... that dude NAILED Dr. "Bones" McCoy. I mean.. every nuance and maneurism was SPOT ON. It was a lot of fun to watch! Eric Bana is pretty one dimensional, and his Nero isn't that dynamic, but he's a decent enough villain with a decent enough reason to be. Not many chicks in the movie, just Uhura, who doesn't serve too much of a purpose for the most part, she's here and there, but didn't feel all that integral to me. Her stuff with Spock could be I suppose. Solid cast though, hopefully they're all back for any sequels that will surely get made.
Saw the movie in IMAX, and I can't imagine seeing it any other way. You could literally feel the warp drive scenes, so suffice to say it was intense. The plot is really strong and consistent. I can't complain at all about any kind of continuity issues or plot holes. It's all done so masterfully, it's kind of funny to think that these are the same guys working on LOST and Fringe.
