With a new year come new movies, and there are plenty to look forward to. I have decided to compile a list of the ten movies I am most excited to see this year and explain why. I am certainly anticipating more than just these ten films, but I have narrowed my list down to these select few, ranking them according to how disappointed I would be if the movie were to be cancelled tomorrow.
#10 The Mummy: One of my absolute favorite film franchises is the classic Universal Horror Monsters. Films like Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Dracula, The Invisible Man, and Son of Frankenstein hold up incredibly well. One of the staples of the series is The Mummy from 1932, which is a quiet, chilling movie. The amount of talent involved in this newest retelling has me intrigued to say the least, especially Russell Crowe's inclusion as Dr. Jekyll. I am not entirely sure how a shared Monsters Universe will work, but I am curious to see if they can pull it off. One thing that does have me worried though is the grand, epic scope and the bombastic action. I am not a fan of Brendan Frasier's era of Mummy films, mainly due to the large spectacle of it all. I hope this aspect works to the film's advantage.
#9 Kingsman: The Golden Circle: Kingsman: The Secret Service was an incredible comic book picture. The action was energetic, it featured great characters, and Matthew Vaughn's direction made the movie. We have yet to receive a trailer for this movie, but the poster that was released contains an interesting statement; "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." It is quite obvious what this means and I am extremely curious to see how this is executed. But my main reason for wanting to see this film is the fact that Matthew Vaughn is still in the director's chair. If he can do what he did for the last film, then we should be in for an exhilarating time.
#8 Kong: Skull Island: One of my favorite movies, and one of the best films ever made, is the original King Kong from 1933. I also really enjoyed Peter Jackson's take on the story in 2005. So when you slap Kong's name on a poster, you have my attention. This appears to be a very different interpretation of the legend, not following the story points laid down by the original, which could be refreshing notion. The cast involved is categorically impressive, and I am especially eager to see John C. Reilly's character in action. And of course, this film will set up one of the biggest movie fights coming our way; Godzilla vs. King Kong.
#7 Justice League: I have been a fan of the Justice League since I was a child. Putting some of my favorite superheroes on the big screen in an ensemble feature certainly excites me. But given all the production stories that have come out about the project and the drama surrounding Warner Bros., I am forced to temper my expectations. I am a fan of Man of Steel, but found Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad to be okay at best. Given this track record and coupling it with the problems we have been hearing about, I cannot place Justice League higher on this list. I have faith however, as I thought the trailer for the movie was the best one that premiered at Comic-Con last year. I sincerely hope that this will turn out to be a film of great quality.
#6 Alien Covenant: Another one of my favorite movies is the original Alien, along with Aliens. This newest installment continues the prequel continuity that began with Prometheus. Prometheus is a rather divisive film, but I thought it was very good. However, I am happy that the franchise is going back to its roots as a claustrophobic sci-fi horror series. The trailer communicated the perfect tone and atmosphere, while also providing a few good chills. Though I am worried that the trailer may have given a bit too much away, everything seems to be on the right track for this picture, and I cannot wait to see the Xenomorph command the screen and instill terror in the audience once more.
#5 Spider-Man: Homecoming: I believe it is no understatement to say that Spider-Man was portrayed perfectly throughout his limited screen time in last year's Captain America: Civil War. Tom Holland seems to be the right fit for the character and Sony and Marvel seem to have figured out how to best present the character to please audiences. My opinions on the previous films are as follows: I think Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 are excellent; Spider-Man 3 gets a lot of unnecessary hate and is not bad (though it is far from perfect); and The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel did not appeal to me. But things are looking bright for the web-slinger. The trailers for the upcoming movie have emphasized the high school aspect of the story, with many drawing a connection to John Hughes' style of direction. The humor and action appear to be in full force and the inclusion of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark should present an interesting dynamic. But what has me most excited is the inclusion of Michael Keaton as the villainous Vulture. I am indescribably agog to see what Keaton can bring to the role.
#4 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: For a few years, Guardians of the Galaxy was my favorite film in the MCU lineup. This is no longer the case since the release of Civil War, but Guardians of the Galaxy remains as one of the strongest movies in the franchise. As such, I can barely contain my excitement for this sequel. The first film was such a fun and visually stunning experience. The trailers for this next movie have been nothing short of spectacular, particularly the first official trailer (not the teaser). The employment of "Fox on the Run" by Sweet matches the tone and the trailer perfectly, and now I cannot stop listening to the damn song. The characters seem to be better than ever, with numerous hilarious interactions sprinkled throughout the promotional material. And it looks like Baby Groot will steal the heart of anyone who watches. Kurt Russell is also set to appear as Peter Quill's father, thus helping to clarify some of the mystery surrounding the characters. I am dying to see this movie and it is the MCU project that I am looking forward to the most.
#3 War for the Planet of the Apes: Once again, I find myself talking about one of my favorite films. The original Planet of the Apes from 1968 has a secure spot in my top ten favorite movies of all time. This rebooted series has turned out two fantastic films. Rise of the Planet of the Apes reestablished the franchise wonderfully and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes managed to top its predecessor. Now comes the film that will determine the diegetic future. Apparently, this is the movie where Caesar becomes the legend that the apes will worship as the years go by. Another interesting thing to note is that the human child in the trailers is supposed to be Nova from the original picture. Though I am confused as to why they are introducing her so early in the timeline, I have faith that the filmmakers know what they are doing. So far, this rebooted series has been gritty and dramatic in all the right ways, and War for the Planet of the Apes seems like it might be taking this to a whole new level. Andy Serkis has been a revelation as Caesar, who is a magnificent character despite being CGI. In short, all the pieces seem perfectly placed and if the previous two films are anything to go by, this will be an epic conclusion to Caesar's story.
#2 Logan: I am a major fan of the X-Men film franchise, and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is easily one of its greatest aspects. Logan will be his final time donning the claws, and it will also mark the last time we see Patrick Stewart portraying Professer Xavier. If this is to be their final outing, then this movie needs to be spectacular. Judging by the trailers, we are in for a hard-hitting drama that will affect us on multiple levels. This film is not being marketed as a superhero picture, instead focusing more on the characters and their coming to terms with reality. The first trailer for Logan, which featured Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt," is one of the greatest trailers I have ever seen. The music perfectly matched the visuals and evoked the tone superbly. And this newest trailer highlights X-23 and her capabilities awesomely. I am bursting with the anticipation to see where this story goes, as it looks like it could be a contender for the best superhero movie ever made.
#1 Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi: No surprise here; my most anticipated movie of 2017 is the next installment in the Star Wars saga. As a Star Wars junkie, how could it not be? The Force Awakens ended on one hell of cliffhanger, and hopefully Luke will be allowed to speak this time around. The last film left us with plenty of mysteries and questions that need answering. Having Rian Johnson at the helm indicates that this should be a darker film than The Force Awakens, which I am all for. The title is great too. It is cryptic and ambiguous, and it just sounds so damn cool. My mind is racing with all the possibilities of this movie, particularly what Luke will be doing and learning more about the Knights of Ren. Disney has proven that they know how to make good Star Wars films, so I am hoping that trend continues.
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