Well, folks, we've made it through 2015 and into a new year with new movies coming out that I'm very excited for, many of them being comic book adaptations.
So, I'd like to get my thoughts on some of these upcoming titles, based on their trailers and what I know about them...and of course, the ones that I find to be the most interesting.
1. Deadpool
So, the first one up is one that I'm actually pretty hyped about and think this is going to be a hit, possibly the best of the year (in my opinion). The Ryan Reynolds-starred Deadpool is yet another comic book adaptation, based on a character who's loosely floated around the X-Men universe of comic books.
When February 12th rolls around, you can bet I'll be first in line to see this character come to life. You may be saying, "No...Reynolds already brought him to the screen in X-Men Origins: Wolverine back in 2009" and I'd say you were half right. See, the character was somewhat there at the beginning of that film with Reynolds mouthing off one-liners and hamming it up with his witty humor, but completely ruined at the climax when the filmmakers turned him into a mute amalgam of many mutants. He didn't have his signature mask and costume, no funny comebacks or repartee; it was just a thorough fuck-up and misunderstanding who the character was supposed to be.
So, I guess we should be happy that 20th Century Fox has no idea how popular this character is and what a hot commodity the comic books are to fan boys who've read them. Otherwise, this movie would've been slapped with a PG-13 rating, an insistence to have Hugh Jackman star alongside Reynolds, and include more mutants in the movie to make sure they make a ton of money selling a toy line to the kids out there.
What I've seen so far in the trailers are faithfulness to the comic book character who, in my opinion, reminds me of Ryan Reynolds every time I read an issue. So, without a doubt, casting him as the title character is a great start. The trailers are already showing us that constant humor, how Deadpool never shuts his mouth and constantly makes quips as he fights. It's already showing us he's going to break the fourth wall, talking directly to the camera, but I'm not sure they're going as far as showing him knowing he's in a movie.
I give the trailer an A+, I give Reynolds major props for his promoting of the film, and I just can't wait for this film to be released. Let's hope director, Tim Miller, doesn't let us down.
2. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
Just in time, after the hype of Deadpool will be dying out and to satisfy all the DC Comics fans, we will get the sequel to Zack Snyder's Man of Steel on March 25th with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Warner Bros is getting much closer to what they've been wanting since Avengers did it in 2012, which is to get the Justice League of DC characters together for their counterpart of a superhero ensemble. I'm hoping they do it right and don't mess this up because there's a lot at stake here.
If I'm calling out Deadpool as the one movie I'm excited about, I'd have to give BvS a close second. Man of Steel was awesome and I'd loved what they did with that character. Certainly, a lot of fans didn't like Snyder's approach in Zod and Superman's battle that left Metropolis in ruins, obviously killing quite a lot of people in their wake. So seeing Superman (Henry Cavill) in the trailer, answering to that in the court scene, cut along the anger towards Superman we get from Batman (Ben Affleck), has me speculating and pondering where it'll go.
Recently, a newer trailer goes as far as to show that Doomsday is going to be brought into the mix, with Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) helping in that battle. It's definitely a great ending to that preview, showing all three of them stepping up together to aid each other to fight the threat. I'm almost, if not equally, as hyped to see this one as I am Deadpool.
3. Captain America: Civil War
So far, I'm listing these films in the order that I'm enthusiastic about, but that'll change as we go along. But for the most part, on May 6th, Captain America: Civil War is certainly the third most of what I'm excited for on this list.
Continuing on as Marvel Studios embark on the third phase of their films, this trailer appears to show the dark times the team is going to go through. Not only is the exposition of the trailer telling us that the government wants to have all superheroes sign off on a new act that will have them answer to someone above them, but there is also issue with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) standing up for his friend, Bucky (Sebastian Stan), who is a wanted criminal for his crimes from the previous movie.
It's clear that Rogers and Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) are going to be on opposite sides as we see a lot of dark battles between friends and sides chosen that'll probably mean the end for some of these characters that we've grown to love.
What's exciting about this film, however, is that we're going to see the character of Spider-Man (Tom Holland) for the first time as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I thought it certainly wouldn't happen, that Sony would NEVER sign off on such a deal (all we need is The Fantastic Four and the X-Men to join and we'll be set!), but they did and I'm ecstatic.
For the inclusion of Spider-Man in this film alone, I'm looking forward to seeing how he'll fit and how the continuing storyline goes for the Avengers as a whole.
4. X-Men: Apocalypse
So, wow...what is Fox going to do with an X-Men movie that is not going to feature Hugh Jackman as Wolverine? Well...on May 27th, we'll find out.
2014's Days of Future Past was one of the best X-Men films to date and I find it hard that Bryan Singer will be able to top it. With quite a few new cast members playing younger versions of the characters from the first three films, not to mention setting this film in the 80s, they're going to be fighting an uphill battle.
The trailer didn't really impress me, but we may be getting something else soon to really sell this film. Maybe they'll hit it home with a Super Bowl spot...time will tell.
Don't get me wrong, I'll be putting my money down and watching this when it's released, but I'm doubting we'll get anything as impressive as the last entry.
5. Independence Day: Resurgence
Talk about a little too late! It took them 20 years to get a sequel?! And why isn't this being released on the Fourth of July weekend? June 24th? Really???!!!
I'm so far removed from this franchise, I can't even see myself going to watch this in the theater. I mean, have you watched the original lately? What was once a great and ahead-of-its-time sci-fi film is now a weighted down parody of an alien invasion flick.
So seeing this new trailer, I'm only reminded of the original because it doesn't seem any better or amazing than the two-decade-old previous film.
I doubt that I'll see this when it's released, but we'll see. They just need to really wow me in a second trailer.
6. The Purge 3
Although it's slated as to be released on June 29th of this year, we've yet to see a trailer of even an official title of the third Purge film.
I'm just saying, if we DO get this movie in 2016, that I'm looking forward to it. The first one was a good concept, which I think should've been written a bit better, but the sequel was awesome. So if The Purge 3 does keep Frank Grillo in the cast, I think we'll have a good movie come June.
By the way, the movie poster that you see pictured is some fan-made art that I'd found online. To date, no poster has been released yet.
7. Star Trek Beyond
Now, I've never considered myself a Trekkie, always citing myself as a Star Wars fan boy over Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock's universe. But something amazing happened when J.J. Abrams jumpstarted the franchise all over again back in 2009. Maybe it was the cast members who perfectly gelled with one another or maybe it was the lens flare, but the two previous movies were so enjoyable that it's a no-brainer for me to plop down my money for Star Trek Beyond on July 22nd of this year.
So far, what they've shown us in the trailer...eh...I'm not impressed or wishing that time would speed up so that I can see this movie soon. But, banking on what Abrams had done with the first two films, I'm sure he'll hit it out of the park with this sequel as well.
8. Suicide Squad
Probably the one film out of these ten releases I'm discussing is one for which I am not that excited. Maybe it's because I'm not familiar with the comic book series, maybe I'm not a Will Smith fan, and maybe it seems like a silly concept...I really can't put my finger on it.
The good?
I like where Jared Leto went with the Joker and how he veered away from previous incarnations of the character. He doesn't look like Nicholson's imagining or Ledger's rendering, but more like the badass punk rock version of the Joker.
In the first trailer we were treated to, we see that Batman makes an appearance in the film. But whether it's a short cameo or a bigger part, we don't know.
The bad?
To me? Everything else. It all reminds me of an announcement Sony made a couple of years ago when they stated that they were going to have two more Spider-Man films and a Sinister Six film. Now, the Sinister Six, in the comics, are a group of villains who go up against Spider-Man through a run of comics. How would that have worked? A film about all bad guys? Thank goodness we'll never find out with that Sinister Six movie. But that's what Suicide Squad reminds me of...hopefully, on August 5th, I'm proven wrong.
9. Doctor Strange
An interesting one...on November 4th of 2016, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going to continue with a strange entry-Doctor Strange.
Since no trailer or plot has been given as of yet, I'm guessing we're just going to get an origin story of this character (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) and seeing how he fits into the whole thing.
Throughout all these Marvel films, gods, as well as talking animals and trees have been thrown into the mix as starring characters, I don't think there's anything they can introduce to the screen that'll cause you to suspend disbelief too much.
As with all the Marvel films so far, you'll find me in my seat in the theater waiting to see this one...I have faith in all that they've done and what they will do from here on out.
10. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Finally, the Star Wars franchise sounds like they're going to release an interesting prequel, going back to before the events of A New Hope, explaining how the rebels were able to obtain the plans to the dreaded Death Star.
Now, director Gareth Edwards, fresh from 2014's Godzilla is taking the franchise to a delicate area, where Lucas had failed himself back in 1999 through 2005. But with the series in the hands of Disney, and the overall understanding that those previous prequels just did not work, I think we're going to get something special here. As long as Edwards takes note of what Abrams had done with The Force Awakens, keeping things retro and having it being able to mesh with the 1977 movie at the conclusion, I think we're in for a treat.
Well, folks...it looks like 2016 is going to be another great year for films. These are the ones I'm looking forward to the most and I'll make sure to go over them as they're released.
Thanks for reading and I'll be back for another review soon!
