Since I'm holding off on putting together a true Top Ten List of 2009 movies until I've seen some important films I have neglected to see (i.e. Up in the Air, The Road, Crazy Heart, the list continues...) I thought I would devise a list of upcoming movies I am looking forward to in 2010.
1. Inception (July 16th) - Directed by Christopher Nolan, Inception is unique because it is an original contemporary sci-fi film with a $200 million budget set within "the architecture of the mind". In a year full of sequels, remakes, and adaptations, it is refreshing to see one of the most talented directors working today in Hollywood given a huge budget to do an original summer blockbuster. How often do you see that in today's flooded market place full of rehash and unoriginality? The teasers are vague, the plot description even more so, Inception will simply float on the talented wave of Christopher Nolan, recently coming off of the second highest grossing film of all time - The Dark Knight - and the talent of Leonardo DiCaprio and the rest of the acclaimed cast (Ellen Page, Marion Collitard, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and the list continues). That alone will bring in the audiences, but this film had me at Christopher Nolan.
2. Kick-Ass (April 16th) - Directed by Matthew Vaughn, a very talented up-and-coming director who has shown versatility in his career choices so far (from the acclaimed gritty gangster drama Layer Cake to the fantasy driven Stardust) this marks Vaughn's third film, but he's come a long way from being Guy Richie's producer. Layer Cake showed he had talent and style, and Stardust showed he had creativity and a unique voice. Hopefully Kick-Ass will be the film to establish Vaughn as a true talent working today in Hollywood's studio system. Which is funny, since Vaughn had to make Kick-Ass outside of the studio system in order to get it made in the way that he wanted. Based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar (Wanted), Kick-Ass tells the story of a young teenager who dresses up as a superhero - the thing is, he's just a normal high school student with no real superpowers to speak of. Co-starring Nicholas Cage, as the only real 'name' in the cast (besides McLovin), based on the trailers Kick-Ass looks like a rollicking good time and I'm eager to see Vaughn truly unleashed.
3. Iron Man 2 (May 7th) - Once again directed by Jon Favreau, Iron Man 2 reunites original co-stars Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow and adds Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle (replacing Terrence Howard as James Rhodes/aka 'Rodey'/aka War Machine). The film follows a now ousted Tony Stark as Iron Man and the consequences of being a superhero with no secret identity. It also follows the government's attempt to obtain the Iron Man armor. Mickey Rourke enters the picture as the film's primary villain, Ivan Vanko, aka Whiplash, who escapes from prison with a penchant for revenge against Stark. The film also features Sam Rockwell as rival industrialist Justin Hammer, also out to get Stark's armor, and Scarlet Johansson as Stark's new personal assistant, Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow. Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as Stark's best friend James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, who finally assumes the identity of his superhero alter ego, War Machine. Despite a lackluster trailer, Iron Man 2 has the added advantage of a pretty strong first act and Robert Downey Jr., an actor given new life thanks to the first film, and now with Sherlock Holmes, a proven household name. Downey Jr.'s antics in the first film was a huge reason for its success, and one assumes will be another for the sequel.
4. Green Zone (March 12th) - Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon have formed something of a bond, after uniting to bring much success to the Bourne series. Green Zone marks the third time both have collaborated, after The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. This time, Greengrass' film follows a military sergeant (played by Damon) who is out to discover the truth about weapons of mass destruction and whether or not they truly exist. High octane thrillers with timely relevance is Greengrass' specialty, proving to be a provocateur with an edge with docu-dramas such as Bloody Sunday and United 93, and if anyone is best suited to tackle a subject such as the Iraqi War and America's war on terror, it's Paul Greengrass.
5. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part I (November 19th) - The epic franchise that started a decade ago now reaches its conclusion, with the first part of the seventh installment in the behemoth franchise known as Harry Potter. David Yates, who joined the series as director with Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, is the man who will see the franchise to its inevitable end, reuniting franchise stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and a slew of others. Part II will be released summer of 2011. Yates has proven to be a worthy successor to the series, with last year's Half Blood Prince proving to be the best in the series since Prisoner of Azkaban, so much enthusiasm and anticipation is given to the final two chapters of the Harry Potter onscreen saga.
6. Shutter Island (February 19th) - Originally slated for fall 2009, the film was pushed back to spring 2010 for "scheduling reasons". What a pity, as it removes its potential for award consideration, and no doubt Martin Scorsese's new supernatural thriller would have proven a worthy candidate. Collaborating once again with Leonardo DiCaprio (his first starring vehicle of the year, to be succeeded by Inception in July), the film follows DiCaprio, a Federal Marshall, and his partner (Mark Ruffalo), who are assigned to investigate an asylum (for the criminally insane) when a prisoner disappears. As with most supernatural thrillers, nothing is as it appears, and DiCaprio journeys deep into the rabit hole, joined by such heavyweight talents as Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow and Jackie Earl Haley. Supernatural thriller is a new genre for Scorsese, known for his gritty mafia epics, which makes Shutter Island all the more exciting and anticipated.
7. Daybreakers (January 8th) - Vampires are apparently the new hot thing in Hollywood these days, with Twilight dominating the movies, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries dominating the air waves, and anything vampire-related dominating all else in between. However, Daybreakers adds a new spin on things, where vampires have controlled the entire planet, and humans face extinction. This is obviously a bad thing, as no humans, no vampires, so scientist Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) is assigned by Sam Neill to create a 'blood substitute' for the vampires so they can exist after the humans are no longer walking the planet. However, Willem Dafoe and other surviving humans seek out Dalton for something far greater -- a cure. I had the opportunity to read the script earlier last year, and the script was an incredibly unique, sleek, entertaining thriller with a timely relevance for our environmental issues. Lets hope the finished film packs a similar -- uhm, bite.
8. The Wolfman (February 12th) - This remake has a few things going for it already: the cast (Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, Emily Blunt), the polished Victorian aesthetic, and the R rating. Directed by Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III), who came in late into the production to replace departing director Mark Romanek over 'creative differences', the project has took great shape since then, with gorgeous looking trailers and positive advance buzz. The R rating slipped it ahead of others in order of anticipation. A remake of a classic given the (hopefully) faithful reinvention it deserves.
9. Toy Story 3 (June 18th) - I haven't been able to connect with a lot of Pixar's recent offerings for some inexplicable reason, but Toy Story 3 brings back waves of nostalgia even for someone who isn't typically a fan of computer generated animation. Reuniting nearly all but one of the original cast, including Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, Toy Story 3 is a must-see.
10. Predators (July 7th) - I'm not a fan of how the Predator franchise has devolved over the years, with the recent Aliens Vs. Predator offerings killing (almost literally) all interest in the series, but this reinterpretation spearheaded by Robert Rodriquez (From Dusk 'Til Dawn) has revived my interest in the series. Starring an unconventional choice in Adrien Brody (The Pianist), and directed by Nimrod Antel (Yes, his first name is...Nimrod), hopefully this will be one of the more inventive and stylish re-imaginings we've seen over the years. Positive buzz concerning the script also helps raise the anticipation meter.
Honorable mentions: The Crazies (February 26th), A Nightmare on Elm Street (April 30th), Knight and Day (July 2nd), Little Fockers (July 30th), The Expendables (August 13th), The Social Network (October 15th), and Tron Legacy (December 17th).
1. Inception (July 16th) - Directed by Christopher Nolan, Inception is unique because it is an original contemporary sci-fi film with a $200 million budget set within "the architecture of the mind". In a year full of sequels, remakes, and adaptations, it is refreshing to see one of the most talented directors working today in Hollywood given a huge budget to do an original summer blockbuster. How often do you see that in today's flooded market place full of rehash and unoriginality? The teasers are vague, the plot description even more so, Inception will simply float on the talented wave of Christopher Nolan, recently coming off of the second highest grossing film of all time - The Dark Knight - and the talent of Leonardo DiCaprio and the rest of the acclaimed cast (Ellen Page, Marion Collitard, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and the list continues). That alone will bring in the audiences, but this film had me at Christopher Nolan.
2. Kick-Ass (April 16th) - Directed by Matthew Vaughn, a very talented up-and-coming director who has shown versatility in his career choices so far (from the acclaimed gritty gangster drama Layer Cake to the fantasy driven Stardust) this marks Vaughn's third film, but he's come a long way from being Guy Richie's producer. Layer Cake showed he had talent and style, and Stardust showed he had creativity and a unique voice. Hopefully Kick-Ass will be the film to establish Vaughn as a true talent working today in Hollywood's studio system. Which is funny, since Vaughn had to make Kick-Ass outside of the studio system in order to get it made in the way that he wanted. Based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar (Wanted), Kick-Ass tells the story of a young teenager who dresses up as a superhero - the thing is, he's just a normal high school student with no real superpowers to speak of. Co-starring Nicholas Cage, as the only real 'name' in the cast (besides McLovin), based on the trailers Kick-Ass looks like a rollicking good time and I'm eager to see Vaughn truly unleashed.
3. Iron Man 2 (May 7th) - Once again directed by Jon Favreau, Iron Man 2 reunites original co-stars Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow and adds Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle (replacing Terrence Howard as James Rhodes/aka 'Rodey'/aka War Machine). The film follows a now ousted Tony Stark as Iron Man and the consequences of being a superhero with no secret identity. It also follows the government's attempt to obtain the Iron Man armor. Mickey Rourke enters the picture as the film's primary villain, Ivan Vanko, aka Whiplash, who escapes from prison with a penchant for revenge against Stark. The film also features Sam Rockwell as rival industrialist Justin Hammer, also out to get Stark's armor, and Scarlet Johansson as Stark's new personal assistant, Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow. Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as Stark's best friend James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, who finally assumes the identity of his superhero alter ego, War Machine. Despite a lackluster trailer, Iron Man 2 has the added advantage of a pretty strong first act and Robert Downey Jr., an actor given new life thanks to the first film, and now with Sherlock Holmes, a proven household name. Downey Jr.'s antics in the first film was a huge reason for its success, and one assumes will be another for the sequel.
4. Green Zone (March 12th) - Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon have formed something of a bond, after uniting to bring much success to the Bourne series. Green Zone marks the third time both have collaborated, after The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. This time, Greengrass' film follows a military sergeant (played by Damon) who is out to discover the truth about weapons of mass destruction and whether or not they truly exist. High octane thrillers with timely relevance is Greengrass' specialty, proving to be a provocateur with an edge with docu-dramas such as Bloody Sunday and United 93, and if anyone is best suited to tackle a subject such as the Iraqi War and America's war on terror, it's Paul Greengrass.
5. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part I (November 19th) - The epic franchise that started a decade ago now reaches its conclusion, with the first part of the seventh installment in the behemoth franchise known as Harry Potter. David Yates, who joined the series as director with Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, is the man who will see the franchise to its inevitable end, reuniting franchise stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and a slew of others. Part II will be released summer of 2011. Yates has proven to be a worthy successor to the series, with last year's Half Blood Prince proving to be the best in the series since Prisoner of Azkaban, so much enthusiasm and anticipation is given to the final two chapters of the Harry Potter onscreen saga.
6. Shutter Island (February 19th) - Originally slated for fall 2009, the film was pushed back to spring 2010 for "scheduling reasons". What a pity, as it removes its potential for award consideration, and no doubt Martin Scorsese's new supernatural thriller would have proven a worthy candidate. Collaborating once again with Leonardo DiCaprio (his first starring vehicle of the year, to be succeeded by Inception in July), the film follows DiCaprio, a Federal Marshall, and his partner (Mark Ruffalo), who are assigned to investigate an asylum (for the criminally insane) when a prisoner disappears. As with most supernatural thrillers, nothing is as it appears, and DiCaprio journeys deep into the rabit hole, joined by such heavyweight talents as Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow and Jackie Earl Haley. Supernatural thriller is a new genre for Scorsese, known for his gritty mafia epics, which makes Shutter Island all the more exciting and anticipated.
7. Daybreakers (January 8th) - Vampires are apparently the new hot thing in Hollywood these days, with Twilight dominating the movies, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries dominating the air waves, and anything vampire-related dominating all else in between. However, Daybreakers adds a new spin on things, where vampires have controlled the entire planet, and humans face extinction. This is obviously a bad thing, as no humans, no vampires, so scientist Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) is assigned by Sam Neill to create a 'blood substitute' for the vampires so they can exist after the humans are no longer walking the planet. However, Willem Dafoe and other surviving humans seek out Dalton for something far greater -- a cure. I had the opportunity to read the script earlier last year, and the script was an incredibly unique, sleek, entertaining thriller with a timely relevance for our environmental issues. Lets hope the finished film packs a similar -- uhm, bite.
8. The Wolfman (February 12th) - This remake has a few things going for it already: the cast (Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, Emily Blunt), the polished Victorian aesthetic, and the R rating. Directed by Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III), who came in late into the production to replace departing director Mark Romanek over 'creative differences', the project has took great shape since then, with gorgeous looking trailers and positive advance buzz. The R rating slipped it ahead of others in order of anticipation. A remake of a classic given the (hopefully) faithful reinvention it deserves.
9. Toy Story 3 (June 18th) - I haven't been able to connect with a lot of Pixar's recent offerings for some inexplicable reason, but Toy Story 3 brings back waves of nostalgia even for someone who isn't typically a fan of computer generated animation. Reuniting nearly all but one of the original cast, including Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, Toy Story 3 is a must-see.
10. Predators (July 7th) - I'm not a fan of how the Predator franchise has devolved over the years, with the recent Aliens Vs. Predator offerings killing (almost literally) all interest in the series, but this reinterpretation spearheaded by Robert Rodriquez (From Dusk 'Til Dawn) has revived my interest in the series. Starring an unconventional choice in Adrien Brody (The Pianist), and directed by Nimrod Antel (Yes, his first name is...Nimrod), hopefully this will be one of the more inventive and stylish re-imaginings we've seen over the years. Positive buzz concerning the script also helps raise the anticipation meter.
Honorable mentions: The Crazies (February 26th), A Nightmare on Elm Street (April 30th), Knight and Day (July 2nd), Little Fockers (July 30th), The Expendables (August 13th), The Social Network (October 15th), and Tron Legacy (December 17th).
Will HP break a billion at last?
