2016, like any other year, had its fair share of ups and downs as far as movies go. While we had phenomenal films like Deadpool, Forsaken, Captain America: Civil War and Rogue One, we also had some highly questionable films like Suicide Squad, Traded, and Ghostbusters. It was a fairly even mix of good and bad. Now that 2017 has started, we’ve got whole bunch of movies that are coming out. I’m going to list some of my most anticipated movies that are coming out this year. Does that mean they’re going to be good? No. I never know that until I see the movie for myself, that’s how this thing works, silly. Well, let’s get going and see what’s heading our way.
Underworld: Blood Wars
Underworld: Blood Wars is the fifth entry into the Underworld franchise starring Kate Beckinsale. I’m going to be honest, I really love this series of movies. It’s dark, gothic, and very stylish. Is there a whole lot of substance to the franchise? You’re dealing with Vampires versus Werewolves. Really: What more do you want? As many problems as I had with Awakening, the fourth entry, seeing Kate Beckinsale take on armies of Werewolves is nothing short of spectacular. Kate is really phenomenal as Selene. It certainly doesn’t hurt that she can rock a corset like nobody else, but she does have a very commanding presence. This new film looks to take things a bit further, with both vampires and werewolves wanting Selene’s blood for their own purposes. I’m definitely looking forward to this one.
John Wick: Chapter 2
John Wick was a very surprising action flick from 2014. Keanu Reeves starred as a retired hitman for the Russian mob. He was attacked by some gangsters and his puppy was killed in the attack. As a result, Wick waged a one-man war against the entire Russian mafia. The action was stellar and Keanu’s performance as the stoic John Wick was PERFECT. It was bad-ass. It also introduced as to this underworld of assassins that use gold coins as currency. Chapter 2 takes John Wick around the globe on the hunt again for the people who won’t leave him alone. That’s all you need to know. This one is definitely on my “must-see” list, obviously, since it’s already here. 😛
Logan
Wolverine is quite possibly one of the most recognizable comic book characters to date, and Hugh Jackman really made that fact a reality. Ever since starring in the original X-Men film, Hugh Jackman has really made a name for himself. Obviously, Wolverine is Jackman’s most recognized character. While some of the movies have stumbled, there’s no denying that the Wolverine is a bad-ass. As the character puts it, he’s the best at what he does, but what he does best isn’t very nice. Logan is the first movie with the character that is fully R-Rated. It’s about damn time. It’s set in a world where mutants have been hunted nearly to extinction. It looks dark, gritty and awesome. This is also supposed to be Hugh Jackman’s last turn as the clawed superhero. Here’s hoping it’s really good.
Power Rangers
I’m calling it right now: Power Rangers is going to be a box-office bomb. Big time. That doesn’t mean that I’m not going to see it. I am. I’m a huge fan of the original show that debuted back in 1993. This new movie looks very interesting with 5 teenagers with attitudes stumbling upon some mysterious coins that give them extraordinary powers. I’m probably going to end up liking it, mostly because we’ve got Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa and Bryan Cranston as Zordon. I’m sold, I just hope the action is good.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
It’s not very often that a comic book movie about some relatively unknown characters takes the world by storm, but Guardians of the Galaxy did just that. Not only was it fresh and exciting, but it was incredibly funny as well. Aside from all that, it was a very compelling experience. The action sequences were spectacular and the performances were out of this world. Literally. This new film looks to one-up the original in every single way. Kurt Russell is joining the cast as Star-Lord’s father, so things should get very interesting.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
There have been many movies based on the legend of King Arthur. The best of which was Excalibur in 1980. It was done fairly realistically, but added a lot of magic and other amazing elements, and ended up being one of the best fantasy films ever made. There was an animated Disney film, and there was recent film with Clive Owen that was based more on a realistic interpretation of the character. This year, we get a full-blown fantasy film that is the origin of King Arthur. There’s swordplay, magic, and dragons. Jude Law plays the main villain, and it looks pretty cool. Is it going to set the box-office on fire? Not a chance in hell, but that’s not going to stop me from seeing it.
Alien: Covenant
When Alien was released back in 1979, it took the world by storm with its claustrophobic atmosphere and terrifying creature: The xenomorph. After several sequels and failed spinoffs, Fox Studios and Ridley Scott went back to the drawing board and Prometheus was born. While Prometheus was not a terrible movie, it didn’t feel like the Alien film that it should have been. It didn’t know what kind of movie it wanted to be. I personally loved it, but a lot of people didn’t. Now, we get an official to the film and it looks like a proper Alien film. From what I understand, not only do we get the classic creature, we get a new spin on the the monster called the Neomorph. If this trailer is any indication, Alien: Covenant looks to bring the terror back to the franchise in a very good way. Right now, this looks to be my most anticipated movie this year. I can’t wait.
Dunkirk
Director Christopher Nolan is at it again. This time it’s a war movie. Dunkirk is about the evacuation of the French port of Dunkirk, where the British Expeditionary Force was cut off from the French army by the German war machine. I’m a huge fan of war films. Ever since Saving Private Ryan showed up in 1998, more war movies have tried to portray their particular battles with the utmost realism. Some of them succeeded and some of them failed. Dunkirk is a story that I haven’t read that much about, so I’m genuinely curious about this one. Christopher Nolan is a master filmmaker with great attention to detail, and he doesn’t film his movies digitally. I think it’s great that certain stories during World War II are finally coming to light through movies and other forms of media. It lets the rest of us know more about the last great war of the 20th century. I’ve got my eyes on this one.
Wonder Woman
Honestly, I was debating whether or not to put this one on the list. We’re finally getting a Justice League film in November, but honestly, Wonder Woman is getting more attention from me at this point. Why? It’s the first live-action Wonder Woman movie ever. While I initially had doubts about Gal Gadot’s ability to portray the character, my fears were laid to rest when she showed up in Batman V. Superman. I was sold on Gal Gadot as Diana Prince. This movie is set during World War I, and it may help to explain why she disappeared after the war. From a visual standpoint, this looks amazing. It’s long past time for a character like Wonder Woman to grace the big screen. She is the first female superhero and by far one of the most iconic superheroes of all time. In fact, Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman are THE most iconic superheroes ever.
As far as mainstream movies go, these are my most anticipated. I’m hoping it’ll be a good year for movies. So with that in mind, here’s to seeing what 2017 will bring us.