I know I said I would see you guys next on my last post, but I lied. My blog, I’m entitled. Seriously though, I figure it being New Year’s Eve, I would take a look at some of the movies that are coming our way next year, and what a year it will be. 2015 has been astounding with a lot of great movies and of course, Star Wars. I’m going to take a look at some movies that are grabbing MY attention. Will these be any good? Who knows? With any movie, it’s a 50/50 chance whether it’s good or not. There are some that look pretty iffy, while others look like they could really kick some serious ass. So…let’s see what we should see and what we should possibly avoid. Come on movies of 2016, don’t let me down.
1.
I’ve been hoping for this ever since we first saw the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The problem with that movie is that they totally fucked it up. They got the right guy to play Wade Wilson, Ryan Reynolds, but the final “evolution” of the character in Wolverine was an absolute abomination. Swords that come out of his arms, unable to speak, and computer controlled. People were pissed off about that. They were so pissed off that when the Deadpool movie was finally announced, people were understandably cautious. Then we heard it was going to be rated R. YES!!! The trailers they recently put out for the film have me genuinely excited for this movie. Is it going to be the best comic book movie ever? Unlikely, but it’s probably going to surprise people. God, I hope they get it right. Deadpool’s one of my favorite comic book characters ever. Bring it on! Release Date: February 4, 2016.
2. 
This one looks particularly interesting. It’s supposed to be about a woman who is searching for her sister who had disappeared into a notorious forest in Japan. This is supposedly a supernatural film. Aokigahara, also known as the Suicide Forest, is a real forest at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan. It’s a notorious forest for suicides, so it kind of makes sense that this film would be inspired by such a thing. I’m rather curious, so I will be seeing this when it comes out next Friday. It is rated PG-13, so for horror movie fans, it may be a bit of a turn-off. The concept is what’s drawing me to the whole thing. So, I’m interested.
3. 
Despite not being a believer, I’m a sucker for really great Biblical epics, like The Ten Commandments. This one is a little different as it deals with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The story is supposedly told from the perspective of a non-believer, so watching a movie like this as a non-believer, it’s an interesting approach to what is considered to be one of the most interesting aspects of Christianity. I’m not opposed to a movie like this, but I do tend to approach subjects like this with a healthy dose of skepticism. It could very well turn out to be a great movie, or it could bomb big time. I’m definitely keeping an eye on this one. Release Date: February 19, 2016.
4. 
I’m calling it now: Gods of Egypt will be the first huge box-office bomb of 2016. There is absolutely no way that this movie is going to be successful, despite Alex Proyas directing the film and it starring Gerard Butler as the evil god Set. Don’t get me wrong, it looks like a hell of a lot of fun, but there is an insane amount of CGI, just from the trailer that I watched. This movie will be compared to the Clash of the Titans re-make as the similarities are striking. I really do like the idea of a movie based on Egyptian mythology, however. It’s not a subject that I’m very familiar with. So, I’m curious. Release Date is February 26.
5. 
Olympus Has Fallen was one of the most surprising action films released in 2013. Aaron Eckhardt played the President and Gerard Butler play a disgraced Secret Service agent when a terrorist group took down the White House in 13 minutes. If you can get past the fact that would never, EVER happen in today’s world, Olympus was a pretty good time. Butler is a fantastic action star, despite the fact that his American accent is atrocious. Explosions, gun fights and Morgan Freeman: What could go wrong? Well, three years later, we’re getting a sequel that takes place in London…..Right. I’m reminded of a quote from Die Hard 2: “How can the same shit happen to the same guy twice?” I honestly didn’t think that the first movie did all that well in the box office, but it made enough money, so here we are. Release Date: March 4…approximately.
6. 
This one is going to be a heavy hitter this year, whether it’s good or not. It’s going to make some serious dough. I’m both excited and concerned for this movie. Here’s why: Batman V. Superman is throwing in everything AND the kitchen sink, apparently. Not only are they bringing in Wonder Woman, but they are also bringing in Aquaman, The Flash, Green Lantern and…….Doomsday. I’m not sold on either Doomsday or Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. I’m not. I could be wrong, and this movie could be the best action movie of the year. I’m taking a wait and see approach, as I believe it’s still TOO early to do the Doomsday story arc. I’m actually sold on Ben Affleck as Batman. I think he can do it. Henry Cavill obviously returns as Superman, so I’m grateful for that. But there are too many issues thus far to think that Dawn of Justice is going to get through this unscathed. Release date: March 25.
7. 
This is one that I’m really excited about. They are using elements from the Civil War story line from the comics, with Cap and Iron Man basically being on opposite sides now. The film follows the events of Age of Ultron where people are considering legislating registration for superheroes and whether or not they should be allowed to act unchecked. Steve Rogers believes that they should be able to do so without government intervention and Tony Stark believes that regulation is necessary to keep the collateral damage at bay. From the trailer that was released, Iron Man and Captain America do go head to head. There’s obviously more to the story than what we’ve seen, but I’m genuinely excited for how all this turns out. Release Date: May 6.
8. 
This is the OTHER big damn movie being released this year. X-Men: Apocalypse is the third in a series of X-Men films that were rebooted with First Class, starring James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as the younger versions of Xavier and Magneto, respectively. This could very well be the biggest X-Men film to date. We’re finally dealing with the first mutant, Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen. People were and are still concerned about the look of the title villain. To be fair, most of the stuff that we saw was behind-the-scenes footage. We got a first look at the character in the trailer that was released a short while ago. Given how awesome the previous two films were, I’m definitely checking this one out. I love massive destruction. Release Date: May 27.
9. 
Not a whole lot is known about this one, since it’s still a long ways off. But what we do know is that Benedict Cumberbatch has been cast as Doctor Strange. They just released a new photo of Cumberbatch dressed up as Stange, so I’m hopeful they get the character right. As for the rest of the film? It’s too early to tell. Doctor Strange isn’t the most well-known of comic book characters, so the lack of familiarity may hurt the film. But the same was said of Guardians of the Galaxy, and that film was a runaway success. Who knows? Release Date: November 4
10. 
It looks like Disney is making good on it’s promise to release a Star Wars film every year. We just saw the release of The Force Awakens, the first in a new trilogy of films. While I’m definitely excited for Episodes VIII and IX, it’s the ones in between that I’m really curious about. For example: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. This is a film that’s supposed to be set just prior to the events of Episode IV, the original film. The story is basically going to revolve around how the Rebel Alliance got their hands on the plans for the Empire’s Death Star. I’m excited for this one, because not only does it star Mads Mikkelson and Donnie Yen, it’s also directed by the same guy that directed the Godzilla movie in 2014: Gareth Edwards. He’s got his work cut out for him, but I believe that he can really make a stand-out film with Rogue One. Release Date: December 16.
There is definitely a hell of a lot more movies than this coming out next year, but these are the ones that really caught my attention the most. Be aware that some of these movie are 6 months or more away from being released, so patience is required. Some of these could be good, some could be bad, but it looks like another really strong year for movies. So, I don’t know about any of you, but I’m genuinely excited. This will be my final post for 2015, so I will see everybody next year. Have a happy New Year and be safe, and try to drink responsibly…..or not. Just have fun.