You’ve probably noticed that I review a lot of movies on this blog. In fact, I review so many that I switched over from having dedicated posts for each film to putting together short compilations of two to four movies at a time. Some of these are in theaters and others may be on disc, but I’ve made it a point to review every movie that I watch. This all started with a post from Darren Barefoot a long time back. And 2014 is shaping up to be a pretty good year for cinema.
Many other movies will likely catch my eye as the months go by, as there’s no way for me to know about everything that I’ll like, but here is a short list of eight movies that I’m looking forward to watching next year.
300: Rise of an Empire
It’s hard to believe that our first meeting with the Spartan army was way back in 2006. As I said at the time, 300 wasn’t the best for character development or a thought-provoking plot, but it was literally a feast for the senses and full of “awesomeness.” The rawness and brutality of the experience were amazing and we fully expect this sequel to be no different.
What’s interesting is that this follow-up isn’t a sequel in the strictest sense, because the action in Rise of an Empire happens at the same time as what we saw in the first movie. While the Persians and Spartans were doing their thing at the Battle of Thermopylae, there was the Battle of Artemisium on the high seas between the Persians the Greek city-state alliance. The watery battles will give Rise a different feel than the original and I feel that’s a good thing.
And, as you may be able to surmise from the image at the top of this post, the film will also explore the origins of the “God King” Xerxes. As an aside, Lena Headey, who you may know as Cersei from Game of Thrones
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
I thought that they did a great job with The First Avenger, so I’m hopeful that this sequel will live up to the hype. The second Thor movie wasn’t great, but Steve Rogers is a far more interesting character than the Norse God. And looking at the trailers, I’m really looking forward to the flight suits and epic scale of everything.
Godzilla
A lot of people didn’t like the 1998 Hollywood representation of this iconic beast, but this new remake is said to be a lot truer to its Japanese roots. There’s not much known about what they’re going to do with the radioactive monster this time around, but it should be a fun and destructive romp with Breaking Bad‘s Bryan Cranston and Aaron Taylor-Johnson from Kick-Ass, right?
The Hobbit: There and Back Again
I felt that An Unexpected Journey was far too drawn out and The Desolation of Smaug isn’t out until next week, but there is something magical about Tolkien’s world of hobbits, elves, dwarves and dragons. Now that they’ve got Benedict Cumberbatch on board, it can only get better. He’s fantastic in everything he does, whether he’s Khan, Sherlock or the Necromancer.
Interstellar
At first glance, Interstellar could easily get lost in the mix of new space movies, aside from its use of a wormhole angle. The key difference here is that Christopher Nolan is at the helm and he’s recruited the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Casey Affleck and John Lithgow on this project. I’m confident he’ll blow our minds again.
The Lego Movie
What’s not to like? Even the trailer reminds us that “everything is awesome” in this movie that will be populated with all sorts of licensed LEGO minifigs. Some people might write this off as a kids movie, but anyone who has grown up with those fantastic plastic blocks will tell you that only the best is good enough.
Sin City: A Dame to Die For
The reason I’m looking forward to this movie is really quite similar to why I’m looking forward to 300: Rise of an Empire. The first Sin City
X-Men: Days Of Future Past
Yes, I fully realize that this list of highly anticipated movies is composed heavily of action movies and sequels, but after what we saw in X-Men: First Class, I can’t help but to be really excited about Days of Future Past. We’ll get a mammoth cast from the first X-Men movies combined with the First Class cast, as well as the introduction of Sentinels… plus Tyrion Lannister as Bolivar Trask. Let’s hope it lives up to the hype.
What movies are you looking forward to seeing in 2014? Let us know by posting a comment below!
I always look forward to what you write Michael, but the movies are an interesting part of your blog. I see a different perspective from you than from what I get from newspaper “Professional” reviewers.
While we don’t always agree about a movie, at least I feel I am getting an honest review from a real viewers point of view.
From your list I am looking forward to Captain America, The Hobbit, Interstellar and the Lego Movie. Unfortunately, Godzilla can never be made into a movie that will live up to the originals from Japan. To me, anything else is a letdown.