Here’s the thing. Ryan Reynolds was born to play Deadpool, but I felt like this was a pretty big drop off from the first.
So you know when you go to a restaurant and you eat the absolute best meal of your life? Then you to back to that exact same restaurant eat the exact same meal, but it’s just not the same feeling? You’re shocked, you were ready to be blown away again, you’ve had this exact same dish before, but for some reason, things seem different. Well this is how I would sum up Deadpool2.
I remember back in 2016, sitting down to watch Deadpool and from the very opening credits I was laughing so hard and I was hooked right in. Not only was it such a financial success, the move itself paved the way for future comic book movies for years to come (like Logan). It simply changed the game, so it’s no surprise that it only took 2 years for FOX to pump out the Deadpool sequel. So as I sat down, things were oddly familiar, the opening credits poke fun at the James Bond openings, but I just wasn’t laughing quite like I did 2 years prior. It just felt shoed in. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I get it, these are Deadpool traits and they are what made the first so unique and ground breaking. I just didn’t want a repeat performance the second time around.
This time it’s a family story, this movie is all about the family dynamic and what it means to be a family. I’m serious, the whole meaning of the movie is finding out what it takes and what it means to belong to some sort of family. Wade and Vanessa want to put a bun in the oven but when tragedy strikes, Wade must place his heart else where and learn to be part of a new family; the X-Men. Along the way he attempts to create his own team, X-Force, which obviously goes horribly wrong, but a sequence involving said X-Force was one of the highlights of the movie for me. Don’t get me wrong, I had some fun with Deadpool2, but now waiting days to write my review, I view the whole movie as forgettable. It just seemed so jumbled and all over the place, it’s a movie excuse to set up the future instalments in this franchise. They even make jokes alluding to this very thing, but it just seems so poorly put together. Yes, they introduced Cable (Josh Brolin) who did a fine job. He’s a great character but he really didn’t add anything special to this movie or universe. I want to explore his character some more and him and Reynolds have terrific chemistry together, so that at least is a positive but overall, Cable was a serious meh for me. The person who steals the show and is by far the best part of this movie is Domino (Zazie Beetz) I dont even wanna imagine this movie without her in it. She steals every scene she’s in, the way the movie portrays her super power of being lucky on the big screen, was incredible. It’s without doubt the best part of the entire movie and the sequences when they are displaying her powers were just special in my mind. She has some serious potential in this universe and I can’t wait to see where they take her from here.
Yes, there are a ton of little Easter eggs and references, they allude to a ton of world building but it didn’t add much. You can only make the same joke so many times before it runs dry and stale. The villains are sub-par at most. I think that’s the weakest part of the movie, and why I think the third act falls flat on its face. I’m just kind of disappointed by the movie. I know the effort is there, I love all the people involved, just something seemed off this time around. I think it’s because we’ve already had the experience. So when you try pretty much do the same thing over again, it might not stick and land as well as the first time around. This is just my opinion. I know people are going to love this movie, I just really didn’t. I want to keep seeing Deadpool and exploring the new characters that were introduced. But I think they need to seriously consider the future of this franchise and make sure the next one is a fresh take on this material. You can’t possibly get away with doing the exact same thing three times in a row. Fans won’t stand for that. You can go in so many directions that you need a good writing team and idea for the third.
Overall I found Deadpool2 to be kind of a mess. I just felt like they tried to hard to build a universe for Deadpool rather than just make a great second installment. There is so much potential here because of how brilliant Reynolds plays the character and they want this to succeed. But maybe they rushed into the sequel, remember it took over a decade to get the first, great things take time. I still think this universe and the future of Deadpool has an insanely bright future. This was just unfortunately a miss-step.
I wanna see Van Wilder vs Wade Wilson in a rap battle so bad
Nothing like a little DP action in the morning! On a dull Thursday morning it’s nice to sit back and watch the new Deadpool trailer about 5 times, and bask in all of its glory. With recent rumours swirling about reshoots because the first test showing of this movie was met with just okay reviews. From what I see in this trailer I can’t possibly believe any of those rumours because this all looks great, even without the reshoots.
We all know that Ryan Reynolds was born the play this role, he wanted to make this franchise for as long as I can remember, so I trust in these movies almost more than any other franchise on planet Earth right now. We had a homage to Indiana Jones in the beginning, I feel a little Looper vibe in this trailer, we had it all. Plus Bill Skarsgard, also known as Pennywise The Dancing Clown. You can see him in the background of the photo above actually! Good to see him getting more roles these days, and you can never, ever go wrong with casting Terry Crews in anything.
So Deadpool needs to protect so mutant kid from Cable? I guess that’s the premise of the movie. I’m guessing that kid will have something to do with a bleak and dark future and Cable is coming back in time to put a stop to him before it’s too late. Josh Brolin looks so dope as Cable, I’m so glad we are finally getting a live action version of this character. As for the rest of the trailer, there’s not a lot going on. Dead pool doing donuts in Professor X’s chair, which will be a smash hit GIF, you heard it here first. Some cursing, a lot of heads flying off, and just a ton of good old family fun.
Deadpool 2 can’t get here soon enough, the movie looks bigger and bolder and seems to be building a pretty fantastic universe. I just hope they don’t shovel too much of that stuff down our throats and worry more about world building then telling a great story.
Finally! The Deadpool trailer has arrived. I thought it was going to drop this past Sunday during the Super Bowl, but then I remembered that every other word out of Deadpool’s mouth is a curse word, so not exactly family friendly.
This was what we were all waiting for, the reveal of Cable (Josh Brolin) and he looks pretty badass I must say. For those of you who don’t know, Cable, AKA Nathan Summer’s is the son of Scott Summers (Cyclops) and is from the future. They centered the trailer around him, and we got to see him in action. He certainly did not disappoint. Josh Brolin looks awesome, I’m glad they finished his CGI arm, because well that would just look weird if they didn’t. Of course they did, but that’s why I love these movies. Calling out JusticeLeague and the whole “moustache gate” debacle that was Henry Cavill’s stash was perfect. They aren’t afraid of a little friendly competition and nagging.
Not much is known about the plot, they really used the trailer to feature and introduce us to Cable. A ton of new characters are being added, Domino (Zazie Beetz) who looks like the lead vocalist for KISS looks incredible. This movie is going to be a ton of fun we all know that. Hopefully they don’t make it to grand because one of the best parts about Deadpool was how simple it was. I also know how much passion goes into this project because Ryan Reynolds wants to please us fans more than anything.
I’m praying for a Hugh Jackman cameo in some sort of capacity but I don’t think that will happen. Cable was the selling point for this movie and they seemed to deliver on that front. The whole marketing campaign around this movie has just been incredible and we are still months away from its release. They do a better job at almost anyone at marketing their movie and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next. The trailer is simply spectacular.
We were really close to getting an X-Men horror movie – thanks a lot Disney.
(FOX)
So news broke yesterday that FOX and soon to be Disney has decided to push up the release date of the UntitledDeadpool Sequel from June 1st to May 18th. A move that I find to be a little strange to be honest. First of all, June 1st is a great slot and weekend to be in. With the new release date of May 18th, it really will take away from Avengers: Infinity War box-office numbers. Yes, Infinity War will gross over a billion dollars worldwide, I have no doubt in my mind about that, but two weeks after it comes out, Disney wants it to go head-to-head with another one of their big properties? How does that make any sense? Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom comes out June 9th, I would imagine they would rather have Deadpool take away from that box-office than their own? I guess it’s all going to the same place, but at the same, it really is a weird move.
Just like pushing back X-Men: New Mutants 10 months. Now for me, I think the reason behind this is simple. With Disney purchasing FOX and all their properties with it, Deadpool and X-Men included, I think Disney Execs saw a rough cut of New Mutants and thought it was way “to dark” for their liking and decided maybe some reshoots were necessary. The movie was scheduled to be released in April of this year, and now we have to wait until February of 2019? I can’t recall the last time a big budget movie like this was pushed back this long. Which is a real shame because I really enjoyed what footage we had gotten so far with New Mutants, the tone was great and I wanted to see a super hero movie that had a horror element to it.
I also believe it is possible that both Deadpool and the New Mutants could be finding their way into the MCU, and that is why both of these things are happening. Marvel is looking past Infinity War and paving the way for their future films and universe. Perhaps they want all of these characters to be involved so reshoots for New Mutants would make sense, so they could incorporate them into the MCU. As for Deadpool maybe after being released on the heels of Infinity War, they have something planned where he pops up at the end or someone from the MCU appears in his movie.
Those are just my thoughts, overall I’m pretty bummed about this New Mutants news because I was really looking forward to it, and I don’t believe we will be getting the same movie as we would have if it were still being released in April. Hopefully I’m wrong, but it’s just too much of a delay for them not to be reshooting the majority of this film.
After saving all my movie tickets from 2017, I can officially say, I have a movie problem.
Another movie going season is in the books! Time flies when you’re at the theatre, and for me, that was pretty much every week. Upon further review, I believe I sat in a movie theatre seat roughly 50 times in the year 2017, by far the most in a single year for me. But hey, there were a ton of great movies this year, and some of the very best of 2017; I haven’t even had the opportunity to go see, because my local theatres haven’t gotten them yet. That’s why I haven’t written my top ten movies of 2017 list, because I feel some of the movies I haven’t seen yet are going to make the list! 2017 was full of incredible movies, but every time I went, it certainly wasn’t a home run. In fact, I think 2017 was full of the most disappointments that I can remember (I’m looking at you JusticeLeague and Alien: Covenant), but that’s all in the past. We are looking to the future now, 2018 to be exact, and boy oh boy are there some goodies coming up. The very first blog post I did on this site was “Most Anticipated Movies of 2017,” some lived up to expectations, while others fell flat on their face. Last year I did 10 movies, well this year, I’m doubling down because I’m going BIG! 20 movies are about to be listed, and I’m even going to do it in order! If you were upset, or underwhelmed with the movies in 2017, I think 2018 could be the year for you, or if you are like me and see roughly 50 movies a year, well start saving your pennies now, because 2018 is going to be awesome. Just like last year, I will miss some movies on this list, well some movies haven’t even be announced yet, but these are the 20 movies right now, that I cannot wait to see.
(FOX)
20.) X-Men: Dark Phoenix. director/ Simon Kinberg. 2/11/18
The wonderful band of misfits is back. The fourth entry into this new X-Men saga will be the follow-up to 2016 X-Men: Apocalypse, which wasn’t met with great reviews by fans and critics. This time we get the story of Dark Phoenix, Jean Grey’s split personality, where we will see her go to the dark side. This was explored in the first X-Men trilogy, but it wasn’t done very well, so I’m excited to see them tackle it again. This is director Simon Kinberg’s first time up to bat, being a producer on pretty much every X-Men movie ever made, he should have a good feel and understanding on what the fans want to see. These movies always have a fantastic cast, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Sophie Turner, and Evan Peters and now add in Jessica Chastain to play the villain role, sounds good to me. They just need great execution on that villain part, because that was the major flaw in Apocalypse. I dig these X-Men movies, but after the last outing I’m a little skeptical, so that’s why I have it last on my list! This will also be the last X-Men movie done by FOX, seeing how Disney bought them, so if you really love these movies, well this will probably be the last one, until we see these characters reintroduced into the MCU. For the love of god, send a garbage truck full of money to Hugh Jackman’s house so he can play Wolverine again.
(PARAMOUNT)
19.) Bumblebee. director/Travis Knight. 21/12/18
I bet at first glance you thought this was a sequel to Bee Movie didn’t you? Well if you did I’m sorry to disappoint you, it’s actually the first spin-off of the Transformers franchise! Now before you start to roll your mechanical eyes at me, you need to know that I am indeed a sucker for these movies. Guilty pleasures, but I will say the last two installments have just been awful, and I’m hoping this movie provides a much-needed spark to this franchise (That was a transformers pun, in case you missed it). Bumblebee for me at least, was always the best part of these movies and now you’re telling me he gets his own movie? That’s pretty cool. We’re also going back in time, because this is taking place in the late 80’s, everyone’s favorite time, and we will see John Cena and Hailee Steinfeld (Charlie Watson) team up with this loveable robot. If director Travis Knight, who did the fantastic Kubo & The Two Strings, can keep things simple, and make the action easy to follow, I think Steinfeld and Cena can carry this movie together, I’m really interested to see how this turns out, because it could actually be the worst movie of the year, Autobots, roll-out.
(MARVEL)
18.) Ant-Man & The Wasp. director/Peyton Reed. 6/7/2018
If someone would have told me, that back in 2015 when Ant–Man was released, that I would have watched it once, forgotten about it, and now we are getting a sequel, I would have said, “Yeah, that sounds about right.” Jokes aside, I did enjoy Ant-Man when it came out, it had great humor and Paul Rudd was fantastic as Scott Lang. He even had a great moment in Captain America: Civil War, but now this will apparently be the first “Rom-Com” Marvel movie. That’s right, they are going Rom-Com on us folks, and we will probably all love it. Kevin Feige and the people over at Marvel are about to deliver the greatest love story every told. Move over Romeo and Juliet. Ant-Man is struggling being a Dad and a Super Hero, so when a mission comes along about his past, he needs to team up with The Wasp. I’m a big fan of Evangeline Lilly who plays The Wasp, her and Paul had great chemistry in the first. They added Michelle Pfeiffer and Laurence Fishburne to the cast, I’m sure this movie will be great. On a serious note, we now have more solo Ant-Man movies then Batman movies since the year 2012 what a strange and wonderful world we live in. Fun fact, this movie and Bumblebee have something in common, actress Vanessa Ross, who plays “The mean girl” in Bumblebee and “The hot jogger” in Ant-Man, you go girl!
(NEW LINE CINEMA)
17.) Rampage. director/ Brad Peyton. 4/20/2018
“I was just thinking, the only thing missing is a giant crocodile”
Coincidence that a movie about giant animals smashing through buildings is being released on 4/20, I think not!! Seriously the trailer alone sold me on this goofy concept. Like what more do you want? Dwayne Johnson kicking ass, check. Giant monsters running around Chicago destroying everything in sight, check. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, check. This is looking like the leading candidate to be the best video game movie of all time people; the curse could finally be over! Video game movies are like airport sushi, you think it’s a good idea, until about 90 minutes later. If this movie turns out to be a huge pile of well, monkey shit, I won’t be shocked. But it’s got a great cast, toss in Joe Manganiello, Malin Akerman and Naomie Harris, alongside Dwayne. Here’s the thing, the trailer is so awesome, and they didn’t really even show anything, it helps when you have a Smashing Pumpkins song playing during the trailer, but I think this movie is going to be a ton of fun. Wouldn’t it be nice if this was the turn around video game movies needed. I will also see anything with Dwayne Johnson in it, because that’s the bottom line, because Nathan Wallace said so.
Okay so very little is known about this movie so far. But, I’m fairly confident they are just re-making Diehard, but replacing Bruce Willis with Dwayne Johnson. If that doesn’t make a little pee trickle down your leg, then I don’t really know what will. Seriously nothing on IMDB about the plot, it stars Dwayne and Neve Campbell, who never really had the career I thought she would, but we all know she can throw down if she has too. I didn’t purposely put the two Dwayne Johnson movies back to back, I actually don’t know which one I’m more excited for. One has a trailer the other movie does not. Judging from his social media though, Skyscraper appears to be one epic movie, tons of stunts and explosions going on. Rawson Marshall Thurber, who might have the best directors name going, did Easy A, so I have high hopes for this, because that movie is awesome. I’m hoping for this to be a little more serious in tone as well, I like to see Dwayne act a little more, and be in some tense and serious scenes would be a nice change.
This movie should probably be a lot higher on my list, but that’s just a testament on how good some of the movies are in 2018. It also doesn’t help that I HATED the trailer, and I think this movie is going to flop at the box-office. I don’t know, they seem to think, “bigger is better” with these new Jurassic Park movies, and that shouldn’t be the case. I love Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard is great also, and I think she won’t be running away from a T-Rex in high heels in this one (lets pray). I’m just so uncertain about this movie, I really hope I’m wrong about it, because I want to love it, I want to go back to 1993 and feel the same way I did when I saw the original. Just make it rain, have it be dark and make humans try and get away from scary ass dinosaurs, it’s not complicated. We don’t need hybrids, we don’t need humans and dinosaurs being friends, just stick to what works. A guy getting eaten when sitting on the toilet is a fail-safe plan. J.A Bayona has pretty big shoes to fill after the historic and massive success of Jurassic World, that can be a lot of pressure for a guy. The last one made over a BILLION dollars, so I’m sure they are going to try and one-up everything from its predecessor. I don’t even think the return of Jeff Goldblum will be enough to save this bloated and forgettable sequel. Sorry Chris Pratt, I still love you.
(PLATINUM DUNES)
14.) A Quiet Place. director/ John Krasinski. 4/618
If you make noise, you die! I would be screwed, because I am a very loud chewer. That’s the premise for what appears to be 2018’s breakout horror film. Real life husband and wife, John Krasinski and Emily Blunt are teaming up! When I first saw the trailer I was hooked, after the success of IT this past year, I have tried giving the horror genre another chance, and this looks really good. Krasinski even has a pretty awesome beard in it, so you know it’s going to be serious as hell. Like I said, you make noise, something comes out to try to kill you. Seems like a pretty difficult task, and when some dipshit kid knocks over a lantern, well all hell breaks loose. The trailer just leaves everyone very intrigue about the concept of the film. Why can’t you make noise? What are those creatures that come out when you do? When was the last time anyone in this movie farted? All these questions I’m sure will be answered in due time. The two stars of the movie are a real life couple, the chemistry will be undeniable, and I think this movie is going to crush it at the box-office. Krasinski is even directing this, so you know this is a passion project for him, which makes me believe that this movie is going to be really special.
13.) Super Troopers 2. director/ Jay Chandrasekhar. 4/20/18
Okay I definitely know this one isn’t a coincidence being released on 4/20. Am I happy to have a Super Troopers 2 in my life? Yes. Do I wish it were Weed Fest instead? Absolutely. I’ll settle for some more Car RamRod fun though. I love these guys, they work so well together and this was something they wanted to make for a really long time. They even got some fan feedback about what they wanted in the sequel. I’m sure they will even bring back some of the old jokes we have all come to love, after watching this movie a hundred times over the last 17 years. That’s right, 17 years since SuperTroopers was released, that is crazy talk. I know it’s kind of a cult classic at this point, but die-hard fans can’t wait for this one, and everything these guys put out is really good. Sometimes you got to root for the little guys, because in a world chalk full of blockbusters this one certainly won’t be on many people’s radars. And if you haven’t ever seen SuperTroopers, well shame on you.
I bet you one million dollars, that at some point during this movie, Tom Cruise will be running. It’s a Tom Cruise movie tradition now, and I love it. He also does all his own stunt work, and I’m sure like most Mission Impossible he will go bigger in the latest installment. If you thought Henry Cavill looked stupid in JusticeLeague, you can blame this movie. That’s right, they added Superman to the already packed cast of this franchise, and I couldn’t be happier. Plot is unknown at this time, but I’m sure that Ethan Hunt will be saving the world with a little help from his friends. The Mission Impossible franchise kind of reminds me of the Fast & Furious franchise. It was kind of dead in the water and forgotten about after the third, and then Ghost Protocol came out and everyone was blown away by it. 5 years had passed since MI3, but that kind of jump-started the franchise back to life. These are always just really well made, fun action/adventure movies, Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg work so well together, and I’m really curious to see Henry Cavill’s role in this movie. I hope he becomes a regular addition to this franchise, Ethan Hunt kind of needs some muscle on his side. The movie also boasts a stellar female cast; Ethan Hunt might have his hands full.
(PIXAR)
11.) Incredibles 2. director/ Brad Bird. 15/6/18
“You have powers! Yeah baby!”
A sequel 14 years in the making. What I love most about the fact that we are finally getting a sequel to the greatest Pixar movie ever made, is that, well 14 years have passed, but they are starting right where they left off. That’s right its been a long time since we last saw the Parr family, and honestly I thought they were going to do a time jump, but I’m really glad they aren’t. Jack Jack is so awesome, and now he’s got powers and that’s going to be really cool to see. I love the first one so damn much; I’m really nervous and excited all at the same time for this. I just want it to feel right, not over done, and I pray they just don’t ruin a good thing. They told such a great story the first time, and I know Brad Bird, the director cares so much and has so much passion for these characters that I know this won’t be a waste. Everyone does such fantastic voice work, I’m excited to see Frozone back, and my guess is, they will have a female villain this time around. I have extremely high hopes for Incredibles 2. Just remember, no capes!
(LEGENDARY)
10.) Pacific Rim: Uprising. director/ Steven S. DeKnight. 3/28/18
PacificRim all the way back in 2013 is a movie going experience that I will never forget. I thought it would be a loud, clunky mess, which featured cool looking robots and gigantic monsters. That wasn’t the case at all, watching Guillermo del Toro’s monster movie epic. Was like watching poetry in motion. It was simply beautiful to look at; something that chaotic, yet you could fully comprehend what exactly was going on, and it really blew me away. It was one of my favorite movies of the year and I couldn’t wait for a sequel. Well here we are 5 years later, and John Boyega is trading in his light sabre for a Jaegar. It looks like 10 years have passed, he’s playing the son of Idris Elba’s character from the first, and I bet giving bad ass speeches about the world ending runs in the family. Charlie Day is back as well as Rinko Kikuchi, and adding Scott Eastwood. I’m fearful about Del Toro not coming back to direct, but hopefully he left this franchise in good hands, because my expectations couldn’t be any higher. It’s cool looking larger than life robots fighting these incredible looking monsters, it won’t take that much to please me, and the trailers have even been really good. They used a giant submarine as a ninja sword in the first one, can’t wait to see what they use in Uprising!
(DISNEY)
9.) Black Panther. director/Ryan Coogler.16/2/18
Yes another MCU movie is on my list, and it certainly won’t be the last. Black Panther is finally getting his own movie, a comic book movie centered on a black character, about time. Who better to do it than Chadwick Boseman, who’s Black Panther ripped his way onto screen in Civil War back in 2016. The cast is simply brilliant, and I’m not going to name the 20 or more incredible actors and actresses appearing in this movie. Ryan Coogler is behind the camera and he does fantastic work. I loved Creed so I know this will be something special, some say this could be the best MCU movie to date. This movie looks hip, it’s got all sorts of style and it appears to be different from any MCU movie that has come before it. It looks like Marvel and company just let Coogler make the movie he has envisioned for a long time. When you have a terrific filmmaker behind the camera you want them to be able to spread their wings on the project, and that appears to be the case for Black Panther. Really excited about this one!
(SONY)
8.) Venom. director/Ruben Fleischer. 10/5/18
If you could create a time machine and replace Tom Hardy with Topher Grace in Spider-Man 3, that would be really nice. That can’t happen, so we are getting a Venom movie, Hardy is playing Eddie Brock, and very little is known about it. I’m fairly confident that Spider-Man, or even Tom Holland won’t be showing up in this movie. Which is a really weird thing to say, because I feel like you need those two people together in the same movie to really make it work. Don’t get me wrong, I think Hardy is going to crush this role, he did a fantastic job as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, and he’s a phenomenal actor, so I think he’s really going to dive deep into this role. Venom is one of my favorite characters in all of comics, so to think we are getting a standalone movie about him, wets my beak a little. Michelle Williams, Woody Harrelson and Riz Ahmed round out the cast, and it’s been rumored that Riz could be playing Carnage. If that happens, boy oh boy. I just don’t see them passing up the opportunity to introduce Spider-Man as well in this, I think it would be a failure if they don’t. This is a trailer I’m really curious to see, because I really have no idea which kind of direction they are going to take this movie. It can’t possibly be worse than the version we got to see in Spider-Man 3.
(FOX)
7.) Untitled Deadpool Sequel. director/ David Leitch. 6/1/18
Here’s the thing, I’m pretty sure that will be the actual title to the movie. Which makes perfect sense given the movie. Deadpool was a colossal box-office hit back in 2016. It was the reason for Logan, and it’s the reason for any rated R Super Hero movie you will see going forward. It broke so many boundaries for movies like these, and on top of that, it’s one of the best Super Hero movies ever made. Josh Brolin was added for this sequel, he’s playing Nathan Summers, AKA Cable. Who is a complete and utter badass, and I can’t wait to see the chemistry between Reynolds and Brolin. The comedy in Deadpool was perfect, the whole movie was pretty much flawless, now they have more money, and I’m sure a really good story to tell. Ryan Reynolds was born to play this role, and he loves playing Deadpool, he’s pretty much Van Wilder, but a Super Hero. Nothing really has come out yet, plot wise, and there hasn’t even been a real trailer yet, but you don’t need to sell people on this movie. I just hope it doesn’t suffer from sequel fatigue, but since there is so much passion behind this project, I highly doubt that will happen. Like they brought back Dopinder, this movie cannot fail!!!
(FOX)
6.) The Predator. director/Shane Black. 3/8/18
Predator was released before I was even born. I saw that movie maybe a little too early into my childhood, but hey, it’s one of the reasons why I fell in love with movies at such a young age. I’m talking like 6 years old here, and Predator is a hard R movie, thanks Grandpa! I love the Predator so goddamn much, they are bad guys, but I always want them to win. I actually love seeing them get the best of the human characters in their movies. All three “Predator” movies that have come out, in my opinion are fanfuckingtastic. The AVP movies, not so much, but again the Predators are the best things about those movies. So when Shane Black (director) who also happens to star in the 1987 original, he’s the first guy to meet the Predator, yeah not good. So you know a couple things, one Shane Black is an extraordinary filmmaker, he even helped write the original, and like I just mentioned, he was in it. So you know he’s got a taste and a ton of passion for this character and this franchise. The cast is chalked full of incredible people that I can’t wait too see meet their demise in this movie. Reek from Game of Thrones is in this and if he thought getting his wee-wee chopped off was brutal, well just you wait pal. My one big fear about this movie, is doing what all movies seem to do these days, some how find a way to make it “BIGGER AND BETTER.” We don’t need a modified Predator, which the government has cooked up in a lab. We don’t need a new and improved Predator, drop some people somewhere and have them be hunted one by one, pretty simple. Toss in some jokes, which Shane Black is known for and you’re golden. He’s been part of this mythology since the beginning; there is no way he screws this up right?
(PARAMOUNT)
5.) Annihilation. director/Alex Garland. 23/2/18
I don’t know what it is about this movie. Perhaps it’s the insanely strong female cast? Maybe it’s because Alex Garland makes it? The fact that I still don’t know what the hell is going on in the trailers? Whatever it is, I’m fully onboard with Annihilation. Shrouded in mystery, like most good science-fiction stories, this one is no different. Something wicked has come to Earth, and we still can’t explain it ourselves. So when Natalie Portman’s husband (Oscar Issac) comes back from the “Shimmering” he is infected with some sort of disease. I’m getting some District 9 vibes, and a little Aliens, if that’s not a compliment, I don’t know what is. I think it’s so high on my list because of just the secrets involved in the movie, and I can’t wait to see them play out on the big screen. The acting will be top notch, I’m not worried about that, I just hope the story doesn’t become some crazy web of messiness, I guess is the best way to describe it. For science-fiction junkies, where it seems the laws of nature have been tossed out the window, Annihilation might be their most anticipated movie of the year.
(WARNER BROS.)
4.) Ready Player One. director/Steven Spielberg. 30/3/18
“My name is Wade Watts. My Dad picked that name because it sounded like a Super Heroes alter ego”
There’s a saying, that when a movie is adapted from a book, it’s never as good. That is the case yes, but it doesn’t mean that the movies aren’t just as fantastic. Example, ReadyPlayerOne. Without doubt, one of the most enjoyable reads of my entire life, I felt like I myself was rushed off to the Oasis, and disappeared from reality. The legend himself, Steven Spielberg is helming what appears to be a masterpiece. I know it will vastly differ from the book, I understand that, but it’s the concept of the book that will make the movie so intriguing. The trailers have even been really well done; Ernest Cline (author of the book) is going to be really proud of the film that gets released. I just can’t wait to see all these different characters from so many different things I love come together. Iron Giant, Chucky, Joker and Harley Quinn and that is honestly 1 percent of the characters we will see in this movie. It’s going to be a ton of fun, and I highly recommend reading the book, because well reading is good for you. This has all the potential to be my favorite movie of 2018.
3.) Creed 2. director/Steve Caple Jr. 21/11/18
That’s right! Apparently I can see into the future, that tweet is from 2 years ago. Moments after I saw Creed, which was one of my favorite movies of 2015, I just knew the direction the sequel had to go. Adonis Creed needed to fight Ivan Drago’s son, because well why wouldn’t you bring back Ivan Drago, and now have his kid be a boxer as well. It all made perfect sense, to me at least. Now here we are, Creed 2 is in the works, and guess what? Adonis looks to get revenge against the man who killed his father. BOOM! Now there is no way he’s actually fighting Dolph Lundgren, that would be insane, but rather he will get his revenge by beating his son. Sly Stallone and Michael B Jordan are both back, but unfortunately, Ryan Coogler is off making Black Panther, and so Creed 2 is falling into the hands of Steven Caple Jr., who seems up to the task. Now I love Creed so much, I love the entire Rocky franchise and universe so damn much. I love Rocky 4 more than almost any movie ever. So when you tell me Ivan Drago is coming back into my life, please don’t screw this up! There is so much potential and incredible story telling that can happen here, and I’m so curious to see where they take this. I can’t possibly be wrong about his son getting involved, so who will play him? Will they get an unknown? So many questions, so many possibilities, but one thing is certain, this movie is going to kick so much goddamn ass. Sage Northcutt a UFC fighter auditioned for the role of Drago’s son, and my god, he certainly has the look. He’s a genetic freak, who happens to look like a mini Ivan Drago, so if he’s got the acting chops to stand in the ring with Michael B Jordan, that’s my pick.
(WARNER BROS.)
2.) Aquaman. director/James Wan. 21/12/18
Did Justice League kind of suck? Yes it did. Do I blame the studio for interfering and destroying Zack Snyder’s original vision? Yes. Was Aquaman totally badass and I can’t wait to see his solo film? Yes again. Justice League is a thing of the past; let it go, let the past die. Aquaman has all the makings to be a terrific solo movie, much like WonderWoman. You have a passionate and fantastic filmmaker behind the camera in James Wan. The star of the show LOVES playing the titled character, and I mean he loves being Aquaman. Jason Maoma looks like be could live underwater and be King of Atlantis. Everything we saw from Aquaman in JusticeLeague was incredible, and I can’t wait to visit Atlantis again, and learn more about Arthur Curry. Amber Heard is back as Mera, who little screen time that she got, was pretty kick ass. She looks like she will have great chemistry with her co-star Mamoa. Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, William Dafoe, Patrick Wilson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II round out this amazing cast. Lets talk about Yahya for a second, because he is playing Black Manta, who is honestly one of the most badass characters in DC comics, for me at least. I pray they get his look right, because he’s a pretty powerful villain for Aquaman, and I can’t wait to finally see him on the big screen. I get it; the DCEU is on its last legs. This is the next movie they are releasing, so to say there is a lot riding on Aquaman, is an understatement. They need not only for this to be received much like WonderWoman, but it also needs to crush it at the box-office. Personally I have a ton of faith in this project because all the people involved, and believe that Warner Brothers is going to let James Wan make the his own movie and not get to involved. That’s what they did for Patty Jenkins and that turned into a massive success. Everyone sleeps on Aquaman because they think he isn’t cool or has stupid powers, I’m telling you this right now. Remember how big Aquaman was in Entourage?Well think of that but actually good. Another trailer I can’t wait to see!
(MARVEL)
1.) Avengers: Infinity War. director/Russo Brothers. 4/5/18
Cliché I know. I can’t help myself when it comes to the MCU. Back off because this movie looks like the bees knees. I’ve been waiting a decade to see Thanos come to Earth and really mess some shit up. It’s all hands on deck for his epic showdown and its only part 1! Let me tell you something, people will die. This movie looks to pack an emotional punch. A lot is at stake here, and that’s something very uncommon in an MCU movie. I can’t wait to see it all play out. Nothing ever seems to be at stake in these movies, because they certainly play it off like everything is hunky dory. There are far too many characters to even list, but anyone who is anyone who has shown up in an MCU movie will appear in Infinity War. Actually a pretty ballsy task if you ask me, that’s a lot of characters for probably a movie that will run 2 hours and 30 minutes long. Unlike this years JusticeLeague I know going in that this movie will be great, they do such a fantastic job with these movies, and this is the end of everything, no one will be safe. I just hope they don’t play it safe, I want to see blood and carnage and legit heroes dying. I want a “Holy shit – did they just do that!” kind of moment in this movie. I’m just excited to see Thanos on screen; no villain has been built up like him in movie history. It’s been 6 years since we first saw him smile at the end of Avengers, and ever since I wanted to see our heroes throw down with this guy. It just makes me sad at the same time, because I’m a DC guy through and through and I wish this were a DC property we were talking about. I wish the DCEU had this much success; I just want them to get it right. Marvel makes it look so easy, and if this movie is as good as I think it’s going to be. DC is never catching up to Marvel. Rocket Raccoon and Spider-Man better have a scene together or we riot!
Well that’s all she wrote. My 20 most anticipated movies of 2018! So I know for a fact I will be seeing at least 20 movies this upcoming year, plus multiple viewings of some add in the movies I didn’t put on the list and the movies I don’t even know about yet. Add all that together and I think reaching 60 visits to the theatre isn’t out of the question. Writing this and saying it out loud back to myself, makes me realize one thing……I’m awesome!
“What’s Wolverines costume? The guy wears a fucking tank top and a pair of jeans”. – Deadpool
As I live and breathe, the Wolverine. That Hugh Jackman, he making me cry. Logan, written and directed by James Mangold is one for the record books. Logan is more than just a comic book movie; it transcends the genre and should be an example of what a comic book movie can be. I’m going to go pretty light on the plot details, because there are a few surprises in the movie, and FOX did an incredible job at marketing this movie without giving too many things away. Ultimately Logan has to cart this girl around, and he’s not to sure about who she is and what her background is. Him and Professor X must keep this girl save, but the thing is she doesn’t really need much protection. She’s the one protecting them at certain points in the movie; she kicks all sorts of ass in this. This little ass-kicker is Laura played by the new comer Dafne Keen and she is simply marvelous. For this being her first role, she really knocked it out of the park. Essentially these three go on a road trip, to a safe place called Eden where the remaining Mutants are staying. As Logan finds out more about this young girl, he starts to learn more about himself, as she teaches him to reach out to the people you care about and it’s never to late to start a family. Think of it as Thelma and Louise meets Unforgiven. I loved it from start to finish, and actually watched it twice in 2 days before I wrote my review.
Logan is all sorts of brutal; from almost the opening frame the violence in this movie is gruesome. I loved everyone second of it, it wasn’t over the top or felt out of place or unnecessary either, it felt just right. Fans of Wolverine have been waiting 17 long years for a movie like this, to see him slicing and dicing this way through each enemy. There is so much blood and limbs in this movie, oh my god. The action sequences are very hard hitting, fast paced, violent, and masterfully crafted pieces. It’s unlike any action we have seen in the X-Men universe so far, well really any comic book movie that has come before it. James Mangold manages to do what Christopher Nolan did for the Batman franchise. This is a very grounded movie; it has a western style vibe to it. It’s a very serious, dark and somber drama that has incredible action bursts throughout the movie. You really don’t feel how savage the action is until it’s all said and done, and we are left in a quiet setting seeing Logan’s wounds, as for the majority of the movie he is beat to shit. This isn’t the Avengers, bright lights and jokes every few minutes, where you feel like nothing is ever at stake. Yes there are funny moments sprinkled into Logan, and our heroes are not walking around sad and depressed throughout the entire movie but there is a lot of emotional baggage that comes with it. Our heroes are seriously broken in this movie; there is almost zero hope in their eyes. Logan and Professor X have gone through so much and lost so many friends and loved ones that it’s hard for them to see any good in the world they are now living in. It’s not until they meet this new mutant Laura that a little flame of hope sparks inside of them. As they learn how to become heroes again, in a world that seems to have lost most of them. They learn how to help one another again and be part of a team and more importantly care for one another. Logan is seriously such a broken human being in this story, he’s old and beaten down and it was fantastic to see the Wolverine we have come to love over the past two decades reappear when the right emotional buttons were pushed. The action wasn’t forced either, these intense and brutal action scenes were always because our heroes found themselves in dire situations and they were always fighting for their lives. It was warranted and fit so naturally in the story.
Everyone really gave it their all in this. They were all in for their roles and the acting was all around exceptional. Dafne Keen really blew me away. Chalk it up to another strong and silent but deadly little girl. With the success of Stranger Things, X-23 really had an Eleven vibe to her, she doesn’t say much but her facial expressions alone were worth a thousand words. For a little kid to step into a role like this, in a movie like this is so impressive. She was honestly Hit-Girl mixed with Eleven, and in a movie as brutal as this she really held her own. I’m curious to see where they take this character, or if they will even expand on her. When you’re stealing scenes with Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman, and it’s your first major role, that’s insanely impressive. Speaking of Patrick Stewart he gives an Oscar worthy performance. Such a raw and gut wrenching portrayal of the leader of the X-Men, he’s on his last leg in Logan, having lost control of his powers and becoming more and more dangerous to everyone he loves. He’s fragile and senile and wants Logan to find his inner peace, as he doesn’t have much time left to enjoy the simple joys in life. Just like Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart has been playing this character for 17 years now, and this was his last time doing this role, so it was an emotional performance to say the least. Now let’s talk about the man himself. Hugh Jackman, this obviously is sadly his last kick at the can. First things first, without Hugh Jackman there is no X-Men franchise plain and simple. He helped build an empire of movies, and is the reason why these movies have been so successful, when you think about X-Men, Wolverine is usually what comes to mind first. They give him the proper send off that he deserves and there is some really strong symbolism at the end of the movie that sums up everything I just mentioned. Flat out after watching Logan, I don’t think it’s smart to recast this character for at least 5 solid years. That’s hard to do, because like I said Wolverine and even Professor X are so synonymous with this franchise this puts FOX in a very tricky situation. It felted like comic book pages were being ripped from their book and being put onto the screen. Hugh Jackman is the embodiment of Wolverine in Logan, and I left the theatre really upset that he can’t continue on after this incredible performance. There are some serious gut wrenching emotional beats, which just leave you almost breathless. This is a very human story, it’s about losing hope and the feeling of being alone and forgetting what it’s like to be loved and to give it.
At one point of the movie Logan notices that Laura has some X-Men comic books in her book bag and I thought this was a really cool concept to actually have physical comics about the X-Men existence in this universe. Wolverine went on to say that they were all “bullshit” and the majority of the stuff that happens in the comics didn’t even happen in the real world. It was interesting that they decided to put something like this in the movie, that the X-Men had become so beloved in the world that people were writing fictional stories about them. One gripe that most people have about Marvel movies is the villain but I thought Boyd Holbrook was one of the better bad guys yet, as Donald Pierce the head of security at Transigen the company that is trying to hunt down and eliminate any mutants. He was a compelling villain and they really didn’t need to have a big baddie in this movie because we just really wanted to see Wolverine cut though a ton of idiot henchmen and that’s exactly what you get. Stephen Merchant plays Caliban, a Mutant friend of Logan’s who helps care for Professor X as well, he serves as sort of the voice of reason in the movie, and I thought he did a fantastic job, so he deserves a shout out.
In terms of how everything wraps up, I found it to be satisfying, I might have wanted a few more little emotional beats towards the end, but overall I think life long fans will be happy with how things shake out. Watching everything play out throughout the entire movie was kind of heart wrenching, this is an emotional journey that our characters go on. Finding out things about themselves that maybe they didn’t know they had in them. It’s a beautiful movie, it’s shot and edited so well and James Mangold really made a masterpiece. This is in the upper echelon of comic book movies and it will redefine the genre, because at the end of the day I think this is more of a drama piece with super hero elements tied in. I haven’t enjoyed a comic book movie like this since The Dark Knight, I will miss Hugh Jackman but he gave us fans 17 wonderful years. Hearing Wolverine whisper, “so this is what it feels like” was very chilling and it was the kind of human emotion that was even more powerful than the extraordinary powers these people had themselves. Something I’ll never forget.
I wonder when Hugh is legally going to change his last name from Jackman to Jacked-Man? Just a thought.
So people we are finally here, it took 17 years but we finally made it! Logan is fast approaching and I couldn’t be more excited. Remember the year 2000? I was still a young pup, I hadn’t even hit puberty yet, and we had to listen to music on a Discman. Where you listened to the same 13 songs over and over and over again. Actually now that I think back on it, it makes total sense that I know like every boy band song ever written in the 90s. But I’m not here to gush over BSB; I’m here to gush about the Australian badass that is Hugh Jackman. He’s been playing Wolverine ever since the very first X-Men movie debut all the way back in the year 2000. Since then he’s been in 9 total X-Men films. Simple math would say that’s a movie roughly every 2 years, and the shape he needs to be in for this role, probably made the last 17 years of his life a living nightmare. I couldn’t imagine the dedication it must take to always be in that kind of shape, and the level of commitment Hugh put into playing this beloved character. Apparently the guy is just tired of eating egg white omelettes, so he’s hanging up his claws for good. Not before giving us one last performance, a performance we have all be waiting for, a rated R Wolverine movie! It’s going to be one for the record books, and I know I will be sad to see him go, but he’s already gave us some many incredible Wolverine moments that we as the human population couldn’t have asked for a better Stocky Canadian Killer. Well there is one thing I want, but we aren’t ever going to see it and that’s YELLOW SPANDEX.
A lot has happened in my life since Hugh Jackman took center stage as the leader of the X-Men. A lot has happened in the world to be honest. Its crazy to think that Hugh has been playing this character for about 3/4 of my life. Doing any job for 17 years straight is a daunting task, and no one in Hollywood plays the same role for that long anymore. Not even close, most actors don’t want to be tied down by long contracts, or have to worry about being typecast. You could always count on Hugh to be in the next movie, and there was never any doubt that he would walk away from this role. Now is just the right time, and with recent health issues, now is the best time for him to step down and take a much needed break. But there’s always one thing you could count on every two years, and that was muttonchops and claws. Yes, not all X-Men movies have been Citizen Kane kind of material, but that didn’t matter. All we needed was a little Wolverine sprinkled in to make things better. Wolverine is a top 5 comic book character of all time in my mind, so whenever he was on screen it was a real treat. It just so happens that FOX casted the perfect human being to play him. We’ve had 3 Spider-Mans, 2 Batman’s, and 2 Superman’s and countless other Superheroes appear on screen since 2000. I think it will be damn near impossible to replace Jackman as Wolverine. I can’t think of anyone that could take over this mantle, it’s easy to think of any other character and say to yourself, “Oh so and so, could be the next Batman or Spider-Man or whoever,” but not Wolverine. I’ve been wrapping my brain around this question for weeks now I just don’t have an answer. I know people will say that these are just movies, and he’s just an actor and this is just a fictional character. But I’ve grown accustom to having this man play this character, and I hold him so close to my heart. I will speak for more than just myself, when I say, when March 3rd hits and Logan gets released, a lot of people will be saying goodbye to an old dear friend.
When you love movies as much as I do, and come to appreciate what they can do, and the joy they can bring people, you don’t want that feeling to ever stop. The worst part about it, this being his last kick at the can, knowing it will be his best performance ever and without doubt the greatest X-Men movie ever made. I can’t help but stop and think we could have had this Logan in our lives from the very get go. It’s almost like I will be leaving the theatre on Thursday night with permanent blue balls, something no man wants.
From what we’ve seen far, it looks like Twentieth Century Fox is keeping the faith with the Old Man Logan storyline from the comics. Which we find our guy, Wolverine finding himself unable to heal like he once could, living a life of seclusion after all of his mutant pals have been killed off. Professor X is still kicking as well, and it’s up to the pair of them to protect Mutant, X-23 from falling into the wrong hands. This promises to be the most intense, violent and brutal Wolverine yet and with the success of Deadpool last year, it was only fitting to make Wolverines last outing rated R. These movies are changing the game in terms of how Superhero movies are being made. Small budget but telling good stories, and focusing more on the characters rather than the CGI. I just don’t want to walk out of the theatre wanting more, and being unsatisfied with the ending, because if any character deserves a grand finale ending, it’s this one. He’s giving so much to this character and to it’s fan for almost 2 decades, the least the studio could do for him, is make this movie one to remember.
So I’m going to go grab some butter knives, go smash some pumpkins and pretend to be Wolverine one last time. In the meantime sit back, relax and watch these awesome clips of Wolverine kicking all sorts of ass in X2.
