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My Most Anticipated Movies of 2018!

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.

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(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.

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(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.

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(MARVEL)

18.) Ant-Man & The Wasp. director/Peyton Reed. 6/7/2018

If someone would have told me, that back in 2015 when AntMan 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!

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(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.

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(LEGENDARY)

16.) Skyscraper. director/ Rawson Marshall Thurber. 7/13/18

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.

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(LEGENDARY)

15.) Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. director/ J.A Bayona. 22/6/18

“Life finds a way”

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.

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(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.

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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.

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12.) M:I 6. Mission Impossible. director/Christopher McQuarrie. 27/7/18

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.

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(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!

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(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!

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(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!

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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.

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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!!!

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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?

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(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.

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(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!

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(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!

Check ya later.

Reviews

‘The Last Jedi’ Review/Thoughts

Team Kylo Ren. That is all.

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(DISNEY)

As they say, the force is strong with this one. The Last Jedi is finally here! The latest StarWars epic has finally arrived and well, people are divided. It’s the longest film in the series to date, and is chalked full of epic moments and twists and turns. I saw this Thursday night, but wanted to wait a few days before writing my review, because for movies such as these I wanted it to sink in and marinate a little bit. I loved this movie, I think over time it may very well be regarded as the greatest Star Wars ever made. The Internet and fans alike might not agree with that statement. Going into The Last Jedi, there was a ton of speculation about certain things, who Rey’s parents would be? Who was Snoke? What happened between Luke and Kylo Ren? All of these questions are answered in some way shape or form. I think that people were thinking one thing was going to happen and got another, and what they WANTED to happen, didn’t. So they thought the movie was “bad” because they didn’t get what they wanted. I think that is a huge problem with Star Wars fans, because you’re not always going to get what you want, but that doesn’t mean that thing is bad. I won’t spoil anything that happens in this movie, because that would be unfair, I will tread lightly around certain situations and characters.

First things first Rian Johnson (director) has gone out and made a thematically rich, emotionally nuanced and narratively subversive blockbuster movie. Most big budget movies often lack substance; good story telling and mainly rely on explosions and CGI. People think this is so far from what we have become accustomed to when it comes to StarWars, that they feel Rian Johnson has some what destroyed this franchise, well he reinvented it. He takes such bold risks and tells such a rich story, it’s really impressive on what he accomplished. There is a ton of pressure that comes with helming something that so many people hold so close and dear to their hearts. I think he did as good of job than anyone could have asked of him. The new droids, planets, landscapes and the entire aesthetic of The Last Jedi simply build on what JJ Abrams was able to accomplish in The Force Awakens. Crait a planet where the last battle takes place. The white and red minerals, the red salt standing out so clearly during the battle, is one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in a Star Wars movie. The cinematography was just incredible. Throughout the entire movie itself, there are tons of artistic shots, that will make great one shot pieces, and images that will stand out in fans minds until the end of time. The whole movie deals with failures, and overcoming the failures. What happens to us when we fail, how do we respond? Almost everyone in this movie sets out on a certain goal or task and in the end, ultimately fails at the very thing they set out to do. We learn later in the movie, that failure is okay, it’s a part of life and it’s a part of growing as a person. People fail all the time, failure makes us stronger, makes us smarter. It was something I didn’t pick up on until after the movie, but failure is such a big part of this story. There is one thing that happens towards the end of the movie, you think the movie is about to take a MASSIVE risk, and they bail last second on it. The cop out, the way they get out of it, is so utterly insane, that I wonder how they felt this was a good idea. I wish I could talk about it more, but it involves Finn and Rose, and it was without a doubt the worst part, and one of the stupidest things I’ve seen in a movie in a long time. Especially with the timing of this event, it was just a real head scratcher.

This is a StarWars movie through and through. I mentioned it taking bold risks and trying to expand on this forever-growing universe, and it opens the doors to so many possibilities with the final installment, which we will receive in two years. From the opening music, before the always-epic scrawl, the opening shot of outer space, the light sabre fights, and just classic Star Wars moments. The story is pretty simple, Rey (Daisy Ridley) searches out Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to get her proper training, Finn (John Bodega) meets a new girl Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) and they are trying to find Rey and lead her far away from the First Order. Poe (Oscar Issac) is struggling with becoming a leader, and the leader that the Resistance needs. While Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is just trying to keep the remaining resistance fighters calm and well, safe. Meanwhile Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is trying to figure out where he belongs in this world, and what he really wants. The cast is fantastic, this is the best Mark Hamill performance we have ever gotten, and it can be said with Carrie Fisher. They both shine, and always steal the scene they are in. With the passing of Carrie this past year, it was only fitting that we got to see her at her best in this movie, and you could tell she really gave it her all. As for everyone’s favorite Jedi, Luke Skywalker, this is what people are torn on. I get and I understand the direction they took Luke in this movie. I’ll just leave it at that, because anything more would enter spoiler territory.

For me, this whole movie was all about Kylo Ren, who is built like a brick shit house I might add. Adam Driver gives one hell of a performance in this movie. Movies these days, well they lack great villains. Who was the villain in Doctor Strange, or Justice League that just came out? How about Spider-Man Homecoming? Kylo Ren is for me, is the best villain since Heath Ledgers Joker. From the actual character to the performance of the actor playing that character. You feel for this guy, Kylo is conflicted, he wants to be bad, but part of him is good. This is evident in one particular moment in the first act of the movie. He wants nothing more than to impress Snoke, who openly mocks him about his helmet, which is destroys in a fit of rage after being criticized by Snoke. After TheForce Awakens came out, everyone thought of Kylo as a spoiled little brat, an Emo kind of villain, where unlike his dear old Grand Father, Darth Vader, where Storm troopers would fear him. They kind of just don’t want to be around Kylo, because he is well a brat. You see the pain in his eyes, the conflict on who he wants to become. When you start to learn about his past, and what he has gone through, you start to feel for his character. He is so full of rage and hate, and once he throws his helmet away, you can see that on his face for the rest of the movie. He wants Rey to join him, he wants the pair of them to rule the galaxy together, he has a soft spot for Rey, and feels like he can open up and share his thoughts and feelings with her. I just think Kylo is a very compelling and complex villain, one who will stand out for many years to come, it helps that Driver gives such a fantastic performance. It also helps that he’s part of probably the best scene in StarWars history. I can’t wait to see where they take his character and what’s in store for him, in the final chapter. Because his story isn’t finished, he is “unfinished evil,” where I think we have only seen the tip of the evil iceberg for Kylo Ren, which spells trouble for Rey and the resistance.

People are having a really hard time letting go of the past. Even Kylo Ren has a line of dialogue in the movie. “Let the past die,” he says. “Kill it, if you have to. That’s the only way to become what you were meant to be.” That bears true in the movie, and in real life. These new movies are moving in a new direction, moving away from the past (Luke, Leia, Han Solo) and moving forward with our new heroes and villains. People are having a hard time doing so, especially those who have been with this franchise since 1977. They want to remember and hang onto this epic and wonderful characters for as long as possible, and now that the end is in sight for most of them, people are having a difficult time letting go. In order for something new to grow, usually something old must die, these new movies was about telling a new adventure with new characters, and not about the ones we grew up with, and everyone should be okay with that. Luke Skywalker was not meant to be the main character and center of attention of this new trilogy. It’s the second biggest opening weekend of all time, 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. But here is why the Internet is divided; the audience score is sitting at 56%. I think that has a lot to do with what I mentioned earlier and people not getting what they wanted. This is not a bad movie; hell it’s an incredible movie going experience. It’s beautiful; the score is epic, great performances all around. People are upset certain things didn’t go their way; I think they need to get over that and give this movie another watch.

Overall, this has one of the best space battles ever, in my opinion the best light sabre fight scenes, and the best performances given in any Star Wars movie. It builds on already so much rich history, it’s such a great story, with some flaws, but with a movie this big in scale, that will happen. It’s full of incredible moments, breath taking visuals and a lot of laughs. I found myself a little emotional during certain moments; you really get caught up in it all. That’s what you want when you’re sitting in the theatre. This is a really great epic Star Wars movie that shouldn’t be missed. Give it time, fans will come back around to seeing this as a great movie, they are just salty right now.

Check ya later.

Nate’s Movie Tour Reviews – The Last Jedi = 92/100

News

‘Annihilation’ Looks Incredible

This is the female Ghostbusters movie we all wanted.

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Writer and director to the epic sci-fi masterpiece Ex-Machina looks to be following it up with another stroke of genius with Annihilation. This movie and this trailer is shrouded in mystery and it looks like a really great new science fiction movie, something we need right now. Everything we have seen so far regarding this movie has been incredible, and for lovers of science fiction movies, this could quite possibly be their most anticipated movie of 2018.

Natalie Portman stars as a biologist who is headed into the unknown, or as it’s referred to as “the shimmer,” she’s in search of something that has come in contact with her husband (Oscar Issac), and wants some answers. She leads a team of other badass women, Tessa Thompson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez and others, into this place, where it seems the laws of nature no longer apply. Animals are cross breeding, strange plants are growing and some cool ass monsters are lurking in the darkness. Things are going to go up shit creek for these ladies, and it seems like they all won’t make it out alive. The visuals are simply stunning, but that should come to no surprise, seeing this is coming from the guy who made Ex-Machina. Portman is going all sorts of Ripley in this trailer, and she’s really pulling it off, she’s unloading her gun on god knows what, a bunch of times throughout the trailer. I’m just so intrigued by all of this, the landscapes, the creatures, what a place like this is doing on Earth, and I’m sure we will get all these answers in the movie. Trailers should leave you with wanting more, and this one certainly did it’s job. We have a real winner on our hands here I think!

Check ya later.

Reviews

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ – That Is All

Are you fucking kidding me – I’m sorry for cursing.

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(Disney)

Just when you thought the hype for this movie couldn’t be any bigger, they go ahead and drop this trailer on us. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This trailer is about to break some records and the internet I would imagine, because it’s damn near perfect. Yeah, I’m sure there will be Star Wars hardos out there that think they spoiled a few things, but remember to never really take anything you see in a trailer in full context. They are really good at editing these things to make you believe something that probably won’t happen.

But that trailer was the real deal, Rian Johnson, I believe you are on your way to making the best Star Wars movie ever. This looks absolutely stunning, some of the visuals are just gorgeous. After seeing Blade Runner 2049 this past week, I’m not going to lie, that I kind of felt the same way for some of the visuals in this trailer than I did for Blade Runner. There is a ton to process in this thing, they are hinting at a TON of things to come, without really revealing how those things are actually going to happen. Luke appears to be afraid of Rey almost because she is so powerful, so powerful that I have a feeling she might be hiding something or will potentially be the person who kills Luke. Again not to overlook the trailer, but it seemed like Rey and Kylo might team up or at least have a common goal/enemy at the end of this trailer. Is Rey turning bad? Towards the end of the trailer we see her under duress, with Snoke taking control of her. Maybe he gets her to join the dark side, or taps into her powers and is able to control or something. Andy Serkis is menacing as hell voicing that guy, I was really digging his voiceover at the beginning of the trailer. Is Kylo turning good, because they allude to him blowing up a ship with his mother Leia inside of it. Does killing his Mom finally push him over the edge and he can no longer be part of the dark side? Something isn’t quite as it seems with those two and obviously some of our questions will be answered in no time. I just thought it was really cool how Luke wanted no part of Rey after he learns just how powerful she can be.

Finn is back, get it, back? Never mind, all I know is, I want to see throw down with Captain Phasma real bad. Seeing how she was a mere joke in The Force Awakens, I’m glad she will finally be doing some heavy lifting this time around, and going toe-to-toe with Finn. She seems like a pretty awesome character so I hope we really get to see more of her this time around, and just isn’t background noise. The battle that looks to be taking place in a really open giant landscape, will probably be the best part of the movie, every time I see that red mist stuff, I’m just blown away but how beautiful it looks.

Overall I thought this was the best or one of the best movie trailer of 2017, DO NOT put out any more trailers, we do not need them. This was far more than we actually needed, but I’m glad I watched it. There are crazy people out there that won’t watch this, and I could not do that, nor do I think it’s a good idea. They didn’t spoil anything really, because like I said, we don’t know the context of anything in the movie yet, because we haven’t seen the movie yet. So chill out, watch it 100 times like I will, and December 15th can’t get here fast enough

Check ya later

Reviews

‘Annihilation’ Looks Creepy 

Love me some Natalie Portman. 

(PARAMOUNT)

So the guy who did Ex Machina (Alex Garland), that movie was phenomenal is back with his newest project Annihilation. Remember how good Ex Machina was? So to say I’m pretty intrigued by his new movie, is an understatement. This trailer is creepy and really mysterious, where I’m not quite sure what is going on to be honest. 

It seems that people are some scientific expedition and everything isn’t quite normal. At least the laws of nature are off, and this appears to be a dangerous mission of sorts. With Ex Machina being different and kind of a statement piece and a true piece of art. I’m sure this will follow suit on that regard. 

Natalie Portman looks to be playing a biologists on this expedition and is in search of her husband, who is played by Oscar Issac. This has a really strong female cast, with Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson and Gina Rodriguez rounding out the ensemble. It’s really hard to get a grasp of what the movie is actually going to be about, it looks like things don’t go as planned and Natalie Portman’s character is replaying the events of the mission. There are plenty of awesome visuals throughout the trailer, and I think that’s why I’m so intrigued by it, really doesn’t look like anything we have seen in awhile and I’m fully on board for that. The visuals are really unique and the cinematography is so colourful and beautiful, it sucked me right in. It’s based on a best-selling book, so this movie will already have a following, and really I’ll watch anything Natalie Portman is in. 

 Check ya later.