2015...... BEST... YEAR... EVER? Okay I know, I know, everyone has talked about it, everyone has their own ideas on it and here are my two cents on what could well be the best year ever for film. (well technically for Hollywood blockbusters). 1. Batman Vs. Superman PRO: Though that is a working title, the very concept of two of the most famous comic book characters of all time onscreen together is worth the price of admission alone, plus the fact that it will be drawing inspiration from Frank Miller’s critically acclaimed ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ means that the prospect for this film is looking better and better, Zack Snyder has proven he can handle this sort of film, say what you want, but in this writer’s opinion his adaptation of Watchmen was frankly brilliant, Henry Cavill has established himself in the role and everyone loves Batman. CON: I loved it, but there is no denying that Man of Steel was a divisive film, annoying fans who wanted more of that Richard Donner touch (ironic as they moaned that was the problem with Superman Returns), there is also the nagging feeling that Warner Bros. Have hastily put together this project following the collapse of their Justice League movie. 2. The Avengers: Age of Ultron PRO: It’s the sequel to one of the biggest films of last year and more importantly one of the most popular, The Avengers was unashamedly good fun focusing on what cinema is designed to do, entertain and The Avengers had it in spades and that was primarily down to Joss Whedon, his experience with Buffy, Angel and Firefly meant he was ready to blend huge heroics with great character beats and a huge cast. CON: Very little in all honesty, though there is an air of pragmatism to how Marvel are bringing their cinematic universe together, you can’t deny it’s coming together well. But, it is a sequel and often sequels that follow hugely popular originals can more often let down what has come before, often very badly (Matrix Reloaded, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest) 3. Bond 24 PRO: Skyfall; it was hugely popular, winning BAFTAs, Oscars, critical acclaim and a billion dollars at the box office, the film cemented James Bond as THE great British entertainment export, Daniel Craig cemented his position in the role and Sam Mendes took the franchise back to it’s roots and audiences love it, meaning Craig’s fourth could go bigger. CON: Bond films are tricky and seemingly following the third Bond movie, every Bond actor that has passed 3 films, struggles to keep the quality coming, Connery, Moore and Brosnan all fell fould of diminishing quality in their films and Daniel Craig is no stranger to a duff Bond film as Quantum of Solace proved. 4. Jurassic Park IV PRO: It’s Jurassic Park and though Blockbusters have had their day since the seventies, it was Jurassic Park that invented the ‘event’ movie, it also plays on that great childhood love, dinosaurs, I love dinosaurs, my son loves dinosaurs, everyone loves them.... it’s dinosaurs! CON: Here’s the thing the excitement for Jurassic Park is somewhat unexpected; the first movie (though imperfect) is brilliant, but The Lost World: Jurassic Park was less so and Jurassic Park III was hugely underwhelming. Could JP IV catch lightning in the bottle? 5. The Fantastic Four PRO: Let’s be frank the first 2 Fantastic Four movies are abysmal saved only by Chris Evans’ swagger and Michael Chilkis’ Thing, this version will be directed by Josh Trank who made the excellent ‘Chronicle’ and is being overseen by Mark Millar (creator of Kick Ass) in a move by Twentieth Century Fox to blend their Marvel properties in a joined universe meaning we could perhaps have The X Men at some point. CON: This will be lost in a sea of other bigger and more decidedly important comic book movies and it is possible that the comic book movie bubble could perhaps burst. 6. Independence Day 2 PRO: For a teenager in the nineties this movie was huuuge and this audience would be at the age I am at now, to take their kids along to see this long in development sequel, meaning after losing the next Star Wars movies this would give Twentieth Century Fox the potential for a big Sci-Fi franchise. Plus faults and all Independence Day is big dumb stupid fun, where Will Smith can punch out at an alien, dogs can outrun fire, Bill Pullman is the President and Windows 95 is compatible with alien spacecraft. CON: At the end of the day, this is a sequel that will fall twenty years after the original and unlike other franchises, anticipation for this isn’t at feverish levels, there is also the added factor that Roland Emmerich’s films are high on concept, big on set pieces, but since Independence Day they’ve lacked fun. 7. Terminator 5 PRO: It’s Terminator and it’s a role that Arnold Schwarznegger will always be connected with, the mythology of the films is second to none, they’ve been at the forefront of action cinema and to hear him say ‘I’ll be back’ one more time? CON: The problems are huge, massive. First is that this is apparently in reboot/remake territory and for every Casino Royale or Batman Begins there is a Total Recall around the corner, the second is that this film will share the same problem that Terminator 3, Salvation and The Sarah Connor chronicles had, no James Cameron. 8. Finding Dory PRO: Of all Pixar films, Finding Nemo is one of their best and they have set the bar very, very high with their films, the Toy Story sequels proves that they can handle a sequel and the chance to return to the oceans is perhaps too good a chance to pass up. CON: Both Cars films are proof that they can’t quite hit the bullseye every time and apparently this is a film that Disney have ‘pushed’ Pixar to make meaning that if their hand has been forced to make this movie they might not bring their ‘A’ game. 9. Assassin’s Creed PRO: This hugely popular game series is so cinematic it practically cries out for a big screen treatment, there is also the added factor that Michael Fassbender is behind the film with one eye on the lead role. CON: Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros, Resident Evil, Double Dragon, both Tomb Raider films, Dead Or Alive..... when Mortal Kombat is still the best video game adaptation you know you’re in trouble. 10. STAR WARS EPISODE VII PRO: The elephant in the room; expect the excitement for this to build and build, it’s Star Wars after all, but not only that it’s a return to the latter years meaning the return of Luke, Han and Leia, which is a huge, huge deal, new director J.J. Abrams has made it clear that they will return to actual sets and not the overuse of CGI the prequels suffered from (even if you hate them, you can’t deny Abrams’ Trek films get the blend of visuals and live action exactly right) and just the chance to hear John Williams’ majestic score one more time in the theatre is quite frantically to good a chance to miss. CON: The Phantom Menace, the spectre of George Lucas’ return to a galaxy far far away does hang over this project and there is a chance that once again anticipation might not match the final result. So there you have it! Sure I know that critics and cynics may argue that 2015’s best year ever handle is only viable if you have an interest in big budget Hollywood movies, but there is a sense that this would be a very, very big year and some are arguing that this is Hollywood’s last big moment in the movies before online viewing and other methods of consuming films take over. I for one can’t wait to watch, discuss, enjoy, love and the films of the future. --- Chris
Posted on: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 19:31:42 +0000
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