Marvel Movies Ranked! C.C.C. Issue #38

 

Top Ten Movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (All Ten films released so far ranked from worst to best)

The highly anticipated Avengers: Age of Ultron comes out on May 1^st, marking the eleventh film entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or MCU for short). Marvel has had some ups and downs since launching this huge interconnected franchise of films and TV shows, and now it’s time to rank them from worst to best.  Warning: spoilers for all ten films ahead.  

10. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

This follow-up to both The Avengers and the first Thor is perhaps the most inconsequential film in the MCU so far. Before I get into what’s wrong with Thor: The Dark World, let me point out the good parts. Thor actually fights a lot of bad guys this time and there’s more action than in the first Thor. Loki returns and is more of a trickster this time around, which is truer to his character in the comics. He has a lot of great scenes with Thor, and this is probably the best aspect of the whole film. The signature Marvel humour is at full force, but at some points it becomes a little too silly to be enjoyable if you’re over the age of ten. The plot is centered on defeating the dark elf Malekith, who’s the most one-dimensional stock villain ever. He’s trying to get the Aether, some mysterious substance that’s one of the infinity stones which is important for setting up Avengers: Infinity War, but in this storyline it comes off as just another MacGuffin. If there isn’t an action scene happening, and if Thor and Loki aren’t interacting, it’s pretty dull. Almost nothing in this film impacts the Marvel universe. Of all ten of these films, this is the one I liked the least not just the first time, but upon repeated viewings. It still has moments of fun and entertaining action, it just doesn’t live up to the quality of previous installments in the MCU.

9. Iron Man 2 (2010)

One of the things Marvel has done so well is deliver great standalone films that also tie in directly to other films in the universe and setup future events. Iron Man 2 handles the introduction of new characters, tie-ins to other films, and setup of future films with a lack of ease. We get properly introduced to Nick Fury, as well as Natasha Romanoff, who’s undercover for S.H.I.E.L.D, and we learn more about James Rhodes, who gets his own suit of armour and becomes War Machine. Ivan Vanko, the big bad who uses the arc reactor technology to make weapons of his own and has a personal grudge against Tony Stark, poses the biggest problem. Justin Hammer, a weapons manufacturer, helps out Vanko, who tries to take down Stark, but together with Rhodes, they defeat both of them. Vanko is a disappointing villain, who’s too easily dispatched at the end, and the film lacks the focus the first Iron Man had. Coming off the hugely successful and popular first film, it’s not surprising that Iron Man 2 was seen as mostly a step down, but I still enjoy it. The character of Tony Stark is further developed, while also delivering enough Iron Man action, and Don Cheadle easily slips into the role of Rhodes, even though I liked Terence Howard better. Overall, Iron Man 2 serves as further setup for the MCU, but still has enough entertaining scenes to make it mostly good on its own.

8. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

After 2003’s Hulk, expectations for another Hulk film were so low, just about anything would have seemed better than that abomination. As it turned out, The Incredible Hulk was better, and it re-introduced Bruce Banner/The Hulk (played this time by Edward Norton) without an origin story, as well as introduced the mutated monstrosity Abomination, who was a much more formidable enemy than anything in the 2003 film. Unfortunately, The Incredible Hulk doesn’t have the same re-watchability factor that other Marvel films have, but it still succeeds in multiple ways. The Hulk is formidable and actually does some damage this time around, as does Abomination, and the final fight is pretty awesome. The filmmakers still managed to work in some humour, despite an overall more serious tone, and it makes a great connection to Iron Man at the end (which only came out a month earlier). Where it falls short is the inconsequentiality of the overall story. When I think back to The Incredible Hulk, I don’t remember much about the characters or story beyond the basic elements. The film served more as a re-launch of the character, and it did manage to do that, but not having Edward Norton continue in the role was disappointing (until Mark Ruffalo blew everyone away in The Avengers). Its lack of impact on the MCU, which was still early in development (this was only the second film, remember) is ultimately what makes it less memorable.

7. Iron Man 3 (2013)

The Avengers was a tough act to follow, and while I was initially kind of disappointed by Iron Man 3, I respect a lot of the risks director Shane Black took with the story and the character, and while not all of them worked, Iron Man 3 is not without great moments. The scene that stands out to me is when the helicopters shoot down Tony Stark’s house and it crumbles into the ocean (the scene teased in all the trailers). This was an extremely well-directed action sequence, and the visual effects achieve the quality that fans have come to expect from Iron Man films. Speaking of Iron Man, that was one of the problems with this three-quel. We got a lot of Tony Stark, but not much of him in the suit. This wouldn’t have been as forgivable if RDJ wasn’t so damn likeable and entertaining, both inside and outside the armour. The big twist of course with the Mandarin went over like a lead balloon, but it was a ballsy misdirection and genuinely surprising, even if for the wrong reason. In the end, Iron Man 3 lacks the power of Phase One Tony Stark, and the plot is uneven, but it still delivers enough action to be worthwhile for Marvel die-hards.

6. Thor (2011)

Of all the principal Marvel heroes, Thor was my least-favourite as a kid. First of all, he’s a god? It was too much a fantasy element in contrast to the more science-fiction-based Marvel stories I loved like Spider-Man and Hulk and Fantastic Four. Second, his outfit looked ridiculous. That hat with the wings sticking off it, and a big billowing cape, and a tiny little hammer for a weapon? Lame! And third, Thor had no famous enemies that I knew of. I was semi-familiar with Loki, and that was all. But when trailers for Marvel’s Thor origin film started coming out, I realized he looked a lot more badass than I remembered from comics and cartoons as a kid, and I gave the film a shot. Thor successfully brought the hero to the mainstream in a way that everyone enjoyed and accepted. They gave him a much cooler getup, did an effective job of connecting Asgard to the larger galactic picture, as well as to earth, and blending those sci-fi and fantasy elements, and introduced Loki as a good guy who becomes a bad guy (and would return for Avengers a year later). But most importantly, Thor had the sense of humour needed for skeptics (like me) to buy into the hero and this huge world he’s a part of, and Chris Hemsworth made Thor a cooler dude than he ever was in the comics.  

5. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

When I first heard Chris Evans was going to be playing Steve Rogers/Captain America, I thought it was a bad casting choice and I wasn’t really interested in the film. He had already played The Human Torch in two Fantastic Four films (which weren’t so fantastic) and much like Thor, I never really cared for Captain America (not just because I’m Canadian). I still went to see it, and while I can’t say I was blown away, I left feeling genuinely surprised and satisfied that Captain America: The First Avenger was another great Marvel film. They had a lot of back story and ground to cover to get Cap up to speed for The Avengers, and it took me a few viewings to appreciate how well they did with delivering a solid story while also tying it in to the ever-expanding MCU. Chris Evans was great as Cap, and I’ve since forgotten about him as Human Torch. Of all the films in the MCU, I think this is the one that got better with repeated viewings. It’s a period piece and a war drama at its core, but it still has the Marvel essentials and delivers a good enough story on its own without solely relying on setting up The Avengers.  

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

After the Captain America origins story and then seeing him thrust into The Avengers, I was interested but not thrilled about seeing the character again. After The Winter Soldier, Captain America launched to the top of my favourite Marvel heroes list (right below Iron Man, of course) and this sequel proved to be yet another home run for Marvel. The signature Marvel humour and fun is still ever-present, but bringing back Bucky Barnes as the brainwashed Winter Solider and having Hydra take over S.H.I.E.L.D added darker elements and higher stakes to the story, and the resulting team-up between Cap and Black Widow made me understand both characters more and root for both of them more than I did even in The Avengers. With the origins out of the way, Marvel was clever to take Captain America in a new direction and make The Winter Soldier a spy thriller on top of still being an action adventure film, which made it feel fresh and exciting, and added further anticipation for Age of Ultron. This was the first Phase Two film that I thought was better than just great—it was marvellous (no pun intended).

3. The Avengers (2012)

Not only did The Avengers pose a daunting challenge for writer/director Joss Whedon, but expectations were already high just based on the premise of bringing together Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye and having them all in one film. No studio had ever attempted a superhero film this epic and this bold, but leave it to Marvel Studios to be the first to assemble a giant team of heroes, and do so in the best way possible. Loki opening a portal over New York City and bringing through an alien army certainly warranted such a team-up, and while some of the elements of the story are familiar (we’ve seen aliens invade and destroy a city how many times in a movie?) the chemistry (and hostility) between all these heroes is what makes you buy into the whole thing. Add to that a charismatic villain, top-notch visual effects, loads of hilarious jokes and moments, and you have the makings of one of the best superhero films of all-time. I definitely loved The Avengers as much as everyone else, but I did feel there were a few things that could have been improved, and this is just one of the reasons I’m so excited for Avengers: Age of Ultron, which will likely turn out to be even better than this first-ever Avengers Assembly.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

What do you get when you take a rogue Han Solo-like character, a green-skinned alien assassin, a grey-skinned brute out to avenge the death of his family, a talking Raccoon with an affinity for weapons and crass jokes, and a walking, talking tree with a limited vocabulary and the biggest heart of them all, and you put them all in a movie with aliens that include pink and blue skinned creatures, a guy with a giant hammer (who isn’t Thor), another guy who collects stuff from all over the universe, and Howard the Duck? You get Guardians of the Galaxy! Marvel took a huge risk by putting together this rag tag group of sort-of-heroes no one had ever heard of before, but they got the perfect cast (Chris Pratt is now in the conversation for every big role it seems), hired the perfect writer/director (James Gunn is returning to do Guardians of the Galaxy 2), and went all-out with the humour and self-awareness to the point that it almost becomes more of a comedy than a superhero film, but in a good way. The craziest part is that everything came together and it all works so well. The film went from what I thought looked weird and might be Marvel’s first misfire to my second favourite (a very close second) Marvel film to date.  Most people seemed to enjoy Avengers more over Guardians, and perhaps expectations influenced my enjoyment of one over the other, but what I enjoyed most was how different Guardians felt from everything else Marvel has done.

1. Iron Man (2008)

The film that launched the MCU, re-launched Robert Downey Jr. into stardom, and kicked off what has become one of the biggest film franchises of all-time, the first Iron Man is not only my favourite film in the MCU, but one of my favourite superhero films ever. It’s easy to forget that virtually everyone who wasn’t a comic geek didn’t even know who Iron Man was before 2008. Director Jon Favreau balanced the action, visual effects, and spectacle of the Iron-suited hero with his equally exciting alter ego Tony Stark—arguably the best-cast superhero role since Michael Keaton as Batman. RDJ delivers clever dialogue, his interactions with the other characters are hysterical, and seeing his rise from a man who builds weapons and reaps the benefits for himself  to a hero who turns himself into a weapon, but one that’s designed to save mankind, is truly fascinating. The elements we’ve come to expect from Marvel films originate here, with the blend of action and explosions with one liners and laugh-out-loud moments. It may be nearly impossible for any future film in the MCU to be able to surpass Iron Man for me (Age of Ultron has a good shot), but one thing is for sure, all subsequent Marvel films owe their success to this, the one that started it all. 

MCU image from www.comicbookmovie.com

Posters from www.wikipedia.org 

C.C.C. Issue #37: Ten Movies I should have seen by now (but haven't)

 Top Ten Movies I should have seen by now but haven’t (as of April 2015)

Welcome back to CCC! I’ve been away watching movies (big surprise, I know) but now I’m back, and hopefully will have a new update every 7-10 days.

Everyone who knows me knows I watch a lot of movies. What they might not know is that I usually try to watch movies that have subject matter I know I’ll be interested in. This is why I’ve seen so many garbage films like King of the Lost World or Boa vs. Python or A Sound of Thunder. More recently I’ve started focusing on watching critically acclaimed movies or ones deemed “classics” and those “must-see” movies for anyone who is a fan of film.

I have failed to watch many movies other people consider some of their favourites. It’s not that I don’t care; it’s just that there have been so many other movies I found more interesting, that these ten have not yet found their way onto my TV screen.

10. The Patriot (2000)

This one, despite only being number ten on the list, is particularly embarrassing. I have owned the blu ray for over four years, and I have yet to pop the disc in and watch. On several occasions I intended to, but failed. Although it didn’t get widespread critical praise, The Patriot is often considered director Roland Emmerich’s best film, and more historically accurate than the next entry on this list.

9. Braveheart (1995)

Mel Gibson’s epic film which won the Oscar for Best Picture has eluded me for a long time. For some reason, whenever I thought about needing to watch Braveheart, I also thought about needing to watch Gladiator. So when I encountered both on sale at Best Buy, I should have bought both, but instead went cheap and arbitrarily picked Gladiator only. Since then, I haven’t found the blu ray of Braveheart on sale anywhere. It may take number eight on this list, but it will never take, my money! Ok, that was a bad parallel of the famous quote, I admit it. Let’s move on.

8. Scanners (1981)

I’m a big fan of David Cronenberg’s—The Fly is one of my favourite horror films ever—but Scanners, one of his most well-respected pieces of work, is something I have still yet to see. I’m aware of the premise, that people with telekinetic powers cause other people’s heads to explode and this leads to mayhem. I’m also aware it’s considered one of the best horror films of the early eighties, but the main reason it’s a travesty that I’ve never seen it, is the fact that my mom’s cousin has a small part in it! Forget the fact that I’m a huge horror fan and Cronenberg fan (who’s also a Canadian by the way); it has a family member of mine in it! If the Criterion Collection blu ray for Scanners wasn’t 40 bucks, I would have seen it by now, but maybe I’ll shell out the cash for it if my budget will allow once October comes around. 

7. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

 

This cult classic comedy stars Jon Heder as the title character, and was pretty popular when I was in elementary and middle school. For some reason, I never thought it looked that funny and so never got around to watching it. I feel like I should have seen it by now, though. The opportunity hasn’t come yet; it’s never on TV and never on sale at any stores. I’m familiar with some of the quotes (Vote for Pedro still means nothing to me) and the scene where he says he hunted Wolverines with his uncle. Aside from that, Napoleon Dynamite is mostly an enigma to me.

6. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Ben-Hur and this film are the two great epics which I feel I should have seen by now. First off, I’m a fan of epic films. Spartacus, Lord of the Rings, 2001: A Space Odyssey? Bring em’ on. I attempted to watch Ben-Hur once and got through the first hour. It was deleted from my PVR by accident, so I haven’t had a chance to watch it again since. Lawrence of Arabia has been on my list for a long time, and I attempted to see it not long ago but couldn’t get past the first hour, then when I went back to finish it, I found Netflix had removed it. I’ve read about the film, and am a fan of Alec Guinness (who played Obi Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy). Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found a suitable spare 228 minutes to finish viewing this epic masterpiece in its entirety.

5. Gone with the Wind (1939)

 

I saw my mom watching this on TV the other day, for like the twentieth time (she claims). I promised I would sit down and watch it with her one day, as I can’t see myself putting it on and sitting through this nearly four hour historical epic romance alone. Romance isn’t my favourite genre, really long movies test my ability to sit and pay attention for a lengthy period of time, and history was never my favourite subject in school. Despite having never seen it, I’m still familiar with famous quotes and scenes from the film. To those of you who think I definitely should have seen this by now, I say: I don’t give a damn (quite frankly, that is).

4. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

I’m a big fan of horror films, and the zombie sub-genre is one that’s exploded in recent years. I always enjoy a good undead rampage, and no one has done the zombie more justice than George Romero, the legendary director who put the flesh-eating creatures on the map and kicked off the zombie craze with his directing debut, Night of the Living Dead. This black and white, low budget horror film remains a staple of the genre and is the inspiration for virtually every zombie flick to follow. I’ve seen other entries in Romero’s ongoing ...Of the Dead series, which includes Land of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead (the original) and Day of the Dead. Night of the Living Dead has been released on home video multiple times, but I’ve never come across a DVD or blu ray of it in stores. I’ve seen clips of it, know lots about it, but have never seen the whole thing. I want to one day marathon all of the Romero zombie films, and plan on starting with this one—the one that started it all. 

3. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)

This fantasy comedy, which combines live-action actors with animated cartoon characters, is something I was aware of as a kid, but for whatever reason, had no interest in watching. I had no idea until I was much older that Who Framed Roger Rabbit takes place in the fictional locale of Toon Town, and I’m still not entirely sure if it features actual Looney Tunes characters, or just references them. Either way, I should have seen this classic family adventure by now. Director Robert Zemeckis has had varying success over the course of his career, but Who Framed Roger Rabbit is often considered his best film next to Back to the Future, which many (including myself) would say is his best work. I’ve heard many film buffs reference the craft behind Roger Rabbit, the quality which still holds up to this day, and just the originality behind it. As a huge Looney Tunes fan, it’s weird and disappointing I haven’t seen it yet.

2. Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie (2014)

If you aren’t familiar with The Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN) web series, then chances are you don’t know anything about this independently-produced feature film. If you do know about AVGN and are a fan, then you might understand why it’s unacceptable that I haven’t seen this. AVGN creator James Rolfe created this film with his long-time friend Kevin Finn using fan donations, and made the film specifically for his dedicated fan base. I’ve heard mixed to positive things about AVGN: The Movie, but as a huge fan not only of the web series, but of everything Rolfe does, I feel bad that I haven’t yet bought the blu ray, which has been available since November of last year. I’ve been planning to buy it ever since the release, but even so, as a fan, I feel like I’ve let Mr. Rolfe down. I will rectify this as soon as humanly possible, for The F**kin'  Nerd! 

1. Blade Runner (1982)

This is by far the one movie I’m most embarrassed about having not seen. It isn’t from a genre I’m unfamiliar with: it’s from my favourite genre. It isn’t from a director I don’t like: Ridley Scott is legendary. It stars Harrison Ford in his prime, which is a major plus. Really, there is no good reason why I haven’t seen Blade Runner. I felt like I had to go big or go home when it came to buying this movie on blu ray, so instead of settling for the one disc version, I waited and planned on buying the five disc complete collector’s edition. When I was finally ready to purchase it, I discovered that version was discontinued. Discouraged, I didn’t bother getting the single disc and have decided to wait until I come across the five disc version online or in store. The fact that I haven’t seen what is widely considered one of the greatest sci-fi films ever saddens me as much as I’m sure it saddens you.

Ten Most Anticipated Movies of 2015: C.C.C. Issue #36

Top Ten Most Anticipated Movies of 2015

2015 is on the horizon, and there are some huge movies due for release in the New Year. Exciting remakes, intriguing originals, but most exciting of all, are some of the sequels. Will they deliver? Will they disappoint? Only time will tell.

10. The Jungle Book

First off is another one of Disney’s live-action remakes. This year we got Maleficent, and next year we’ll be getting Pan and Cinderella as well. There are a few reasons I’m most excited about this film, mainly because the original animated Jungle Book is one of my favourite Disney films ever, and it’s been long enough since its release that I don’t mind seeing a new spin on Rudyard Kipling’s source novel. It’s from director Jon Favreau, who brought us Iron Man and set the tone for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe with that first film. Clearly he has a good handle on visual effects and action, and with the advances in motion capture technology, I can’t wait to see characters like Baloo the Bear, Shere Khan the Tiger, and King Louie the Orangutan come to life. And what a cast to bring these characters to life! Christopher Walken, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Kingsley, and many more are set to star. I haven’t seen any trailers or heard anything more than the cast list, but knowing the source material and who is involved is enough to make me seriously intrigued. The Jungle Book is set to be released October 9^th.

9. Terminator Genisys

This movie should be way closer to the top of my list, but there are two reasons it’s not. 1: 2015 is filled with THAT many big movies. Terminator, though one of my all-time favourite film franchises, is just not as important as some others this year. 2: history repeats itself. What I mean by that is, I haven’t seen a truly good Terminator film since T2: Judgement Day. Terminator 3 was terrible, despite what some people say, and Terminator Salvation, though an improvement in some ways, was even worse in others. It’s obvious the studio doesn’t know what to do with Terminator anymore, because (judging from the trailer) this new movie is trying to be a sort-of-reboot/remake by going back to events from previous films, while also showing us things we never saw before that still happened, like the future war, time travel, etc. and also changing the timeline and altering events. Regardless of how this new film turns out, I’m going to be in that theater seat opening night, because it’s still Terminator, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is back, and I just hope it turns out to be at least a fun time. Terminator Genisys comes out July 1^st.

8. In the Heart of the Sea

Chris Hemsworth takes a break from defending Asgard as Thor to pick up a harpoon and hunt down a giant white whale in Ron Howard’s latest film epic, based on a story that inspired Moby Dick, not the actual novel Moby Dick. This film is an adaptation of the novel of the same name that details the sinking of the whaling ship Essex when it was attacked by a giant sperm whale. It’s cool that instead of doing just a remake/retelling of Moby Dick, the filmmakers are actually telling an original true story, that is still essentially the same sort of movie. I’ve seen many film adaptations of Moby Dick—some better than others—but none have managed to capture the sheer adventure and drama of the novel, and I have a feeling this film might be able to do it in a way we’ve never seen before. The first trailer showed off some impressive visual effects, and the poster is what first grabbed my attention. Acting alongside Chris Hemsworth is Cillian Murphy, who is reliably excellent as well. It sounds like this could shape up to be one of the most epic sea-faring films in quite some time. In the Heart of the Sea comes out March 15^th.

7. Ant-Man

Marvel proved to everyone in 2014 that tertiary superheroes can still pull off their own films without the help of other big name heroes or connections to other films. Guardians of the Galaxy seemed like a big risk when it was first announced, but after seeing how successful it was, Ant-Man seems like less of a gamble and more of a sure thing. It was disappointing to hear Edgar Wright, who worked on the script and was attached to direct, left the project, but then they got another director, the lesser known Peyton Reid, to take over, and the reason Wright left was because Marvel wanted the film to have stronger ties to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is what fans (including me) want to see anyway. Ant-Man has been described as a heist film, and that has me very intrigued. Captain America: The Winter Solider was a spy thriller, Guardians of the Galaxy was a space adventure, and now Ant-Man is going to be something completely different once again. Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, both newcomers to superhero films, will both be playing Ant-Man, and I can’t wait to see them interact. Coming off the heels of another huge Marvel film (which I will discuss soon) and finishing off Phase Two, there’s a lot of anticipation that I hope Ant-Man can live up to. Ant-Man comes out July 17^th.

6. Crimson Peak

This one I know pretty much nothing about. Here’s what I do know. It’s from Director/co-writer Guillermo Del Toro, visionary director who brought us Pan’s Labyrinth, both Hellboy films, Pacific Rim, and co-created the FX series The Strain. This latest project of his is a horror film, set in a creepy mansion. Del Toro has proven again and again that he knows how to do horror, so it’s exciting to see him return to a genre he has such a passion for. The cast includes Tom Hiddleston, famous for playing Loki in Thor and The Avengers, and I’m excited to see him do something different from Loki, because even though he is great in that role, I think he’s really talented and has a lot more to offer. I can’t wait to see a poster, a trailer, or any promotional material, but most of all, I can’t wait to see a horror movie in October that I’m actually excited about. Crimson Peak is due to be released October 16^th.  

5. The Hateful Eight

Here’s yet another one I know almost nothing about. The important thing to know is this is Quentin Tarantino’s next film. Do I even need to say more? Okay I’ll say a bit more. It’s another western, just like Tarantino’s last film, Django Unchained, which is one of my favourite films he has done. The cast was excellent, especially Leonardo Dicaprio as an evil plantation owner and Christoph Waltz as Django’s teacher. The cast for The Hateful Eight is insane. Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Bruce Dern, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Channing Tatum, and many more. There was something about a script being leaked online and changes being made to the script and a possibility of it being pushed to a later release date, but I haven’t looked into any of that crap. All I care about it that this movie get released in 2015 so I can see it and enjoy the hell out of it. The Hateful Eight is slated to be released November 13^th. 

4. Chappie

Director Neil Blomkamp grabbed everyone’s attention with 2009’s box office and critical hit, District 9. Hailed as one of the best sci-fi films in many years, Blomkamp was put on the map, but his follow up, last year’s Elysium, didn’t impress everyone quite the same way. I for one really enjoyed both Elysium and District 9, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store with Chappie. The story is about a robot, played by Sharlto Copley who was in both of Blomkamp’s previous films, which is gifted with human-like intelligence, but gets captured by gang members. I don’t know much more than that about the plot. The trailer has a mix of humour and seriousness, which I hope plays out in the film, because I loved the dark humour in District 9, and I thought it was lacking a little in Elysium. The visual effects look every bit as great as I expected them to look, and the similarities in design between Chappie himself and the robots from Elysium make me wonder if the two films might be connected in some way. Elysium was set in 2154, and Chappie is set closer to the present. There’s been nothing to confirm this, it’s just me speculating. We will see how it all plays out when Chappie hits theaters on March 6^th.

3. Jurassic World

I wrote a huge prediction article on this film back in November, so check that out for more of my thoughts on Jurassic World. This is not a remake or reboot of the Jurassic Park franchise as many have suspected. This takes place after the first Jurassic Park films, but this time around the park succeeds and people love it. Until they get tired of it. So the scientists start splicing dino DNA to make new nightmarish creatures, and then things go bad. I’m not sure how this story will play out, I’m not sure if the cgi will look better in the final movie than it did in the first trailer, I’m not sure if Chris Pratt is going to be as awesome in the lead role as he was in Guardians of the Galaxy, I’m not sure if director Colin Trevorrow can manage the reboot-ish film to one of the biggest movie franchises ever. I’m not sure about a lot of things regarding this film, but what I am sure about, is I want to see people running away from dinosaurs that are trying to eat them and dinosaurs that are new and scary and captivating and trying to kill each other and running through a park that actually has lots of potential victims in it. Of all the movies coming out in 2015, this is the one I want to like the most, but it’s also the one I’m most worried about and most skeptical of. Jurassic World hits theaters June 12^th.

2. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Just like last year, both of Marvel Studios’ releases are on my most anticipated list. Phase One ended on a foundation shattering high note with The Avengers back in 2012, bringing together the biggest superhero team ever in one movie and becoming the third highest grossing film of all time. The expectations for the second Avengers team up, as well as the second to last Phase Two film, are insanely high. Everyone is back—Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Nick Fury, Black Widow, Hawkeye—as well as newcomers Quicksilver, Scarlett Witch, and the Vision, but the one everyone is anticipating the most is the titular villain, played by James Spader. Ultron has the potential to be the best Marvel villain since Loki, and from what we saw and heard in the first teaser trailer, it’s looking like a very real possibility. In fact, that first teaser trailer is one of the best trailers for any film I’ve ever seen (I’ve probably watched it over 20 times) and it only made the anticipation even greater. There is so much that is set to happen—from following up the solo films of Phase Two (Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) to introducing Ultron and the other never before seen characters, to setting up future Marvel films like Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, and Thor: Ragnarok, and delivering a good helping of action, drama, and (hopefully) some comedy like the first Avengers had—only writer/director Joss Whedon could pull it off, and it looks like he will once again. Avengers: Age of Ultron opens May 1^st.

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

What did you think would be my number one, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2? The only movie that I’m anticipating more than a new Jurassic Park film, a new Terminator film, and a new Avengers film, is a sequel to what could be the most universally loved trilogy of all-time. Star Wars is back! Forget the misfires that were the George Lucas prequels. This is the beginning of a new saga, following Episode VI: Return of the Jedi! This is the first Star Wars film made by a filmmaker who isn’t George Lucas in over thirty years! It’s being co-written by Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote The Empire Strikes Back, one of the greatest sequels ever made and my personal favourite Star Wars film of all! It’s being co-written and directed by J.J. Abrams, who rebooted Star Trek with the most Star Wars-like Star Trek film ever! It’s being made with lots of practical effects like the original films were, and not with a whole ton of bad/obvious cgi! The cast is filled with legendary actors as well as up and coming stars, including John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Max von Sydow, Andy Serkis, AND, original Star Wars actors/characters Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker! John Williams is back to conduct the score!  The first teaser trailer was phenomenal! I know nothing about the plot and don’t want to until I see it in the theater on opening night with a full crowd of fans young and old in 3D in IMAX! There is surely no other movie more people want to see in 2015 than the newest Star Wars adventure, and I am definitely one of them. Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes out December 18^th.