Oz’s 2012 Must Watch Movie List

2012 is finally here. After a somewhat mediocre 2011 in terms of movie offerings (stand-outs for me were Thor, Super 8, The Tree of Life, The Muppets and Harry Potter, with honourable mentions for Scream 4 and Rise of the Planet of the Apes), this new year promises to be one that fanboys and girls everywhere will have plenty to talk about.

Now I was planning to do a Top [insert figure here] type thing of my most anticipated movies for 2012, but seeing as everyone and their dog has beaten me to it – the interwebs are a-buzz with lists, must be a New Year thing – I thought I would take a more relaxed approach and make it a bit more personal (which may or may not mean I’m likely to just ramble on and on).

So in no particular order here are the movies that I’m looking forward to the most this year…

The Amazing Spider-Man

Sony Pictures are making a huge mistake bold move rebooting a franchise that gave us its last offering just five years ago in the form of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. In a year that will be dominated by two other super-hero franchises I do wonder if releasing The Amazing Spider-Man this year is such a good idea. Sandwiched between The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, this Andrew Garfield starring film will have to do a lot to live up to its predecessors as well as hold its own against the two big hitters. Having said that, I think it just might - The Amazing Spider-Man could well be a sneaky summer hit. The fact it’s generating very little buzz could be a sign that people are somewhat over the whole Spider-Man thing, but I for one am looking forward to seeing old (or rather, young) Webhead grace our screens once more. And with fresh new faces and a new retelling, it could just be what the franchise needs.

The Avengers

What’s not to look forward to with this movie? After years of build-up and very clever marketing Marvel Studios will finally unveil their flagship movie. The celluloid Marvel Universe has been created, we know and recognise all the main players, and it’s time for them to come together in an ensemble piece that could quite possibly be of epic proportions. Because the main players have all had their own screen-time The Avengers has the potential to be an action-packed, fast-paced, as-true-to-the-comics-as-possible romp without all the pesky backstory on each individual getting in the way and slowing things down. And with Joss Whedon at the helm you can almost guarantee excellent characterisation and superb dialogue. Even after all the hype and the trailers and the leaked on-set photos, there is still some speculation as to whether the Skrulls will be making an appearance. My money says they will be, and I am even gonna go out on a limb and say that Thanos and his Infinity Gauntlet may even be introduced as a possible big bad for a sequel. And there will be a sequel, of that I have no doubt. The on-screen Marvel Universe is just going to keep growing and growing and I can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us both on the big screen, and the small.

Prometheus

You know what? I really don’t care if this may or may not be a prequel to the Alien franchise. I don’t care if everyone’s favourite xenomorphs may or may not be making an appearance. And I really don’t care that this is not the movie that was originally going to be made. What I do care about however is that this movie sees the return of Ridley Scott doing what he does best – making science fiction that has the potential to scare the pants off of me. It’s been way too long Mr Scott. Welcome back. And can I also just mention that this return to the silver screen was considered so epic that the teaser trailer below warranted THREE teasers all of its own. ‘Nuff said.

The Hobbit

Hard to believe it’s been nearly a decade since we last visited Middle Earth. Even back then there was all sorts of speculation that Peter Jackson would be returning to bring us the adventures of Frodo’s uncle, Bilbo Baggins. Then Guillermo del Toro was going to direct, and not unlike Gollum with the prospect of being in possession of the One Ring, fanboys and girls the world over salivated at the prospect. And then Guillermo del Toro wasn’t going to direct – there was a Youtube video and everything – and our hopes and dreams were crushed like a dwarf’s skull under a cave troll’s fist. And then, like the big tease he is, Peter Jackson stepped up and took the reigns. And so, come Christmas 2012, we shall once more be immersed in Tolkien’s world as Martin Freeman’s Bilbo takes those first tentative steps in his unexpected journey (see what I did there?). Not going to lie – when I first saw the trailer below and heard the very familiar Howard Shore music I got goosebumps. That’s how excited I am for this film.

The Dark Knight Rises

[minor spoiler warning - you have been warned]

It’s hard to say whether this or The Avengers has got fanboys and girls most excited for the summer blockbuster-fest. For my part, I honestly can’t say as both get my nerdy juices flowing – but for very different reasons. Whereas The Avengers will be, for the most part, all spectacle and full of nerdtastic comic-book references, The Dark Knight Rises will be the culmination of a massive story that promises to bring Christopher Nolan’s Batman opus full circle and to an end. And what an ending it promises to be. Those of us that are followers of Batman’s adventures in the comic-books will know that Bane is the villain that broke Bruce Wayne/Batman’s back, putting him out of action at the end of the Knightfall story arc way back in 1993/94. Whether this happens in the movie is not known for sure, but Bane is a formidable adversary and probably one of Batman’s most dangerous foes as he not only possesses the physical strength, but also the brains to defeat the Bat. And if anyone has the acting chops to bring this character to life it’s Tom Hardy. We also have Selina Kyle/Catwoman making an appearance this movie. I’ve not been shy when it’s come to voicing my apprehension about seeing Ann Hathaway in this role – it just doesn’t seem the right choice of actor – but I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, in Nolan I trust. And I’m quite intrigued with the whole time-line of the story – this final part of the trilogy taking place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight.

Snow White and the Huntsman

You can’t beat a good fairy-tale retelling, and judging from the trailer this looks all kinds of awesome (with the possible exception of Kristen Stewart in the lead role, but we’ll see). Fairy tales seem to be all the rage at the moment, what with not one but two TV series based on childhood tales – Grimm and Once Upon A Time – and another Snow White movie retelling in the form of Mirror Mirror (which doesn’t look half as good as Huntsman in my opinion but I’ll still probably watch it – not gonna miss Julia Roberts and Nathan Lane hamming it up). Huntsman does boast a good cast – Chris Hemsworth (yum) and Charlize Theron (looking beautifully wicked) heading up the main leads with Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost and Ian McShane starring as some of the dwarves. With a June 1st release date, this could well be the summer antidote to all the super-hero shenanigans on offer.

The Iron Lady

Yes, I know this isn’t a nerdy/geeky movie but I’m on a roll. Meryl Streep. As Margaret Thatcher. All. Kinds. Of. Awesome. That is all.

There are a few more movies I’m looking forward to, but at the risk of making this post one of epic proportions I’ll just briefly mention them here. Tim Burton has two offerings this year – Dark Shadows and Frankenweenie – both of which promise lots of quirky Burton flair. Underworld: Awakening sees Kate Beckinsale back in tight black leather as the vampire Selene and Ralph Fiennes stars in and directs an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus. Chronicle asks what would you do with ultimate power, while Johnny Blaze once more lights up the screen as Ghostrider: Spirit of Vengeance. We get to see the possible start of another franchise with The Hunger Games, and Perseus once more wields his shield in Wrath of the Titans. We’re promised a new twist to an old story in the Joss Whedon produced The Cabin in the Woods, and Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones once more don the suits and dark glasses for Men in Black III. Jack the Giant Killer looks like it could be a whole load of fun, as does Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Pixar’s Brave looks like it could get the company back on track after the mediocre Cars II, and Ted has the potential to be all kinds of awesome as Mark Wahlberg and his foul-mouthed talking teddy bear (voiced by Seth McFarlane) get themselves into all kinds of bother. Then there’s Total Recall, The Expendables II, Resident Evil: Retribution, Argo, Dredd, Skyfall, Rise of the Guardians, and last but not least, Iron Sky.

Bloody hell. That’s a lot of movies.

What can I say? It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Anything above piqued your interest? What are you most looking forward to this year? Anything I haven’t mentioned that you’re looking forward to?