I had a hell of a time trying to figure out how to tackle a list of my most anticipated movies of 2015. I’m not going to take the time to count the number of sequels, remakes, spin-offs, reboots, parts two of two or re-imaginings that are hitting theaters this year because, quite frankly, it doesn’t matter any more. Trying to figure out where a film like Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens fit into a list of most anticipated films that weren’t anything like it was impossible. Even then, how much am I “anticipating” the new Star Wars film versus how curious am I to simply see how it will turn out now that it’s out of the hands of George Lucas and into the hands of J.J. Abrams, whose last Star Trek film was a complete mess?
Therefore, I decided on two distinctions in film, the blockbusters and then everything else. This includes the franchise features, the big wow, gee-whiz movies that will either become franchises, already are franchises or are hoping to become franchises. As much as I loathe what Hollywood studios have turned these big pieces of entertainment into, there are still a few I look forward to seeing, hoping for the best, though entirely hesitant to get too excited.
Three that didn’t make this list, though they may make yours are Furious 7, Jurassic World and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2. My curiosity for the Furious 7 movie is certainly there, though it’s an admitted morbid curiousity and while I’m interested in seeing how this whole Mockinjay mess turns out, these Hunger Games movies have done very little for me so far. Oh, and Jurassic World… What I saw of that first trailer wasn’t necessarily confidence inspiring.
That said, let’s have a look at my top ten and then hear from you in the comments below.
#10
Avengers: Age of Ultron
May 1
DIR: Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon is the only reason I’m looking forward to seeing Avengers: Age of Ultron. Well, Whedon and the fact I thoroughly enjoyed the first one the first time I saw it. The only thing I won’t be doing with this film is watching it a second time. I made the mistake with the last one and it ruined the whole thing.
That said, there are still some Marvel films I’m holding out hope for such as Black Panther, Inhumans and Captain Marvel. These are opportunities for Marvel to shake things up a bit, add a few new ingredients to the formula and possibly do something more than cookie cutter filmmaking. We’ll see.
#9
Crimson Peak
October 16
DIR: Guillermo del Toro
I think it’s merely the title and the fact Crimson Peak stars Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston that has me anticipating this one because Guillermo del Toro hasn’t exactly rung my bell as of late and with Pacific Rim 2 on the horizon this might be the last time for a while I can look forward to what del Toro is doing unless he returns to smaller filmmaking in the near future.
As for the film, it takes place in the aftermath of a family tragedy, as an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds… and remembers.
I’ll be curious to see what kind of rating this one secures, though I am expecting a PG-13, an R would be nice though.
#8
Tomorrowland
May 22
DIR: Brad Bird
Brad Bird hasn’t made a movie since 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, but he’s back in business this year with Tomorrowland starring George Clooney and Britt Robertson telling the story of a former boy-genius (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embarking on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as “Tomorrowland.”
Bird has been working on this one for some time and securing Clooney to star makes me even more interested in seeing how it turns out.
#7
Jupiter Ascending
February 6
DIR: Andy and Lana Wachowski
I don’t know what to make of the Wachowskis’ Jupiter Ascending. Obviously, the lengthy delay is cause for concern, but I have to admit to being won over by the marketing and I’m always up for whatever this duo has to deliver as I know it will be out of the norm. Whether or not it will be any good is always up for question, but I’m always open to something a little different.
#6
In the Heart of the Sea
March 13
DIR: Ron Howard
I get the feeling this could be something great or just a melodramatic Ron Howard movie that lands soft and is forgotten shortly thereafter, but the story intrigues me and I’m really hoping they pulled it off.
In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”. But that told only half the story. In the Heart of the Sea reveals the encounter’s harrowing aftermath, as the ship’s surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive. Braving storms, starvation, panic and despair, the men will call into question their deepest beliefs, from the value of their lives to the morality of their trade, as their captain searches for direction on the open sea and his first mate still seeks to bring the great whale down.
