So, 2015 has come to an end, and 2016 is has begun. 2015 was, as usual, an interesting year for movies. There were amazing blockbusters and indie films, and there were terrible blockbusters and indie films. I experienced the purest joy of my life in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and the most disgusting pain in Fant4stic. A surprising disappointment in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and a surprising fun in Ant-Man. Hannibal ended and Quantico began. Arrow got really bad and The Flash got really good. Chappie happened.
There. I've covered every single thing.
But I'm even more excited for 2016. There are so many films that I'm looking forward to, even more than last year. 2015 almost felt like a filler year, if it weren't for The Force Awakens. So now I'm going to list off the 2016 films that I'm looking forward to, and explain why I'm excited for them. The movies will be listed in rough order of excitement, but that's subject to change as the year goes on.
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
Of course I'm excited for the next Star Wars movie. After The Force Awakens, my extreme love for Star Wars was re-ignited, and the next film we're getting (unfortunately) isn't Episode VIII. Instead, it's a new Star Wars prequel - WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. DON'T PANIC - going back to before A New Hope, and telling the story of how the Rebel Alliance got their hands on the Death Star plans. The fact that I'll get to see that story is pretty exciting, and I can't wait to see some of the things from the original trilogy, like the old X-Wings, TIE Fighters, and stormtrooper armour. The Force Awakens was a great return to the aesthetic of the original trilogy, and I hope that remains consistent with the spin-offs. The director is Gareth Edwards, who directed the 2014 Godzilla, which I really enjoyed, and the cast is pretty amazing. Some of the main players are Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen (AWWW YEEEEAAAHHH), and Alan Tudyk. The only real issue I have is that I don't think that the spin-off films are necessary. I know that Disney's going to keep making these forever, but I wish it'd just be focused on the main trilogy of Episodes VII, VIII, and IX, because the spin-offs feel unnecessary. I'll never complain too much about more Star Wars, but I feel like this could be a book or a comic or something. Maybe even a video game, but not made by EA.
DEADPOOL
I'm more skeptical about this movie than I thought I'd ever be. I think that skepticism was born out of repeat viewings of Man of Steel, and while most of the problems with that film look to have been solved, some are still there. The over-saturation of CGI, weird camerawork and style over substance are my primary concerns, and are all things that have popped up in almost all of Zack Snyder's movies. And that looks like it'll be on full display here, which makes me nervous. Some of the action looks incredible, the performances look great, but the negatives are starting to outnumber the positives. Still, I am very excited just for the idea of this movie, for seeing Batman and Superman on-screen together, not to mention Wonder Woman. And Lex Luthor. And Doomsday. And Aquaman. And The Flash. And others. The idea of seeing these characters together is awesome, but I just wish it didn't feel so rushed. I always hoped that DC would just take their time, but I guess that's just not an option for them. At least they're doing something different, which Marvel definitely needs to start doing. I really hope this ends up being good, not just for my sake, but for the sake of DC movies. After Green Lantern, The Dark Knight Rises, and Man of Steel, they've gotten an extra strike with Batman v Superman. They've planned out quite a bit more beyond this film already, and I don't want that to all go to waste.
SUICIDE SQUAD
STAR TREK BEYOND
ZOOLANDER 2
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Well, it's a Harry Potter movie. so I'm looking forward to it. This is a prequel that's in no way connected to the Harry Potter franchise, but still looks to be within the same world. It's in New York and the 1920s though, so there's definitely a separation there. Something to note is that this movie - and the trilogy it's kicking off - is based on an imaginary textbook. Technically something has been written, but nothing that could be substantially adapted. But I don't think that's entirely a negative, because J.K. Rowling is writing it, so this is going to be the story that she would want to tell. Eddie Redmayne is a great actor, and a good choice for the lead, and David Yates is returning, so the style and feel will be familiar. I just hope this doesn't end up like...well, like every other prequel to a popular film series. You know, terrible.
HAIL, CAESAR!
I don't know that I can say much about this movie, because the trailer doesn't give much away. But it's the Coen Brothers, and they're just doing a fun comedy with a spectacular cast and an interesting premise, and I don't see any reason to not be excited about that.
ASSASSIN'S CREED
The only reason I'm looking forward to this movie is Michael Fassbender. It could be terrible, and that's very likely at this point - video game movies always are - but there's also the chance that this could be the first good video game movie. Michael Fassbender doesn't usually choose bad projects, so maybe Hollywood has finally cracked the code. Stylistically, this movie should be pretty interesting, as the video games play around with time and the synchronization element, so seeing how all of that is incorporated will be cool, and the movie is telling its own story. This movie isn't just an adaptation of one of the games, its doing its own thing, and that's good. My personal stake in it is that if it's good, then I can say "I told you so", and if it's terrible, I can say "I told you so". I win either way.
WARCRAFT
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS
This is more of an honorable mention than anything, because I forgot this movie was even being made for a while. But after that first trailer, it actually looks...good, strangely enough. It looks like they're just having fun with it, and they're incorporating elements from the 80s cartoon that fans want to see. Casey Jones, Bebop, Rocksteady, possibly Krang, and they seem to be resetting the franchise in some ways. A new Shredder, a new Kirai, and a new Baxter Stockman (it's Tyler Perry, but still), so it seems like they're correcting some of their mistakes. I could be completely wrong, and this could still be terrible, but I'm cautiously optimistic for now.
There. I've covered every single thing.
But I'm even more excited for 2016. There are so many films that I'm looking forward to, even more than last year. 2015 almost felt like a filler year, if it weren't for The Force Awakens. So now I'm going to list off the 2016 films that I'm looking forward to, and explain why I'm excited for them. The movies will be listed in rough order of excitement, but that's subject to change as the year goes on.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
This is my most anticipated movie of 2016 right now. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is, in my opinion, the best Marvel film, so I was always going to look forward to a third. With the Russo brothers back, throwing most of the Avengers in there, and tackling the Civil War storyline, I don't see a lot of ways that this could go wrong. I was actually more excited for this movie than I was about Age of Ultron, and the only slight concern I have is that this movie might have too much going on. But I don't even think that could be a real problem, because by making it a Captain America movie, more of the focus will be on him. I'm very excited to see what does happen here, to see how and why different characters choose sides, to see if sides might change, and to see the introductions of characters like Black Panther and Spider-Man. I'm pretty sure this movie will have a huge, significant event - probably the death of someone important - and I hope there is, because Marvel needs to do something huge to kick off Phase 3, after 2015's films were just kind of okay. The action, the drama, the story; I just hope that it lives up to expectations.
Of course I'm excited for the next Star Wars movie. After The Force Awakens, my extreme love for Star Wars was re-ignited, and the next film we're getting (unfortunately) isn't Episode VIII. Instead, it's a new Star Wars prequel - WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. DON'T PANIC - going back to before A New Hope, and telling the story of how the Rebel Alliance got their hands on the Death Star plans. The fact that I'll get to see that story is pretty exciting, and I can't wait to see some of the things from the original trilogy, like the old X-Wings, TIE Fighters, and stormtrooper armour. The Force Awakens was a great return to the aesthetic of the original trilogy, and I hope that remains consistent with the spin-offs. The director is Gareth Edwards, who directed the 2014 Godzilla, which I really enjoyed, and the cast is pretty amazing. Some of the main players are Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen (AWWW YEEEEAAAHHH), and Alan Tudyk. The only real issue I have is that I don't think that the spin-off films are necessary. I know that Disney's going to keep making these forever, but I wish it'd just be focused on the main trilogy of Episodes VII, VIII, and IX, because the spin-offs feel unnecessary. I'll never complain too much about more Star Wars, but I feel like this could be a book or a comic or something. Maybe even a video game, but not made by EA.
DOCTOR STRANGE
The other Marvel movie of 2016 is Doctor Strange, which to me is one of the most interesting upcoming Marvel properties. Well, for one, Benedict Cumberbatch is starring, and that's enough to get me hyped. But this movie is also going to be introducing magic into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and what the MCU needs right now is something new. I'm interested to see how many doors this movie opens for the larger universe. I know that magic and the multiverse are coming into play, but that could also mean demons, Hel, other dimensions, all sorts of weird crap. We got a glimpse of the Quantum Realm at the end of Ant-Man, and Kevin Feige has said that there will be a sequence in Doctor Strange that's a weird, trippy visit through the multiverse, and that idea is very cool. So far, everything they've released about the film has looked straight out of the comic books, and that's really the only way to execute this property. There's no dark and gritty version of Doctor Strange that I can imagine. There's also a pretty amazing supporting cast, with actors like Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams and MADS MIKKELSEN (THIS MAN IS NOW IN EVERYTHING I LOVE). Like with Civil War, I hope Marvel does some new things with this film, and I hope that Cumberbatch sticks around as a main player for the future of the MCU.
X-MEN: APOCALYPSE
After First Class and Days of Future Past, the X-Men film franchise came back in a big way, and made me much more interested in Apocalypse. For one, Apocalypse is played by Oscar Isaac, who I love. But he also presents a much different threat than we usually see in the X-Men films. The X-Men films usually end in a smaller-scale conflict, never really a city getting destroyed or anything like that. But this one is definitely going to, and seeing the X-Men go to all-out war is something that I really want to see. It's also going to be interesting to see how the Horsemen of Apocalypse come into play, because Michael Fassbender's Magneto is my favourite character in the series, so I'm interested in how his story evolves in this. We'll also be seeing the return of Jean Grey, Cyclops, Storm, and Nightcrawler, but younger and probably revamped, and the introduction of characters like Archangel and Psylocke. Overall, like Days of Future Past, I'm just excited to see more X-Men, and excited to see what repercussions that this film will have on the future of the franchise. There's going to be two other X-Men films this year as well, so who knows how they'll be affected.
DEADPOOL
This movie probably has the best marketing of any upcoming comic book movie, which has greatly helped me in my excitement. I still have some reservations, mainly because Deadpool is a character that's better in small doses, and his shtick just gets old for me. But besides that concern, I love how this movie looks. In terms of being a subversive comic book movie, it's doing everything it can to show its unique ideas. The humor, the over-the-top action, the characters, and above all, embracing the fun of the comics. I was pretty much sold on this movie when they released the first pictures of the costume. The fact that they're making it so visually accurate from the comics was a great first step to show that they aren't taking any shortcuts. We're getting a perfect Colossus also, and Negasonic Teenage Warhead looks fun, although the villains don't look that memorable. But the heroes are what I'm excited to see, and also how this connects to the rest of the X-Men movie universe. The X-Men films so far are very different from Deadpool, so seeing those links will be very interesting, and probably hilarious. I really hope it ends up being a success, because it'll open the gates for many more R-rated superhero films, which will only lead to more variety in the genre.
BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICEI'm more skeptical about this movie than I thought I'd ever be. I think that skepticism was born out of repeat viewings of Man of Steel, and while most of the problems with that film look to have been solved, some are still there. The over-saturation of CGI, weird camerawork and style over substance are my primary concerns, and are all things that have popped up in almost all of Zack Snyder's movies. And that looks like it'll be on full display here, which makes me nervous. Some of the action looks incredible, the performances look great, but the negatives are starting to outnumber the positives. Still, I am very excited just for the idea of this movie, for seeing Batman and Superman on-screen together, not to mention Wonder Woman. And Lex Luthor. And Doomsday. And Aquaman. And The Flash. And others. The idea of seeing these characters together is awesome, but I just wish it didn't feel so rushed. I always hoped that DC would just take their time, but I guess that's just not an option for them. At least they're doing something different, which Marvel definitely needs to start doing. I really hope this ends up being good, not just for my sake, but for the sake of DC movies. After Green Lantern, The Dark Knight Rises, and Man of Steel, they've gotten an extra strike with Batman v Superman. They've planned out quite a bit more beyond this film already, and I don't want that to all go to waste.
SUICIDE SQUAD
I'm having a hard time deciding whether I'm more excited for this movie of Batman v Superman. This movie certainly looks more unique, with a distinct style. The darkness and grittiness really does fit what this movie is going for, which is a lower-scale, more street-level story. The characters are certainly new and different, which I think is a good move. Suicide Squad is probably the last movie I expected DC to make, and with a director like David Ayer on board, I'm sure it's going to be at least good. My main concerns are with the designs of things, especially characters. The Joker is my favourite comic book villain of all time, but what they seem to be doing with him in this movie is...interesting. I also don't like the looks of Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang or Enchantress. My other concern is that David Ayer seems to be convinced that this is going to be the best comic book movie ever, and if it's not, then he's going t look like an idiot. Maybe that's just him really getting into the project, but it makes him look pretty conceited, and him devaluing all other comic book films doesn't seem like the best move before the movie even comes out. There's a new trailer coming soon, so hopefully that'll give a better look at this movie, but for now, I'll just stay neutral.
STAR TREK BEYOND
Despite the first trailer being pretty bad, I'm still looking forward to this movie. It's kind of funny that I'm so worried about movies letting me down, and this is the one that's most likely to. I really enjoy the first two Star Trek reboot films by JJ Abrams, but everything about this movie seems destined to be bad. At this point, I like this new crew, I like this new world, so this movie is kind of like watching someone hold a gun to a child's head. I really don't want them to pull the trigger, but if they do, I'll wonder why they did it. Justin Lin directing a Star Trek movie isn't exactly the best pick, and I don't even care about Star Trek. I'm sure there's more to this movie, because everyone behind the movie had to come out and say that there was more to it after the first trailer. I'm interested in what more might be there, because I want to see this cast doing good things. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are already signed on for Star Trek 4, so I don't want that movie to be built on nothing. The action looks good, the acting looks good, I just need to see more to make a solid opinion.
I love the first Zoolander, it's definitely one of my favourite comedies of all time, if not my favourite. So the return of that character and that bizarre world is exciting, and I wouldn't have any doubts if it wasn't for one particular movie: Dumb and Dumber 2. (no, I won't justify it by calling it its proper title). Dumb and Dumber 2 is terrible, and ruined the flimsy foundation of that franchise. In general, a return to franchises, especially comedies, after at least a decade, is usually ended with embarrassing results. Zoolander isn't the most dignified of films, but I hope they were careful. So far it looks to be the same style of movie and humour as the first, and if the jokes can land as successfully, the we'll have...probably...yeah, I think it would be the first god comedy sequel.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Well, it's a Harry Potter movie. so I'm looking forward to it. This is a prequel that's in no way connected to the Harry Potter franchise, but still looks to be within the same world. It's in New York and the 1920s though, so there's definitely a separation there. Something to note is that this movie - and the trilogy it's kicking off - is based on an imaginary textbook. Technically something has been written, but nothing that could be substantially adapted. But I don't think that's entirely a negative, because J.K. Rowling is writing it, so this is going to be the story that she would want to tell. Eddie Redmayne is a great actor, and a good choice for the lead, and David Yates is returning, so the style and feel will be familiar. I just hope this doesn't end up like...well, like every other prequel to a popular film series. You know, terrible.
HAIL, CAESAR!
I don't know that I can say much about this movie, because the trailer doesn't give much away. But it's the Coen Brothers, and they're just doing a fun comedy with a spectacular cast and an interesting premise, and I don't see any reason to not be excited about that.
ASSASSIN'S CREED
The only reason I'm looking forward to this movie is Michael Fassbender. It could be terrible, and that's very likely at this point - video game movies always are - but there's also the chance that this could be the first good video game movie. Michael Fassbender doesn't usually choose bad projects, so maybe Hollywood has finally cracked the code. Stylistically, this movie should be pretty interesting, as the video games play around with time and the synchronization element, so seeing how all of that is incorporated will be cool, and the movie is telling its own story. This movie isn't just an adaptation of one of the games, its doing its own thing, and that's good. My personal stake in it is that if it's good, then I can say "I told you so", and if it's terrible, I can say "I told you so". I win either way.
WARCRAFT
Just like Assassin's Creed, this movie could go either way, and that's why I'm so interested in it. I have a lot of faith in the director, and I don't really care about Warcraft, so I'll be happy if it's just good.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS
This is more of an honorable mention than anything, because I forgot this movie was even being made for a while. But after that first trailer, it actually looks...good, strangely enough. It looks like they're just having fun with it, and they're incorporating elements from the 80s cartoon that fans want to see. Casey Jones, Bebop, Rocksteady, possibly Krang, and they seem to be resetting the franchise in some ways. A new Shredder, a new Kirai, and a new Baxter Stockman (it's Tyler Perry, but still), so it seems like they're correcting some of their mistakes. I could be completely wrong, and this could still be terrible, but I'm cautiously optimistic for now.
So, those are the movies that I'm looking forward to next year. 2016 seems to be the year of "please, God, don't mess it up", which is probably indicative that I'm learning to be a little less blindly fanboyish. I think that's a good thing, and hopefully these movies will live up to my expectations, despite my reservations. Reservations are healthy at this point, because the year has only just begun. Hopefully this will be yet another year where film critics say "It was the worst year for film in decades", and then say "It was yet another great year for film". Oh wait, that's every year.
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