By Timothy Austin
It is no surprise that some of the most anticipated films of the new year are sequels with built-in audiences eagerly awaiting the exploits of their favourite characters. While fans of action thrillers, horror, science fiction and fantasy will salivate at 2012’s fantastic promise to improve on those genres, fans of comedy will be disappointed as Hollywood continues to capitalize on a resurgence in the popularity of super heroes, vampires and all things action-oriented. Here is part 1 of my list of the most eagerly awaited films of 2012:
The Woman in Black
Moviegoers’ obsession with ghost stories and the supernatural is hard to satiate; even the critically panned The Devil Inside garnered a number one ranking at the US Box Office, making it 2012’s first successful horror film. Hence, there is no surprise that the fright-filled Woman in Black is trending on most social networking sites and the trailer is one of most talked about of 2012. Produced by the famed Hammer Film Production company, which is responsible for classic horror films like The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula, the film is also receiving significant buzz because of leading man Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter). In Woman in Black, Radcliffe must fend off a vengeful spirit haunting a village torn apart by a series of inexplicable accidents and suicides. The trailer promises a truly scream-inducing cinematic experience. I have to admit that I am thoroughly excited by the trailer as Radcliffe appears in scenes of intense fright as he attempts to solve the terrifying appearances of the woman in black. The trailer is intriguing with the ghostly voice of a young girl reciting a poem about the woman in black, while visually there are photographs of people with their eyes missing, Radcliffe clenching in horror, and a truly cringe-inducing shot in which Radcliffe appears to be staring through a dirty window unaware that there is a dark figure standing behind him with her eyes missing. With such a thrilling trailer this film is a guaranteed Box Office giant, aided greatly by Radcliffe’s huge teen girl following. One obstacle is Radcliffe’s role as an adult who must protect his son from the demonic woman in black. Are moviegoers ready to accept the Harry Potter star as an adult father? This is left to be seen, but given the enormous amount of attention the film is receiving, Woman in Black is certain to raise the hairs of moviegoers across the world. (Release date: February 3, North America)
GI Joe: Retaliation
A highly successful action film based on a series of Hasbro toys just proves that the possibilities of the Science Fiction genre are endless. Fans of the original GI Joe made it a Box Office smash, despite a cold reception from film critics and the new sequel has already generated maximum buzz owing to the additions of heavyweight action stars Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock, and Die-Hard star Bruce Willis, who will join returning stars Channing Tatum, Arnold Vosloo (from The Mummy) and popular villain actor Ray Park (Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode 1). With such an impressive line up of action veterans, Retaliation promises to be a hit. The trailer includes high octane action, spy-thriller intrigue and impressive new villains. The heroes must now face off against new bad guys Zartan, Storm Shadow and Firefly who are classic villains beloved by fans of the toy line, original animated series and comic books. Fans are already blogging about the anticipated bad guy team-up as well as the return of modern action star Tatum as popular character Duke; Tatum is considered the Van Damme of the 2000s having received high praise from fans of GI Joe for his stalwart performance as Duke. The preview also revealed what promises to be a special effects extravaganza with violent clashes between the heroes and villains as well as fantastical vehicles and weapons. Indeed, due to its huge fan following the GI Joe sequel will likely dominate any Box Office competition. (June 29, North America)
The Amazing Spiderman
The original Spiderman and its sequel, both starring Tobey McGuire as the “webslinger”, enjoyed giant financial success and the adoration of comic book fans. However, the third film was so badly conceived that it completely destroyed the once lucrative franchise. I cannot voice enough how thoroughly displeased I was with this third film which featured a lacklustre plot with Spiderman in a ridiculous dance sequence, over-the-top love story and a truly foolish interpretation of classic Spiderman villains. Not to mention the most underwhelming climax of any super hero film. In fact the film was deemed so horrible, Columbia Pictures was forced to reboot the entire series commencing with the new Amazing Spiderman, which will retell the origin of the superhero’s powers. Starting from scratch, following universal condemnation of the last Spiderman film, was a genius move on the part of Columbia Pictures. The trailer is receiving fantastic praise from comic book fans on several websites and social networking groups as it depicts Spiderman, played now by Andrew Garfield fresh off his success as a pivotal character in The Social Network, coming to grips with his new-found powers and attempting to win the admiration of new love interest Gwen Stacy, played by popular comedic star Emma Stone. The trailer boasts spectacular special effects and reveals hints of a genuine chemistry between Garfield and Stone, who sheds her usual hilarious persona for a more romantic take on the classic comic book character. Casting Hollywood veterans Sally Field as Aunt May and Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben – both fan favourites – is a brilliant move by the film makers, especially since the film will delve deeper into Spiderman’s origin story and promises to reveal as the poster states “the untold story” including the never-before-seen story of Peter Parker’s parents. Beyond this, the trailer hints at a huge battle between Spiderman and “The Lizard” including exhilarating action sequences and eye-popping special effects. It appears that Columbia has pulled out all the stops, including a tour-de-force cast, big budget special effects and even hiring hugely popular film composer James Horner, who has a huge fan following due to his memorable music from James Cameron’s Avatar and the blockbuster soundtrack Titanic. Hopefully super hero fans will be gratified with this new take on “Spidey”. (July, North America)
Underworld: Awakening
The monumental success of the Twilight franchise resulted in over a dozen major releases based on the vampire lore. Capitalizing on moviegoers obsession with blood-suckers is the fourth film in the phenomenally successful Underworld franchise. Producers have probably already assured this film‘s financial success by including two things: star Kate Beckinsale and her form-fitting leather suit. Those two elements alone guarantee that franchise fans will be satisfied since the majority of the series’ success is significantly built on male fans worshiping Beckinsale’s jaw-dropping figure in her leather cat-suit. In fact the subject of Kate and her leather suit returning to the series has created most of the anticipation on blogs regarding this fourth installment. Beckinsale is indeed a major Box Office draw possessing a visually stunning appearance with facial features that are reminiscent of classic Hollywood stars Hedy Lamarr and Vivian Leigh (Scarlet in Gone with the Wind) and a British accent that further adds to her allure. In fact, I can think of no other actress that has so effectively worn a leather suit in an action film. Fans were disappointed when she did not appear in the third film, Rise of the Lycans which served as a prequel before the events of the last two films. Lycans was less impressive at the Box Office than the previous Beckinsale films with many stating that star Rhona Mitra’s appearance in a leather suit could not equal the pop-icon status of Beckinsale. Obviously noting this, producers ensured that Beckinsale (and her well discussed leather suit) have returned for Awakening which finds Selene awaking from a cryogenic sleep to discover a world in which humans are now the enemy as they hunt and destroy vampires and werewolves. The trailer reveals that the humans have also been experimenting with what appears to be a vampire/werewolf hybrid which results in high octane action battles between Selene and several monstrous creatures. Based on the trailer and several clips circulating online the film boasts phenomenal special effects, violent action scenes and incredible stunt work by Beckinsale. However, the film’s success remains rooted in Beckinsale’s loyal male fan-base who will no doubt line up on opening night since as seen in the previews, Beckinsale has never been more sensual in her leather suit. (January 20, 2012 North America)
Wrath of the Titans
Film sites and blogs have been set on fire by eager fans of the 2010 film Clash of the Titans as the 2012 sequel promises more fantastical creatures, mythological intrigue and gigantic battles. I was not entirely impressed by the first film, being a fan of the original classic version from 1981 as I felt the new version lacked the humour of the original and there was the impression that the film makers took the mythology too seriously resulting in stars Liam Neelson and Ralph Fiennes hamming it up as Zeus and Hades respectively. However, there was no denying that Sam Worthington (Avatar), was stoic as the hero Perseus aided greatly by truly frightening creatures and intense action sequences. The trailer for Wrath of the Titans promises much of the same as Perseus must now battle for the fate of the Earth after Hades, god of the Underworld, has set free a new army of Titans in a jealous act to destroy the king of the gods, Zeus. What ensues is another colossal action/adventure that is sure to gratify fans of the first film and fantasy/adventure. Without a doubt the film will be a titan-sized success as the previews reveal stunning special effects, breath-taking cinematography and intense battles between Perseus and some well-known Greek mythological creatures and assorted two-headed monsters. Indeed, 2012 will belong to sequels in the fantasy genre as films like Wrath of the Titans promise the sort of eye candy no avid movie fan can resist. (March, North America)
By Timothy Austin
It is no surprise that some of the most anticipated films of the new year are sequels with built-in audiences eagerly awaiting the exploits of their favourite characters. While fans of action thrillers, horror, science fiction and fantasy will salivate at 2012’s fantastic promise to improve on those genres, fans of comedy will be disappointed as Hollywood continues to capitalize on a resurgence in the popularity of super heroes, vampires and all things action-oriented. Here is part 1 of my list of the most eagerly awaited films of 2012:
The Woman in Black
Moviegoers’ obsession with ghost stories and the supernatural is hard to satiate; even the critically panned The Devil Inside garnered a number one ranking at the US Box Office, making it 2012’s first successful horror film. Hence, there is no surprise that the fright-filled Woman in Black is trending on most social networking sites and the trailer is one of most talked about of 2012. Produced by the famed Hammer Film Production company, which is responsible for classic horror films like The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula, the film is also receiving significant buzz because of leading man Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter). In Woman in Black, Radcliffe must fend off a vengeful spirit haunting a village torn apart by a series of inexplicable accidents and suicides. The trailer promises a truly scream-inducing cinematic experience. I have to admit that I am thoroughly excited by the trailer as Radcliffe appears in scenes of intense fright as he attempts to solve the terrifying appearances of the woman in black. The trailer is intriguing with the ghostly voice of a young girl reciting a poem about the woman in black, while visually there are photographs of people with their eyes missing, Radcliffe clenching in horror, and a truly cringe-inducing shot in which Radcliffe appears to be staring through a dirty window unaware that there is a dark figure standing behind him with her eyes missing. With such a thrilling trailer this film is a guaranteed Box Office giant, aided greatly by Radcliffe’s huge teen girl following. One obstacle is Radcliffe’s role as an adult who must protect his son from the demonic woman in black. Are moviegoers ready to accept the Harry Potter star as an adult father? This is left to be seen, but given the enormous amount of attention the film is receiving, Woman in Black is certain to raise the hairs of moviegoers across the world. (Release date: February 3, North America)
GI Joe: Retaliation
A highly successful action film based on a series of Hasbro toys just proves that the possibilities of the Science Fiction genre are endless. Fans of the original GI Joe made it a Box Office smash, despite a cold reception from film critics and the new sequel has already generated maximum buzz owing to the additions of heavyweight action stars Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock, and Die-Hard star Bruce Willis, who will join returning stars Channing Tatum, Arnold Vosloo (from The Mummy) and popular villain actor Ray Park (Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode 1). With such an impressive line up of action veterans, Retaliation promises to be a hit. The trailer includes high octane action, spy-thriller intrigue and impressive new villains. The heroes must now face off against new bad guys Zartan, Storm Shadow and Firefly who are classic villains beloved by fans of the toy line, original animated series and comic books. Fans are already blogging about the anticipated bad guy team-up as well as the return of modern action star Tatum as popular character Duke; Tatum is considered the Van Damme of the 2000s having received high praise from fans of GI Joe for his stalwart performance as Duke. The preview also revealed what promises to be a special effects extravaganza with violent clashes between the heroes and villains as well as fantastical vehicles and weapons. Indeed, due to its huge fan following the GI Joe sequel will likely dominate any Box Office competition. (June 29, North America)
The Amazing Spiderman
The original Spiderman and its sequel, both starring Tobey McGuire as the “webslinger”, enjoyed giant financial success and the adoration of comic book fans. However, the third film was so badly conceived that it completely destroyed the once lucrative franchise. I cannot voice enough how thoroughly displeased I was with this third film which featured a lacklustre plot with Spiderman in a ridiculous dance sequence, over-the-top love story and a truly foolish interpretation of classic Spiderman villains. Not to mention the most underwhelming climax of any super hero film. In fact the film was deemed so horrible, Columbia Pictures was forced to reboot the entire series commencing with the new Amazing Spiderman, which will retell the origin of the superhero’s powers. Starting from scratch, following universal condemnation of the last Spiderman film, was a genius move on the part of Columbia Pictures. The trailer is receiving fantastic praise from comic book fans on several websites and social networking groups as it depicts Spiderman, played now by Andrew Garfield fresh off his success as a pivotal character in The Social Network, coming to grips with his new-found powers and attempting to win the admiration of new love interest Gwen Stacy, played by popular comedic star Emma Stone. The trailer boasts spectacular special effects and reveals hints of a genuine chemistry between Garfield and Stone, who sheds her usual hilarious persona for a more romantic take on the classic comic book character. Casting Hollywood veterans Sally Field as Aunt May and Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben – both fan favourites – is a brilliant move by the film makers, especially since the film will delve deeper into Spiderman’s origin story and promises to reveal as the poster states “the untold story” including the never-before-seen story of Peter Parker’s parents. Beyond this, the trailer hints at a huge battle between Spiderman and “The Lizard” including exhilarating action sequences and eye-popping special effects. It appears that Columbia has pulled out all the stops, including a tour-de-force cast, big budget special effects and even hiring hugely popular film composer James Horner, who has a huge fan following due to his memorable music from James Cameron’s Avatar and the blockbuster soundtrack Titanic. Hopefully super hero fans will be gratified with this new take on “Spidey”. (July, North America)
Underworld: Awakening
The monumental success of the Twilight franchise resulted in over a dozen major releases based on the vampire lore. Capitalizing on moviegoers obsession with blood-suckers is the fourth film in the phenomenally successful Underworld franchise. Producers have probably already assured this film‘s financial success by including two things: star Kate Beckinsale and her form-fitting leather suit. Those two elements alone guarantee that franchise fans will be satisfied since the majority of the series’ success is significantly built on male fans worshiping Beckinsale’s jaw-dropping figure in her leather cat-suit. In fact the subject of Kate and her leather suit returning to the series has created most of the anticipation on blogs regarding this fourth installment. Beckinsale is indeed a major Box Office draw possessing a visually stunning appearance with facial features that are reminiscent of classic Hollywood stars Hedy Lamarr and Vivian Leigh (Scarlet in Gone with the Wind) and a British accent that further adds to her allure. In fact, I can think of no other actress that has so effectively worn a leather suit in an action film. Fans were disappointed when she did not appear in the third film, Rise of the Lycans which served as a prequel before the events of the last two films. Lycans was less impressive at the Box Office than the previous Beckinsale films with many stating that star Rhona Mitra’s appearance in a leather suit could not equal the pop-icon status of Beckinsale. Obviously noting this, producers ensured that Beckinsale (and her well discussed leather suit) have returned for Awakening which finds Selene awaking from a cryogenic sleep to discover a world in which humans are now the enemy as they hunt and destroy vampires and werewolves. The trailer reveals that the humans have also been experimenting with what appears to be a vampire/werewolf hybrid which results in high octane action battles between Selene and several monstrous creatures. Based on the trailer and several clips circulating online the film boasts phenomenal special effects, violent action scenes and incredible stunt work by Beckinsale. However, the film’s success remains rooted in Beckinsale’s loyal male fan-base who will no doubt line up on opening night since as seen in the previews, Beckinsale has never been more sensual in her leather suit. (January 20, 2012 North America)
Wrath of the Titans
Film sites and blogs have been set on fire by eager fans of the 2010 film Clash of the Titans as the 2012 sequel promises more fantastical creatures, mythological intrigue and gigantic battles. I was not entirely impressed by the first film, being a fan of the original classic version from 1981 as I felt the new version lacked the humour of the original and there was the impression that the film makers took the mythology too seriously resulting in stars Liam Neelson and Ralph Fiennes hamming it up as Zeus and Hades respectively. However, there was no denying that Sam Worthington (Avatar), was stoic as the hero Perseus aided greatly by truly frightening creatures and intense action sequences. The trailer for Wrath of the Titans promises much of the same as Perseus must now battle for the fate of the Earth after Hades, god of the Underworld, has set free a new army of Titans in a jealous act to destroy the king of the gods, Zeus. What ensues is another colossal action/adventure that is sure to gratify fans of the first film and fantasy/adventure. Without a doubt the film will be a titan-sized success as the previews reveal stunning special effects, breath-taking cinematography and intense battles between Perseus and some well-known Greek mythological creatures and assorted two-headed monsters. Indeed, 2012 will belong to sequels in the fantasy genre as films like Wrath of the Titans promise the sort of eye candy no avid movie fan can resist. (March, North America)
(Top 5 Most Anticipated Films 2012 – Next Saturday!)
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