For the better part of 15 years, Pixar had been the most acclaimed animation studio in the business; picking up the reigns from Disney who had dropped the ball starting in the late 90s and early 2000s. But starting in 2010 with "Tangled," Disney managed to find the magic again. Followed up by "Wreck-it-Ralph," "Frozen," and "Big Hero 6," Disney animation is at the best they've been for years. And their upcoming film "Zootopia" is looking to yet another great installment in their stoic filmography. A comedic mystery taking place in a world inhabited only by animals, this movie first made waves with an extraordinarily funny trailer released a few months ago. "Zootopia" looks very promising and really could be another feather in the hat of Disney; and as long as they make it appealing to all audiences and not just for kids, this is shaping up to be one of my favorite movies of the year.
Since the early 90s, Richard Linklater has established himself as one of America's stand out directors. With great films like "Slacker," Waking Life," "School of Rock," and "Bernie" under his belt, as well as the universally acclaimed "Before" trilogy and masterpiece "Boyhood," Linklater stands high above most other directors working. But despite how good all those movies are, his most popular and culturally influential film would be the 90s classic "Dazed and Confused." A beloved stoner comedy, "Dazed and Confused" managed to launch the careers of actors like Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Matthew McConaughey, and more. Despite how much people loved the film, fans never saw a sequel, but in 2016 they will be getting the next best thing. Linklater has said that "Everybody Wants Some" will act as a spiritual successor to the aforementioned film, and follows the lives of some college students during their freshman year. Linklater is one of those directors that I have full faith and confidence in; and considering how much he loves his movies, I doubt he would make a successor to his most well known film unless he knew it would be great.
Since 2008's "Iron Man," Disney has taken over the movie industry with the insanely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe; with the 12 films in the series grossing just over nine billion dollars, making it the highest grossing film franchise. While receptions towards some were lukewarm, others were met with much acclaim; and many will argue that the best in the entire franchise would be "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." Praised for its action, writing, and characters, "The Winter Soldier" was noted for working as a spy thriller as well as superhero movie. Now two years later it gets a sequel, one that will follow one of the most important story lines in any Marvel comic. "Captain America: Civil War" is set to revolve around the conflicting ideologies of Captain America and Iron Man, regarding the roles of superheroes in the world and whether they are entitled to privacy or should be forced to identify themselves. "Civil War" is shaping up to comic book nerd's wet dream, and will introduce several new characters to the MCU. Topping "The Winter Soldier" as the best Marvel movie is a tall order, but if any of the upcoming movies can do it I suspect it will be this one.
Given that this a "Star Wars" movie, you'd think that "Rogue One" would top this list; but the only reason it's not is because we've seen almost nothing from it other than a few set photos, which is a bit surprising. "The Force Awakens" had a teaser trailer released over a year before its release, but less than a year out not much is known of this movie besides the plot. "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" follows a small group of Rebels that steal the plans for the death star from the Empire. "Rogue One" is the first of the upcoming spin-off films in the series, taking place right before the events of "A New Hope." What has me so excited is that we might actually see some familiar faces; I've heard rumors that Darth Vader might make an appearance. I guess my only reservation about the film would be the director, Gareth Edwards. Edwards is most well known for directing 2014's "Godzilla," while I enjoyed it I wouldn't exactly call it a modern classic. It's really going to come down to the screenplay, as long as it's good I think Edwards can pull it off. All I know is that I am excited to see a "Star Wars" movie that actually sounds like it will be a war movie.
If I were to list out the best directing duos to ever step behind a camera, Joel and Ethan Coen would undoubtedly top that list. Noted for films like "No Country for Old Men," "Fargo," "The Big Lebowski," "True Grit," and several more, many consider them to be some of the best directors of all time. So why would there ever not be excited for one of their new movies? "Hail, Caesar!" is about a movie producer who needs to track down the star of his studios new movie after being kidnapped, so he recruits so help from other stars to get the job done. While I am excited for this movie believing that it will be good, I am still very hesitant about it. The Coen Brothers might be great directors, but have some shaky history with comedies; some of their more questionable directed movies include "Burn After Reading" and "The Ladykillers," plus several writing credits for other bad movies. But I will give them the benefit of the doubt, because when they make a good comedy they usually nail it. And after watching the trailer I really think this could be some of their best work in yours.
This might be the least known movie on this list, but I'm willing to bet money that this will be one of the best movies of 2016. Not a whole lot is known regarding the plot other than the synopsis. A father and young son with mysterious powers are on the run from a religious cult and a government task force, both of which are looking to exploit the boy's abilities. The reason I am so excited for this movie is not because of the story but the director, Jeff Nichols. Nichols has only directed three movies, but each one was phenomenal. "Shotgun Stories" (one of the best movies of 2008), "Take Shelter" (the best movie of 2011), and "Mud" (the best movie of 2013). So far Nichols is batting a thousand, but "Midnight Special" seems to be far out of his comfort zone. Up to this point all of his movies were southern style dramas, but this one is a sci-fi film inspired by the works of John Carpenter. Nichols is one of the best and most underrated directors currently working, and I will always be excited for whatever he is working on.
No comments:
Post a Comment