Most Anticipated Movies of 2008

Okay, so I'm a little behind the curve these days. My Complete Movie List of 2007 is still incomplete (expect it soon) and I am only now, some 36 days into 2008, publishing my "Most Anticipated Movies" list for the year. But hey, almost all of the really exciting upcoming releases won't come out until the summer and after so what's the harm?

Side note: "Cloverfield" was on this list but I've already seen it (review to come) so I can't really anticipate it anymore.

10. "Star Trek XI" (Christmas) - I've always liked the Star Trek movies but I've never been in love with them. The idea of a prequel displaying Captain Kirk, Spock, etc. just as they graduate from the Academy seemed all too Saturday Morning Cartoonish for me. Then I saw "Cloverfield" and the trailer for "Star Trek" and I was reminded that J.J. Abrams is a freaking genius and until he takes a swing and misses, I should both trust his judgment and look forward to anything that has his name attached to it.

9. "Burn After Reading" (September 26) - There doesn't seem to be a lot of information about this film as of yet but here's what I do know: The Cohen brothers are directing and George Clooney and Brad Pitt are starring. Two of the best actors in the business working with brilliant directors coming off one of the greatest movies I have ever seen in "No Country For Old Men." I'm not even sure if this will be similar to the dark tone of "Country" or more in keeping with the Cohen's usual M.O., that being the dark comedy. But there's potential for greatness here either way.

8. "WALL E" (June 27) - Really all you need to know is that in the last 13 years, Pixar has produced between 8 and 10 films and every one of them has been fantastic. Even film critics who generally despise anything that isn't dark and depressing seem to agree that Pixar does just about everything right. It is quite ambitious to go ahead with a film that essentially doesn't have dialogue (the title character is a robot who pretty much sounds like a cross between R2-D2 and a Jawa) but I have every faith in the ability of this studio to turn anything short of a bar of soap into an interesting and entertaining film. Plus, the sound effects are killer.

7. "Iron Man" (May 2) - Iron Man is a comic that I know little about to be honest. What I do know is I am a nerd so I get excited about just about every comic book-based movie. Now, sometimes I am disappointed ("Daredevil" and the "Fantastic Four" series are just awful) but when done correctly, comic book movies are about as entertaining as any movie genre out there. I've always been a huge fan of Robert Downey, Jr. and director Jon Favreau is an intriguing figure as well. Plus, the J.J. Abrams rule applies to this film as well since he is producing. The trailers have shown some amazing special effects so let's hope the story keeps up.

6. "Hancock" (July 2) - I've always been a HUGE fan of Will Smith but he reached all new heights in my book with "I Am Legend." He now falls squarely in the category of actors/actresses whose name alone will get my butt in a theater seat. If the film was about a mime who drinks Cream Soda all day and starred Will Smith, I'd be there (and I hate mimes). Instead, "Hancock" revolves around a reluctant superhero who finds superhero work to be more tiring than it is worth. The great Jason Bateman tags along as a P.R. guy trying to fix his reputation. Looks like it could be a lot of fun.

5. "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (May 16) - One of the greatest series of books in history was finally brought to the big screen a couple of years ago and it did not disappoint. Excellent direction by Andrew Adamson kept the film at its peak and allowed the series to make a strong entrance. "Caspian" is my favorite book from the series and is perhaps the most action packed. It will be interesting to see how Adamson balances the need for realistic, thrilling battle scenes with the desire to make it a bloodless, PG affair. He did a wonderful job with the first film so I am expecting nothing less this time around.

4. "Bond 22: Quantum of Solace" (November 7) - I'm not sure there has ever been a film that so firmly and unquestionably resurrected a franchise as 2006's "Casino Royale" did for the Bond series. After four decent but ultimately unremarkable Pierce Brosnan films that seemed to suck the life and danger out of one of the most iconic figures in film history, Daniel Craig and Martin Campbell brought a fresh approach to the series that rejuvenated it. By eliminating some of the glamour and adding a darker story line and a much grittier leading man, Bond became a hot title once again. I'm going to be completely honest: I know next to nothing about this film and I like it that way. It is the first true sequel of the Bond series and beyond that, I know that Daniel Craig is still starring and that "Casino Royale" was good enough to earn my money for "Solace" sight unseen.

3. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (May 22) - Really, what can I say? The Indiana Jones trilogy is one of the five greatest franchises in movie history and as long as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Harrison Ford are all in, so am I. Ford needs a big movie to propel him as he enters the twilight of his career and Spielberg has had a string of very good if ultimately less successful films since 2002's "Catch Me If You Can." I watched the Indy trilogy recently and 20 years later, these films still hold up against just about any action movie to hit the screens since. It's a safe bet that "Crystal Skull" will be exciting, funny, ridiculous, and action packed while giving movie goers the perfect push into the summer movie season.

2. "Dark Knight" (July 18) - Much like "Casino Royale," 2006's "Batman Begins" breathed new life into a great series that had become a laughing stock in the previous decade. 1989's "Batman" was a fantastic movie that gave the general (non-comic reading) public it's first look at the darker, edgier Batman that had been left behind with the campy TV series. "Batman Returns" was decent enough if unspectacular. "Batman Forever" was a poor effort that could have been overlooked it not for..."Batman and Robin." This was truly one of the worst movies ever, unless you really really enjoy unintentional comedy. In fact, it was so bad the franchise had to take 9 years off to recuperate and revamp. In the end, Warner Brothers decided it was best to pretend the previous series had never happened (wise decision) and start all over. As a longtime Batman fan, I found "Batman Begins" to be an absolute brilliant beginning to what will hopefully be an even more brilliant series. Christopher Nolan brought back the darkness from "Batman" but added a dangerous factor as well. The title character was brought to life perfectly by Christian Bale who might be the best Batman ever. "Dark Knight" looks to be more of the same with an element of fright brought by the late Heath Ledger who plays an immensely creepy Joker. If this film can both hold to and further develop the story and depth that "Begins" brought forth, it could be one of the best movies of the year without even trying.

1. "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" (November 21) - I wrestled over which movie, "Dark Knight" or "HP 6" I was more excited about. In the end, I settled on "Harry" because I'm an uber-nerd who is uber-excited about seeing this book brought to life. "The Half Blood Prince" might be the best book of the series, in my opinion and should make a fantastic film. David Yates, who did a magnificent job directing "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," is back on board and should keep this film moving while still staying true to the original story. I absolutely love the way these movies have developed and grown in depth and complexity along with their audience and I am very interested to see how this film will handle perhaps the series' most difficult subject matter.

A few more that pique my interest:

"Jumper" - sci-fi flick that could be great if done right but will likely be terrible.

"Vantage Point" - an action movie concerning the assassination of the President and the differing views of those who witness it.

"Semi Pro" - Will Ferrell. That's all I really need to know.

"Drillbit Taylor" - Owen Wilson plays a bum who is hired by some nerdy high school freshmen to be their body guard.

"Pride and Glory" - Edward Norton is perhaps the second most underrated actor of his generation behind only John Cusack. He is at his best in gritty dramas like this one.

"The Hulk" - Ed Norton again, this time in an action movie that hopefully will remove Ang Lee's "Hulk" from everyone's memory. Everyone except Ang Lee; he should have to sit and think about that debacle of a film for all of eternity.

"Get Smart" - I loved the show as a kid, Steve Carrell is absolutely brilliant, and Anne Hathaway is one of the best looking actresses Hollywood has to offer. Still, there's something about this that gives me the feeling that it will not be done correctly.