Looking Forward (Part 2)

I finally get a break from work to update the blog, hooray.

Movies

The Butterfly Effect- We finally getto see Hollywood's new "It" boy show off some acting chops. Ashton Kutchner plays a man that discovers he can transport his mind into the past to change what he feels went wrong. The problem is that everytime he does, he causes something else to go wrong. Unless I miss my guess, this Sci-Fi Drama shouldn't disappoint, at least not to fans of the genre. It opens Jan. 23rd

Big Fish- From hit-or-miss director Tim Burton, this is the story of a son piecing together his dying fathers life through the tall tales he's told over the years. While it doesn't sound too captivating, I've been told the book was phenomenal, and it seems to be right up Burton's alley. It seems every other film the man does is just pure genius. This should be playing in a theatre near you now.

The Big Bounce- This should be a great film. It has everthing a movie like it should have. A great ensemble cast, a good director, and it's basedon a book by Elmore Leonard. The recent, and truly excellent, adaptations of Leonards books will hopefully continue here, but it could go the way of alot of other adaptations and stink horribly. Opens Jan. 30th.

Barbershop 2- I don't usually go for movies like this, but after seeing the first, I must say I'm looking forward to this. Hopefully they'll recapture the magic of the original. It opens Feb. 6th.

Miracle- Now, I am a sucker for sports films. Nothing gets me going like a movie about any kind of sport. They always tend to be bittersweet, with emotional endings that are always predictable (Especially when they're based on a true story, like Miracle), yet still tug at my heart. Don't ask me why, I just love them. Oh, this is based on the U.S. hockey Team's win over Russia in the 1980 Olympics. Opens Feb. 6th.

Kill Bill Vol. 2- Why? Why when the first was so disappointing would anyone look forward to this? Basically, because it's Tarantino, and with him you always have to have faith. I'm sure it'll be disappointing, but I'm hoping that I'll be pleasantly surprised. We'll see on Feb. 20th.

The Passion of Christ- That a man would go to the lengths Mel Gibson has to produce a film, certainly means it'll be worth looking at. This movie attempts to acurately portray the life of Jesus Christ, and believer or not, I think everyone who does watchit is in for a surprise. Gibson and crew showed tremendous passion themselve in their attempts to bring the film to life, and I'm sure it will be evident. Opens Feb. 27th (probably only in select theatres, as some small-minded idiotic owners will refuse to show it.)

Club Dread- Good comedies are hard to come by, and the Broken Lizard crew (of Super Troopers fame) usually keep me laughing, no matter how silly the jokes are. Hopefully they'll do an even better job with this, their second film. Opens Feb. 27th.

Jersey Girl- Kevin Smiths next film, it's the story of a man and his daughter, and I'm told it's somewhat autobiographical. Hopefully it won't stink, but with Bennifer starring in it, that's a longshot. I'm crossing my fingers until Mar. 19th.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- Jim Carrey stars as a man who has his memory erased, and that's about all I know. I'm hoping that this will bring Carrey into a new light, like The Truman Show should have, and that he'll do many, many more quirky, dramatic roles from now on. Opens March 19th.

Scooby-Doo 2- Say what you will of the first, it was a kids film, and the kid in me loved it (despite S.M. Gellar's terrible performance). As a lifelong Scooby fan, I can't wait to see what the Mystery Inc. crew gets into next. Opens on March 26th.

Hellboy- Del Toro's Blade 2 was one of my favorite comic book films of all time, and I'm looking for his take on Mike Mignola's briliant creation to surpass that by leaps and bounds. From what I've seen, the costumes and effects are spot-on perfect, and I have tremendous faith in the direction. I know nothing of the script, except that Mignola and Del Toro collaborated on it, and it should be extremely faithful to the source material. My only doubt is Selma Blair, I have yet to see her in anything I liked, hopefully that will change. However, the rest of the casting seems to be excellent. We'll see on April 2nd.

Envy- Jack Black and Ben Stiller team up on this film about a man who's jealous of a friend's success. Look for a hilarious performance by both, and hope that the script is as good as the actors. Opens April 2nd.

Walking Tall- Based on the story of a man who takes the mantle of Sheriff and attempts to clean up his home town, this Dwayne Johnson (WWE's The Rock) vehicle will be a fun film most assuredly. Johnson's got on screen charisma that hasn't been seen since action films like Die Hard and Beverly Hills Cop. It won't change the face of movie making by any means, but it will be entertaining. Opens April 9th.

The Punisher- With an R rating, Marvel's hoping it can do what it did with the Blade films, bring a different crowd into the fold, this time the "action-junkie" as opposed to the "goths". Hopefully the movie will be pretty decent just the same. Opens April 16th.

Van Helsing- Hugh Jackman stars as the legendary vampire hunter in yet another take of the mythos. The casting looks solid, and the special effects might be pretty great, so as long as the script and director don't come up short, this one might be worth your time. Opens May 7th.

Troy- The Story of one of the greates battles in the history of mankind, this film features a great cast, and a proven director (Wolfgang Peterson), and with a solid script it might just turn out to be a great film. We'll see on May 14th.

Shrek 2- This one's a no-brainer. The first film kept me in stitches, and this one will likely do the same. Opens May 21st.

The Day After Tomorrow- The next "disaster" flick may not suck as bad as those in the last few years. It still won't be a great movie, just better than all the rest. Opens May 28th.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- If you don't know about Harry Potter, crawl back under your rock. The second was better than the first, and it looks like the third will be the best of all. Opens June 4th.

The Terminal- Tom Hanks star as an immigrant whos coutry ceases to exist while he's trying to enter the U.S. Homeless, the man takes up living in the airport and falls in love with a flight attendant. This Spielberg helmed film will likely be excellent, with a great performance fron Hanks. Look for it June 18th.

Spider-Man 2- Everyone's favorite webhead returns to face the menace of Doctor Octopus! Sure to be THE summer movie, it's a definite must see. Opens July 2nd.

I, Robot- Alex Proyas (Dark City) adapts Asimov's sci-fi classic for the big screen. While I have my bdoubts about the cast (Especially Will Smith) I have great faith in Proyas' abilities. Opens July 16th.

Aliens Vs. Predator- This is one of the genre's most anticipated films, of course so was Freddy vs. Jason, and that film was a joke. As a huge fan of both franchises, I'm hoping that this is an excellent outing. I'll see on Aug. 6th.

The Village- The latest from M. Night Shyamalan (Sixth Sense) will likely surprise you at the end, but it seems Night depends too much on that fact, as the script got a horrible review from a few critics earlier this year. Opens Aug. 6th.

Blade: Trinity- The final film of the Blade series hopefully won't disappoint. I know almost nothing about the plot, but it's a vampire movie, so it probably doesn't have too many surprises. Opens Aug. 13th.

That about wraps it up for all of the releases I'm certain of. I'll be back tomorrow with Part 3! Enjoy.