Updated:
2-25-05
About
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Key:
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Already Released
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New Information
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Black=Confirmed
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Blue=Tentative
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Red=Rumor
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Green=Fantasy
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TITLE
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PIX
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DATE
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DIRECTOR (PAST
CREDITS)
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WRITER (PAST
CREDITS)
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ACTOR
(ROLE)
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ACTOR
(ROLE)
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ACTOR
(ROLE)
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ACTOR
(ROLE)
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NOTES
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WEB
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The
Punisher
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DVD 9/7/04
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Jonathan Hensleigh
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Jonathan Hensleigh (Armageddon,
Jumanji, Die Hard 3)
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Thomas Jane (Frank Castle)
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John Travolta (villain,
Howard Saint)
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Rebecca Romijn-Stamos (Joan)
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Ben Foster (Dave)
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click
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Van
Helsing
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DVD 10/19/04
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Stephen
Sommers (The Mummy 1&2)
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Stephen
Sommers (The Mummy 1&2)
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Hugh Jackman
(Gabriel Van Helsing)
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Shuler Hensley
(Frankenstein's Monster)
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Will Kemp
(Wolf Man)
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Richard
Roxburgh (Dracula)
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Character from
Bram Stoker's Dracula will also fight Wolf Man and
Frankenstein
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click
Uni
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Troy
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DVD 1/4/05
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Wolfgang
Petersen (Perfect Storm)
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David Benioff
(The 25th Hour)
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Brad Pitt
(Achilles)
Eric Bana (Hector)
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Brian Cox
(Agamemnon, King of the Myceneans)
Peter O'Toole (King Priam of Troy)
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Sean Bean
(Odysseus)
Orlando Bloom (Paris)
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Diane
Kruger, (Helen of
Troy)
Tyler Mane (Ajax)
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Based on
Homer's account of the Trojan War
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click
WB
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Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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DVD 11/23/04
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Alfonso Cuaron
(Great Expectations)
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J.K. Rowling,
Steven Kloves (Harry Potter)
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Gary Oldman
(Sirius Black)
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David Thewlis
(Prof. Remus Lupin)
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Julie
Christie (Madam
Rosmerta)
Michael Gambon (Dumbledore)
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Emma Thompson
(Prof. Trelawney)
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No Cho Chang
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click
WB
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Around
the World in 80 Days
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DVD 11/2/04
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Frank Coraci (The Waterboy,
The Wedding Singer)
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David Titcher (Morgan Stewart's
Coming Home) and Michael D. Weiss (Octopus, Octopus 2)
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Jackie Chan (Passepartout)
Steve Coogan (Phileas Fogg)
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John Cleese (Scotland
Yard Sergeant)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (Prince Hapi)
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Kathy Bates (Queen Victoria)
Owen & Luke Wilson
(Wright Brothers)
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Johnny Knoxville, Rob Schneider
(eccentric hobos)
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Action/Comedy based on Jules
Verne novel,
Capt. Nemo cameo |
click
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Spider-man
2
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DVD 11/30/04
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Sam Raimi (Spider-Man)
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Ivan Raimi (Army of Darkness),
David Koepp (Spider-Man), Michael Chabon
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Alfred Molina (Dr. Octopus)
Elizabeth Banks (Betty Brant)
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Dylan Baker (Curt Connors)
Daniel Gillies (John Jameson)
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vs. Dr. Octopus,
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click
Sony
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King
Arthur
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DVD 12/21/04
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Antoine Fuqua (Training
Day)
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David Franzoni (Amistad,
cowriter of Gladiator)
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Clive
Owen (King Arthur)
Stephen
Dillane (Merlin)
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Hugh Dancy (Galahad)
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Keira
Knightley (Guinevere)
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Ioan
Gruffudd (Lancelot)
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Historical not mythical
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click
TS
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I,
Robot
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DVD 12/14/04
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Alex Proyas
(The Crow)
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Jeff Vintar
(Final Fantasy) and Akiva Goldsman (Lost
in Space, A Beautiful Mind )
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Will
Smith (Detective Del Spooner)
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Alan Tudyk
(principle android, "Sonny")
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James Cromwell
(Dr. Lanning)
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Bridget Moynahan (Dr. Susan Calvin)
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Based on Issac
Asimov works
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click
Fox
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In Theaters |
Oliver
Stone (JFK) |
Christopher Kyle (K-19: The Widowmaker) |
Colin Farrell (Alexander the Great) |
Rosario Dawson (Roxanne),
Angelina Jolie (Olympia) |
Anthony Hopkins (Ptolemy) |
Val
Kilmer (Philip, King of Macedonia) |
Intermedia Films |
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
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4/29/05
5/6/05
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Garth Jennings (feature debut)
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Karey Kirkpatrick (Chicken Run)
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Martin Freeman,
Hugh Laurie
(Arthur Dent)
Mos
Def
(Ford Prefect) |
Sam Rockwell (Zaphod Beeblebrox)
Zooey Deschanel (Trillian)
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Warwick Davis (Marvin the Paranoid
Robot - body)
Alan Rickman (Marvin -voice)
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Bill Nighy (Slartibartfast)
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Based on novel by the late Douglas
Adams
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click
TS
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Star
Wars: Eposode III- Revenge of the Sith
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5/19/05
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George Lucas
(Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom
Menace, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, THX
1138, American Graffiti)
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George Lucas
(Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom
Menace, THX 1138, American Graffiti; cowriter of Star Wars
Episode II: Attack of the Clones)
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Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker/Darth
Vader's body)
James Earl Jones (Darth Vader's voice)
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Ahmed Best
(Jar Jar Binks)
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Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)
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No Luke, Leia, Han or Lando
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set two or
three years after the ending of Star Wars Episode II: Attack
of the Clones
Yoda moves to
Dagobah
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click
Fox
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Batman Begins
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6/17/05
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Chris Nolan (Memento, Insomnia)
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David Goyer (Blade)
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Christian Bale, (Bruce Wayne)
Michael
Caine (Alfred) Ken
Watanabe (Ra's Al Ghul) |
Cillian Murphy,
(Scarecrow)
Tom Wilkinson (Falcone) |
Gary
Oldman,
(Commissioner
Gordon)
Elle Fanning (Barbara Gordon)
No Harvey Dent |
Katie Holmes (Rachel Caspian)
Viggo Mortensen (Judson Caspian)
Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox)
Liam Neeson (Henri Ducard) |
Early career,
Set in London,
vs. Ra's Al Ghul & Scarecrow
Michael Gough will not
return as Alfred
Some Year One elements |
click
WB
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Fantastic
Four
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7/8/05
7/1/05
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Tim Story (Barbershop)
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Mark Frost
(Twin Peaks)
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Ioan Gruffudd
David Duchovny (Reed)
Jessica
Alba
Téa Leoni (Sue) |
Chris Evans
(Johnny)
Michael
Chiklis,
Robert Patrick (Ben) |
Julian McMahon (Dr. Doom)
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Stan Lee (Willy Lumpkin)
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click
Fox
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The Dukes of Hazzard
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7/29/05
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Jay Chandrasekhar (Super Troopers)
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Jonathan Davis (debut)
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Seann William Scott
(Bo Duke)
Johnny Knoxville (Luke Duke)
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Jessica Simpson (Daisy Duke)
Willie Nelson (Uncle Jesse)
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Burt Reynolds, Stephen
Root (Boss Hogg)
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Based on 1979-1985 TV series
Set in present
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9/23/05
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Joe
Wright (feature debut)
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Deborah
Moggach (feature debut) and Lee Hall (Billy Elliot)
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Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Bennet)
Matthew Macfadyen (Mr Darcy)
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Donald Sutherland (Mr. Bennet)
Brenda Blethyn (Mrs. Bennet)
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Rosamund Pike (Jane)
Jena Malone (Lydia)
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Judi Dench (Lady Catherine De Bourgh)
Tom Hollander (Mr. Collins)
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Based
on the Jane Austen novel
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Harry Potter and
the Goblet of Fire
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11/18/05
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Mike Newell (Four Weddings & A
Funeral, Mona Lisa Smile)
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J.K. Rowling, Steven Kloves (Harry
Potter)
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Robert Pattinson (Cedric Diggory)
Mirana Richardson (Rita
Skeeter)
Katie Leung (Cho Chang) |
Clémence Poésy (Fleur
Delacour)
Frances de la Tour (Madame Maxime,
headmistress of Beauxbatons) |
Brendan Gleeson (Mad-eye
Moody)
Stanislav Ianevski (Viktor Krum) |
Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort)
|
|
WB
|
|
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12/14/05 |
Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings) |
Fran
Walsh & Philippa
Boyens & Peter
Jackson (Lord of the Rings) |
Naomi
Watts (Ann Darrow)
Andy Serkis (Kong)
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Jack Black (Carl Denham)
Adrien Brody (Jack Driscoll)
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Ian
Mckellen
Elijah Wood
|
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Set in the 1930s |
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X-men
3
|
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5/05/06
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Bryan Singer
(X2, X-men, Apt Pupil, Usual Suspects)
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Simon Kinberg (none)
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Daniel Cudmore
(Colossus)
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Steve Bacic
(Dr. Henry McCoy,
Beast)
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Hugh Jackman
(Wolverine)(not signed)
|
Jessica Simpson (Dazzler)
|
no Halle
Berry
Danger
room
|
Fox
|
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Indiana Jones
4
|
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summer 2006
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Steven Spielberg
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George Lucas, Jeff Nathanson
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Harrison Ford (Indy)
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Kate Capshaw (Willie Scott) cameo
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Karen Allen (Marion Ravenwood) cameo
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Natalie Portman (daughter)
Sean Connery (Dr. Henry Jones,
Sr.)
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Set in '50s
no sidekicks
|
click
Pmt
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Superman Returns
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6/30/06
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Bryan Singer (X2, X-men, Apt Pupil,
Usual Suspects)
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Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris (X2)
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Brandon Routh (Clark/Superman)
Kevin
Spacey (Lex Luthor) |
Hulk Hogan
Val Kilmer (an alien)
Johnny Depp (Jor-el)
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Justin
Timberlake,
Jeremy Piven (Jimmy Olsen)
Hugh Laurie (Perry White)
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Kate
Bosworth, Keira
Knightley,
Jessica
Biel, Beyonce
Knowles,
Natalie Portman,
Drew Barrymore, Selma
Blair (Lois Lane)
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Planned as a trilogy over
7 years
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WB
|
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Tintin: Red
Rackham's Treasure
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Summer 2006
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Rupert
Grint,
Gregory
Smith (Tintin)
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Based on 1929 Belgian comic strip
by Herge
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DW
|
| Casino Royale |
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11/21/06 |
Martin Campbell (GoldenEye) |
Robert Wade and Neal Purvis (Die Another Day, The World
is Not Enough) |
Rory McCann (James
Bond) |
|
|
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Origin of 007
Set in 1950s |
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2006 |
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Brad Pitt,
Val
Kilmer,
Casper
Van Dien (Cap)
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2006 |
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Gabrielle Reece (She-hulk) |
David
Duchovny (Bruce) |
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Iron Man
|
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2006
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Nick Cassavetes (John Q)
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Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (Smallville
,Shanghai Noon)
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Dylan McDermott (Tony)
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Tom Cruise,
Leonardo DiCaprio (Tony)
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NL
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Namor (the Sub-Mariner)
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2006
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David Self (13 Days)
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Matt Damon (Namor)
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Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
(Namor)
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Uni
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2006 |
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Samuel
L. Jackson (Nick Fury) |
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Spider-man
3
|
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5/4/07
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Sam Raimi (Spider-Man)
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Alvin Sargent (Spider-Man 2)
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Brooke
Adams,
Eliza
Dushku (Black
Cat)
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Sony
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Harry
Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix
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June
2007
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Chris Columbus
(Harry Potter, Bicentennial Man)
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Alexander
the Great
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2008
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Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!)
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David Hare (The Hours)Ted
Tally (Silence of the Lambs)
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Leo DiCaprio (Alexander)
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Nicole Kidman (Olympia)
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Mel Gibson (King Phillip
II of Macedonia)
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Universal
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Uni
|
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Alice
|
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?
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Wes Craven (A
Nightmare on Elm Street)
|
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Based on
American McGee's Alice video game
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click
Mrmx
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Batman:
The Frightening
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?
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Chris Nolan
(Memento, Insomnia)
|
Terry Hayes
and Rafael Yglesias (From Hell)
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Guy Pearce
(Bruce Wayne)
|
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vs.
Scarecrow
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WB
|
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Batman
vs. Superman
|
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?
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Wolfgang
Petersen (The Perfect Storm)
|
Andrew Kevin
Walker (Sleepy Hollow, Seven)
|
Colin Farrell
(Batman)
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Josh Hartnett
(Superman)
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Jude Law
(Superman)
|
Matt Damon
(Superman)
|
On hold until
after Superman
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WB
|
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Batman:
Year One
|
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?
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Darren
Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream)
|
Frank Miller
(Robocop 2,3)
|
Antonio Sabato
Jr (Bruce)
|
Aaron Eckhart
(James Gordon)
|
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Not a sequel
to Clooney film
|
WB
|
Get Smart |
|
? |
|
Steve
Koren (Bruce Almighty) |
Steve
Carell (Agent 86 Maxwell Smart) |
Liz
Hurley (Agent 99) |
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Based
on classic TV series |
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|
? |
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Michael Gordon |
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(Snake Eyes)
(Stormshadow)
|
(Cobra Comander)
(Destro)
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Based
on '80s comic/cartoon/toys |
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Hannibal
|
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?
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David Klass
(Kiss the Girls)
|
Denzel
Washington (General Hannibal Barca)
|
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Carthaginian who invaded
Italy via the Alps in 250 B.C., with elephants
|
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Hannibal the Conqueror
|
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?
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David Franzoni (Amistad)
|
Vin Diesel (General Hannibal Barca)
|
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Carthaginian who invaded Italy via
the Alps in 250 B.C., with elephants
|
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I Dream of Jeannie |
|
? |
Gurinder
Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) |
Cormac and Marianne Wibberley
(Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle) |
Lindsay
Lohan (Jeannie) |
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Original
Jeannie Barbara Eden makes
a cameo. |
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King Conan:
Crown of Iron
|
|
?
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John Milius
|
John Milius
|
Paul Michael Levesque, Arnold Schwarzenegger
(Conan)
|
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
(Kon)
|
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WB
|
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Star
Trek XI
|
|
?
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Jonathan Frakes (Thunderbirds)
|
John Logan
(Nemesis)
|
Jeri Ryan
(Seven of Nine)
|
Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis say "no"
|
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Prequel?
No TV characters |
Pmt
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Star Wars:
Eposode VII
|
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?
|
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George Lucas
|
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) |
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set after "Return of the Jedi"
|
click
Fox
|
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Wonder
Woman
|
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?
|
Joss Whedon
George Miller
(Mad Max series, Babe:pig in the city) |
Joss Whedon
Laeta
Kalogridis (TV-Birds of Prey) |
Sarah Michelle Geller, Mandy Moore, Charisma
Carpenter,
Jaime King,
Gretchen
Egolf,
Jordan
Bayne,
Jennifer Lopez (Wonder Woman)
|
Catherine Zeta Jones (Wonder
Woman)
|
|
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Sandra Bullock
is out
|
WB
|
Email
info, corrections and suggestions!
Ed's
Homepage
Click
Me!
My
Thoughts
Alexander The
Great - Two movies, two iffy directors, two iffy stars. This
could be a disaster. Remember when "1492: Conquest of Paradise" went
up against "Christopher Columbus: The Discovery" and all we got were
two lousy biopics. I hope at least one of these is decent. Right now
it looks like the Oliver Stone version is going forward and the Baz
Luhrmann one is stalled.
Alice - I don't
usually watch horror movies but this could be worthwhile. The game
was pretty cool.
Around the
World in Eighty Days - I really like this trend of making action
movies out of Victorian literature. I can readily imagine Jackie Chan
as the acrobatic Passepartout. So what if the character was supposed
to be French - he was played by a Mexican in the David Niven movie. I
think following Jackie Chan around the world of 1872 would be a
pretty wild adventure. I just hope it's a little more historically
accurate than Shanghai Noon.
Batman: The
Frightening - This sounds like a horror flick. I'd much rather
see Year One.
Batman: Intimidation - This
may be as close to Year One as we'll see as it is set just after the events
in that book. Ra's Al Ghul is not my favorite villain. Batman is most interesting
when he is fighting organized crime in Gotham, not super-villains in London.
Batman
vs. Superman - This was a great made-for-TV animated movie. I
don't think they should attempt a live action cinema version until
both franchises are back on their feet.
Batman: Year
One - This is the movie that should have been made in 1989. The
origin of Batman set amid a Gotham City crime drama. Police
Commissioner Jim Gordon, D.A. Harvey Dent and millionaire Bruce Wayne
band together to stop the organized crime that has infested the city.
This needs to be done in the modern Noir style like L.A.
Confidential.
Captain America - I never
saw the low-budget video Cap, and I don't want to. Now that Marvel knows
how to make movies, Captain America is a natural. I think an origin story
set entirely in the 40's would be best - save the modern era for Cap 2.
Daredevil -
Right up there with X-Men and Spider-man, this is an excellent
adaptation of the comic book. Unfortunately, Daredevil is not as good
a comic book and therefore not as good a movie. But it's still a
treat and should spawn a few sequels. The screen portrayal of Matt
Murdock's hyper senses is visually compelling. But the story is
little more than a string of violent scenes held together with a
so-so love story and a bland crime story. Since Daredevil is a lawyer
by day, I expected more of a courtroom drama. I was pleasantly
surprised by the humor of the film; it lightened the overall darkness
of the character. (B+)
Die Another
Day - To celebrate the 20th Bond film and the 40th anniversary,
MGM pulled out all the stops. This could be the most exciting Bond
yet as far as action and special effects are concerned. Pierce
Brosnan is the best 007 since Sean Connery, and John Cleese is an
inspired new Q. There are problems, however. The story is weak and
the villains are lame (One guy has diamonds imbedded in his face from
an explosion. They look like glittery zits. Please, like he wouldn't
just pop them out and sell them for a fortune.) Also, Bond is held
captive for over a year. The Bond I know can't be held against his
will for more than a few minutes once he regains consciousness. Halle
Berry's performance is not Oscar caliber by a long shot and Madonna's
theme song is grating. (B)
The Dukes of
Hazzard - I used to love this show, but I don't know if it would
work as a movie. It would have to be set in the '70s (which it isn't). The General
Lee
has to be a '69 Dodge Charger (so far it is). Waylon Jennings has to sing the
theme
song (since he died in 2002 they will have to use existing
recordings.)
Fantastic
Four - The last time they made a Fantastic Four movie it was vaulted. That
means no theatrical release and not even a straight to video release. It must
have been awful. But this comic was made for a screen adaptation. A flaming boy
who flies, a guy made out of rocks, a stretchy scientist and an invisible woman!
This needs to be given a huge budget and a tongue-in-cheek script like Men In
Black. David Duchovny would be a great Reed Richards. Mulder was the perfect
braniac-tion hero. His wife in the movie could be his real wife, Tea
Leoni. I am very disappointed with the actual casting, especially Jessica Alba.
G. I. Joe - I'm very
pleased to learn that the 1980s incarnation of G. I. Joe will be the source
for the movie. This was the Joe I knew and loved, and the reason I got into
reading comics.
Hannibal - As it
is my goal to never see a Vin Diesel movie, I hope the Denzel
Washington movie is the one that gets made. If you think it's odd
that these two actors have been chosen to play the same historical
figure, remember that no one knows what ancient Carthaginians looked
like. Some people believe that all Africans have to have dark skin,
others think that Africans who lived on the Mediterranean looked more
like Europeans and Asians from that area. I think the fact that we
don't know means they must have looked unremarkable to historians of
the day, or maybe the Romans were so distracted by the elephants that
they failed to notice that Hannibal was black.
Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - This sequel to Harry Potter
and the Sorcerer's Stone is not quite as good as the original for two
reasons. The first installment had a better story and gave us the
treat of seeing J. K. Rowling's world translated to film for the
first time. Chamber has more intense action scenes but that was never
the main appeal of this series. Richard Harris as Dumbledore really
did look like he was at death's door and each of his scenes is a sad
reminder of the actor's passing. Still a good movie in a great
franchise. (A-)
Harry Potter and the
Goblet of Fire - This book is too long for one movie and the
stars will probably be too old anyway. I will be very surprised if
this isn't a disaster.
Harry Potter and the
Order of the Phoenix - Too soon to say much about this. If it is
made in 2006, Daniel Radcliffe will be 16 going on 17. Harry Potter
will just be turning 15.
Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban - This is my favorite novel in the series and I found
the movie to be an excellent adaptation. Many creatures from the book, such as
Buckbeak, the Boggart and the Dementors look fabulous on screen. Others, such
as the Grimm and the werewolf, did not. Timothy Spall and Gary Oldman played
very important characters and should have appeared earlier in the film. They
could have introduced
them
both
in
a
flashback
during
the
scene
inside
the
Three Broomsticks pub.The scene
in the movie where they finally do show up was much stronger in
the book because the characters were better established. Emma Watson steals
the show as it is Hermione who drives much of the action, especially in the end.
(A)
The Hitchhiker's
Guide to the Galaxy - I wish this movie had been made while the author was
still alive. Whatever is made now may still be good, but it will seem less authentic
and a little bit sad. But I still wouldn't miss it for the mostly-harmless world.
The Hulk - The most
anticipated film on my list. The TV Hulk always disappointed me since
I knew that no human actor could do the creature justice. But I
didn't know how else it could be accomplished. The day I saw Jurassic
Park I said, "Now they can make a Hulk movie!" The look of the Hulk
is spectacular and faithful to the comics down to his purple pants.
Like a T-Rex, the Hulk is huge but he moves fast. The acting is top
notch, Sam Elliot as Gen. Ross is a standout. His likable nastiness
is second only to Ian McKellen's Magneto (from X-Men). My minor complaints include
fake looking helicopters (with the insistence on letting us know that
every soldier survives every crash) and the hit or miss tendency of
Ang Lee to artistically stylize (he shows us close-ups of fungus a lot
for no reason). My major complaint is the score. The usually reliable
Danny Elfman blew it big-time. He gives us a constant barrage of
Middle Eastern sounding music, complete with wailing. In post 9-11
America in a movie where the US Armed Forces are
the bad guys, having the Hulk's theme sound like it comes from the Al Queda top
40 is
beyond stupid. With a better score this would be an A. As it is...
(B+)
Hulk 2 - Though I would
love to see the She-hulk in a movie, I don't think it will happen. She is
not a big part of the Hulk mythos - she is more a part of Avengers and Fantastic
Four. Maybe Hulk 2 will use some of the Peter David material, like Joe Fixit
or the smart Hulk.
I, Robot - I was excited about
this movie until I started hearing negative reviews. So I watched it with
low expectations, and I enjoyed it. If I had gone in with my originally high
hopes, I might have been less impressed. It reminded me of Minority Report
only better. I deem it smarter that the typical action film and more fun
than a hard-core science fiction film, in other words, a nice hybrid. There
are plot holes you can drive a car through, but it’s a really cool
futuristic hover car. (B+)
Indiana Jones
4 - Will this be another "Phantom Menace"? Here
are some more thoughts.
Iron Man -
This could be an astounding movie. People went nuts for Robo-Cop and
Iron Man is 10 times better. Please don't change the armor too much,
keep the distinctive face plate, chest beam, and red and gold
colors.
James Bond 21 - I
think this one should be set in the '50s or '60s and try to recapture
the feel of the old spy movies the way Austin Powers does.
King Arthur - This
is a nice looking film and it's action packed. Where it fails miserably is
as an attempt to portray King Arthur as a real person. The historical figure
they use as Arthur is Lucius Artorius Castus, a roman cavalry officer who
lead mounted Sarmatian Knights. This man really existed but he lived about
300 years before the time of the movie. There are numerous other errors such
as a massive Saxon force landing in the north and sweeping south like a plague
of locusts. In reality they landed in the south east and spread slowly. They
were multiple bands of settlers, not a single invading army. I would compare
this to a movie about the American Civil War where General Grant is replaced
by Christopher Columbus who stands alone against a horde of Confederates
swooping down from Canada. Beyond that, it really wouldn't matter how well
made the film was. (C)
King Conan:
Crown of Iron - Conan is a lot of fun. I don't even care if they
screw it up. That could be fun too. Please no Vin Diesel
though. With Arnold out, casting could be the key to success.
King Kong - The two things that interest me in
this movie are the director (Peter Jackson) and the 1930s setting which may
give it an Indiana Jones flavor. A cross between Indy and LOTR would be something
to see.
League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen - As I expected, Stephen Norrington and Fox totally
missed the point of Alan Moore's brilliant concept. They chose fast-paced action
over building adventure and mystery, cartoonish visuals over Victorian charm,
and moronic catch-phrase dialogue over serious character development. Instead
of creating something unique which could have been a surprise hit, they stuck
to Hollywood formulas and produced a picture that's somewhere between Batman
& Robin and Wild Wild West. (D-)
Lord
of
the Rings: The Return of the King - After watching
the first two films over and over on DVD, I knew that the 3rd and final chapter
would have to be pretty great to impress me over and above the others. While
it didn't exactly do that (I still think Fellowship is the best and Towers the
least)
I
was
not
at all disappointed. Far from it. There is no need to review this other than
to
say,
"Watch
the
other two first. If you love them, you'll love this."(A+)
Lord of the
Rings: The Two Towers - This pales in comparison to Fellowship.
It is just as long but covers fewer pages of the saga. It could have
been called "The Awesome Three Hour Battle of Helms Deep with
Occasional Annoying Interruptions by Gollum." Gollum is not Jar-Jar
bad, but he's close. As was the case with Harry Potter, the joy of
seeing the author's creations brought to life is stronger in the
first film. Fellowship wowed me from beginning to end, Towers only
occasionally. (A-)
Nick Fury- Fury is
Marvel's James Bond. Right now superheroes are in and superspies are not.
The Punisher - Hopefully
this movie will stick to the comic book roots better than the first attempt,
which was direct to video. Already Frank Castle's Vietnam experience has
been re-writen to allow a younger Punisher. I changed the actor's blond hair
to black. I hope he will dye it for the movie.
Pride and Prejudice -
I enjoyed Emma and Sense and Sensibility, and look forward to seeing Keira
Knightly in a starring role.
Spider-man
2 - This movie managed to top the original much like X2 outshone X-Men.
The action was spectacular. One could enjoy this movie for that alone, but there
was also fine drama and humor. Remember how hilarious J. Jonah Jameson was in the first film? He's back in all his penny-pinching glory. I have to find fault with a plot development that seemed to be lifted from Superman 2. Mainly because it worked better in that movie. I also take issue with the fact that Tobey had his mask off for too much of the film. It seemed like a concession to the actor's vanity, since Spidey's mask is way cooler than Tobey's face, and keeping a secret ID is supposed to be a major concern for Peter Parker. (A)
Spider-man
3 - Probably Harry Osborn will become the Goblin. We should see the Lizard
and Black Cat too.
Star Trek
Nemesis - Following the pattern of even numbered Trek films being
better than the odd ones, this 10th installment was better than
number nine, Insurrection, but only a little bit. The Romulans are
the villians, but for some reason they are ruled by a human (a clone
of Capt. Picard). Data also meets his dopelganger in this film for
some reason (No, not Lore, a third android called B-4). I just never
bought the story and found the charm of the TV series to be absent.
Only the action and special effects saved the day. If 11 is
traditionally bad, I doubt there will be a 12th. It's time to retire
the Next Generation crew and move on to DS9 or Voyager.
(B-)
Star Trek
XI - Time for a new cast. I vote for a Voyager/DS9 movie where
the two crews save earth from a Dominion invasion. Seven vs.
Odo!
Star Wars:
Eposode III - Please let it end! All I ask is that it be no worse than the
last two. My precious childhood memories are being eroded. My expectations are
at an all-time low.
Star
Wars:
Eposode VII - While no one knows if this movie will ever be made, Peter
Mayhew is signed to play Chewbacca if it is.
Sub-Mariner
- He's been around almost as long as Superman but he's not too
popular. The movie would be very expensive to make. I don't know if
this is such a good idea. They should just make him a villain in the
Fantastic Four movie.
Superman - This
has failure written all over it. Directors are coming and going. The
script that Warner Bros loves is despised by fans. The casting
suggestions have been ludicrous. And now there's talk of no Superman
costume. This reminds me of the plot of "The Producers."
Terminator 3:
Rise of the Machines - Without James Cameron at the helm, I had
little hope for this movie. But I was so impressed, I'm really hoping there will
be another. Jonathan Mostow obviously has great respect for the originals
and has followed the trend, started by Cameron in T2, of less horror - more
humor. As always the effects are state-of-the-art. Kristanna Loken was superb
as a female terminator and Arnold is always at his best when he's playing
living tissue over a metal endoskeleton. The human characters had the weakest
performances. B+
Timeline - I
have not read the Michael Crichton novel, but I love time travel
movies. And Richard Donner is one of my favorite directors so I'm
very optimistic.
Tintin - My wife
likes this European adventure comic. Supposedly, Spielberg based some
of Indiana Jones on it.
Troy - This could be
another Lord of the Rings.
Van Helsing
- This was not at all what I was expecting. The title character is not Abraham
Van Helsing, but Gabriel Van Helsing. He works for His Holiness' Secret Service.
I'm not kidding - in this movie, the Vatican has an underground James Bond operation,
with robed counterparts for M and Q. The story is mindless, the characters are
boring, the action is frenzied, and the cheesy CGI characters look abominably
phony against the movie's only redeeming quality - wonderful sets. If you go
into it expecting Bram Stoker you will be disappointed to find Ian Flemming.
But if you want to see a 007 parody set in 19th-century Transylvania, then this
is your video game, I mean movie. C-
Wonder
Woman - I'd rather see this than Batman or Superman. Especially
with Catherine Zeta Jones.
X2:X-Men United - I
loved the first X-Men and had high hopes for X2. I was not
disappointed. X-men United joins Empire Strikes Back and Wrath of
Khan on the short list of sequels that top the originals. Everything
I liked about the first one was back, better and bigger than before.
Hugh Jackman's Wolverine was again a highlight as was Ian McKellen's
Magneto, but they had competition this time. Mystique, Nightcrawler,
Pyro and Colossus ruled every scene they were in. Patrick Stewart was
perfect again as Prof. X, and Halle Berry was better as Storm than
before. There were plenty of insider bonuses for fans of the comic
(like Dr. Henry McCoy appearing on a TV interview) sprinkled
throughout, including a major one that I won't reveal here.
(A+)
X-men 3 - Time
for the Sentinels or the Juggernaut or ... dare I dream ...
both?
