Interestingly, this time out I found myself ranking certain films above others due to sheer curiosity and suspense factors - such as Man of Steel edging out Thor: The Dark World. The latter movie is pretty much guaranteed to be a solid, highly enjoyable sequel in the continuing high standard of the Marvel Universe. However, Zac Snyder's dark, melancholy-looking take on Superman piques one's intrigue with its potential success or failure in rebooting this hero's filmic saga.
With links to each film's IMDB page, and some honorable mentions to follow, here is my Top Ten:
10. Austenland
In the past few years, the genre of romantic comedy has fallen on hard times, with each new love-based film tending to be more of a Nicholas Sparks tearjerker (manipulative and tiresome), or a cheesy, thrown-together flick with a huge ensemble cast (based on some nonfiction bestseller or other) than the sweepingly endearing and funny films we remember from the '80s and '90s.
If anyone can revive the romcom, surely it is the woman who basically invented it: Jane Austen. Keri Russell leads a sterling ensemble cast in this adorable-sounding vehicle about a woman who heads to a theme park based on the works of Austen to find true love. With any luck, Austenland will channel some of the plucky charms of 2008's British miniseries Lost in Austen, which used a similar premise to great success. Also - a Jane Austen theme park? Can someone please build it in real life? I wanna go there.
Riding high on the massive wave of success that we call The Avengers, Joss Whedon has won the freedom to do as he pleases elsewhere, and that means assembling some of his most beloved actor cohorts (from Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker to Nathan Fillion) to tackle one of Shakespeare's best comedies. With this pedigree on board, it's hard to imagine this movie being any less than fantastic.
8. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
I certainly hope this is the last year I have this on my "Most Anticipated" list! We fans of Cassandra Clare's gorgeously epic supernatural book series have waited a long time to see Clary, Jace, Alec, Magnus, Isabelle, et al on the big screen.
7. The Host
While Twilight rules the roost, Stephanie Meyer's other novel, the dense and far superior science fiction love story The Host has lingered in comparative subtlety. Even the movie adaptation has thus far been floated quietly in the promotional ether. With a great cast including Saoirse Ronan and Diane Kruger, and Gattaca writer/director Andrew Niccol at the helm, The Host is likely to be a wonderful post-apocalyptic adventure.
Although it's a bit disappointing that Thor director Kenneth Branagh did not return for the sequel, hopefully Alan Taylor will do a terrific job of taking the reins on this reliably excellent Marvel franchise. Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and most of the main cast from the first film return to take on Christopher Eccleston's new villain Malekith.
5. Man of Steel
The casting, themes, and look of the film seem all over the place, and I've been burned before (hello, Superman Returns) by the promise of Supes' triumphant return to the big screen. Yet as a diehard fan of the first two Christopher Reeve films as well as Smallville and the comic books, I would truly love to see Clark Kent's saga returned to its deserved integrity. Director Zac Snyder tends to vacillate between the great (Watchmen) and the problematic (Sucker Punch), so let's just hope this is more Rorschach than Baby Doll.
4. Iron Man 3
Thankfully, the powers that be seem to have learned their lesson from the somewhat disappointing Iron Man 2, and appear to have dialed back the silly and heightened the stakes and tension for Robert Downey Jr.'s latest turn as Tony Stark. With a trailer that is thrillingly evocative in its imagery and emotion, Iron Man 3 looks set to return this series to its former glory.
3. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
I consider the novel Catching Fire to be the Empire Strikes Back of The Hunger Games trilogy. Free from the heavy exposition of the first film, and the desperately sad developments of the third novel, Catching Fire is an absolutely stunning story of survival and love - elements we have every reason to expect will be well-delivered in the movie version.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine had its flaws and its extremely vocal haters, yet it also had its rarely-acknowledged merits, not least of all another perfect performance by Hugh Jackman as the adamantium-clawed, immortally snide hero. When Darren Aronofsky had to step down from this sequel due to family commitments, it was a disappointment to be sure. However, his replacement, James Mangold, is a pretty reliable director who will likely continue the idea of building upon what worked (strong main characters, epic scope) and what did not (cartoon Professor X, confusing and ineffective connections to the rest of the X-Men universe [poor Emma Frost, yet to see a satisfying movie incarnation!], The Blob, etc.).
The story of Wolverine's time in Japan includes some of his most exciting adventures, with plenty of opportunities for stirring imagery. Let's hope this delivers!
The year's biggest gamble of all.
We all know that JJ Abrams' take on the Trek universe has its pros, such as a mostly-exemplary cast led by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto - and its cons, like resetting the entire universe in which the story takes place, or John Cho's lackluster Sulu.
Whether this sequel is a new classic or a total disaster hinges largely upon the as-yet unknown identity of the villain played by the marvelous actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Most Trekkies are likely praying that - despite its numerology in the series, the presence of Carol Marcus (Alice Eve) and some Star Trek II -evocative imagery - this movie will not introduce Khan 2.0. The rumor that Cumberbatch was playing Gary Mitchell from TOS was a far, far better thing indeed - did Abrams let reason win out, or was he unable to resist the urge to tackle a villain who should never be played by anyone but Ricardo Montalban?
As an optimist, a generally hopeful person, and a serious Trekkie, I look forward to seeing what this Trek into Darkness has to offer.
Honorable Mentions: Beautiful Creatures, The Great Gatsby, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Great Expectations, Carrie, Diana, Oz: The Great and Powerful, Before Midnight, A Good Day to Die Hard, Machete Kills, The World's End, Zero Dark Thirty, Spring Breakers, and others I'm sure I'm forgetting. What films are you looking forward to or dreading in 2013? Share your thoughts in the comments!
