By Jess Bonniwell
Here’s a lineup of 2011 movies that actually look worthwhile:
Rango – An animated movie from Gore Verbinski (pirates of the carribean) about a chameleon (voiced by Johnny Depp) who wishes he was a brave hero and finds out that he will have to be in order to save a western town plagued by bandits.
Release date: 3/4/11
The Reel Prediction: Two thumbs up. The plot looks solid, the humor witty, and the animation beautiful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G68fHZig9nA
Sucker Punch – A young girl is institutionalized by her wicked stepfather. Retreating to an alternative reality as a coping strategy, she envisions a plan which will help her escape from the facility.
Release Date: 3/25/11
The Reel Prediction: Two thumbs up. Honestly, I have no idea what the quality of the storyline of this movie will turn out to be. Bu you can guarantee I will be there at the theatre simply for the ridiculous amount of eye candy that this movie has to offer.
Kung Fu Panda 2 – The sequel to the amazing animated movie with an all-star voice cast led by Jack Black as Po the panda. Po joins forces with a group of new kung-fu masters to take on an old enemy with a deadly new weapon.
Release Date: 5/27/11
The Reel Prediction: Two thumbs WAY up! The first one was awesome and I am highly anticipating this one. Oh, and did I mention that Jean-Claude Van Damme will have a role? WOOT!
Green Lantern – A test pilot is granted a mystical green ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers, as well as membership into an intergalactic squadron tasked with keeping peace within the universe
Release Date: 6/17/11
The Reel Prediction: Two thumbs up. This movie has needed to be made for a long time, and I think that Ryan Reynolds should be able to handle it.
Cars 2 – The sequel to Disney Pixar’s animated hit. Racing star Lightning McQueen teams up with his best friend Mater for an international adventure as they go up against the world’s fastest cars.
Release Date: 6/24/11
The Reel Prediction: Two thumbs up. Should be interesting to see how this one is carried out. Pixar has never failed to deliver.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon – The third in the line of Michael Bay’s alien robot films. The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers’ final battle.
Release Date: 7/1/11
The Reel Prediction: One thumb up, one thumb down. Not so sure about this one. Transformers 2 was so-so. I’m willing to give it a chance. Meghan fox won’t be in it this time, so how bad could it be?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – Part 2 of the last Harry Potter movie. The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemorts final horcruxes.
Release Date: 7/15/11
The Reel Prediction: Two thumbs up. After seeing the first part, I think that David Yates will be able to pull off a good ending (finally) to this 7 movie series.
Captain America: The First Avenger – The story of the Marvel WW2 hero and superhuman Steve Roger (played by Chris Evans… we’ll see how that works out). Also in the cast lineup are Hugo Weaving and Tommy Lee Jones. Joe Johnston, whose works include such gems as Jurassic Park 3 and Jumanji, is the man chosen for the director’s chair.
Release Date: 7/22/11
The Reel Prediction: One thumb up, one thumb down. This movie has a lot of potential, but I can’t seem to shake the last tragic failure directed by Joe Johnston: Wolfman 2010.
Details on the films to be released later this year aren’t available yet, but you can rest assured I will be making a second list. So far, I think the forecast looks promising.
