In every year, we have at least one movie to highlight each month. Whether it’s during the big summer blockbuster season or the holiday trips to the theaters, there’s always one movie to make the month something worthwhile. Of course, there are other movies that make me say “That was a cruddy month of movies.”
This week, I’m not making a list of my predictions in the film industry. (That would be stupid because the year is already planned out.) Instead, let’s take a look at twelve movies highlighting the year and why you should fly to the theater or roll your eyes and walk away.
JANUARY – “Kung Fu Panda 3”
DreamWorks has not been on my good side for the past couple of years specifically because of this reason. Just look at the title; it’s a THIRD “Kung Fu Panda” movie! I won’t lie and say I didn’t enjoy the official teaser they made with Po and his dad, but I don’t enjoy the fact that this is yet another DreamWorks animated feature that is either a sequel or a spin-off. This film is an eye-roller.
This is where the Shrek franchise jumped the shark. When Shrek hit its third movie, everything fell. It was like watching laborers from medieval times build the best castle you could imagine only to knock it down and say, “Oh, well. It was cool while it lasted.” Starting the year off badly with this film, I guarantee you it will be as good as January gets in movies. This month never really is known for a strong time.
FEBRUARY – “Deadpool”
Obviously, when you’re pitting the most popular Marvel anti-hero against “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” and the second “Zoolander” movie, the Marvel character will win. Deadpool has one of the biggest fanbases in Marvel’s roster and when that clip of test footage from the originally cancelled film leaked back in 2014, the fans exploded.
What made this project even better was how faithful Ryan Reynolds was to making this movie a reality. Because of the public outburst, 20th Century Fox were pinned and practically forced to make this film. While it won’t be his first time on the big screen, “Deadpool” may be one of the funniest superhero movies to date! This is a must-see!
MARCH – “Zootopia”
If you have been on any form of social media (mainly Facebook), chances are you have seen this teaser clip of the upcoming Disney film, “Zootopia,” a film that presents everyday life as run by animals.
While the concept is simple, the style and energy of the film make it hilarious to watch. You can tell from this clip that a lot of humor is going to be blended from everyday life to the actual habits of animals. So, points for originality and the fact that there doesn’t seem to be a sign of too much toilet humor. It’s going to be the biggest movie to see in March. It’s a must-see.
APRIL – “Ratchet & Clank”
It’s been a while since the last “Ratchet & Clank” game was released. The reason why is because Insomniac Games went on to make the animated adaptation of this once incredibly popular franchise in association Rainmaker Entertainment. While usual adaptation tactics are the same old “retell the story in a different format” formula, Insomniac decided to use some notes from the first “Ratchet & Clank” games. The film is NOT a retelling, but a reboot. The film will tell the first story that Insomniac Games created for the franchise before they started the first game.
The trouble on my part here is how divided I am on this film. One side of me is excited about this film. Not only is it a film based on a great franchise from the Playstation 2 era, but the main voice cast will be reprising their roles as they do in the games, with James Arnold Taylor (Ratchet), David Kaye (Clank), Jim Ward (Captain Qwark), and Armin Shimerman (Doctor Nefarious). The other side of me is a little judgemental because of how generic of an family animated film the trailer made it out to be. Dare I mention that video games have a horrible relationship with movies on both ends of the adaptation spectrum? However, I will say that this film is a must-see, but don’t get your hopes up too high.
MAY – “Angry Birds”
Following “Ratchet & Clank” on the divided list is “Angry Birds,” kicking off the summer season of blockbusters. The “Angry Birds” film project follows a similar production as to “Ratchet & Clank” where the creators of both franchises are leading the team but telling different stories than their original work.
The “Angry Birds” film looks to be very enjoyable to watch, but I’m a little concerned regarding the quality. The last time I saw an animated movie with many big names attached to it, it was “The Smurfs” and “Gnomeo & Juliet.” Here, we have Jason Sudeikis, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, Bill Hader, Danny McBride, Josh Gad, Hannibal Buress, Keegan-Michael Key, Peter Dinklage, and Tony Hale. For a movie with its main cast as half of SNL, I’m just a little concerned.
Despite my worries, I’m giving this film a must-watch simply because of how entertaining this film looks. It does look promising, but that doesn’t go without some concern.
JUNE – “Finding Dory”
When this movie releases, it will have been twelve years since “Finding Nemo,” and while most are pretty excited for this film, I can’t help but play the part of Ebenezer Scrooge and consider this an eye-roller. Allow me to put in this way:
“I just released an animated family-friendly film. Many people find it special and it’s given me a lot of financial success. I know a lot of people want a sequel, but what exactly would I do? The film is special enough on its own. Let’s keep it that way."
TEN YEARS LATER…
"Screw it. Let’s take the funny character and give her an origin movie. I got nothing else original for this year.”
I know I might be giving Pixar more of a hard time than I should be considering they released two originals last year that were highly successful (“Inside Out” and “The Good Dinosaur”), but I feel like this film is just a cop-out from making something original again. And when I think of a sequel from Pixar, I think of “Cars 2.”
“But, Ty, what about ‘Toy Story 2’ and ‘Toy Story 3?’”
That’s true, as well, but we’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out when I cover it in June.
NEXT WEEK, we'll look at movies that will be released later this year, such as the new superhero movies from Marvel and DC as well as a look at the next Star Wars flick!
