2008 Movie Preview - Blockbusters

2008 looks like it is going to be a fine year for Sci-Fi movies. I was going to comment on the full list of films that SFSignal has cobbled together from various SCI FI WIRE posts, but it was just too much for one post. So, I am going to break the movies into some basic categories. Today, I am looking at those big blockbuster movies!

If I had to pick a top three, I would have to go with "Iron Man", followed by "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and "The Dark Knight". Honorable mentions would go to "Star Trek" and "Speed Racer", which really won me over with the trailer I saw this weekend. The big disappointments are going to be "Cloverfield" and "The Day the Earth Stood Still".

So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on the big blockbuster movies of 2008.

(Note - FirstShowing.net has a very comprehensive list of movies up. Check them out for all of the gory details!)

Iron Man
(Release: May 2nd, 2008)
Still number one on my most wanted on my list. Robert Downey Jr. is the perfect Tony Stark and Favreau has a great feel for the character. The previews look great - this is a blockbuster!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
(Release: May 22nd, 2008)
It's another Indiana Jones, this time with Shia Lebeouf ("Transformers") as his sidekick. It's basically like printing money. I think the character is fool-proof and there is no way this movie is anything but good.

The Dark Knight
(Release: July 18th, 2008)
The Joker. That's pretty much all I needed to know about this one. Christian Bale is back as Batman, Christopher Nolan is back as the director and if it's half as good as the first installment, it will be huge. A must see.

Speed Racer
(Release: May 9th, 2008)
I just saw the trailer for this before "Alvin and the Chipmonks" (heh - don't ask). It looks great - the racing is fantastic. Go check out the trailer - I instantly moved it up my list! Go Speed Racer!

Star Trek XI
(Release: December 25th, 2008)
J.J. Abrams is in charge of this version. The more I hear about it, the better I think it's going to be!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
(Release: November 2008)
I love the Harry Potter series! There is something about a "Harry Potter" movie - if any version is on TV, I stop and watch. It draws me in.

"The Half-Blood Prince" is the sixth book in the series and continued the maturation process of the characters. The only question is how much the Harry Potter hysteria has cooled off, now that the book series is complete. It's probably a good move to wait until November, since the time should allow everyone to rediscover the books.

Cloverfield
(Release: January 18th, 2008)
They have lost me on this one. The trailer looks like an amateur film. The story revolves a group of people and a monster attack in New York. Yeah, I know the early reviews have been positive...but, I am going to have to really be convinced that this is something that I should see.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
(Release: August 1st, 2008)
Look - I actually like the "Mummy" series of movies. Brendan Fraser is always engaging as a lead and the movies have a nice Indiana Jones-like feel. But, with the real thing (i.e, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"), this just doesn't seem like the time to release another Mummy movie. I don't think Jet Li can save this.

WALL*E
(Release: June 27th, 2008)
This is a nice, futuristic Disney/Pixar movie. It's got a tiny robot (WALL*E) that is really designed to be the next marketing craze. Everyone will be WALL*E for Halloween next year. Sure, WALL*E is a tad over-cute, but this has the making of a huge hit.

The Changeling
(Release: Sometime in 2008)
Directed by Clint Eastwood...script by J. Michael Straczynski...starring Angelina Jolie...John Malkovich. There is no way this movie does not generate some buzz. The story is about a kidnapped boy who is returned to his mother. However, she soon suspects that the boy that came back is not actually her son. It sounds pretty interesting and with these connections, it will be good.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
(Release: May 16th, 2008)
I'll probably end up seeing this, but I am not all fired up about it. The first movie was decent, but it just isn't at the "Harry Potter" level.

The Day the Earth Stood Still
(Release: December 12th, 2008)
This is the remake of the 1951 sci-fi film of the same name. This time, Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly star. FirstShowing says "...although the response is quite negative at the moment, this could turn out pretty good if all the right elements fall into place". We will see - it's not on my 'must see' list at the moment.

Get Smart
(Release: June 20th, 2008)
Honestly, if Steve Carell was not cast as "Maxwell Smart", I probably would have no interest at all in this movie. But, since he is, it will probably be funnier than the original. I'll rent it.

The Happening
(Release: June 13th, 2008)
Director M. Night Shyamalan is back with a thriller about a family on the run from a natural crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity. I still have some faith in M. Night and this might be the one that makes us remember "The Sixth Sense".

James Bond 22
(Release: November 7th, 2008)
The last Bond, with Daniel Craig was actually very good. It's still in the rental category for me - but I won't miss it.

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