Yep, it's that time of year again! Well, a time of year where I beat everyone to the plate and release the ten (plus one) films I most look forward to in 2016, and with the list I created
last year so far having a mix of greats and disappointments, here's hoping that the latest batch of sequels, reboots, remakes and original films fare better...
Honourable Mention: Warcraft
While I can easily deny thoughts of me being a big fan of these fantasy epics (what with my unorthodox viewpoint on the
Lord of the Rings franchise, and having mostly avoided the likes of
Exodus: Gods and Kings,
Kingdom of Heaven and
Seventh Son), not only does the vast variety of characters and species in this upcoming adaptation - realised superbly by make-up, as some images have shown - but also has
Duncan Jones at the helm, who did superbly with
Moon and
Source Code. However, like I said, it is still a fantasy epic, and one we the general public have seen very little publicity for aside from a few set photos and what was revealed at previous Comic-Cons. But it is still something that I personally am keeping a close eye on.
#10: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Being a young adult from England it's safe to say that I practically grew up during the entirety of the
Harry Potter phase, what with the first book
The Philosopher's Stone being published within the first year of my existence and with the entire series dominating British culture through to my mid-teens with the release of the final picture
Deathly Hallows Part 2. As such, it's that absorption of the brand through both the original series, the adaptations and just how much the homeland has promoted the series for just how big it is for us - one of the biggest long-running franchises and up there with other staples Sherlock Holmes and
Doctor Who - which has allowed interest for this prequel/spin-off to earn a placement on this list, alongside the casting of
Eddie Redmayne (an actor who I was put off by but thanks to his stellar performance in
The Theory of Everything now admire),
Ezra Miller and
Katherine Waterston. However, seeing as I can admit that both books and films of the infamous boy wizard are great but flawed, it is still something to proceed with caution - especially with creator
J.K Rowling making her debut as a first-time screenwriter.
#9: Doctor Strange
Featuring
Doctor Strange is more of an obligation to the indestructible conglomerate that is the Disney/Marvel merger and their respective pictures than anything because they run a series of films which while can often dip in quality nevertheless appeal to me as both a fan of their universe and a critic. And with
Ant-Man a few months back disappointing me somewhat, it's safe to be a little more cautious over their next introductory feature, especially when it begins to introduce specific elements of the supernatural aspect of the MCU. Add to the interesting casting of
Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular sorcerer in a move which I wouldn't entirely recommend for the actor due to how similar it could be to both his Oscar work in
The Imitation Game, his big hitter in
Sherlock and even his mediocre turn as Khan in
Star Trek Into Darkness. But like I said, it is
still a Marvel Studios picture - now a brand for quality that never dips below average nor peaks above spectacular - but it's just not one as much on the radar as what else they have to come.
#8: Suicide Squad
When the first
trailer hit the web many moons ago while still in production, the internet became abuzz over how good it looked, and how both
Jared Leto and
Margot Robbie seemed to be as the supervillain 'it-couple' Joker and Harley Quinn - especially when initial set pictures posted by director
David Ayer led most to consider the picture doomed to fail. And while I initially saw it as DC attempting to beat Sony to the post to their Sinister Six project which now may never see the light of day, photos and casting choices never screamed out much interest for me...and neither did the trailer in all honesty. Oh yes, it did still look good, and I was appealed by
Leto, but aside from that and the concept, it was another case of being obligatory viewing if I still wish to follow the DC Cinematic Universe post-
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. But why above
Doctor Strange? Because we've actually
seen something from it - and not only that stuff which does look good - and it does have a mostly strong cast against the still-growing cast for
Strange. I say mostly though because
Jai Courtney is involved and I hate
Jai Courtney with a passion.
#7: La La Land
There's very little to say about this placement on this list despite having few details known about the project aside from cast, crew and plot outline, which admittedly is a tad generic. My sole reason for its placement:
Damien Chazelle is in the writer's and director's chair. Yep, the guy behind one of the best films to have come out of 2015 in the UK and certainly the best film in last year's Oscar race
Whiplash. For me, that alone is enough to get me interested...at least until we see some footage, or if I ever see
Crazy Stupid Love so I know what the chemistry between
Ryan Gosling and
Emma Stone is like. Then again, we do have
J.K. Simmons involved too in a possible blend between J. Jonah Jameson from
Sam Raimi's
Spider-Man trilogy and his role as Fletcher in
Whiplash. Time will tell, but this is a risky placement on my list.
#6: The Jungle Book
As I'll go into detail in the next instalment of
Trailer Talk, I'm rather against the upcoming apocalypse that is the Disney remake steam train and its rather fast approachment towards nearly all of its pre-existing material, with my full thoughts on the subject being perfectly summed up by this
video. But thanks to the trickle of information released both at
D23 and with the recent
trailer, interest for this re-attempt of a Disney classic has certainly made an impact thanks to how this new interpretation is being presented. And what with
Jon Favreau having a good track record thanks to the likes of
Elf,
Iron Man and
Chef over the course of the last decade or so, it's safe to presume that the film is in good hands, though. However, it is still a Disney remake, and we haven't had a good one yet. This could be the first, but it could also confirm our fears for this new sub-division of the studio.
#5: The Revenant
What with the big wins for
Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) earlier this year at the Academy Awards, there is of course a lot of attention for the next feature from both director
Alejandro G. Iñárritu and cinematographer
Emmanuel Lubezki, now working on a project which has been in the pipeline as early as 2001, despite the novel it's based on being published in 2003 by
Michael Punke. But despite reports of a troubled production, what with shooting being extended to the point where co-star
Tom Hardy had to drop out of the aforementioned
Suicide Squad,
and with the budget apparently sky-rocketing from the initial $30m to $95m - with some reports suggesting that it actually went as far as $135m. But despite these issues, the buzz is extraordinary, partially thanks to its
teaser and the sheer presence of
Leonardo DiCaprio in another attempt to earn an Oscar. Plus it looks pretty.
#4: Deadpool
Again, as a fan of the superhero genre of movies, this does seem to be a given - but against Fox's other slew of
X-Men movies with
Days of Future Past sequel
Apocalypse and new spin-off
Gambit (if it actually gets off the ground),
Deadpool is obviously the one to beat, thanks to its long time spent in development before finally getting off the ground when some leaked test footage materialised and ignited the fandom's requirement for an actual movie - and one where they don't mess up the character like in
X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And now that it's been made and in post-production, it's no surprise that excitement is ongoing; especially for a character so beloved for the comic books that there are web pages upon web pages dedicated to his best moments on any medium he's appeared on. And truth be told, he is my favourite of the comic book characters, which is partially why he made the list in the first place. Add to the meta humour injected to the character being something I eat up thanks to my fast binging of
Dan Harmon's
Community (a show that practically feasts on breaking the fourth wall during the show's best seasons) and the charm of growing up with recurring glimpses of the
Muppet brand, and it's got me. But as a 90-120 minute R-Rated comedy, it still has me worried about if it could actually work - and the fact that they recreate the test footage to a lesser quality doesn't help with that paranoia. It could be on the same level as this year's
Kingsman: The Secret Service, but it could also have the same durability and appeal as
Community season four or
Muppets Most Wanted.
#3: Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
Of course, this monstrosity was going to be on this list - practically everyone is looking forward to this film, whether they be a fan of
Man of Steel or not. As the first step into the DC Cinematic Universe, and technically the first in a very long line of films in the works by Warner Bros., all eyes are set on this film, and have been since it was announced at Comic-Con all the way back in 2013 when it was going to be released this year. But what with constant release date changes and fan backlash against some of the casting choices, it isn't a film without controversy nor reason to fear. Add the fact that trailers have been coming into the public eye since the release of
Avengers: Age of Ultron and there are so many theories out there that it's likely that fans have already figured out the entire picture, and it could well be that we've already
seen the film less than six months ahead of its release - but the fact that that doesn't even matter and that we all still want to see
Ben Affleck take on the Man of Steel in an obviously over-crowded picture which will be dimly lit means some credit must of course be given to the film. I mean, with all this going against it, surely the staying power of it means that it'll be an event no matter what the quality turns out to be...
#2: Captain America: Civil War
Yes, I rank the other superhero brawl above the big DC decider, despite my earlier comments on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But that doesn't mean I can't
not get excited about a project that has been in the works for so long, and for a project that I've actually read beforehand and enjoyed. Certainly, I have my fears for the team choices and whether or not it'll actually work (although re-watching
Ultron following its DVD release has helped see the upcoming conflicts) alongside the new integration of yet another Spider-Man, but word from D23 suggests strong stuff, and a trailer will arrive any day now for me to watch over and over again until I can guess most of the major stuff before its release. What else can I say except that I'm cautious but incredibly excited for this Phase Three opener?
#1: Finding Dory
Let's see now...
Pixar? Check. Sequel to my favourite film of all time? Check. Original voice cast and production team? Check. Yes,
Finding Dory was always going to be the top of this list, despite the fact that it's an obvious cash-grab by Disney. Thanks not only to the fact that this is, y'know, a sequel to
Finding Nemo - a film I find practically perfect in every way - but also coming after the nearly-as-good original feature
Inside Out and the upcoming
The Good Dinosaur (which didn't make last year's list due to how little was known, although times have changed) actually looking good, it's safe to say that
Finding Dory is ranked very high on my anticipation list. It tops the list of films for 2016, and for all future years. Bring it, Pixar!
And that's the bunch! Of course, a few other films nearly made the cut, so unlike last year's here's just a quick look at what other films were considered for this top ten/eleven...
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