Anticipation of 2011

These are movies to keep an eye out for in 2011.

Source Code, Drive Angry, Your Highness, Priest, The Muppets, Fast Five, Three Musketeers, Unknown, Mission Impossible 4, Scream 4, The Mechanic, Rise of the Apes, X-Men: First Class, Real Steel, The Tree of Life, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Sherlock Holmes 2, Burke and Hare, Green Hornet, Super, Rango, Battle: Los Angeles, Super 8, Adjustment Bureau, Hanna, The Tree of Life.

10. Green Lantern

Current release date: June 17, 2011

Trailer

Based on the classic DC Comic book character, its about a test pilot who encounters an alien one day who gives him a ring that gives him mystical powers as well as a membership into an intergalactic squad tasked with keeping peace in the universe. Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern and I think he’s going to pull off the role well. I think this movie is going to be great and a lot of fun.

9. Red State

Current release date: March 2011 playing at Sundance January 23.

Trailer

Kevin Smith’s latest movie about fundamentalism gone wrong outside a Midwestern town. Smith who is known for his certain brand of comedy takes a break from his usual material to make this horror movie. I don’t entirely know what the movie is about but it looks like Smith has grown up and evolved greatly. Word is to keep an eye on this movie for an amazing performance by Michael Parks. The movie also features Melissa Leo, John Goodman, Nicholas Braun, Stephen Root, Michael Angarano and more.

8. Cowboys and Aliens

Current release date: July 29, 2011

Trailer

A western with a sci-fi twist, count me in. Produced by Steven Spielberg, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde and Paul Dano. The trailer for this movie looks great and I can’t wait to watch this one.

7. Paul

Current release date: March 18, 2011

Trailer

I have been excited about this movie since I first heard about it. Written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and directed by Greg Mattola, this movie follows Pegg and Frost, playing two British comic book nerds, as they drive across America in search of famous UFO spots. They then encounter a real, live alien (voiced by Seth Rogan) outside of Area 51. The movie looks hilarious and Pegg and Frost are great.

6. Thor

Current release date: May 6, 2011

Trailer

Based on the Marvel Comic book character, which is based on Norse mythology, Thor looks to be a lot of fun. The cast includes Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba, Ray Stevenson, Stellan Skarsgard, Tom Hiddleston and more. The trailer looks great and I’m sure this movie is going to be very fun.

5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Current release date: May 20, 2011

Trailer

I really like all of the Pirates movies and while I will agree that a fourth was unnecessary, I am still really looking forward to this movie. To start, they got rid of Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom who’s characters and acting really brought down the last 2 Pirates movies. Also, they cast Ian McShane as Blackbeard, which is pretty exciting in my opinion. The movie is about Captains Jack Sparrow and Barbossa in a race to the fountain of youth. I think it will be a lot of fun and hopefully will be the last Pirates movie.

4. Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Current release date: July 1, 2011

Trailer

I actually really enjoy the Transformer movies. They are popcorn flicks and sometimes, I like to just sit back and be entertained. The teaser trailer for this one looks rather intriguing as it goes back to the moon landing and implies that there were alternative motives for going to the moon back in 69. I for one am looking forward to big explosions caused by giant talking robots thanks to Michael Bay.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

Current release date: July 15, 2011

Trailer for part 1 and 2

Part 1 was fantastic and kept us on the edge of our seats. Those that read the books know what’s coming in part 2. I did read the book and I know that part 2 is going to be loaded with action and excitement. I am really looking forward to finally concluding this saga.

2. Captain America

Current release date: July 22, 2011

No trailer at time of posting

Based on the Marvel Comic character, I have been waiting for a Captain America movie for about a decade. This movie looks to be a lot of fun. It stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America as well as Hugo Weaving, Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones, Sebastian Stan and many others. This is going to be a period piece set during World War II and I think that is a great idea.

1. Sucker Punch

Current release date: March 25, 2011

Trailer

This is director Zack Snyder’s (300, Watchmen) latest movie. It is also his first movie based off his own original material. It’s about a girl who is institutionalized by her evil step-father. There she retreats to an alternate reality inside her own mind as a coping mechanism. She then uses this alternate reality to come up with a plan in order to escape from the facility. The trailer looks great and it’s going to be a beautifully visual movie if nothing else. Zack Snyder just keeps getting better and better as a filmmaker and I can’t wait to get Sucker Punched.