LINKS: The must-see list is down the page a bit
Last week I delved into the list of films that I will definitely see in 2012, come Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen or high water, with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Prometheus at the top of the list. Speaking of which, Guy Pearce has been flying around the internet all week in a clever promotional video for Prometheus — sort of trailer, except that the footage isn't being used in the movie, or at least not yet. I wouldn't be surprised if the level of geeky affection for their gimmick prompted the filmmakers to work at least some snippet of the Pearce clip into the final print by opening day. At any rate, today I'm going to hit my second-tier list. These are 2012 films that interest me for one reason or another. I'll certainly see some of them, but I probably won't get to all of them, and some of the ones that I do see might actually be pretty terrible. There are probably three or four that I'll allow to fall off the radar based on the report of a trusted friend, and others that will be missed for this or that reason not foreseeable by me at this point in time.
Last week's list ranked my selections 1 through 18, based on the level of my excitement about seeing each of the films listed. Since I'm not as eager to see any of these next films, and because there are probably 2012 movies out there that I'm overlooking or not aware of yet, I've pushed the start of this list down into the low 20s.
28) 47 Ronin (Universal) — After their master is dishonored and dies by seppuku (ritual suicide), 47 samurai warriors seek to avenge his death. Forty-eight, really, since Keanu Reeves is a Man with No Name type who joins the fight. It's awesome to contemplate a $170 million samurai action epic based on events that occurred in 18th-century Japan. Now throw in Keanu Reeves, probably doing a bad English accent. It's either a money-driven "interesting" casting mishap, or it takes the awesomeness to a whole other level. Nov. 21
29) Lockout (FilmDistrict) — Guy Pearce plays the Liam Neeson Memorial Government Trained Stone Cold Bad(donkey) role in a story of sci-fi action coolness from the producers of Taken. Just in case you aren't getting the Taken vibe strongly enough, they even cast Maggie Grace, who played the kidnapped daughter in Taken, in more or less the exact same role here. (Incidentally, Grace has also been cast in the untitled sequel to Taken that's set to be released in October.) Pearce is an imprisoned former agent who's offered his freedom if he can rescue the POTUS's daughter from a maximum security prison ... in outer space! (How did she get there? Don't ask stupid questions.) Hey, everything is more awesome when it happens ... in outer space! Actually, the more I think about it, the more this sounds like Escape from New York ... in outer space! April 20
30) Titanic (20th Century Fox) — I didn't quite love this film, back in the day, as much as your average 14-year-old girl loved it ... but I loved it almost that much. Since this is a (blah) 3D re-release, we know that the film has literally lost some of its luster, but has time also metaphorically dimmed its formerly bright glow? I haven't seen it since 1998. April 6
32) The Five-Year Engagement (Universal) — For me, the potential of this film rests with Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, two actors whose work I enjoy. The premise of a couple dithering towards marriage doesn't really grab me, but I'm willing to take a chance on the leads. April 27
33) Dredd (Lionsgate) — Let's just say that Sylvester Stallone left lots of room for future filmmakers to improve on the concept of a Judge Dredd movie. I haven't seen enough visual evidence to know how big a leap this film takes, but Karl Urban was spot-on as Dr. McCoy in the new Star Trek, so I'm intrigued to see him as the monosyllabic post-apocalyptic adjudication specialist. Sept. 21
35) Safe (Lionsgate) — Jason Statham comes to the rescue of a 12-year-old Chinese girl who's being sought by the Triads, the Russian Mafia, and corrupt New York City cops and politicians. Statham's meatheaded remake of The Mechanic was one of my least-favorite films of 2011, but something about the ol' man-of-action-defends-child-in-peril plotline has me intrigued here. April 27
36) Battleship (Universal) — My wife thinks Taylor Kitsch is hot. I think that, in John Carter, he looks exactly like Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights, only if Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights had gone to Barsoom to battle CGI beasties. He still has to battle CGI beasties here, but at least they made him cut his hair. (Nobody is going to buy Tim Riggins as Maverick from Top Gun, except with Liam Neeson and aliens from outer space instead of Iceman and the Russkies.) I like Tim Riggins as much as anyone, but Mr. Kitsch needed to branch out and, hopefully, now he has. May 18
36) MiB 3 (Sony) — Sucks-a-tawney Will (Smith, yo) saw his shadow on the Fourth of July, so there must be at least 7 or 8 more sequels to his ho-hum-to-hoo-boy summer blockbusters. (Which he makes a lot of, despite seeming like a cool dude.) The first MiB movie had some fun content, so maybe some of the old magic will stick to this robo-cash-register in blockbuster form. Also, Josh Brolin pretending to be a young Tommy Lee Jones for an entire movie is awesome. May 25
38) G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Paramount) — Not even my boy JG-L (as Cobra Commander) could do much to salvage the original G.I. Joe movie, and I won't be surprised if this one is awful, too. The Bruce Willis bit in the trailer makes me smile, however, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is so right for this milieu that it's legitimately astonishing that the first movie was made without him. Although, what is it about wanting to be Brendan Fraser, D-Jo? First you (ahem) muscled in on the Mummy movies as the Scorpion King, then it was taking over for B-Fray in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. Now Fraser has yo-ed his last Joe, but wait, the Rock is here to take his place. It's getting a little weird, bro. June 29
39) Savages (Universal) — Taylor Kitsch makes his second summer movie sans Tim Riggins's distinctive locks. This time he's a pot smoker — which you'd think would go arm-in-arm with "the Riggins" (remember "the Rachel," Hollywood hair buffs?) — who has a hard time, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, stayin' alive after tangling with a Mexican cartel. Yes, John Travolta is in this movie, too. July 6
40) Red Dawn (FilmDistrict) — Hollywood's love affair with the 1980s rolls on. The original Red Dawn was so strongly an artifact of its Cold War era, that I have a hard time imagining what a remake even looks like. You can't just swap the Chinese for the Soviets and roll camera ... can you? The interesting "young Hollywood" cast (Chris Hemsworth, Adrianne Palicki, Josh Hutcherson) includes Tom Cruise's son, Connor. Nov. 2
41) Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (DreamWorks) and Ice Age: Continental Drift (20th Century Fox) — Only because I still remember the good times, fellas. Well, and for the Scrat cartoon that we're sure to get with Continental Drift. June 8 (The 'Gascar Gang), July 13 (Ice Age)
42) Alex Cross (Summit) — Actor, filmmaker and playwright Tyler Perry ventures outside the realm of his own brand for just the second time (after playing a Starfleet admiral in Star Trek) to pick up where Morgan Freeman left off with James Patterson's Alex Cross character. Oct. 26
Coming Friday: The 2012 movies that haven't got a prayer.
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