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Thor’s TOP 11 Most Anticipated Movies of 2010

Thor's TOP 11 Most Anticipated Movies of 2010A brand new year is always my favorite in terms of films; all of the big releases seem beaming with promise and potential.  Of course, by December, several will have fallen flat on their face, but lets not dwell on that, lets get excited while we still can.  Overall, there are plenty of fresh flicks to look forward to, at least for a genre fan like myself; a bunch of Cult Directors make their long awaited returns (John Carpenter, Vincenzo Natali), old school action makes a comeback (Predators, Machete, The Expendables) and a bunch of horror projects get the Big Budget treatment (Piranha 3-D, Wolfman, Shutter Island).  Anyway enough name-dropping, lets get on with it already, in no particular order…

 

1. THE EXPENDABLES

The ExpendablesCAST: check below…

DIRECTOR: Sylvester Stallone

WHY? I’ll let the cast list do the talking: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Danny Trejo in the same movie…TOGETHER!…Blowing stuff up.  If you’re of the male population and that doesn’t get you excited, I suggest you check your pulse…or your testosterone level…or just go and rent Remains of the Day again because this movie wasn’t made for you.

 

2. PREDATORS

PredatorsCAST: Adrian Brody, Danny Trejo, Laurence Fishburne

DIRECTOR: Nimrod Antal

WHY? Alright, alright, I know the general public and even several die hard fans have completely lost faith in this franchise since the AVP films, which lets face it, were the cinematic equivalent of two smelly turds.  But I for one am a true believer.  The original Predator is a film that I could describe as near perfect and has sorely been missing a worthwhile follow up since its release (Predator 2 was decent fun, but weak compared to its predecessor) and producer/co-writer/supervisor Robert Rodriguez has promised that this sequel will strive to deliver just that.  The premise (a group of Earth’s baddest bad-asses are transported to a hostile alien planet to battle it out with a squad of Predators) is painfully simple, but filled with potential for awesomeness.  Not to mention the cast has filled out quite nicely and the films stated reliance on practical effects is a big plus for this kind of picture.  While Director Nimrod Antal (“Vacancy”) is hardly A-list, I do believe he’s hungry and talented enough to deliver the goods.  Being realistic it could go either way, but I have a healthy dose of faith in Rodriguez.  After all, he adapted one of my all time favorite comic books (Sin City) into a five-star classic so I’m sure he can oversee a fun monster flick with a butt load of ballistic action.  Fingers are crossed.

 

3. PIRHANA 3-D

Pirhana-3DCAST: Ving Rhames, Richard Dreyfuss, Elisabeth Shue

DIRECTOR: Alexandre Aja

WHY? Director Aja was heralded in early 2000’s as the next big thing for horror cinema with his excellent debut Haute Tension. Since then his films have been decent yet sadly avoided the heights of his early promise, their usual flaw that the goofy premises were played too seriously.  This project, a remake basically in name and concept only of Joe Dante’s 1978 tongue-in-cheek Jaws spoof, has the potential to be one of Aja’s better projects as he trades in the grim and somber tone of his former films for an emphasis on fun, splatter and boobs.  I’m always a fan of simple Horror if done appropriately silly and coupled with a skilled Director balancing the tone.  This film appears to have all those ingredients plus who could turn down piranha wrecking havoc in 3-D?  Well probably most people, but not me, that’s for damn sure!

 

4. MACHETE

MacheteCAST: Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba

DIRECTOR: Robert Rodriguez,

WHY? Danny Trejo is MACHETE!  Anyone who wasn’t drooling to see this flick after witnessing the mock trailer accompanying Grindhouse either needs to check their contact prescription or was in the wrong bloody cinema.  Sure it didn’t look like it was going to win any Oscars, but if bloody, raunchy exploitation cinema was your thing, Machete looked like it was going to deliver on all fronts, after fans pleaded for two years straight, Rodriguez finally gave in and decided to expand it into its own feature.  Now I’m sure most of you think I’ve got a serious Rodriguez fetish considering this is his second mention on my list and you wouldn’t be far off.  Sure, I can admit he’s hardly perfect.  His carrier has had its fair shares of ups and downs, but he’s rarely stumbled with grimy, tongue-in-cheek genre material like this baby (the only exception…Once Upon a Time in Mexico) and with hard man Trejo retaining the lead role and being joined by a supporting cast that varies from A-list (Robert De Niro!) to C-list (Steven Seagal!) things are looking sweet.  I can’t wait to find out what happens when peeps F**k with the wrong Mexican!  Bring it on!

 

5. SHUTTER ISLAND

Shutter IslandCAST: Leonardo Dicaprio, Mark Ruffalo

DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese

WHY? When saluted “Greatest Living American Director” Martin Scorsese makes a new film its always time for film buffs and general audiences to take notice, even when the man’s material is miscast (Kundun) or messy (Gangs of New York) his films always make for an interesting watch, be it for his guarantied handle on style or assured skill with actors.  Shutters Island catches the man on a recent high after his long deserved Best Director Oscar for his sharpest film in a decade (The Departed).  It also promises to be his first straight Genre film since 1993’s Cape Fear, which was a great example of a skilled master having a blast cranking out a fun and dark Horror/Thriller without the heavy baggage delivering a message.  Add to that the source material by solid novelist Dennis Lehane and the fourth collaboration with his Scorsese muse Leonardo Dicaprio, its safe to say that things are looking slick with the promise of a classy, quality movie that will delver some serious scares and doesn’t play it stupid.

 

 

6. IRON MAN 2

Iron Man 2CAST: Robert Downey JR, Mickey Rourke

DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau

WHY? I’ve been hard pressed to find someone who walked out of the cinema after Iron Man without a big grin plastered across his or her face.  It was pure unadulterated fun with a solid character arc and resulted in one of the best films out its sub-genre to boot.  Sure it had flaws, as most superhero origin stories do, but luckily the central performance from Downey Jr. glossed over its cracks and surprisingly slick direction from Favereau cemented his rise from tubby sidekick to a bonifide A-list helmer.  Well, now comes time for part two (the only major comic book sequel this year) and if we’re judging the Genre franchises by their installments, the second ones tend to stand as the strongest.  It’s simple math; once no. 1 establishes the ground rules and the hero’s powers, part 2 can hit the ground running and bring home the bacon (e.g. X-Men 2, Spiderman 2, The Dark Knight). Now considering the level of success the first flick achieved both creatively and financially, I have the distinct feeling it will result in something glorious.  Plus the addition of Don Cheadle as War Machine and Mickey Rourke as a bad-ass Russian villain only further confirms my institution that it will kick major ass.

 

7. SPLICE

SpliceCAST: Vincenzo Natali

DIRECTOR: Adrian Brody, Sarah Polley

WHY? Director Natali is hardly a household name, but without a doubt he’s a director with a soft spot in the heart of many a geek like myself, mostly due to his first feature Cube.  In my opinion it was one of the strongest debuts of last the 15 years (along with Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko) with Natali delivering a tense sci-fi thriller that excelled well beyond its low budget by being cleverly inventive.  Since then things have been fairly quiet, he directed the luke-warm Cypher and did some TV work and documentaries.  Well Splice has the possibility to kill the silence surrounding him, as he tackles another simple yet devilishly smart premise (two scientists create a new species through genetics) that hints at heading towards territory that echoes early Cronenberg.  Other bonuses are the deliciously leftfield choices of lead actors (Brody, Polley) and the creature effects and designs done by my personal favorites KNB FX.  Ultimately, I doubt the film will achieve massive mainstream or even sleeper success, but hopefully it can at least result in a compelling, original film that will tear up the Cult scene and prove Cube was no fluke.

 

8. INCEPTION

InceptionCAST: Leonardo Dicaprio, Ellen Paige

DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan

WHY? All eyes are on Nolan nowadays to make the third Batman.  Sure I’d be jazzed if he’d confirm it as his next, but on the other hand my favorite out his filmography wasn’t last years’ The Dark Knight but The Prestige, the film he made in between Bat flicks.  It was an original, twisted, mindf**k that packed an odd emotional weight and demanded repeat viewings.  The idea that he’s returning to another original premise with an A-list cast and an enormous budget is enticing enough.  The fact that the whole thing has been shrouded in ‘Iron Curtain’ like secrecy makes it almost unbearable.   From what little we’ve seen (the recent teaser trailer), the conception borders on out of this world stunning, bringing up the assumption that I’m not the only sitting on the edge of his seat, waiting to uncovers it mysteries.

 

9. TRUE GRIT

True GritCAST: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon,

DIRECTORS: The Coen Brothers

WHY? I’m a dedicated fan boy of the Coen brothers and for a solid 20 year period they produced non-stop quality work (yes I’m even counting Intolerable Cruelty) to the extent I even began to question if they originated from planet Earth, as it seemed everything they touched turned out flawless.  Then they made The Ladykillers, a film where their usual strengths (eccentric characters, off-kilter dialogue) came out as awkward and irritating.  To complain about one sole movie in a vast filmography is no doubt petty, but it did put my theory to rest, the brothers were only human after all.  Naturally they’ve bounced back with good work since yet this recently announced project is the most excited I’ve been about a film of theirs for years.  It stands as their first take on the Western Genre and the combination seems like a match in heaven.  Whenever they’ve dabbled with the setting (Blood Simple, No Country of Old Men) it has resulted in their best outings, yet this time they won’t be misplacing Film Noir thematics and instead will exploit the Genre in all it glory.  Another plus is it’s an adaptation of Charles Portis excellent rough-edged novel and Jeff Bridges is taking on the role that won John Wayne a damn Oscar (in the former 1969 version) as the eye patched, brass balled Marshall ‘Rooster’.  Bridges is always awesome especially when coupled with the Coen’s and he’s joined by an able support of Matt Damon and Josh Brolin.  The film hasn’t begun filming and is due for a release in December, but in my opinion, it couldn’t arrive soon enough.

 

10. THE WARD

The WardCAST: Amber Heard, Danielle Panabaker

DIRECTOR: John Carpenter

WHY? Anyone familiar with this column can attest I’m a complete John Carpenter whore.  You could almost consider it a bizarre illness, for example I’ll watch a lame movie he made, say Escape From L.A. and during its runtime I’m aware its complete ass, but for some reason I can’t help but dig it.  Well The Ward is his first feature project to grace the cinema screens since 2001 when he suffered a creative burnout, and I’ll be honest, the movie could be about a group of old women sitting around and discussing War and Peace for three hours and I would still go bats**t for it.  Fortunately, from what I’ve read, the premise sounds like a sizzler; a girl (Amber Heard) is sentenced to an isolation ward of a psychiatric clinic, but soon discovers that something evil is haunting its corridors.  The idea is simplistic, yet in his capable hands, has a good opportunity to be a balls-out scare fest and a hopeful return to his former glory.  But as said before, I’ll love this film no matter what; so don’t take my word for it.

 

11. THE WOLFMAN

The WolfmanCAST: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving

DIRECTOR: Joe Johnston

WHY? A good Werewolf movie is a rare beast.  In fact, I could count all the great ones on both hands (and that’s not even using all my fingers!).  So when news arrived that Universal was dusting off the old 1941 classic for a Big Budget remake you could count me excited.  Then sudden news put a damper on my parade; visionary auteur Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) dropped out last minute and was replaced with hit-and-miss director Joe Johnston.  But in the end, its not enough to deter my excitement because the pros kick the cons in the bollocks; Del Toro is the titular monster, the supporting cast is A-list (Hopkins, Weaving), the script is by Andrew Kevin Walker, the practical effects are by Rick Baker, the plot retains the originals period setting and best of all its Rated R for gruesome violence!  Overall, all the element are in place, but we’ll have to see if the rumored studio interference has mauled it beyond recognition or if it’ll stand as one of the great Wolf Man flicks.  I’ll be first in line to find out.

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

A-Team, Bitch Slap, Brooklyn’s Finest, Cop Out, Clash of the Titans, The Green Zone, The Hot Tub Time Machine, Kick-Ass, Legion, Priest, Prince of Persia, Robin Hood, The Rum Diary, Scott Pilgrim VS The World, The Social Network, Unstoppable, Your Highness

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11 Responses to “Thor’s TOP 11 Most Anticipated Movies of 2010”


  1. Bob Ignizio

    What, no ‘MacGruber’ on your list? Seriously, though,all those look promising. And apparently this is the year of the Trejo. I didn’t realize he was in so many high profile movies this year.

  2. Brian White

    As always…AWESOME list Thor! We share much the same taste in movies. That’s a good thing, but of course!

    So without further ado, here’s my take on your list above…

    1. THE EXPENDABLES…What else can I say about this? I am in fanboy heaven! The DREAM TEAM! How could it possibly suck?

    2. PREDATORS…After the 2 lackluster AVP films, I am looking forward to Rodriguez’s fresh take on the franchise!

    3. PIRHANA 3-D…I know nothing about this one, but after seeing some production skills it looks hot!

    4. MACHETE…Jessica Alba! That’s all I have to say. I am already there!

    5. SHUTTER ISLAND…This one looks iffy. I’m looking forward to it, but keeping my expectations low much like I did for The Departed.

    6. IRON MAN 2…As long as we get a “real” villain this time out…bring on the heavy metal!

    7. SPLICE…No comments…I know absolutely nothing about this one.

    8. INCEPTION…Due to my love for TDK, I am looking forward to this one, but I know nothing about it. I will remain spoiler-free and hopefully enjoy.

    9. TRUE GRIT…I’m not really a big John Wayne fan so I will sit this one out.

    10. THE WARD…I agree with you Thor. I’m there on Day #1 for Carpenter’s newest release.

    11. THE WOLFMAN…Let’s hope, as you say, that the movie studio’s involvement does not mess this one up. I can’t wait for February 12th!

    I’m only going to give my 2 cents on several of the HONORABLE MENTION titles listed above.

    A-TEAM…Quite frankly I am scared about this one. Bradley Cooper is one of my favs and I would hate to see him fail.

    BITCH SLAP…I want to see this one very bad, but I was bummed to see that not only will it not be coming anywhere near where I live but it will also be coming out only on DVD 🙁 So sad!

    CLASH OF THE TITANS…I loved this one as a kid so I am excited to see what Sam can do with this one. Bring on the Kracken!

    KICK-ASS…This one really needs to be on your list above. Mark my words…this will be HUGE this April!

    LEGION…Blah! The film’s trailer instantly turned me off of this one. I will never waste my time with it.

    ROBIN HOOD…Being a huge fan of the Costner film I am not looking forward to this one. I am not a Russell Crowe fan at all.

    PRINCE OF PERSIA…I have no expectations for this one!

    …Sorry for the long comments, but I was so thrilled by this story that I had to add my 2 cents.

    Thanks Thor!

  3. McNulty

    I am renting “The Remains of the Day” and “The Expendables” when it comes out on dvd and watching them in one back to back sitting

  4. anni dore

    Boy O boy,

    Thank-you so much,once again for the shopping list for my DVD rentals. This time,for the new year…
    Anni

  5. Thor

    to Bob, sorry never got on the ‘Mcgruber’ boat, doesn’t mean I’m hating on it just not familar but glad you’re excited about the rest.
    to Brian, no worries about long comments, im happy you enjoyed the story and are also a sucker for Carpenter.
    To John, I warn you, don’t do it man! You’re head could explode!

  6. Sandy

    Can’t wait for Shutter Island – read the book, awesome story!
    Also looking forward to The Wolfman and never heard of The Ward, but that one sounds cool too.

  7. Finkus Fink

    Jesus Christus what a list!, I have to say I do share your anticipation of “Wolf Man”, Benicio Del Toro as a werewolf gee what a “stretch” that would be! True Grit looks to be the pulpy hip giration as is customary with the Coen’s films, I hate to be compulsive btw. but its not a country devoid of old men its just not FOR them. Machete is loooong awaited as the only flash of real insight in the whole 17 hours of Grindhouse was in my mind that very trailer. Cheech Marin toting a shotgun and the great Danny Trejo Bronsoning his way through mexicans and puntang, who is not gonna be there? Idiots thats who.

    The rest of your list seems to be populated with dried out turds which once spun gold, great in their day but now seem more like a busted out wino sitting in the streets begging for a bit of change to get his daily kick on. I don’t mean to be harsh but I would prefer to see them make all these films 30 years ago when they had a spark and just leave the f**king past where it is.

    How about the masterfully produced little films who aren’t going to get a lot of press who are undeniably more proficient in what they do huh? Like “Free Willy 4: Escape From Pirates Cove”, that undeniably Goddardian powerhouse, or the pre-critically acclaimed “Wall Street 2: Mo’ Money Mo’ Power” Where a young portrayal of Biggie Smalls makes capitalism his bitch as he speaks out about how his “dollar dollar bills always be foldin’ to the drum of the slave labour consortium”. Although I’d say my movie to see this year would have to be “L.A. ZOMBIE” a film starring pornographic actor François Sagat in a role where he is a schizophrenic who believes he is an alien zombie. He finds various dead people while he roams the streets of L.A. bringing them back to life with his homosexual necromancy skilld like if Tom Cruise actually became Jesus. James Lipton is prepping his interview as we speak, so get out there and watch it when it comes out folks. This is the year of the Zombie!

    Toodles

  8. Bob Ignizio

    ‘MacGruber’ was a joke. It’s the latest unfunny SNL skit to be turned into a feature film. I keep forgetting sarcasm doesn’t work well on the internet.

  9. Gregg

    What an awesome read! Predators is high on my list as well and is only outweighed by Kick Ass! I’m pretty worn on the Shutter Island trailer but I will nonetheless give it a shot. Wait, no Tooth Fairy on here??

  10. Brian White

    The Tooth Fairy has to be guaranteed the Razzie for Worst Movie of 2010. It stars my favorite actress of all-time, but I am sorry, I will NEVER see it.

  11. kool keith

    Nice list! I cannot wait for The Expendables, Iron Man 2,Predators, and Shutter Island also. But I would have to add Kick Ass,and Clash Of The Tiatans to my top list. I think those two will be HOT!!!