And we’re back again with my anticipated films for the second half of 2017. They are:
Spider-Man: Homecoming
I don’t think there’s much that needs to be said here. It looks amazing, all puns intended! Tom Holland looks like the actor who’s going to get all the aspects of Spider-Man right instead of just one or two and Michael Keaton looks like he’s going to be absolutely terrifying. It’s not surprise that this is a must-see.
War for the Planet of the Apes
Third time’s the charm, as this will be the first in the series that I’ll actually be seeing in theatres. I was initially skeptical of this series but after the first one blew me away and the second was possibly even better, you could consider me convinced. It’s not every day you put out a movie or a movie trailer that makes you root against your own species during/after watching. I’ve got some pretty high expectations for this one.
Dunkirk
I’m really interested to see this one. As a history buff it definitely appeals to me, but it also just looks like it’s going to be a really good movie. I’m generally a fan of Christopher Nolan’s work (The Dark Knight Rises notwithstanding) and I’d like to see what he does with a real, historical event. I like what I see so far.
The Dark Tower
Of all the films on this list, this is the one that I’m most worried about and the one I’m trying very hard to be optimistic about. These books are rather precious to me, and it’s one of those things that I’m not sure could or should even be made into a movie, to be honest. Idris Elba’s casting as Roland was a surprise, but I think he’ll do a fine job (I’m trying not to think of the story changes that will have to be made later on) and he’ll bring a good intensity to the role. I don’t really have much to go on here, all we’ve seen are a few set pictures so far and the odd article. When a trailer drops, I’ll be the first to talk about it. But for now: please don’t suck, please don’t suck, please don’t suck….
Blade Runner 2049
Oh, look, another movie I’m going to need to watch (again?) before a sequel comes out. There’s not much to go on with this trailer, to be honest. Lots of intriguing imagery but almost nothing else. One thing that really excites me about this one is the director, Denis Villeneuve. Arrival was my top film of 2016 so I’m game to see anything else he does at this point. It will be interesting to see Harrison Ford come back in a role I can’t help but compare to Han Solo in The Force Awakens, but that’s pure speculation on my part. I guess as long as he stays away from catwalks with long drops this time he might be okay.
God Particle
Imdb calls this one ‘Untitled Cloverfield Anthology Movie’, but elsewhere I’ve seen it called God Particle, so that’s what I’m going with. This is another one that not a lot is known about yet, just a one-sentence synopsis that it’s about astronauts on a space station and something happens to the Earth. That premise alone sounds fascinating, and could be ripe for an excellent look at how people react to something unthinkable with the added bonus of a claustrophobic setting. I hope it’s every bit the riveting, tense experience as with 10 Cloverfield Lane, as the themes are not dissimilar. This seems like a bit of a smaller movie, but it has the potential to hit hard.
Thor: Ragnarok
Of all the Avengers who have standalone films, Thor’s are rated pretty low in comparison. I personally like them, for all their flaws, but Ragnarok seems like it’s really going for it. There are a lot more characters this time, including several we haven’t seen yet in any MCU film and just from those characters alone I think this is going to be a bigger, grander story than we’ve seen from the previous two films. They also have a great director in Taika Waititi, who directed my other half’s favorite film of 2016 (The Hunt for the Wilderpeople). So this might be the one that really turns everyone around on the Thor-centered films. At the very least, it definitely has the potential to do so.
Justice League (maybe)
Yes, I put a caveat in for this one. Because I was serious in Part 1 when I said that my interest/actually seeing this one depends greatly on Wonder Woman. You can only tease me with great potential that turns into a mangled mess so many times before I’m done. As for the film itself, it again, looks like it has potential. Batman and Wonder Woman were two of the best things in BvS and the fact that they are central to this story is awesome. I also kind of want to see grumpy, drunk (?), Jason Mamoa Aquaman, too. I’m still on the fence on this one, which pains me as someone who really wants to love these films.
Star Wars Ep. VIII
I’m not sure there’s much to say here. It’s Star Wars. I want to see it, my kids want to see it, and the other half will come to see it. We all want to see the continued adventures of Finn, Rey, Poe, et al. This one will also be bittersweet, as it will be the last time we see Carrie Fisher as Princess/General Leia, and I wonder how they will address that or if they will wait until Episode IX to do so. Either way, we are all pretty pumped for more.
I think when half the house goes Star Wars for Halloween, that says it all.
Jumanji
I’m not overly excited to see this film, but it looks like it could be a fun popcorn movie. I really don’t have any expectations or any thoughts one way or the other, but since I enjoyed the first one, I figure it couldn’t hurt to give this one a try and see what they do with it. Goosebumps, as a movie, was actually better than I thought it really had any right to be, so I’m willing to give this one a chance. And let’s face it, even if the movie is meh, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is still a very entertaining and charismatic guy and I’ve watched worse movies with him in it.
Bonus- Geostorm
I have no illusions about this one. None at all. It’s probably going to be terrible. Between how many times its release has been pushed back (4 times), to director Dean Devlin (the other half of the duo behind gems like Godzilla ’98, Independence Day: Resurgence, and the occasional good movie), to the fact I’m not entirely sure it’s getting a theatrical release, it does not look promising. I may get to hate-watch yet another movie with Gerard Butler in it in 2017 (why do you keep doing this to me, man?).
So there it is, the anticipated movies for the second half of 2017. I know there are movies that have been left off of this list that are must-sees for others, and these are ones that I either have little interest in (XxX: The Return of Xander Cage, Fate of the Furious) or are more likely to watch as a rental rather than make the trek to the theatre for (Ghost in the Shell). Hope you all enjoyed and if you’ll excuse me, I have a whole slew of new trailers waiting for me!
