It’s the end of the year and a lot of people have been putting out “best of” lists, reviewing what we watched, listened to and read.
I’m not going to do that.
Why focus on the past when we’ve got so much future ahead of us?
Not to mention a slew of fantastic movies set to come out in 2012. Here’s a list of a few that I’m especially looking forward to:
* Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (March 2*): It’s one of my favorite Seuss tales and with the voices of Taylor Swift and Danny DeVito, it’s sure to be a great adaptation.
• Hunger Games (March 23): I’m about to delve into this book series, but the trailers and images released so far have been enough to pique my interest.
• The Five-Year Engagement (April 27): Jason Sagal and Emily Blunt star in this film from the producer of “Bridesmaids.” Hilarity is bound to ensue.
• The Avengers (May 4): It’s been building up for years now with the “Iron Man” movies, “Thor” and “Captain America.” I’m not a huge comic fan, but there’s something about these films I can’t get enough of.
• Prometheus (June 8): Ridley Scott. Outerspace. Scary stuff is gonna go down.
• Brave (June 22): “Brave” features Pixar’s first female protagonist, voiced by the lovely Kelly Macdonald (“Boardwalk Empire”). I love her wild red hair, the accents and the scenery. Can’t. wait.
• Warm Bodies (August 10): A zombie love story? Yes, please! The cherry on top is John Malkovich’s involvement.
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (Nov. 16): I’m a sucker (no pun intended) for this franchise, even though “Breaking Dawn Part 1” failed to meet my mediocre expectations. Hopefully the fifth and final installment will make up for it.
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Dec. 14): After creating the world of Mordor in his pretty fantastic adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Peter Jackson tackles the prequel. This is the first of two films -- part two will be release in December 2013.
• World War Z (Dec. 21): Brad Pitt. Zombies. I think that’s explanation enough.
• The Great Gatsby (Dec. 25): While I stand by the assertion that Robert Redford is the perfect physical manifestation of Jay Gatsby, I fully endorse Leonardo DiCaprio in the role, as well. We’ll see how Baz Lurhmann handles the familiar material, which is quizzically being released in 3D. (I’ll opt for 2D, thank you.)
• Django Unchained (Dec. 25): Quentin Tarrantino tackles slavery during the Civil War. It’s Tarrantino, so we can likely expect lots of blood, violence and foul language. Sounds perfect.
• Lincoln (a yet to be determined date in December): I caught a photo of Daniel Day-Lewis in full-on Lincoln beard and haven’t been able to shake the image. He looks eerily like the 16th president. The phenomenal method actor is sure to be, well, phenomenal as Honest Abe.
* Release dates were accurate at press time but are subject to change.
