Here’s the breakdown of the biggest and best new action movies, 2014.
- JANUARY -
Lone Survivor
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Eric Bana, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster
Director: Peter Berg
Out: 10 January 2014 (U.S. Release Dates)
In 2005, four-man ‘SEAL Team 10′ is tasked with capturing or killing a
notorious Taliban leader. But the mission goes spectacularly wrong, and
despite rescue being on the way the result is a considerable loss of
American life. Based on the true story, this was adapted by director
Peter Berg several years back while he was embedded with a SEAL team in
Iraq. He couldn’t get studio support to make it then without agreeing to
helm ‘Battleship’ first. Consensus is it’s uncompromising, brutal and
paints a vivid picture of the challenges fighting in Afghanistan. In
other words, it’s given ‘Battleship’ a reason for existing. [Critics (via Rotten Tomatoes): 75%] [Public (via IMDB): 7.7] – Excellent
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Starring: Chris Pine, Kenneth Branagh, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Out: 17 January 2014
A young covert CIA analyst (Pine) uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack. Knightley plays his fiancé, Branagh is the Russian oligarch villain, Costner the CIA liaison. This is the first Jack Ryan movie not based off one of Tom Clancy’s novels. They’ve already tried to reboot the series with Ben Affleck to little effect. Chris Pine, despite a couple of interesting early roles, has become a bland leading man and isn’t a patch on Harrison Ford, or the Alec Baldwin/Sean Connery team up that were the cornerstones of the earlier movies. Furthermore, Russia is a dull setting and antagonist Kenneth Branagh’s accent is pure ham. However it’s co-written by two of Hollywood’s best screenwriters, David Koepp (‘Jurassic Park’) and Steven Zaillian (‘Clear and Present Danger’). The final critical and public consensus is that it all works well enough. Box office success would have spurred on adaptations of Clancy’s ‘Rainbow Six’ and ‘Splinter Cell’, which are more interesting prospects, but unfortunately it has underperformed. [Critics: 56%] [Public: 6.3] – Good
I, Frankenstein
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Yvonne Strahovski, Bill Nighy, Miranda Otto
Director: Stuart Beattie
Out: 24 January 2014
Frankenstein’s creature (Eckhart) has survived to present day due to a genetic quirk in his creation, and is now an intelligent, evolved man. Making his way to a dark, gothic metropolis, he finds himself caught in an all-out, centuries old war between two immortal clans. Soon he is being hunted by demons wanting to learn the secret of his creation to build an army of the undead. Otto plays the queen of the gargoyles. Nighy is the film’s villain, a former angel who descended with Satan. It’s an adaptation of the graphic novel, from the producers of ‘Underworld’. Director Stuart Beattie is an established screenwriter (‘Collateral’, ’30 Days Of Night’) who recently made a shaky directing debut with ‘Tomorrow, When The War Began’. The lead actors did 3 months of martial arts training. If ‘Underworld’ was your thing, expect this to have a similar tone. Reviews have been absolutely dreadful. [Critics: 4%] [Public: 5.2] – Avoid
- FEBRUARY -
Robocop
Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Sam Jackson, Abbie Cornish
Director: José Padilha
Out: 12 February 2014
Joel Kinnaman (TV’s ‘The Killing’) is the new Alex Murphy and the
plot’s still about a crime-ridden city, this time in 2046, where a
fatally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg, haunted
by submerged memories. However Robocop himself will look and act very
differently to the 1987 original – for one, there will be no twitchy
robotic moves. This version focuses much more on the transitional phase,
about a man becoming part-machine. Oldman plays the scientist
overseeing the transformation, Michael Keaton is the possibly-villainous
CEO, Jackson is a powerful TV mogul, Cornish is Murphy’s wife who’s led
to believe her husband is dead. From the director of Brazil’s highest
grossing movie of all time ‘Elite Squad’. It’s a solid effort made with
the right intentions, and definitely more intelligent than it looks.
Although it’s still not as satisfying as the original.[Critics: 49%] [Public: 6.5] – Good
Pompeii
Starring: Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, Kiefer Sutherland, Jared Harris
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Out: 21 February 2014
In 79 A.D. a slave turned invincible gladiator (Kit Harington, ‘Game of Thrones’) finds himself in a race against time to save his true love (Emily Browning), the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator (Kiefer Sutherland). As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him…. Aiming for the ‘Titanic’ action-romance-in-midst-of-disaster-tragedy, this is coming from dreaded director Paul W.S. Anderson (‘Resident Evil’, ‘Alien vs. Predator’, ‘The Three Musketeers’). With a bland pair of leads, there’s little chance it’ll be anything more than mildly entertaining. [Critics: 28%] [Public: 5.8] – Mediocre
Three Days To Kill
Starring: Kevin Costner, Amber Heard, Hailee Steinfeld, Connie Nielsen
Director: McG
Out: 21 February 2014
Darkly-comedic actioner about a dying Secret Service Agent (Costner) who retires to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Steinfeld) but is offered an experimental drug that could save his life in return for one last assignment. Now he must complete the mission while coping with the drug’s hallucinatory side effects. It’s great to see Costner back as leading man in an action movie, and Steinfeld did well in ‘True Grit’. McG is directing. Luc Besson’s production company (‘Taken’, ‘From Paris with Love’, ‘Transporter’) is behind it, and Besson also co-wrote the script. Expect it to be similar to those movies in budget and ambition. The recent trailer suggested a pretty cheesy film with a wooden performance by Heard. [Critics: 32%] [Public: 6.2] – Decent
- MARCH -
300: Rise Of An Empire
Starring: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Rodrigo Santoro, Lena Headey
Director: Noam Murro
Out: 7 March 2014
Set before, during and after the events of 2007′s ’300′. This is
based on Frank Miller’s upcoming graphic novel ‘Xerxes’ which follows
Greek leader Themistocles (Stapleton, ‘Animal Kingdom’) as he leads
Athens against Persian invaders in a naval battle, that plays out
simultaneously with the Battle of Thermopylae (depicted in the first
film). The massive Persian force is led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes
(Santoro) and Artemesia (Green), the vengeful commander of the Persian
navy. The narrative will also cover the backstory of Xerxes, explaining
how he became ‘the God King’. Previous director Zach Snyder is off
helming DC movies but he’s chosen his replacement, a commercials
director whose work includes recent ‘Halo’ campaigns. He seems to have
done a good job of replicating the visual style, but it’s uncertain if
the movie will have a charismatic central performance – Gerard Butler’s
madness could be sorely missed. [Critics: 41%] [Public: 6.7] – Good
Need For Speed
Starring: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Ramon Rodriguez, Michael Keaton
Director: Scott Waugh
Out: 14 March 2014
Fresh from prison, a blue-collar street racer (Paul) who was framed by a wealthy business associate (Cooper) joins a cross country race with revenge in mind. His ex-partner, learning of the plan, places a massive bounty on his head as the race begins. From the director ‘of Act of Valor’, this is based on the videogame racing series. If you thought ‘Fast & Furious’ had got too cartoony, wait ’til you get a load of this. The glossy collection of cars is so exquisitely expensive they’re only driven in the real world by the sons of oil barons. Aaron Paul is making his shot at movie stardom, catapulted by the phenomenal success of TV’s ‘Breaking Bad’. With no ‘Furious’ movie now due this year, this might just be a sleeper hit. [Critics: 23%] [Public: 7.2] – Mixed Reaction
The Raid 2
Starring: Iko Uwais, Alex Abbad, Julie Estelle, Cecep A. Rahman
Director: Gareth Evans
Out: 28 March 2014
Picks up right where the first film left off and follows Rama (Uwais) as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and uncover the corruption in his own police force. The Indonesian martial arts sequel is written and directed once again by Welshman Gareth Evans. Here the action is not confined to one building and takes place over three years, not one day. Original title ‘Berandal’ means thugs, and it will be largely prison-gang based. Included is Evans’ take on a car chase, focusing on what impact a crash has on the person inside. The first movie was superb badass action. The teaser trailer for this was great too (even though the idea was stolen from ‘Oldboy’). Evans says he is currently outlining ‘The Raid 3′. [Critics: 81%] [Public: 8.8] – Excellent
- APRIL -
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan
Out: 4 April 2014
Two years after The Avengers, Steve Rogers is struggling to adapt to
his role in the modern world. When a SHIELD compatriot is attacked, he
teams up with Black Widow to battle a powerful yet shadowy enemy in
Washington, D.C. Before long they recruit the help of the Falcon
(Mackie), who able to fly using a harness, and encounter The Winter
Soldier, a powerful new adversary with links to Cap’s past and Black
Widow’s heritage… Sam Jackson is back too, this time accompanied by
Robert Redford as a senior leader within SHIELD (great casting). The
comedic directors of ‘Arrested Development’ and ‘You, Me and Dupree’ are
an unusual choice, but they pull off Marvel’s third best film to date
(after ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Iron Man’). Cap is played perfectly, the
action is inventive and there’s a great sense of danger and intrigue. [Critics: 89%] [Public: 8.2] – Excellent
Sabotage
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Terrence Howard
Director: David Ayer
Out: 11 April 2014
Ten members of an elite DEA task force find themselves being assassinated one by one after somebody steals $10 million during a drug cartel raid. Which one of them is behind it? Directed and co-written by the man behind ‘End of Watch’ and the screenplay for ‘Training Day’. This is loosely based on Agatha Christie’s 1939 whodunit ‘And Then There Were None’, aka ‘Ten Little Indians’ (the movie’s original title was ‘Ten’). It’s a brilliantly plotted book and it’ll be great to see it adapted to this sub-genre, especially with talent behind it. However it’s reported that a solid ending had to be scrapped and rewritten after test audiences turned their noses up. Also, let’s be honest, Arnold is looking too old to convince as someone who could win a physical fight. [Critics: 20%] [Public: 6.4] – Decent
- MAY -
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Paul Giamatti
Director: Marc Webb
Out: 2 May 2014
Spider-Man squares off against the Rhino (Giamatti) and the powerful
Electro (Foxx) while struggling with his promise to keep Gwen Stacey out
of his dangerous life. When his old friend Harry Osborn (DeHaan)
returns, Peter begins to discover more about his parents.
Pre-transformation, Electro is a “nobody” electrical engineer working
for Oscorp who idolises Spider-Man, it’s an accident at the labs
involving electric eels gives him the ability to control electricity.
The Rhino meanwhile will be a Russian mobster, and end up in a giant
mech suit. Chris Cooper is Norman Osborn, but you won’t see his Goblin
this time. Felicity Jones makes a small appearance as Black Cat. (The
production is working toward a ‘Sinister Six’ movie.) The director of
the first ‘Amazing’ returns. Electro pre-transformation and Goblin
post-transformation are too hammy and there is a too much going on that
jars tonally, but it is still a fun watch with some great visuals and
Spider-Man himself has never been this dead-on so far as style, look and
mannerisms go. [Critics: 54%] [Public: 7.5] – Good
Godzilla
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe
Director: Gareth Edwards
Out: 16 May 2014
The famous monster hero goes up against various malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity’s scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence (one is described as centipede-like, another is reminiscent of the Cloverfield monster). 1999′s Godzilla was a crushing disappointment but the franchise has so much potential on the big screen and now the West is going to try again. This is a $160m effort from Legendary Pictures, who rebooted Batman so successfully. It’ll be directed by Gareth Edwards, the newcomer who brought us the similarly-themed low-budget ‘Monsters’. It’s a huge step up for him. The new, much more faithful, creature design was revealed at Comic-Con (see picture above). Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Cranston are the leads, playing a lieutenant and a scientist respectively. I can’t wait to see Godzilla done right.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past
Starring: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence
Director: Bryan Singer
Out: 23 May 2014
In a 2023 dystopian future where mutants are all but wiped out by giant robotic Sentinels, the X-Men send Wolverine’s mind back to his 1973 body through Kitty Pryde’s phasing powers in a desperate effort to stop Mystique and Magneto assassinating key figures and changing the future. Characters from the original X-Men film trilogy are joining forces with their younger selves from ‘X-Men: First Class’. Confirmed so far are Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Iceman, Kitty Pryde, Professor X, Magneto and Colossus from the original, and Mystique, Beast, Magneto, Professor X, and Havok from ‘First Class’. New mutants include Quicksilver, Blink, Bishop, Sunspot, Warpath, and Ink. Overall the plot is much changed from the comics (where it was Kitty Pryde going back to 1980). Director Bryan Singer, of ‘X1′ and series-highlight ‘X2′, is back in charge. Having mutants involved in blowing JFK’s head off really is in bad taste, but that aside, this should be thrilling ensemble action.
- JUNE -
Edge Of Tomorrow
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Jeremy Piven
Director: Doug Liman
Out: 6 June 2014
A conscript (Cruise) fighting in the United Defense Force against the
mysterious ‘Mimic’ aliens laying siege to Earth, finds himself caught
in a time loop of his last day of battle – dying each time but becoming
better skilled as he repeats it. Fighting alongside him is a special
forces solider (Blunt) who is highly decorated and peerless in battle,
seen as a hero by the entire world, but really she has experienced the
time loop too. The script adapts the Japanese novella ‘All You Need Is
Kill’ and was on the Black List (an industry rundown of the best
unproduced screenplays). It’s a sci-fi ‘Groundhog Day’ (as was ‘Source
Code’), with a touch of ‘Starship Troopers’. Director Doug Liman (‘The
Bourne Identity’) is solid, and was unfairly bashed for his inventive
‘Jumper’. Cruise’s sci-fi effort last year, ‘Oblivion’, was very
capable, expect him to be just as committed here.
Transformers: Age Of Extinction
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Kelsey Grammer, Stanley Tucci
Director: Michael Bay
Out: June 27, 2014
A semi-reboot: Shia is gone, along with the entire human cast, a couple of key writers, and all but two of the Transformers (a redesigned Prime and Bumblebee). Instead this is about a mechanic (Wahlberg) and his daughter (Peltz) making a discovery 4 years later that brings the Autobots, Decepticons, and a paranoid government official (Grammer) down on them. Also involved is the long-overdue introduction of the Dinobots (see Grimlock, above), who may not necessarily be Autobot allies much of the time. The all-new Decepticons are Galvatron, Cyclonus and Lockdown. The human cast was tired so I’m glad to see fresh talent. If only Bay would hand directing duties onto someone else.
- JULY -
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
Starring: Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Keri Russell
Director: Matt Reeves
Out: 18 July 2014
A decade on, the growing nation of genetically-evolved apes is
threatened by a band of human survivors. They reach a fragile peace, but
it proves short-lived and soon they’re on the brink of a war that’ll
determine who emerges as Earth’s dominant species. James Franco is not
returning, instead the main human will be played by Gary Oldman,
alongside a family played by Jason Clarke (‘Zero Dark Thirty’), Keri
Russell (‘Dark Skies’) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (‘Let Me In’). The capable
Matt Reeves (‘Cloverfield’, ‘Let Me In’) comes on board as director.
Andy Serkis is back doing motion capture for lead ape Caesar. His work
was jaw-dropping last time, so he’s reason alone for seeing this – even
though his arc this time can’t be nearly as fascinating. Fans will be
interested to know that Caesar now has a son and his main rival is Koba.
Since the Charlton Heston original tells us that the apes win and
humanity is enslaved/extinguished, this is surely going to be a
depressing watch. Still the previous movie was surprisingly entertaining
so let’s assume this has a satisfying way of doing it.
Hercules: The Thracian Wars
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Rufus Sewell, Ian McShane, Joseph Fiennes, John Hurt
Director: Brett Ratner
Out: 25 July 2014
Having endured his legendary twelve labours, Hercules, the Greek demigod, has his life as a sword-for-hire tested when the King of Thrace and his daughter seek his aid in defeating a tyrannical warlord. He and his six companions will have their eyes opened to how far they have fallen as they train the king’s army to become as ruthless and bloodthirsty as their reputation has become… Not to be confused with Renny Harlin’s ‘The Legend of Hercules’ which also came out this year but was so bad it isn’t worth mentioning. This $110 million-budgeted project is based on the graphic novel of the same name, and directed by fanboy bogeyman Brett Ratner. The ‘Conan’ reboot didn’t work out too well but this has true star power in Dwayne Johnson and should make for an entertainingly-average musclebound saga.[Critics: 63%] [Public: 7.0] – Good
Jupiter Ascending
Starring: Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne
Director: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Out: 25 July 2014
In a universe where humans are near the bottom of the evolutionary ladder, an unlucky Russian immigrant (Kunis) who cleans toilets for a living encounters an interplanetary warrior (Tatum) who the Queen of the Universe has sent to kill her. He tells her that the stars were pointing to an extraordinary event on the night she was born, and that her DNA could mark her as the universe’s next leader… Sean Bean plays Stinger, a “Han Solo-type character”, who helps them as they are pursued by cyber hunters. Also Terry Gilliam has “a small but vital” acting role. The Wachowskis are returning to their ‘Matrix’ roots with another story of an average person plucked from obscurity and told they’re “The One”. But is the rest of the plot too wacky to connect with people? (Are Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum the actors you’d want to sell a silly idea as serious – here Tatum plays a half-albino with wolf and human DNA). Visually the Wachowskis are about the best in the business, and in a sci-fi setting it should be something to behold. I hope this sees them back on top.
- AUGUST -
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel (voice), Bradley Cooper (voice)
Director: James Gunn
Out: 1 August 2014
A jet pilot gets stranded in space, and must unite a diverse team of
aliens to form a squad capable of defeating cosmic threats. Leading the
ensemble is Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, who left Earth in the mid-1980s
and goes around space as a rogue until he realises he needs a higher
purpose. Zoe Saldana plays the blue-skinned adopted, but runaway,
daughter of Thanos. Also in the team is Groot, an extraterrestrial
tree-like creature who is royalty on his homeworld and can regenerate
most devastating wounds, to be voiced by Vin Diesel. And Rocket Raccoon,
an anthropomorphic raccoon created on Earth to be an expert marksman
and master tactician, who’s voiced by Bradley Cooper. Nova Corps
(Marvel’s interstellar police force) also feature with Glenn Close as
Nova Prime and, oddly, John C. Reilly as Rhomann Dey. The best Marvel
movies are character introductions, and space is a refreshingly
different arena for them. Director James Gunn (‘Slither’) is well
equipped to handle the quirk and complexity of the material, hopefully
he won’t let it slip into overly-campy ‘Farscape’/’Red Dwarf’ territory.
Lucy
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-sik Choi, Amr Wacked
Director: Luc Besson
Out: 8 August 2014
Lucy (Johansson), a woman living in Taiwan, works as a drug mule. When a drug she inadvertently takes goes into her system it changes her into a metahuman. Now she can absorb knowledge instantaneously, is able to move objects with her mind and can’t feel pain. Morgan Freeman plays the scientist Lucy seeks out to save her life. It’ll be interesting to see South Korean Choi Min-sik, ‘Oldboy’ himself, in his first significant English speaking role. Writer/director Luc Besson returns to the territory of ‘Nikita’, ‘Leon’ and ‘The Fifth Element’. He’s perhaps better suited than anyone at tackling a female superhero. This is his production company’s (EuroCorp’s) biggest ever budget, and probably its biggest ever risk given the box office returns for superheroine-led movies.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Starring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Whoopi Goldberg
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Out: 8 August 2014
Aliens invade Earth and inadvertently spawn a quartet of mutated reptile warriors, the Ninja Turtles, who rise up against them to defend the world. Megan Fox is friendly reporter April O’Neil. Will Arnett is April’s cameraman and rival, Vernon Fenwick. William Fichtner dons armours as arch-nemesis Shredder (complete with “surprising” backstory). Size-challenged actor Danny Woodburn plays Splinter. Whoopi Goldberg portrays an aggressive journalist. Casey Jones, Bebop and Rocksteady won’t be appearing. From Michael Bay’s production company, the director’s track record is poor (‘Battle Los Angeles’, ‘Wrath of the Titans’, etc), so this will probably be substandard, but I’m excited to see the turtles fully realised in live action. It could be badass.
The Expendables 3
Starring: Stallone, Statham, Li, Schwarzenegger, Lundgren, Couture, Crews
Director: Patrick Hughes
Out: 15 August 2014
The mercenary group led by Ross (Stallone) comes face to face with their co-founder Stonebanks (Gibson). Ross was forced to kill Stonebanks when he became a ruthless arms trader, but Stonebanks survived and has now made it his mission to destroy The Expendables. To help his team Ross resorts to recruiting several younger technology-oriented mercs, but they are soon bumping heads with the veterans. New additions to the cast include Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Robert Davi, Kelsey Grammer, Kellan Lutz, MMA star Ronda Rousey and welterweight boxing champion Victor Ortiz. Bruce Willis is out after a very public argument over money. The director of the uninspiring ‘Red Hill’ takes over behind the camera. The series is missing a serious trick not getting John Woo to direct, or the likes of Paul Verhoeven. There are certain action directors from the era that are fantastic but have become unfashionable, just like the stars. ‘Expendables 2′ had a great cast line-up but struggled to hold the attention with its paint-by-numbers story and visuals. The series also needs to become more of an ensemble, less Stallone-focused and stop filming in bland Bulgaria. However, expect ‘Expendables 3′ to be more of the same.[Critics: 63%] [Public: 7.0] – Good
Fury
Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal, Michael Peña
Director: David Ayer
Out: 14 November 2014
During the last months of World War II, as the Allies made their final push in the European Theater, a battle-hardened army sergeant (Pitt) commands a Sherman tank called “Fury” and its five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, they face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany… Pitt’s on an ‘Inglourious Basterds’ re-run, but with the writer-director of ‘End of Watch’ (who also wrote ‘Training Day’) this should be tonally very different – i.e. dark and gritty. The director’s screenplay for ‘U-571′ pretended that operation was American not British so there may be more grating historical inaccuracies in store here. Hated man of the moment Shia LaBeouf features prominently which may be a distraction – reports claim he annoyed Pitt by refusing to shower, to maintain authenticity. Brad Pitt remains a compelling, bone-fide movie star so with a quality dramatist behind the camera this is one to keep an eye on.
- DECEMBER -
The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies
Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom
Director: Peter Jackson
Out: 17 December 2014
The Company of Thorin has reached Smaug’s lair but can Bilbo and the
Dwarves reclaim Erebor and the treasure? And, if so, can they hold on to
it? This movie not only concludes the Hobbit trilogy but goes beyond
the novel and acts as a bridge to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Peter
Jackson has used the appendices of the novel of ‘The Return of The King’
to help develop an original story. The exact contents of this third
part are unknown however the Battle of the Five Armies will be in it, so
a significant portion of The Hobbit is included. Should the 400 page
book have been stretched to a trilogy when Lord of the Rings was 1250
pages? No, but each Hobbit movie makes $1 billion+ worldwide. So expect
more padding here. Still it’s a must for fans of this world, which is
most of us.
Leave your thoughts on 2014′s action movies in the comments.
What are you looking forward to most?
Lone Survivor
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Eric Bana, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster
Director: Peter Berg
Out: 10 January 2014 (U.S. Release Dates)
In 2005, four-man ‘SEAL Team 10′ is tasked with capturing or killing a
notorious Taliban leader. But the mission goes spectacularly wrong, and
despite rescue being on the way the result is a considerable loss of
American life. Based on the true story, this was adapted by director
Peter Berg several years back while he was embedded with a SEAL team in
Iraq. He couldn’t get studio support to make it then without agreeing to
helm ‘Battleship’ first. Consensus is it’s uncompromising, brutal and
paints a vivid picture of the challenges fighting in Afghanistan. In
other words, it’s given ‘Battleship’ a reason for existing. [Critics (via Rotten Tomatoes): 75%] [Public (via IMDB): 7.7] – ExcellentJack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Starring: Chris Pine, Kenneth Branagh, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Out: 17 January 2014
A young covert CIA analyst (Pine) uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack. Knightley plays his fiancé, Branagh is the Russian oligarch villain, Costner the CIA liaison. This is the first Jack Ryan movie not based off one of Tom Clancy’s novels. They’ve already tried to reboot the series with Ben Affleck to little effect. Chris Pine, despite a couple of interesting early roles, has become a bland leading man and isn’t a patch on Harrison Ford, or the Alec Baldwin/Sean Connery team up that were the cornerstones of the earlier movies. Furthermore, Russia is a dull setting and antagonist Kenneth Branagh’s accent is pure ham. However it’s co-written by two of Hollywood’s best screenwriters, David Koepp (‘Jurassic Park’) and Steven Zaillian (‘Clear and Present Danger’). The final critical and public consensus is that it all works well enough. Box office success would have spurred on adaptations of Clancy’s ‘Rainbow Six’ and ‘Splinter Cell’, which are more interesting prospects, but unfortunately it has underperformed. [Critics: 56%] [Public: 6.3] – Good
I, Frankenstein
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Yvonne Strahovski, Bill Nighy, Miranda Otto
Director: Stuart Beattie
Out: 24 January 2014
Frankenstein’s creature (Eckhart) has survived to present day due to a genetic quirk in his creation, and is now an intelligent, evolved man. Making his way to a dark, gothic metropolis, he finds himself caught in an all-out, centuries old war between two immortal clans. Soon he is being hunted by demons wanting to learn the secret of his creation to build an army of the undead. Otto plays the queen of the gargoyles. Nighy is the film’s villain, a former angel who descended with Satan. It’s an adaptation of the graphic novel, from the producers of ‘Underworld’. Director Stuart Beattie is an established screenwriter (‘Collateral’, ’30 Days Of Night’) who recently made a shaky directing debut with ‘Tomorrow, When The War Began’. The lead actors did 3 months of martial arts training. If ‘Underworld’ was your thing, expect this to have a similar tone. Reviews have been absolutely dreadful. [Critics: 4%] [Public: 5.2] – Avoid
Robocop
Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Sam Jackson, Abbie Cornish
Director: José Padilha
Out: 12 February 2014
Joel Kinnaman (TV’s ‘The Killing’) is the new Alex Murphy and the
plot’s still about a crime-ridden city, this time in 2046, where a
fatally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg, haunted
by submerged memories. However Robocop himself will look and act very
differently to the 1987 original – for one, there will be no twitchy
robotic moves. This version focuses much more on the transitional phase,
about a man becoming part-machine. Oldman plays the scientist
overseeing the transformation, Michael Keaton is the possibly-villainous
CEO, Jackson is a powerful TV mogul, Cornish is Murphy’s wife who’s led
to believe her husband is dead. From the director of Brazil’s highest
grossing movie of all time ‘Elite Squad’. It’s a solid effort made with
the right intentions, and definitely more intelligent than it looks.
Although it’s still not as satisfying as the original.[Critics: 49%] [Public: 6.5] – GoodStarring: Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, Kiefer Sutherland, Jared Harris
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Out: 21 February 2014
In 79 A.D. a slave turned invincible gladiator (Kit Harington, ‘Game of Thrones’) finds himself in a race against time to save his true love (Emily Browning), the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator (Kiefer Sutherland). As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him…. Aiming for the ‘Titanic’ action-romance-in-midst-of-disaster-tragedy, this is coming from dreaded director Paul W.S. Anderson (‘Resident Evil’, ‘Alien vs. Predator’, ‘The Three Musketeers’). With a bland pair of leads, there’s little chance it’ll be anything more than mildly entertaining. [Critics: 28%] [Public: 5.8] – Mediocre
Three Days To Kill
Starring: Kevin Costner, Amber Heard, Hailee Steinfeld, Connie Nielsen
Director: McG
Out: 21 February 2014
Darkly-comedic actioner about a dying Secret Service Agent (Costner) who retires to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Steinfeld) but is offered an experimental drug that could save his life in return for one last assignment. Now he must complete the mission while coping with the drug’s hallucinatory side effects. It’s great to see Costner back as leading man in an action movie, and Steinfeld did well in ‘True Grit’. McG is directing. Luc Besson’s production company (‘Taken’, ‘From Paris with Love’, ‘Transporter’) is behind it, and Besson also co-wrote the script. Expect it to be similar to those movies in budget and ambition. The recent trailer suggested a pretty cheesy film with a wooden performance by Heard. [Critics: 32%] [Public: 6.2] – Decent
300: Rise Of An Empire
Starring: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Rodrigo Santoro, Lena Headey
Director: Noam Murro
Out: 7 March 2014
Set before, during and after the events of 2007′s ’300′. This is
based on Frank Miller’s upcoming graphic novel ‘Xerxes’ which follows
Greek leader Themistocles (Stapleton, ‘Animal Kingdom’) as he leads
Athens against Persian invaders in a naval battle, that plays out
simultaneously with the Battle of Thermopylae (depicted in the first
film). The massive Persian force is led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes
(Santoro) and Artemesia (Green), the vengeful commander of the Persian
navy. The narrative will also cover the backstory of Xerxes, explaining
how he became ‘the God King’. Previous director Zach Snyder is off
helming DC movies but he’s chosen his replacement, a commercials
director whose work includes recent ‘Halo’ campaigns. He seems to have
done a good job of replicating the visual style, but it’s uncertain if
the movie will have a charismatic central performance – Gerard Butler’s
madness could be sorely missed. [Critics: 41%] [Public: 6.7] – GoodNeed For Speed
Starring: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Ramon Rodriguez, Michael Keaton
Director: Scott Waugh
Out: 14 March 2014
Fresh from prison, a blue-collar street racer (Paul) who was framed by a wealthy business associate (Cooper) joins a cross country race with revenge in mind. His ex-partner, learning of the plan, places a massive bounty on his head as the race begins. From the director ‘of Act of Valor’, this is based on the videogame racing series. If you thought ‘Fast & Furious’ had got too cartoony, wait ’til you get a load of this. The glossy collection of cars is so exquisitely expensive they’re only driven in the real world by the sons of oil barons. Aaron Paul is making his shot at movie stardom, catapulted by the phenomenal success of TV’s ‘Breaking Bad’. With no ‘Furious’ movie now due this year, this might just be a sleeper hit. [Critics: 23%] [Public: 7.2] – Mixed Reaction
The Raid 2
Starring: Iko Uwais, Alex Abbad, Julie Estelle, Cecep A. Rahman
Director: Gareth Evans
Out: 28 March 2014
Picks up right where the first film left off and follows Rama (Uwais) as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and uncover the corruption in his own police force. The Indonesian martial arts sequel is written and directed once again by Welshman Gareth Evans. Here the action is not confined to one building and takes place over three years, not one day. Original title ‘Berandal’ means thugs, and it will be largely prison-gang based. Included is Evans’ take on a car chase, focusing on what impact a crash has on the person inside. The first movie was superb badass action. The teaser trailer for this was great too (even though the idea was stolen from ‘Oldboy’). Evans says he is currently outlining ‘The Raid 3′. [Critics: 81%] [Public: 8.8] – Excellent
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan
Out: 4 April 2014
Two years after The Avengers, Steve Rogers is struggling to adapt to
his role in the modern world. When a SHIELD compatriot is attacked, he
teams up with Black Widow to battle a powerful yet shadowy enemy in
Washington, D.C. Before long they recruit the help of the Falcon
(Mackie), who able to fly using a harness, and encounter The Winter
Soldier, a powerful new adversary with links to Cap’s past and Black
Widow’s heritage… Sam Jackson is back too, this time accompanied by
Robert Redford as a senior leader within SHIELD (great casting). The
comedic directors of ‘Arrested Development’ and ‘You, Me and Dupree’ are
an unusual choice, but they pull off Marvel’s third best film to date
(after ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Iron Man’). Cap is played perfectly, the
action is inventive and there’s a great sense of danger and intrigue. [Critics: 89%] [Public: 8.2] – ExcellentSabotage
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Terrence Howard
Director: David Ayer
Out: 11 April 2014
Ten members of an elite DEA task force find themselves being assassinated one by one after somebody steals $10 million during a drug cartel raid. Which one of them is behind it? Directed and co-written by the man behind ‘End of Watch’ and the screenplay for ‘Training Day’. This is loosely based on Agatha Christie’s 1939 whodunit ‘And Then There Were None’, aka ‘Ten Little Indians’ (the movie’s original title was ‘Ten’). It’s a brilliantly plotted book and it’ll be great to see it adapted to this sub-genre, especially with talent behind it. However it’s reported that a solid ending had to be scrapped and rewritten after test audiences turned their noses up. Also, let’s be honest, Arnold is looking too old to convince as someone who could win a physical fight. [Critics: 20%] [Public: 6.4] – Decent
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Paul Giamatti
Director: Marc Webb
Out: 2 May 2014
Spider-Man squares off against the Rhino (Giamatti) and the powerful
Electro (Foxx) while struggling with his promise to keep Gwen Stacey out
of his dangerous life. When his old friend Harry Osborn (DeHaan)
returns, Peter begins to discover more about his parents.
Pre-transformation, Electro is a “nobody” electrical engineer working
for Oscorp who idolises Spider-Man, it’s an accident at the labs
involving electric eels gives him the ability to control electricity.
The Rhino meanwhile will be a Russian mobster, and end up in a giant
mech suit. Chris Cooper is Norman Osborn, but you won’t see his Goblin
this time. Felicity Jones makes a small appearance as Black Cat. (The
production is working toward a ‘Sinister Six’ movie.) The director of
the first ‘Amazing’ returns. Electro pre-transformation and Goblin
post-transformation are too hammy and there is a too much going on that
jars tonally, but it is still a fun watch with some great visuals and
Spider-Man himself has never been this dead-on so far as style, look and
mannerisms go. [Critics: 54%] [Public: 7.5] – GoodGodzilla
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe
Director: Gareth Edwards
Out: 16 May 2014
The famous monster hero goes up against various malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity’s scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence (one is described as centipede-like, another is reminiscent of the Cloverfield monster). 1999′s Godzilla was a crushing disappointment but the franchise has so much potential on the big screen and now the West is going to try again. This is a $160m effort from Legendary Pictures, who rebooted Batman so successfully. It’ll be directed by Gareth Edwards, the newcomer who brought us the similarly-themed low-budget ‘Monsters’. It’s a huge step up for him. The new, much more faithful, creature design was revealed at Comic-Con (see picture above). Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Cranston are the leads, playing a lieutenant and a scientist respectively. I can’t wait to see Godzilla done right.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past
Starring: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence
Director: Bryan Singer
Out: 23 May 2014
In a 2023 dystopian future where mutants are all but wiped out by giant robotic Sentinels, the X-Men send Wolverine’s mind back to his 1973 body through Kitty Pryde’s phasing powers in a desperate effort to stop Mystique and Magneto assassinating key figures and changing the future. Characters from the original X-Men film trilogy are joining forces with their younger selves from ‘X-Men: First Class’. Confirmed so far are Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Iceman, Kitty Pryde, Professor X, Magneto and Colossus from the original, and Mystique, Beast, Magneto, Professor X, and Havok from ‘First Class’. New mutants include Quicksilver, Blink, Bishop, Sunspot, Warpath, and Ink. Overall the plot is much changed from the comics (where it was Kitty Pryde going back to 1980). Director Bryan Singer, of ‘X1′ and series-highlight ‘X2′, is back in charge. Having mutants involved in blowing JFK’s head off really is in bad taste, but that aside, this should be thrilling ensemble action.
Edge Of Tomorrow
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Jeremy Piven
Director: Doug Liman
Out: 6 June 2014
A conscript (Cruise) fighting in the United Defense Force against the
mysterious ‘Mimic’ aliens laying siege to Earth, finds himself caught
in a time loop of his last day of battle – dying each time but becoming
better skilled as he repeats it. Fighting alongside him is a special
forces solider (Blunt) who is highly decorated and peerless in battle,
seen as a hero by the entire world, but really she has experienced the
time loop too. The script adapts the Japanese novella ‘All You Need Is
Kill’ and was on the Black List (an industry rundown of the best
unproduced screenplays). It’s a sci-fi ‘Groundhog Day’ (as was ‘Source
Code’), with a touch of ‘Starship Troopers’. Director Doug Liman (‘The
Bourne Identity’) is solid, and was unfairly bashed for his inventive
‘Jumper’. Cruise’s sci-fi effort last year, ‘Oblivion’, was very
capable, expect him to be just as committed here.Transformers: Age Of Extinction
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Kelsey Grammer, Stanley Tucci
Director: Michael Bay
Out: June 27, 2014
A semi-reboot: Shia is gone, along with the entire human cast, a couple of key writers, and all but two of the Transformers (a redesigned Prime and Bumblebee). Instead this is about a mechanic (Wahlberg) and his daughter (Peltz) making a discovery 4 years later that brings the Autobots, Decepticons, and a paranoid government official (Grammer) down on them. Also involved is the long-overdue introduction of the Dinobots (see Grimlock, above), who may not necessarily be Autobot allies much of the time. The all-new Decepticons are Galvatron, Cyclonus and Lockdown. The human cast was tired so I’m glad to see fresh talent. If only Bay would hand directing duties onto someone else.
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
Starring: Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Keri Russell
Director: Matt Reeves
Out: 18 July 2014
A decade on, the growing nation of genetically-evolved apes is
threatened by a band of human survivors. They reach a fragile peace, but
it proves short-lived and soon they’re on the brink of a war that’ll
determine who emerges as Earth’s dominant species. James Franco is not
returning, instead the main human will be played by Gary Oldman,
alongside a family played by Jason Clarke (‘Zero Dark Thirty’), Keri
Russell (‘Dark Skies’) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (‘Let Me In’). The capable
Matt Reeves (‘Cloverfield’, ‘Let Me In’) comes on board as director.
Andy Serkis is back doing motion capture for lead ape Caesar. His work
was jaw-dropping last time, so he’s reason alone for seeing this – even
though his arc this time can’t be nearly as fascinating. Fans will be
interested to know that Caesar now has a son and his main rival is Koba.
Since the Charlton Heston original tells us that the apes win and
humanity is enslaved/extinguished, this is surely going to be a
depressing watch. Still the previous movie was surprisingly entertaining
so let’s assume this has a satisfying way of doing it.Hercules: The Thracian Wars
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Rufus Sewell, Ian McShane, Joseph Fiennes, John Hurt
Director: Brett Ratner
Out: 25 July 2014
Having endured his legendary twelve labours, Hercules, the Greek demigod, has his life as a sword-for-hire tested when the King of Thrace and his daughter seek his aid in defeating a tyrannical warlord. He and his six companions will have their eyes opened to how far they have fallen as they train the king’s army to become as ruthless and bloodthirsty as their reputation has become… Not to be confused with Renny Harlin’s ‘The Legend of Hercules’ which also came out this year but was so bad it isn’t worth mentioning. This $110 million-budgeted project is based on the graphic novel of the same name, and directed by fanboy bogeyman Brett Ratner. The ‘Conan’ reboot didn’t work out too well but this has true star power in Dwayne Johnson and should make for an entertainingly-average musclebound saga.[Critics: 63%] [Public: 7.0] – Good
Jupiter Ascending
Starring: Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne
Director: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Out: 25 July 2014
In a universe where humans are near the bottom of the evolutionary ladder, an unlucky Russian immigrant (Kunis) who cleans toilets for a living encounters an interplanetary warrior (Tatum) who the Queen of the Universe has sent to kill her. He tells her that the stars were pointing to an extraordinary event on the night she was born, and that her DNA could mark her as the universe’s next leader… Sean Bean plays Stinger, a “Han Solo-type character”, who helps them as they are pursued by cyber hunters. Also Terry Gilliam has “a small but vital” acting role. The Wachowskis are returning to their ‘Matrix’ roots with another story of an average person plucked from obscurity and told they’re “The One”. But is the rest of the plot too wacky to connect with people? (Are Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum the actors you’d want to sell a silly idea as serious – here Tatum plays a half-albino with wolf and human DNA). Visually the Wachowskis are about the best in the business, and in a sci-fi setting it should be something to behold. I hope this sees them back on top.
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel (voice), Bradley Cooper (voice)
Director: James Gunn
Out: 1 August 2014
A jet pilot gets stranded in space, and must unite a diverse team of
aliens to form a squad capable of defeating cosmic threats. Leading the
ensemble is Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, who left Earth in the mid-1980s
and goes around space as a rogue until he realises he needs a higher
purpose. Zoe Saldana plays the blue-skinned adopted, but runaway,
daughter of Thanos. Also in the team is Groot, an extraterrestrial
tree-like creature who is royalty on his homeworld and can regenerate
most devastating wounds, to be voiced by Vin Diesel. And Rocket Raccoon,
an anthropomorphic raccoon created on Earth to be an expert marksman
and master tactician, who’s voiced by Bradley Cooper. Nova Corps
(Marvel’s interstellar police force) also feature with Glenn Close as
Nova Prime and, oddly, John C. Reilly as Rhomann Dey. The best Marvel
movies are character introductions, and space is a refreshingly
different arena for them. Director James Gunn (‘Slither’) is well
equipped to handle the quirk and complexity of the material, hopefully
he won’t let it slip into overly-campy ‘Farscape’/’Red Dwarf’ territory.Lucy
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-sik Choi, Amr Wacked
Director: Luc Besson
Out: 8 August 2014
Lucy (Johansson), a woman living in Taiwan, works as a drug mule. When a drug she inadvertently takes goes into her system it changes her into a metahuman. Now she can absorb knowledge instantaneously, is able to move objects with her mind and can’t feel pain. Morgan Freeman plays the scientist Lucy seeks out to save her life. It’ll be interesting to see South Korean Choi Min-sik, ‘Oldboy’ himself, in his first significant English speaking role. Writer/director Luc Besson returns to the territory of ‘Nikita’, ‘Leon’ and ‘The Fifth Element’. He’s perhaps better suited than anyone at tackling a female superhero. This is his production company’s (EuroCorp’s) biggest ever budget, and probably its biggest ever risk given the box office returns for superheroine-led movies.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Starring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Whoopi Goldberg
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Out: 8 August 2014
Aliens invade Earth and inadvertently spawn a quartet of mutated reptile warriors, the Ninja Turtles, who rise up against them to defend the world. Megan Fox is friendly reporter April O’Neil. Will Arnett is April’s cameraman and rival, Vernon Fenwick. William Fichtner dons armours as arch-nemesis Shredder (complete with “surprising” backstory). Size-challenged actor Danny Woodburn plays Splinter. Whoopi Goldberg portrays an aggressive journalist. Casey Jones, Bebop and Rocksteady won’t be appearing. From Michael Bay’s production company, the director’s track record is poor (‘Battle Los Angeles’, ‘Wrath of the Titans’, etc), so this will probably be substandard, but I’m excited to see the turtles fully realised in live action. It could be badass.
The Expendables 3
Starring: Stallone, Statham, Li, Schwarzenegger, Lundgren, Couture, Crews
Director: Patrick Hughes
Out: 15 August 2014
The mercenary group led by Ross (Stallone) comes face to face with their co-founder Stonebanks (Gibson). Ross was forced to kill Stonebanks when he became a ruthless arms trader, but Stonebanks survived and has now made it his mission to destroy The Expendables. To help his team Ross resorts to recruiting several younger technology-oriented mercs, but they are soon bumping heads with the veterans. New additions to the cast include Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Robert Davi, Kelsey Grammer, Kellan Lutz, MMA star Ronda Rousey and welterweight boxing champion Victor Ortiz. Bruce Willis is out after a very public argument over money. The director of the uninspiring ‘Red Hill’ takes over behind the camera. The series is missing a serious trick not getting John Woo to direct, or the likes of Paul Verhoeven. There are certain action directors from the era that are fantastic but have become unfashionable, just like the stars. ‘Expendables 2′ had a great cast line-up but struggled to hold the attention with its paint-by-numbers story and visuals. The series also needs to become more of an ensemble, less Stallone-focused and stop filming in bland Bulgaria. However, expect ‘Expendables 3′ to be more of the same.[Critics: 63%] [Public: 7.0] – Good
Fury
Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal, Michael Peña
Director: David Ayer
Out: 14 November 2014
During the last months of World War II, as the Allies made their final push in the European Theater, a battle-hardened army sergeant (Pitt) commands a Sherman tank called “Fury” and its five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, they face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany… Pitt’s on an ‘Inglourious Basterds’ re-run, but with the writer-director of ‘End of Watch’ (who also wrote ‘Training Day’) this should be tonally very different – i.e. dark and gritty. The director’s screenplay for ‘U-571′ pretended that operation was American not British so there may be more grating historical inaccuracies in store here. Hated man of the moment Shia LaBeouf features prominently which may be a distraction – reports claim he annoyed Pitt by refusing to shower, to maintain authenticity. Brad Pitt remains a compelling, bone-fide movie star so with a quality dramatist behind the camera this is one to keep an eye on.
The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies
Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom
Director: Peter Jackson
Out: 17 December 2014
The Company of Thorin has reached Smaug’s lair but can Bilbo and the
Dwarves reclaim Erebor and the treasure? And, if so, can they hold on to
it? This movie not only concludes the Hobbit trilogy but goes beyond
the novel and acts as a bridge to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Peter
Jackson has used the appendices of the novel of ‘The Return of The King’
to help develop an original story. The exact contents of this third
part are unknown however the Battle of the Five Armies will be in it, so
a significant portion of The Hobbit is included. Should the 400 page
book have been stretched to a trilogy when Lord of the Rings was 1250
pages? No, but each Hobbit movie makes $1 billion+ worldwide. So expect
more padding here. Still it’s a must for fans of this world, which is
most of us.Leave your thoughts on 2014′s action movies in the comments.
What are you looking forward to most?
