2007 Movies on the Horizon

Alright everyone, I promised before that I'd include my top prospects for 2007 in my last post. I didn't, and apologize for that, but there was plenty of material to keep the one or two people who actually read this busy. So here we are, below I've listed 29 movies with descriptions on the plot (mostly basic stuff). For some of them we don't know that much, as they are still a year away, but the basic plot elements have me interested. There's a lot of big titles coming out this year, and some smaller stuff flying just under the radar (and some WAY off the radar), so I hope you all have your calendars ready.

(All release dates below are tentative, esepcially for the later months, things are always getting switched around, and IMDB is always getting things wrong, so be sure to check the listings every week for the names that look familiar)

January 19th - Pan's Labyrinth gets a wide release all over the United States. I know this was a 2006 release elsewhere, but I'm not getting it until Friday, so I'm counting it as a 2007 release. This wonderful looking Spanish language film is set in 1944 Spain, torn by Franco's war. It focuses on a young girl who lives in world of her own imagination, but must also deal with the dark reality of the world around her. The music sounds absolutely stunning, and the images are wildly imaginative. If you're up for something new and creative, don't miss this one, and hopefully you don't have a problem with subtitles.

January 26th - Smokin' Aces is the story of Buddy Israel, played by the ever hysterically abrasive Jeremy Piven, and his role as a comedian turned snitch for the mob. He decides to go for one last weeked of fun and gambling in Lake Tahoe and draws a large crowd of assasins including Ben Affleck. Ryan Reynolds is in this, and I don't know the role he plays, but he's a great actor who does a fantastic job of mixing action with comedy, giving me a good idea for what sort of movie we're in for. I'm expecting a mix of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Entourage and Ocean's 11. It's going to be a fun ride.

January 26th - Seraphim Falls is one you might not have heard of yet. It's a period piece set at the end of the Civil War. Liam Neeson is tasked to hunt down Pierce Brosnan, both who fought with the Confederate Army. Brosnan apparently just wants to be left alone, and his MacGuyver like skills, but Liam Neeson, who is apparently channeling Javert as well as all of Alabama refuses to give up the search. He chases Brosnan all the way to New Mexico. Just seeing these two very popular British actors square off as ex-southern army men is worth the price of the ticket alone, like watching a southern remake of Phantom Menace mixed with Goldeneye. It looks like a great movie that is flying under the radar at the moment, especially since it comes out in a week, but these are two fantastic actors, and the setting looks great. Try not to miss it.

February 14th - Music & Lyrics stars aging failed boy band singer Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) and song writer Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), who collaborate together in unlikely circumstances to write him a song that will bring him back to the top of the charts. Slated for Valentine's Day, this is obviously a romantic movie, and knowing Grant, a romantic comedy. Let me just start by saying I think Grant is hilarious. I've liked almost everything I've ever seen him in, despite the fact that he plays the exact same character almost every time. Drew Barrymore is a bit more hit and miss, but I find the idea of the two of them sharing a screen intriguing. This looks like it's going to be a great romantic comedy with some fun musical numbers as well, and even if it is being marketed as the movie of this faux holiday, see it anyway.

February 23rd - The Astronaut Farmer is another one you probably haven't heard of yet. It's the story of Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton), a retired NASA astronaut who still hasn't given up his dream of going to the stars. He has to return to his farm in order to forestall forclosure, but that doesn't stop him from building his own spaceship in his barn. Invariably, someone is out to get him, in this case the US government, but he refuses to stop. It's a story we're seen before, part Field of Dreams, and part October Sky, but it's a genre we love because like Farmer, we too look to the stars. And I won't lie, part of me is just curious to see Thornton play anything other than a total douchebag, which seems to be his role du jour as of late. It's rated PG, and it looks like a great family film, so bring the kids along to this one.

March 2nd - Wild Hogs features an unlikely quartet of aging male star actors. Here's the premise: Four middle aged men, played by William H. Macy, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and John Travolta, are going through a mid life crisis. They decide to buy motorcycles and go on a road trip; hyjinks ensue. Who doesn't love a movie that has that for a premise? I don't even care what the details are! I'm sure there's going to be a lovely plot with them slowly coming to grips with their age and their growth as characters, but after watching a hysterical trailer for this movie, and reading a further description of the plot, I think this is going to be one of the best, well acted, and smartest comedies of the year.

March 9th - 300 is a movie you've probably all heard of, and it's the most advertised for movie that I've yet mentioned. It's the story of the 300 Spartans led by King Leonidas who must defend the pass of Thermopylae against a million very angry Persians. It's a fight to the death, and really is just a stalling action, but it's also a great sacrifice. Brought to life by Zack Snyder (who will be making Rainbow Six in 2008) and adapted from the graphic novel genius of Frank Miller (of last year's Sin City fame), this promises to be a visual masterpiece. What it will not be is historically accurate, but I've come to grips with that. So long as we all realize we're watching an excessive historical fiction, then I think we can all enjoy this for the cinematic masterpiece it's likely to be. If you like long, dramatic acting and spectacular fight scenes, this is the movie for you. Also if you like being on the edge of your seat and being attacked by rampaging goosebumps, this is the movie for you. If the movie is anything like the trailer, prepare to be amazed.

March 16th - Lucky You is probably not going to be the greatest movie of the year. I'll be surprised if it makes my top ten a year from now. It's the story of Huck Cheever (Eric Bana), who meets a young woman (Drew Barrymore) and wrestles with juggling his personal dream and his personal demons. It centers around poker, Texas Hold 'em to be specific. I love the game, and play almost every week, which is why I'm so drawn to this movie. The subplot is Huck's battle with his father, a famous poker player, L.C. Cheever (Robert Duvall), with a combination of father son issues and who's the better poker player issues. The climax of the movie looks like it will be the father son duo facing off in the Main Event of the World Series of Poker, the biggest poker event of the year. I think this film guarantees some great acting, some suspenseful thrills with the poker playing, some father/son fence mending, and some romance in the end. Sometimes a movie doesn't have to be a masterpiece just to entertain, and this one certainly looks to be entertaining.

March 23rd - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a story that needs no explanation probably. I don't know the exact plot of this film, but I've always loved TMNT. I was a bit hesitant when I found out it was entirely a CGI film, but they look wonderfull rendered, and actually like teenagers, which I found surprising and nice at the same time. I was looking forward to another live action film, like the one's my friends and I enjoyed as kids in the early 90's, but this could be good too, and with such a great history and wealth of great characters, this movie is hotly anticipated and ripe for success.

March 23rd - The Last Mimzy is flying a bit under the radar I suppose, which is surprising to me. It has the look on the surface of a great children's story in the making, but from the short trailer could also be Donnie Darko, Jr. It's the story of a young brother and sister who open a strange box of toys and receive strange advanced mental powers. The brother becomes super intelligent, and the sister has an ever advancing telekinesis. The words on the screen imply that the magic toys are some sort of message from the future, but that remains a mystery. The plot looks compelling, the child actors look like they do a great job, and the SFX look small compared to what we're used to, but amazing for what they portray. Watch this one if you get the chance, especially if TMNT isn't your cup of tea.

May 4th - Spiderman 3 is running unopposed this weekend. The trailer, which mixes stunning action and CGI with spine tingling music looks mind boggling. I've been a mild fan of the Spiderman franchise since the first movie. I've always loved the comic books and the cartoons, and though the movies have torn up the plot of the comics and used the scraps for their cinematic...thing, I still found them entertaining. But we're seeing a darker side of Peter Parker in this film that many of the fans have been looking for since the first movie. I'm anxious to see if Toby McGuire can pull it off. This is the same morality laden Peter Parker of the last couple movies but with the dark side that Venom will bring out. We're going to see something new, and I think torturous after a fashion.

May 11th - 28 Weeks Later. Yeah, it's a zombie movie. I liked 28 Days Later, and not just because the somewhat realistic depiction of an abandoned London and military fighting zombines scared the bejeezes out of me. There was good acting, for a zombie flick. In this one, 28 weeks after the events of the first movie, the US military moves to repopulate part of London, and find that the virus that caused the first outbreak isn't totally gone, and it runs amok again. It has the classic feel of a horrible sequel to a slasher film, and I think it's going to be a bomb without the main actors from the first movie, but it's better than Saw V.

May 18th - Shrek the Third. This is another one of those movies that has great name recognition. Apparently the plot is that Shrek might actually have to become king afterall, which isn't too appealing to an ogre who loves his swamp. So he moves to get someone else installed king, while the Prince Charming of the previous movie makes his own move to take the throne. If you liked the first two, I think you'll like this hopeful completion to the trilogy.

May 25th - Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At Worlds End is probably the longest title for a movie this year. But for anyone who has seen the previous films, this is a must see completion for the epic trilogy. The cast includes everyone from the second movie, plus Geoffrey Rush in a more prominant role as the returned Captain Barbossa, and Keith Richards will make a guest appearance as Jack Sparrow's father. Richards is the man Depp based his Jack Sparrow on, so that ought to be hilarious. This movie takes them to the Far East, and introduces Chow Yun Fat as the wily Chinese Captain Sao Feng. It's going to be awesome.

June 8th - Ocean's 13 is a movie we all didn't really want to see made. Heck, Ocean's 12 was a movie we all didn't really want to see made, and I think the final product bore that out. But I'm going to give this movie a chance. It features the same gang as before, but this time the bad guy from the first movie is back as an ally, and there's no french thief guy to dance around a room at the end, or a stupid plot line featuring Catherine Zeta Jones, or Julia Roberts playing an actress who pretends to be Julia Roberts. I'm holding out hope for this one, and am looking forward to it as a chance to finish the series with style.

June 29th - Ratatouille is the newest Pixar Disney CGI film. It features a rat in Paris who is also a chef and is addicted to fine foods. I don't know much else about it, but watch the trailer on Apple trailers, it's funny, as most Pixar films are, which means it's worth going to see.

June 29th - Live Free or Die Hard (Die Hard 4). Yeah we're seeing the return or continuation of a lot of franchises this year. But it's DIE HARD! Bruce Willis looks like he's back and better than ever. I imagine it won't be easy for him to do the whole "oh I'm just an average Joe walking down the street and woah look there's terrorists!" thing. But his goofy sidekick in this one is Justin Long, which should ensure it's funny as well as one of the better action flicks of the year.

July 6th - Transformers has fanboys everywhere salivating. We're all geeked for it, and I'm not going to pretend I'm not one of those fanboys. I'm a bit nervous, because of the drastic changes being made to it. But Peter Cullen and Frank Welker are there, reprising their roles as Optimus Prime and Megatron. I think that alone will give this movie a lot of validity. I'm worried that the plot will ruin everything I've come to love about this franchise, but I'm going to give them a chance. Hopefully subsequent movies will do the series justice and give the fanboys something to scream about. But don't miss this one, at the very least the CGI is going to be amazing, like an ILM wet dream.

July 13th - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth movie in the seven part franchise. It features some of the more memorable scenes from the book series, and I think all of us are anxious to see Dumbledore's Army take shape, and to see how Imelda Staunton handles the role of Dolores Umbridge. It's a series we've all grown to love, and the fact that many of the male actors seem to have discovered the real use of a barbershop is all the more encouraging. Fans will be sure to catch this one.

July 27th - The Simpsons Movie looks basically like a 90 minute version of a regular episode. Many people will balk at paying eight dollars for something that they can watch for free every Sunday, and I tend to agree with them. But the previews make this look rather hilarious, and if we're willing to pay that money to see any other stupid comedy, why not pay it to see a great comedy that we already know we like?

August 10th - Rush Hour 3 has been a long time in coming. We all knew at the end of the second one that there'd be a third one, and Chris Tucker has been virtually invisible since filming the second. If you remember the first two, they play an unlikely but hilarious crime fighting duo. In this one, they go to Paris (I was expecting New York from how the first one ended, since they take place back to back to back) and fight more Hong Kong crime bosses who've cropped up there. I imagine it will be a rehashing of the first two, with a hot french cop tossed in, so there's something for everyone.

September 7th - The Waterhorse is another you may not have heard of. The basic premise is that a young boy finds a magic egg that hatches into the Lochness Monster. I don't know much more than that, and probably won't until the trailer comes out, but from the premise, and the knowledge that the lead acting boy is the same kid from Millions, I have to say it sounds good from the outset.

September 14th - Eastern Promises is one I'm going to throw out there because of one actor: Viggo Mortenson. In this one, he plays a Russian crime boss in London. I don't know much more than that, but I think he's a fantastic actor, and it's always fun to watch him attempt brand new roles.

October 5th - The Golden Age is the sequel to Elizabeth (1998). In this one, Cate Blanchett reprises her role as Queen Elizabeth later in life. This is an exploration of the relationship between her and Sir Walter Raleigh, played by Clive Owen. I never saw Elizabeth, but these are two fantastic actors and I'm going to make an effort to catch this one. For anyone who enjoys the era, or enjoyed the first movie, be sure to catch this one.

October 12th - 3:10 to Yuma pits Russel Crowe against Christian Bale in a battle of wits. One plays a hardened criminal awaiting trial. The other is a small town rancher holding him while waiting for transport. The criminal tries to outwit his jailor in a battle of wills. I love movies like this, where dialogue plays a key role, and the characters really get a chance to explore themselves, each other, and their positions in life. It's not always about the flashy effects and stunts, sometimes it's just about good conversation and great writing, and from the director of Walk the Line and a writer involved in everything from Pirates to Collateral, I think we're in for just such a movie.

November 16th - Beowulf has been a long time in coming. Well, maybe not considering it's been made several times over even recently, but this is the big one we were waiting for. This is the one with the star studded cast, and directed by famed Robert Zumeckis. Everyone should have read the story in grade school, so you know about Grendel and his mother, and the terror they cause to this Nordic kingdom. I think this is going to be one of the top films of the year.

December 7th - His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass is going to be a stretch for some people. It's being billed as a philosophical thriller, which is really anyone's guess. The advertisements I've seen for it talk of a girl in Britian who overhears conversations with dust particles and tells of a magic compass that can answer any question for those skilled enough to understand it. It's one we're going to have to wait and see the trailer on for more information, but from the description alone it looks intriguing enough to get my attention for the year.

December 14th - I Am Legend only needs three words to sell me on it: Will, Smith, zombies. Everything Smith has touched in the last decade has turned to gold, and there's no reason to believe that this twist on the zombie theme, of a zombie hunter that hunts by day and hides by night, will be any exception to the rule. It's the first time in recent memory I can remember seeing an A List actor, high paid, much loved, doing something usually reserved for up and coming or washed out actors. Smith's interest in this movie alone has me excited to see a trailer, and wondering what he gave Jada to let him make so many movies this year.

December 21st - National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets is a MUCH anticipated sequel in my house. My entire family loves the first movie, and this next one, which returns all the main cast in an adventure to solve the new mystery of what really happened with Lincoln's assasination and 16 missing pages from his personal diary. The first movie was the perfect mixture of mystery, action and comedy, and I expect we'll get the same thing again with this one. The villain is yet to be named, which isn't a surprise, and I doubt we'll get Sean Bean back, which is fine with me, as I think a sequel demands a new villain. Barring more details on what it's about, I'm still cautiously optimistic about the best movie in the genre since Indiana Jones.