The movies of 2009: Part 2
Alright, we've already looked at the first batch of films I'm most looking forward to in 2009. Here are some of the other biggies... bearing in mind, as I said before that there certainly will be omissions - sometimes I just don't see a hit title coming, or just aren't interested in something.
2009 Biggies, continued...
Coraline
This stop-motion animated film with CGI enhancements has been in development for quite a while now. Based on the creepy children's book by Neil Gaiman, Coraline focuses on a neglected young girl who discovers a secret door which leads her to an increasingly disturbing alternate reality. I'm expecting it to be a much better spiritual successor to The Nightmare Before Christmas than the mediocre Corpse Bride.
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Yet another installment in the prehistoric adventures of Manny, Sid, Diego and, of course, Scrat. This time the dysfunctional trio have to deal with the continued thawing of their world and encounters with dangerous dinosaurs.(Wait, didn't dinosaurs come before primitive mammals?)
Monsters Vs. Aliens
This year's big animated release from Dreamworks focuses on a young girl who finds herself quarantined with assorted monsters at a secret government compound. It's not long though before these outcasts have to save the world from alien invasion. Like Kung Fu Panda, the film is supposed to be more story-focused than centered on wacky humour and pop culture references.
Up
Rival animation studio Pixar meanwhile has crafted a comedy-adventure about a 78 year old man who has let all his action-packed dreams pass him by. An encounter with an energetic young boy changes all that, sending the pair on a high-flying adventure. Literally. It'll be interesting to see whether audiences prefer this to Monsters Vs. Aliens, or vice versa.
The Princess and the Frog
Disney's long-awaited return to 2D animation comes out in December. Transplanting the classic fairy tale to New Orleans, and featuring Disney's first ever black heroine (very appropriate in the Obama Era), the project has been bogged down by controversy, particularly in regards to stereotypes. Here's hoping the film is magical enough to charm viewers and not kill the celebrated animation format once and for all.
Avatar
Finally! Coming out December is director James (Terminator, The Abyss, Aliens, Titanic) Cameron's first film in 12 years. It's some sci-fi CGI-motion capture thing with an environmental slant - about humans settling a resource-rich planet and having to contend with the local inhabitants. I'm not too keen on the cheesy plot, but with Cameron involved you know it will be groundbreaking visually, and the action scenes should be awesome.
Fanboys
A comedy especially for geeks and pop culture junkies, Fanboys focuses on a group of die-hard Star Wars fans who, in 1999, are determined to break into George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch to watch Episode I: The Phantom Menace before anyone else. The reason? One of the group is seriously ill and probably won't make it to Episode I's official release date. Expect lots of Star Wars quotes, gross-out humour and apparently a considerable amount of heart.
The Unborn
A horror film focused on possession and exorcism... this time with Jewish flavour. Gary Oldman stars as a spiritual advisor who must help a young woman harassed by an angry spirit that has plagued her family since World War II. Written and directed by the man responsible for Blade II and Batman Begins, it sounds appropriately creepy.
Defiance
Speaking of World War II, Defiance features the oh-so-sweet teaming of Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell as Jewish brothers who stage a campaign of revenge against the Nazis in Eastern Europe, while defending the weak and helpless who flock to their side. Based on a true story.
Inglourious Basterds
Still keeping with World War II, there's also Quentin Tarantino's homage to the likes of the Dirty Dozen and Where Eagles Dare. The weirdly spelled Inglourious Basterds centers on a group of rebellious Jewish soldiers who are recruited by Brad Pitt's character to carry out targeted acts of vengeance. The online movie geek community is going wild about this one for some reason.
Valkyrie
If that wasn't enough Nazi bashing there's yet another WWII action film! Opening tomorrow in South Africa actually, Valkyrie has been getting bad buzz for a long time now, with its release date jumping all over the place for months. Of course most of the criticism has been of the usual Mad Tom Cruise/Evil Scientology variety, which is irrelevant, but I do find it odd having an American in the lead role, complete with undisguised accent, when nearly all the support cast are British. Anyway, Valkyrie is apparently based on a true story about German efforts to assassinate Hitler.
2009 Biggies, continued...
Coraline
This stop-motion animated film with CGI enhancements has been in development for quite a while now. Based on the creepy children's book by Neil Gaiman, Coraline focuses on a neglected young girl who discovers a secret door which leads her to an increasingly disturbing alternate reality. I'm expecting it to be a much better spiritual successor to The Nightmare Before Christmas than the mediocre Corpse Bride.
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Yet another installment in the prehistoric adventures of Manny, Sid, Diego and, of course, Scrat. This time the dysfunctional trio have to deal with the continued thawing of their world and encounters with dangerous dinosaurs.(Wait, didn't dinosaurs come before primitive mammals?)
Monsters Vs. Aliens
This year's big animated release from Dreamworks focuses on a young girl who finds herself quarantined with assorted monsters at a secret government compound. It's not long though before these outcasts have to save the world from alien invasion. Like Kung Fu Panda, the film is supposed to be more story-focused than centered on wacky humour and pop culture references.
Up
Rival animation studio Pixar meanwhile has crafted a comedy-adventure about a 78 year old man who has let all his action-packed dreams pass him by. An encounter with an energetic young boy changes all that, sending the pair on a high-flying adventure. Literally. It'll be interesting to see whether audiences prefer this to Monsters Vs. Aliens, or vice versa.
The Princess and the Frog
Disney's long-awaited return to 2D animation comes out in December. Transplanting the classic fairy tale to New Orleans, and featuring Disney's first ever black heroine (very appropriate in the Obama Era), the project has been bogged down by controversy, particularly in regards to stereotypes. Here's hoping the film is magical enough to charm viewers and not kill the celebrated animation format once and for all.
Avatar
Finally! Coming out December is director James (Terminator, The Abyss, Aliens, Titanic) Cameron's first film in 12 years. It's some sci-fi CGI-motion capture thing with an environmental slant - about humans settling a resource-rich planet and having to contend with the local inhabitants. I'm not too keen on the cheesy plot, but with Cameron involved you know it will be groundbreaking visually, and the action scenes should be awesome.
Fanboys
A comedy especially for geeks and pop culture junkies, Fanboys focuses on a group of die-hard Star Wars fans who, in 1999, are determined to break into George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch to watch Episode I: The Phantom Menace before anyone else. The reason? One of the group is seriously ill and probably won't make it to Episode I's official release date. Expect lots of Star Wars quotes, gross-out humour and apparently a considerable amount of heart.
The Unborn
A horror film focused on possession and exorcism... this time with Jewish flavour. Gary Oldman stars as a spiritual advisor who must help a young woman harassed by an angry spirit that has plagued her family since World War II. Written and directed by the man responsible for Blade II and Batman Begins, it sounds appropriately creepy.
Defiance
Speaking of World War II, Defiance features the oh-so-sweet teaming of Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell as Jewish brothers who stage a campaign of revenge against the Nazis in Eastern Europe, while defending the weak and helpless who flock to their side. Based on a true story.
Inglourious Basterds
Still keeping with World War II, there's also Quentin Tarantino's homage to the likes of the Dirty Dozen and Where Eagles Dare. The weirdly spelled Inglourious Basterds centers on a group of rebellious Jewish soldiers who are recruited by Brad Pitt's character to carry out targeted acts of vengeance. The online movie geek community is going wild about this one for some reason.
Valkyrie
If that wasn't enough Nazi bashing there's yet another WWII action film! Opening tomorrow in South Africa actually, Valkyrie has been getting bad buzz for a long time now, with its release date jumping all over the place for months. Of course most of the criticism has been of the usual Mad Tom Cruise/Evil Scientology variety, which is irrelevant, but I do find it odd having an American in the lead role, complete with undisguised accent, when nearly all the support cast are British. Anyway, Valkyrie is apparently based on a true story about German efforts to assassinate Hitler.
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