2013 Predictions

So, I've done my list of favourite movies of 2012, this is now my list of movies I'm most looking forward to seeing in 2013. Once again, this is in no particular order, beyond the expected release date.

January:

- Gangster Squad

- Zero Dark Thirty

February:

- A Good Day to Die Hard

- Side Effects

- Warm Bodies

- Identity Theft

- Safe Haven

March:

- Oz: The Great and Powerful

- Jack the Giant Slayer

- G.I. Joe: Retaliation

- Noah

- The Place Beyond the Pines

April:

- Oblivion

May:

- Star Trek Into Darkness

- The Great Gatsby

- Epic

- The Croods

- Iron Man 3

- The Hangover Part III

- Only God Forgives

June:

- Man of Steel

- Much Ado About Nothing

July:

- The Lone Ranger

- Despicable Me 2

- The Wolverine

August:

- The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

- Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

- Diana

September:

- Rush

October:

- Seventh Son

November:

- Enders Game

- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

- Thor: The Dark of the World

December:

- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

- Jack Ryan

There are, of course, other movies coming out next year, many which I'm sure will be great. Many of which I'm sure will also be horrible. I'm looking forward to it all!

Recommendations: August 17

Sparkle - I've been seeing the trailers for this a lot lately, and I'm not entirely sure what to make of it yet.  It looks kind of like another Dream Girls except with Whitney Houston... and, honestly, the Whitney Houston part of the equation is probably enough to get me to see it.

The Expendables 2 - The follow up to The Expendables, this movie is trying to prove that there is no such thing as too many older action starts in one movie.  I have no clue what this is about, but I'm totally looking forward to seeing it.

The Hunger Games - The hit movie, based on the hit book, is now available on DVD.  If you didn't see it in theatres, check it out.  If you did see it in theatres, see it again.

Jaws - The classic horror film is being re-released on Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital Combo, and Amazon Instant Video as a part of Universal's 100th Anniversary celebrations.  Just in time to ensure that you don't go to the beach.

The Gargoyle - This book did a bit of a number on me when I read it.  By author Andrew Davidson it tells the story of this cynical and formerly gorgeous male porn star who's in a horrific car crash that horribly scars him.  During his slow recovery he meets Marianne Engel who insists that they were lovers in medieval Germany, and begins to spin their tale.  This is an amazingly written book that makes you question the reality in which it is based the entire time.  I totally recommend it.

The Hunger Games (2012)

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley
Director: Gary Ross
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rating: A-

The film adaptation of the bestselling book, The Hunger Games brings us to a dystopian world where every year two tributes, one male and one female, are selected from each of the twelve districts of Panem to participate in the Hunger Games, essentially a televised fight to the death.  Think “The Lottery” meets Gladiator, with an element of Big Brother.  The film is set around the 74^th Hunger Games and follows District 12’s female tribute, Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) as she struggles to overcome the odds and survive.  In order to be able to return home, she must be the only surviving tribute at the end of the games, including District 12’s male tribute, Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson).

The film does lose some of the novel’s story and doesn’t go into as much detail in regards to the political background of Panem.  I don’t actually feel that further detail is needed, though.  There was a war, it ended badly, and as a consequence the winners imposed a hugely cruel consequence – the Hunger Games.  What further background information is really needed?  The actual games aren’t as action packed as one might have expected – but the book itself isn’t that action filled either.  I really liked the way that they handled the action that they did show.  I also really like the way that they show the backstory and what’s going on outside of the Games; the book is very cerebral and only follows Katniss. The movie, however, avoids utilizing narration and instead shows you the things that book-Katniss only thinks about.  My one problem with the film is that I felt it cut too much of the relationship between Katniss and Peeta.  Some of my favourite parts of the book were the moments between the two of them, so I was disappointed to have that aspect of the film marginalized.  I did really like the film’s ending.  I really felt that it ended things on a happier note than in the book.