Itsa国际传媒檚 going to rain genre movies in 2019. Thatsa国际传媒檚 bad for movie critics who only like talky dramas, but great for popcorn-loving plebes who apparently donsa国际传媒檛 know any better. There are too many to even list, so letsa国际传媒檚 just look at the top 20 comics, sci-fi, horror, and animation movies of 2019, in reverse order of my enthusiasm.
20) Terminator 6 (Nov. 1):
The last couple of sa国际传媒淭erminatorsa国际传媒� reboots were so awful they soured me on the franchise. But this unnamed movie will ignore every sa国际传媒淭erminatorsa国际传媒� property after sa国际传媒淭erminator 2: Judgment Day,sa国际传媒� which is a huge, robotic step in the right direction. And with James Cameron returning as producer, and both Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger on board to pass the torch, I feel my enthusiasm awakening sa国际传媒攁nd becoming self-aware.
19) sa国际传媒淛okersa国际传媒� (Oct. 4):
Isa国际传媒檓 really interested in seeing what bizarre actor Joaquin Phoenix can do with Batmansa国际传媒檚 bizarre arch-foe. The movie also stars Zazie Beetz (sa国际传媒淒eadpool 2sa国际传媒�) and the legendary Robert DeNiro, which is very encouraging. The bad news is that much of The Jokersa国际传媒檚 appeal sa国际传媒攁nd all of what makes him remotely plausible sa国际传媒攊s that nobody is sure who or what he is. Giving him a specific, authoritative origin (which the comics have deliberately avoided) can only lessen his mystique. That seems like a dumb thing to do.
18) sa国际传媒淢en In Black: Internationalsa国际传媒� (June 14):
This concept has moved so far beyond its origins at tiny Aircel Comics in 1990 that it can safely be called its own animal. But Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones may have already said all that can be said with it. Still, with a cast that includes Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) and Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn), it should be thoroughly watchable.
17) sa国际传媒淭he Crow Rebornsa国际传媒� (Oct. 11):
Wow, there have been a lot of bad Crow movies. But theresa国际传媒檚 nothing like a good revenge fantasy, which is what The Crow has always been, dating back to its inception at Caliber Comics in 1989. Itsa国际传媒檚 a cansa国际传媒檛-miss concept (unless they miss).
16) sa国际传媒淚t: Chapter Twosa国际传媒� (Sept. 6):
There have been a lot of bad Stephen King adaptations, too. But the $700 million the first chapter raked in worldwide says sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒� isnsa国际传媒檛 one of them. This movie adapts the second half of Kingsa国际传媒檚 novel, with the kids of the first part now all grown up. Theysa国际传媒檙e played by the likes of Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy and Bill Hader, plus Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise, so theresa国际传媒檚 going to be a lot of star power up there on the screen.
15) sa国际传媒淏rightburnsa国际传媒� (May 24):
The idea of evil Supermen, even evil Superboys, has been old hat in the comics for decades. Heck, even sa国际传媒淪uperman IIsa国际传媒� had a drunk, unshaven Superman in a dirty costume. But what about a bad Superbaby? Thatsa国际传媒檚 the premise of this movie, answering the question sa国际传媒渨hat if that cute, super-powered tyke arriving in a rocket is a bad seed?sa国际传媒� It turns heroism into horror, a genre-bender that treads new ground.
14) sa国际传媒淜ingsman 3sa国际传媒� (Nov. 8):
There are all sorts of rumors swirling around what this movie is about. One possibility is that itsa国际传媒檚 a prequel, which would be terra incognita. Another is that it will constitute the third part a trilogy, bringing closure to the Eggsy-Harry Hart relationship (played by Taron Egerton and Colin Firth, respectively). Or it could be a musical. OK, probably not. The point is: We donsa国际传媒檛 know. But since I enjoyed the first two installments, Isa国际传媒檒l probably enjoy whatever this is. (Unless there are show tunes.)
13) sa国际传媒淭he Kitchensa国际传媒� (Sept. 20):
The original 8-issue miniseries of the same name, published in 2014 by Vertigo, DC Comicssa国际传媒� mature readers line, was a fascinating story about three mob wives who turn to crime to pay their incarcerated husbandssa国际传媒� debts sa国际传媒攁nd how joining sa国际传媒渢he lifesa国际传媒� changes them. This movie stars Elisabeth Moss, Tiffany Haddish and Melissa McCarthy in the three principal roles, so it could even be better than the source material.
12) sa国际传媒淭he Addams Familysa国际传媒� (October 11):
One reason my younger self loved sa国际传媒淭he Addams Familysa国际传媒� TV show more than sa国际传媒淭he Munsterssa国际传媒� was because the former, every once in a while, gave a hint of the vicious black humor of the original Charles Addams cartoons that appeared in sa国际传媒淭he New Yorker.sa国际传媒� Since this animated movie is based directly on those cartoons, wesa国际传媒檙e getting Addamssa国际传媒� delightful venom straight from the source sa国际传媒攁nd my inner 12 year old is thrilled.
11) sa国际传媒淎lita: Battle Angelsa国际传媒� (Feb. 14):
Movies based on manga (Japanese comics) have an awful track record in the U.S., and theresa国际传媒檚 no reason to believe this one will buck the trend. But the original comics are awesome, the concept sa国际传媒攁 post-apocalyptic cyborg warrior sa国际传媒攊s cool, the special effects look amazing, plus Christoph Waltz and Jennifer Connelly are on hand. Heresa国际传媒檚 hoping.
10) sa国际传媒淕lasssa国际传媒� (Jan. 18):
sa国际传媒淯nbreakablesa国际传媒� had comics fans feeling smug, because we knew the color code director M. Night Shyamalan was using to give us advance tips on the characters before the script did. (Hint: Superheroes generally wear primary colors, whereas villains favor purple, green and orange.) Shyamalansa国际传媒檚 stock fell for a while, before being rescued by sa国际传媒淪plit.sa国际传媒� Now comes sa国际传媒淕lass,sa国际传媒� which is a sequel to both movies, heretofore unrelated. Thatsa国际传媒檚 some trick, M. Night.
9) sa国际传媒淕odzilla: King of the Monsterssa国际传媒� (May 31):
I hear there are some people who donsa国际传媒檛 love Godzilla, and didnsa国际传媒檛 spend Saturday afternoons in their youth thrilling to the sight of men in rubber suits trampling tiny models of Tokyo. I donsa国际传媒檛 understand such people. Thatsa国际传媒檚 like hating pizza, or kittens, or sex. Well, it takes all kinds. And my kind of person will be front and center for this updated take on the Big G, Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah. Given todaysa国际传媒檚 special effects, this sequel to 2014sa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淕odzillasa国际传媒� should be quite a show. (Although I confess some part of me will miss the rubber suits.)
8) sa国际传媒淪hazam!sa国际传媒� (April 5):
Itsa国际传媒檚 a joy to see the original Captain Marvel sa国际传媒攜es, that was his name when he was introduced in 1940 sa国际传媒攇iven his due. Now maybe people will better understand those vague memories swirling around the collective unconscious about this guy, who sold as well as Superman in the sa国际传媒�40s. Anyway, this is the story of a boy who is given a magic word from a dying wizard that turns him into an immature, but genial, super-powered adult. Now called Shazam, this light-hearted character is the perfect antidote to the grimdark grimness of movies like sa国际传媒淏atman v Superman.sa国际传媒�
7) sa国际传媒淭he New Mutantssa国际传媒� (Aug. 2):
This next generation group of X-Men, introduced at Marvel Comics in 1982, had some pretty strange, non-superhero-ish adventures. One was a straight-up horror show titled sa国际传媒淭he Demon Bearsa国际传媒� sa国际传媒攁nd thatsa国际传媒檚 what wesa国际传媒檙e getting in this hero/horror hybrid, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy (sa国际传媒淭he Witchsa国际传媒�), Maisie Williams (sa国际传媒淕ame of Thronessa国际传媒�), Charlie Heaton (sa国际传媒淪tranger Thingssa国际传媒�) and Rosario Dawson (the Marvel/Netflix shows).
6) sa国际传媒淒ark Phoenixsa国际传媒� (June 7):
This movie promises a more faithful adaptation of the famed X-Men story sa国际传媒淭he Dark Phoenix Sagasa国际传媒� than the mess we saw in sa国际传媒淴-Men: The Last Stand.sa国际传媒� Itsa国际传媒檚 also probably the last X-movie before Disney reboots the franchise, so this is probably the last X-dance for Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, Michael Fassbender as Magneto and Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique.
5) sa国际传媒淗ellboysa国际传媒� (April 12):
The two movies directed by Guillermo del Toro, which starred Ron Perlman as the demonic hero, were perfectly enjoyable films. But they werensa国际传媒檛 really Hellboy. This new version, starring David Harbour (sa国际传媒淪tranger Thingssa国际传媒�) promises to be more faithful to the comics, so that movie viewers can see why comics fans have loved Hellboy for so many years.
4) sa国际传媒淐aptain Marvelsa国际传媒� (March 8):
Yes, itsa国际传媒檚 Marvelsa国际传媒檚 first female-led superhero movie. Yes, itsa国际传媒檚 Marvelsa国际传媒檚 first period-piece superhero movie. But is it good? Isa国际传媒檓 hoping for sa国际传媒淲onder Womansa国际传媒� good, but Isa国际传媒檒l settle for sa国际传媒淎nt-Mansa国际传媒� good.
3) sa国际传媒淪pider-Man: Far From Homesa国际传媒� (July 5):
Tom Holland made us fall in love with Peter Parker all over again in sa国际传媒淐ivil Warsa国际传媒� and sa国际传媒淗omecoming.sa国际传媒� Bring on Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) and the popcorn!
2) Star Wars Episode IX (Dec. 20):
The last Star Wars movie got a lot of hate, and I for one have no idea why. But maybe it shook the powers that be, because sa国际传媒淪tar Warssa国际传媒� mastermind J.J. Abrams himself returns to direct this (unnamed) installment, which should conclude the storyline starring Rey (Daisy Ridley), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac).
1) sa国际传媒淎vengers: Endgamesa国际传媒� (April 26):
Theresa国际传媒檚 not a lot to say about this movie, because we know so little. But evidently we donsa国际传媒檛 need to know anything, because sa国际传媒淓ndgamesa国际传媒� is already setting records for trailer views and advance ticket sales.
Thatsa国际传媒檚 my top 20. And for movie critics, Isa国际传媒檓 sure there will be a talky drama or two.
The Associated Press
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