I’m not exactly the biggest fan of car movies, and that’s probably due to my lack of car knowledge. I have however always appreciated great car scenes in movies. Bullitt, The Italian Job, Ronin, Vanishing Point and Death Proof are some of the examples of movies I enjoy that have awesome car scenes. I can’t say whether or not Need for Speed would fit into that category of movies, but and film starring Aaron Paul post Breaking Bad is worth a look.
When the first Expendables was announced, there was certainly a combination of intrigue, excitement and reluctance at the idea of a bunch of aged former action stars working together in an ensemble action film created by Sylvester Stallone. The names seemed endless: Stallone, Statham, Li, Rourke, Lundgren, Couture, Crews, etc. What is most interesting however is that it turned out to be a good movie. Then a sequel was released and they added Van Damme, Norris, Hemsworth plus Willis and Schwarzenegger, who both had cameos in the first film. I found that the sequel was even better! Now there’s a third being released (and why not?) thanks to the success of the first two. Of course there are numerous rumors of the new faces, but it looks like those new faces will include Gibson, Banderas, Snipes and Ford! These films are a bit cheesy and purely about the action, but they’re great for what they are.
I did quite enjoy the first film, but I’m not so sure there needs to be a sequel. There’s not a lot of information available for this film yet, but there are a couple things I know. Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx are all reprising their roles. Also, the three leads are starting their own company, but have to deal with an investor (Christoph Waltz) who wants to overthrow them. So they kidnap the investor’s son (Chris Pine) in order to “take control” of the situation, much like they did in the first film.
I only recently watched 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes and I was surprised with how much I enjoyed it. Dawn takes place a decade after the events of Rise. During the credits of Rise, it is revealed that the virus spread throughout the world killing most of mankind. This sequel addresses what happens when the few humans who are left and the evolved apes are forced to confront each other for Earth’s dominant race. James Franco does not reprise his role from Rise, but the addition of Gary Oldman is a great bump.
This year could mark a comeback for Frank Miller’s comics-turned-movies. Sequels to two of his graphic novel series, 300 and Sin City, will be hitting theaters this year. Rise of an Empire takes place after 299 Spartans died fighting the Persians in the first film. Now Xerxes is marching towards Greece with the intention of expanding his empire. The filmmaking style remains the same as the original, which in 2006 was unique and different. It should still however be a fun film.