Darkmatters top film tips for 2010

2009 was a solid year for cinema releases (check Matt Adcock’s top ten of 2009) but 2010 already looks to be packing some very very cool films.

Here are my picks as to what looks like being worth seeing – obviously this isn’t an all encompassing list but these films are bleeping pretty loud already on my radar:

January picks

The Book of Eli

You want to see Denzel Washington kick serious ass in a film whose makers described its action thus… ‘Man on Fire’ is a mere taster compared to the righteous vengeance he (Washington) rains down on the scum in this film’? Yeah, me too!!

The Lovely Bones

Based on the best selling book by Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones is the story of a 14-year-old girl who is murdered by her neighbour. Now in Heaven she gets to follow the aftermath, sure it doesn’t sound like a lot of fun but Peter ‘Lord of the Rings’ Jackson is directing and hopes are high!

Up in the Air

George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham - a corporate downsizing expert (i.e. he fires people for a living) whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles. From the director of Juno, this looks ace!

February picks

Shutter Island

Martin Scorsese directs this sanity shattering horror / thriller about a U.S. marshal investigating the disappearance of a patient from Boston's Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital. Cue dangerous nutters on the loose in the middle of a storm… clichéd for sure but if anyone can make this work I reckon Scorsese can.

Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief

This one was nominated by my sons who think that the gods of Mount Olympus vs high school student Percy Jackson (who might just be the son of a god) plot might be cool. Who has stolen Zeus' lightning bolt? Can director Chris Columbus contain his sentimental urges for long enough to make a good film?

A Couple of Dicks / Cop Out

Darkmatters favourite Bruce Willis teams up with Tracy Morgan under the direction of Kevin ‘Clerks’ Smith – I think everyone should want to see A Couple of Dicks in 2010 – even if it will be released in the cop out name of ‘Cop Out’…

March picks

Clash of the Titans

Sam Worthington steps up as Perseus – tangling God of War style with Ralph Fiennes’ Hades, Liam Neeson’s Zeus and Gemma Arterton’s eye catching Io.

I can still remember seeing the original 1981 version as a 10 yr old and proclaiming it to be awesome… so no pressure then on the new version!

Alice in Wonderland
Tim Burton brings the oddness to this new retelling where 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

Green Zone

Matt Damon goes covertly rogue after faulty intelligence about Weapons on Mass Destruction in an unstable region brings about bad things… Director Greengrass is good at getting Damon to do action (Bourne Supremacy etc) so this could be a decent military thrill ride.

April picks

Date Night

This look lots of fun - directed by hit and miss Shawn Levy - I'm hoping that this delivers some good funnies, it certainly has the potential with Tina Fey / Steve Carell combo!

The Losers

After being betrayed and left for dead, members of a CIA black ops team root out those who targeted them for assassination… The Losers is based on one of my favourite graphic novels and if they keep the ‘A-Team only darker’ feel to this it could be a winner!?

Piranha 3D

Alexandre Aja – the once very promising horror director of Haute Tension (Switchblade Romance) takes the reigns for this fishy slaughter-athon that looks to be gross out fun for anyone wanting to see nubile bathers mown to pieces by razor toothed fishes…

May picks

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Jake Gyllenhaal brings the platform jumping, hack n slash fighting Prince to life on the big screen from his origins on the PlayStation. Expect flashy action but little plot.

Robin Hood

“Everything I do, I do it for you…” no more as Russle Crowe steps into the green tights (kidding) to add to the Robin Hood lore thanks to Ridley Scott. This just could be Gladiator 2!

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Top music video director Samuel Bayer gets stuck into this ‘reimagining’ of classic ‘80s horror icon Freddy Krueger, a serial-killer who wields a glove with four blades embedded in the fingers and kills people in their dreams. Should be worth staying awake for!

June picks

Erm… Footloose?

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Okay so I’m running low on films with confirmed release dates – but there are some absolute corkers still TBC / in the later part of ’10:

If you want action…

The Expendables -
With the truly mouth watering prospect of action hardcore star: Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke and Arnold Schwarzenegger all signed on… this is going to be high on body count!

The A-Team -
“I love it when a plan comes together!” Liam Neeson steps up to be Hannibal and director Joe ‘Smoking Aces’ Carnahan should ensure that this remake is a high octane affair. I used to love the A-Team when I was at school, please God don’t screw this up!

If you want funny…

Paul -
The genius that is the partnership of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost with added Seth Rogen = comic event of ’10 for sure!! Two comic book geeks travel across the US with a real life alien from the director of Superbad – yes please!

If you want fantasy…

The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Lucy and Edmund Pevensie return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace where they meet up with Prince Caspian for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. Along the way they encounter dragons, dwarves, merfolk, and a band of lost warriors before reaching the edge of the world.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Wizarding mischief as Harry gets ready to face off with Voldermort in part 2 (which let’s face it, is the only Harry Potter film you’ll ever need really).

Oh and that Twilight franchise sees ‘Eclipse’ if that’s your sort of thing!?

More for all ages?

Shrek Ever After, Toy Story 3 and Diary of a Wimpy Kid are my kids’ picks that they are looking forward to.

Finally – Darkmatters’ top 3 most anticipated films of the year – two of which star the same girl!?

1. KICK ASS

Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan with a few friends and who lives alone with his father. His life is not very difficult and his personal trials not that overwhelming. However, one day he makes the simple decision to become a super-hero even though he has no powers or training. Dave isn't the only vigilante in town, though. The father-daughter team of Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) are already on the prowl. Whereas Dave is an amateur, Big Daddy and Hit Girl are like a paramilitary version of Batman and Robin. Hit Girl is the assassin that Natalie Portman could have become in ‘Leon ‘but with a more X-rated mouth!

2. Let Me In

Hopefully this American remake of my ‘film of 2009’ Let The Right One In can capture the same haunting and provocative atmosphere. The plot sees alienated 12-year-old Owen (Smit-McPhee) befriend a mysterious young newcomer Abbey (Chloe Moretz) in his small New Mexico town and discovers an unconventional path to adulthood. The film is based on the bestselling vampire novel, Lat den Ratte Komma In, by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist.

3. Iron Man 2

Bringing the heavy metal action this summer will be Iron Man 2 – following up the stylish first film. This time we’ll have Robert Downey Jr. taking on Mickey Roukes’ WhipLash. Nick Fury (Samula L Jackson), War Machine (Don Cheadle) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) add to the comic book fun!

PHEW - that's it for now!!