My 2012 Movie Picks

By: Ty Noel

With the New Year upon us and the movie season getting under way, there is no reason for us not to be excited.  2012 is coming in packing a punch with more than enough extravagant flicks to get even the people that prefer to sit in their house as a hermit to go out and catch a flick or two.  With that in mind, here are MY must see movies for 2012.  Keep in mind the emphasis is on MY due to the fact that I’m picking the movies and therefore will not be including Twilight, so all you Jacob or Edward fans are going to have to live with it because sorry, they’re just not worth the time.

Chronicle

Competing with the release of The Woman in Black is Chronicle, a movie about 3 high school kids that end up getting superpowers.  What better way to kick off the year of the superheroes than by this indie-looking flick.  Shot in the same style as Cloverfield, Chronicle explores what would happen if 3 teenagers were granted super powers and just how right or wrong it can go.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Okay, I know before it even needs to be said that after a lack luster first movie, how can I possibly believe the second can be even better? Well despite the fatal flaw with the main character being played by Nicholas Cage, the plot itself seems descent and the directing crew behind it, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank), seem to give the movie a bit more.  If anything, the fact that the ghost rider is shooting out flaming bullets from his mouth and peeing fire should be enough to go and get a taste of the movie.  The movie hits the big screens February 17.

The Hunger Games

March 23 marks the beginning of a new book series turned film with the release of the first Hunger Games movies.  The buzz around this movie has been high and based off what I’ve seen from the trailer in comparison to the book, it seems as though director Gary Ross did the book justice on this big screen adaptation.  If you haven’t read the books yet and have no intention of doing so (which I don’t recommend) then a brief synopsis is in order.  Based in a futurist America, 12 districts must send two tributes, a boy and a girl, to face off in an arena for a battle to the death in which only 1 can come out alive.

Wrath of the Titans

Although I felt as though Clash of the Titans was kind of weak and lacked the potential that the movie so dearly had, I’ll be the first to say that this movie seems to hold much more potential than the first.  With a battle against Titans, more monsters, and an all-around feeling of a more pressing plot, Wrath of the Titans may be able to give more than Clash of the Titans was able to.  Regardless, it has the Greek mythology luster to it and in the end I feel it’ll be more than enough to make a good movie and draw in a crowd.  Wrath of the Titans is scheduled to be released March 30.

American Reunion

Now as much as I know everyone is probably moaning and groaning over “another American Pie” this movie is something the franchise has needed after the several thousand straight to dvd releases they’ve done over the last few years.  With the original cast back in place and plot that seems to flow right from where the gang left off, it feels safe to say we’re in for a treat as this may mark one of the top comedies of the year.  And if the full cast being back isn’t enough, then just take gratification that the directors behind the Harold And Kumar movies are running the show and so we could be in store for one of the dirtiest movies up to date in the franchise yet.  American Reunion is to be released on April 6.

The Three Stooges

That’s right, The Three Stooges have finally made their way back into the public eye as Larry, Moe, and Curly hit the big screen.  Although the trailer itself doesn’t look very appealing and any sort of plot seems irrelevant because it’s the stooges, a good dose of slapstick comedy after years of raunchiness is nothing short of a breath of fresh air.  If there is anything to take away from the trailer is that they were able to get Snooki in on their antics and can no doubt act just as they did when they first started.  Watch for this to hit theatres by April 13.

The Avengers

For any comic book fan, nerd, or just plain super hero lover, May 4^th is circled on your calendar as we speak.  For the first time, multiple super-heroes come together on the big screen to do what they do best: kick some butt and save the Earth.  With The Avengers mighty group including Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, and Black Widow, it seems as though this movie is well worth the money to see multiple times.  With Loki threatening to destroy Earth, it’s up to The Avengers to come in and save the day.  The exciting thing that this movie has in store is the director, Joss Whedon, group up a major comic lover and will do the movie justice, and just getting to watch the egos of each superhero, *coughTonyStarkcough* conflict with one another.

The Amazing Spiderman

For some it may come as a shocker that there is a new Spiderman on the horizon but for most comic fanatics, it comes as no surprise.  With this new reboot, new cast, and even new plot, this Spiderman has the potential of looking better than any of the movies Toby Maguire has done.  Based around a teenage Peter Parker, the movie explores his dark pass and why his parents are gone and even shows a love interest that isn’t Mary Jane. With a new villain in tow as well, July 6 marks a great date for a new series of spiderman movies.

The Dark Knight Rises

Growing up on the Batman movies thanks to my father, I can do very little to not act like a fan boy when it comes to the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman.  So much has been read, leaked, and given that it’s hard not to contain all the excitement that surrounds this movie, especially after how amazing The Dark Knight was.  Sure I didn’t read the comics and I’ve only seen the movies and played the video games, but it seems as though Christopher Nolan is going to try his best to stay true to his Batman until the very end.  Coming full circle and revisiting things from Batman Begins, we find Gotham 8 years into the future.  Gotham is in a time of peace and Commissioner Gordon is stepping down while the Bruce Wayne has been incognito as Batman.  Just as things seem to good to be true, an ominous warning from Selina Kyle followed by an assault on Gotham by the emerging Bane, it seems as though Bruce Wayne needs to bring the bat out of retirement.  With strong lead actors such as Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Michael Cane, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the movie is guaranteed to be a sensation starting on July 20.

These are the movies I have deemed well worth seeing in 2012 and although there are several more I would love to add, I don’t have the time or the page space to add them all.  If you object to any feel free to hit me up on Facebook or on Twitter @TyNoel or just approach me at school, I promise I won’t bite but I may tell you how blatantly wrong or awful I feel you are on whatever movie you feel should have been added.  Thanks for reading!