Tag Archives: War for the Planet of the Apes

Top 20 Best Movies of 2017

Honourable Mention:

Alien Covenant

Alien Covenant was definitely one of the most divisive movies of the year. Some people loved it, other people hated it. Fortunately I was in the former group, I loved it for what it was and it was so different from what I expected. While I can understand why a lot of people had issues with Covenant, I can’t help but be impressed by it.

No one does sci-fi like Ridley Scott and he really impressed me here. Alien Covenant is both a Prometheus and an Alien movie. Ridley Scott returns to horror with direction, excellent cinematography, and very, very horrific and bloody moments. However it is David, fantastically played by Michael Fassbender (who also plays dual roles here), who was the most fascinating element, one of the best characters in the Alien universe so far. Much of the film’s success goes to him as he’s a big screen presence. On top of that, this movie was a lot deeper and different than I thought it would be. All the themes it focussed on surrounded David and without going into too much depth it was really compelling. Covenant is a great mix of slasher, sci-fi, horror, religious parallels and much more that somehow actually works. It’s a bit of a bizarre movie, not what anyone was expecting and I’m glad that Scott went all out in going in this direction. It also has one of the best endings of 2017. Even though I really like Covenant, I can understand why a lot of people have issues with it. I do get that a lot of the questions that aren’t answered in Prometheus aren’t answered here either. It also does have some not so great elements with most of the other characters not being that developed and falling into some cliched moments, and on the whole it’s still a sci-fi horror flick, just with some unexpected parts to it. I’m just fascinated to see what direction Ridley Scott is taking this prequel series in (if a sequel does end up happening). I hope it happens, I want to see what Scott intended to take this story in.

My review of Alien Covenant

20. Detroit

Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit unfortunately really didn’t get the attention it deserved. The dramatization of the Algiers Motel Incident which took place during the Detroit Riots of the 60s was one of the surprise best films of the year that not enough people saw. It’s a real shame because a lot of audiences really missed out on a great and very impactful film.

Just about everything about Detroit was great. The performances were absolutely fantastic, with Will Poulter being a standout, how his excellent performance hasn’t been receiving awards attention is beyond me. But it’s the direction from Kathryn Bigelow that made the film so effective. The second act was riveting and harrowing, and Bigelow played a big part in it being very effective. Maybe it’s a little overlong in the first and third acts and its not exactly a movie that you would rewatch, but for what it is, it’s truly great.

My review of Detroit

19. The Killing of a Sacred Deer

The Killing of a Sacred Deer was absolutely mesmerising and I didn’t expect myself to like it as much as I did. With the unconventional and metaphorical story, the fantastic acting but most of all the stunning direction by Yorgos Lanthimos, The Killing of a Sacred Deer is an admirable film which I can only see being better upon more rewatches and further thought.

Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest film was so bizarre but the way he told the story actually worked. The story itself was really something unique and compelling, truly remarkable. Lanthimos’s direction was excellent, and felt haunting and unsettling from beginning to end. The acting was also top notch, with Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman giving typically great performances but Barry Keoghan also should also receive a lot of praise for his excellent performance here. Killing of a Sacred Deer really isn’t for everyone and I can understand why a lot of people don’t like it but I’m glad I sort of love it, it really does get better the more you think about it.

My review of The Killing of a Sacred Deer

18. Good Time

Good Time was one of the most unexpected movies of 2017, it had slowly been gaining some praise and it actually lived up to all the acclaim. The direction, writing and acting (particularly from Robert Pattinson) was so top notch, it truly deserves more attention and praise than its been getting.

The Safdie Brothers created a straightforward yet effective thriller that grips you from start to finish within its 100 minute runtime. The film is so visually stunning, especially with the lighting at the night-time, the entire film also does such a great job at exerting stress and tension. Along with the direction being truly excellent, it felt very gritty, the story and characters felt real, it doesn’t hold back in the dark things that happen, it doesn’t even try to get you to like the protagonist. Although all the cast was good, its Robert Pattinson who shines in a transformative lead role. He proved himself to be a tremendous talent here and deserves a lot more love for his performance. It’s gritty, fantastic, thrilling, there’s nothing else to say except that Good Time was a… good time.

My review of Good Time

17. Molly’s Game

Molly’s Game turned out incredibly well for a directorial debut and ended up being one of the best films of 2017. It is a stylistic and interesting true story which made for a great movie, with the highlights being Aaron Sorkin’s writing, Jessica Chastain and the supporting performances.

Aaron Sorkin not only proved himself as a fantastic writer (which he has already done many times over) but also as a very good director. He really brought the unbelievable true life story of Molly Bloom to the big screen. It’s an interesting story that’s both riveting and entertaining and as complicated as the film and certain details can get, Sorkin makes it work so everyone can have a degree of understanding about what is going on. Jessica Chastain gave a typically fantastic performance (one of the best lead actress performances of the year honestly), while supporting actors like Idris Elba, Michael Cera and Kevin Costner all played their parts very well and added a lot to the movie. Although a little overlong, Molly’s Game was great and really deserved a lot more praise than it has been receiving.

My review of Molly’s Game

16. Wind River

Wind River was one real surprise of a movie that slowly crept up upon us. It was just a really great murder mystery and it really did live up to the hype, with it being a very riveting story and having great performances.

Taylor Sheridan showed himself to be a great director as well as a great writer with Wind River. He already proved with Sicario and Hell or High Water that he was a talented writer and Wind River was yet another great story from him. The story was bleak and so well put together, a great mystery thriller overall. Performances from everyone were great, Jeremy Renner gave his best performance since The Hurt Locker, Elizabeth Olsen was great, really everyone contributed to the movie. If you haven’t watched Wind River, I highly recommend checking it out because it is really something great.

My review of Wind River

15. I, Tonya

I, Tonya was a real surprise. I went in knowing that we’d be getting excellent performances and wasn’t expecting much more than that. However, it ended up being much more than anything I expected. It was a truly great movie which really benefited from the way it presented the events, and which of course is made even better by the incredible performances from its very talented cast.

Making I, Tonya a dark comedy benefited the film immensely, it made the film entertaining and fast paced, while also not shying away from some of the more darker things that happened. It also maintained a level of emotional depth, so it wasn’t just entertaining, you were invested in what was happening. And of course, the performances from actors like Sebastian Stan and Allison Janney were really great. However, it is Margot Robbie who really shines, she is absolutely transformative and phenomenal as Tonya Harding. It’s her best performance to date and by far one of the best performances of the year. I, Tonya really surprised me and I got a lot more than I thought I would. Definitely one to not miss.

My review of I, Tonya

14. T2: Trainspotting

I’m surprised by how much I loved Trainspotting 2. I really liked the original Trainspotting but it wasn’t like one of my all time favourite movies or anything at that level to me. It’s also not common for sequels to films made decades ago to be any great, it’s even less common for those said sequels to be better than the original film (and it’s not the only one on this list), yet T2: Trainspotting managed to pull off being both. And yes, I do consider T2: Trainspotting to be better than the original.

T2: Trainspotting benefited as a sequel because of the fact that it took a different approach than the original, while still feeling like a Trainspotting movie, it’s very much a continuation of the story. At the same time, the approach to addiction (which the original covered) and the story overall is different, much darker and more mature. All the cast, especially returning cast members like Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle return seamlessly into their original roles and as usual were fantastic. Danny Boyle brought his typically great direction here and watching his take on a modern day Trainspotting sequel was amazing to see. Entertaining, emotional and ultimately satisfying, T2: Trainspotting was one of the most surprising and best films of 2017.

My review of T2: Trainspotting

13. The Disaster Artist

The Disaster Artist was one of my most anticipated films of all time, because of how much I loved the book its based on and how much I loved The Room. The book seemed like perfect movie material and I was looking forward to seeing how it would be. Thankfully it absolutely delivered on all fronts, it was surprising how great it was.

The Disaster Artist is a very unconventionally inspiring movie, the Ed Wood of the 2010s. The way that Tommy Wiseau wanted to make it big in Hollywood was tragic, ironic and inspiring all at the same time. One of the highlights was James Franco’s performance as Tommy Wiseau, which was fantastic, definitely deserving of high praise. A lot of people can do excellent impressions but it’s a real challenge to actually portray him as a person, and Franco was brilliant. You like Wiseau and root for him despite his weirdness and odd behaviour, yet the movie doesn’t shy away from many of his more less likable aspects. Great portrayal overall. Along with that the script was funny, well written and portrayed the events truly. With a fantastic performance, a great adaption of Greg Sestero’s book and story about Tommy Wiseau and The Room, I loved it. I’m not sure if it would be as impactful to people who don’t know of Tommy Wiseau or The Room but as someone who does, I really loved it.

My review of The Disaster Artist

12. John Wick Chapter 2

John Wick Chapter 2 takes everything from the first John Wick film and improves over it in every single way. It didn’t seem to be very necessary when it was announced and seemed to only exist because the original was such an unexpected hit but after seeing it I am so glad that we have it.

John Wick Chapter 2 is better in every way over the previous film. There are even more excellent action sequences, more worldbuilding, and it actually has you wrapped up in the story. From start to finish it has you absolutely riveted and entertained, there were even sequences that were so beautifully directed that I didn’t expect. All of this made Chapter 2 more than just your typical entertaining Keanu Reeves action flick. Speaking of Keanu Reeves, he has fully established John Wick as his definitive role and he really gets to show off both his action and acting chops. John Wick Chapter 2 was much better than I thought it would be and I already had some pretty high expectations for it, it was fantastic. I can’t wait to see what 2019’s John Wick Chapter 3 will be like, after seeing how great Chapter 2 was I can’t see it being anything less than excellent.

My review of John Wick Chapter 2

11. A Ghost Story

A Ghost Story is not for everyone, it is slow and as cliché as the phrase is, its not a film, its an experience. I personally loved it, while it didn’t have the emotional impact that it did for some others, there was something about it that I really loved and had my attention from start to finish. I have a feeling that it might be one of those movies that may get better the more I revisit it.

I can see why a lot of people don’t like A Ghost Story. It is slow, drawn out (the infamous 5 minute long pie scene often being mentioned as an example) and very unconventional to say the least. It might take multiple viewings to get the full experience. With that said, with my one viewing of the film I really loved it. With great performances from Casey Affleck (who’s mostly behind a sheet) and Rooney Mara (who is so great in a supporting part of the film and says so much with so little) and the unique direction by David Lowery, there’s a lot to love about it. However there was also something that had me riveted from start to finish, and I have yet to figure out what it is. Maybe repeat viewings will reveal what that aspect is. If you haven’t seen A Ghost Story yet, I recommend going in with an open mind and not knowing too much beforehand. David Lowery has crafted a very unique film which will continue to divide audiences in the years to come.

My review of A Ghost Story

10. A Cure for Wellness

A Cure for Wellness really took me by surprise, I was intrigued with the plot, the cast involved and Gore Verbinski’s fantastic direction. However it really divided people and while I can understand due to some polarising aspects, I don’t really know why it didn’t receive enough love. Something about A Cure for Wellness keeps drawing me to it

It’s been months since I’ve watched A Cure for Wellness for the first time and I’m still trying to figure out why I loved it so much. Naturally the 3 main actors (Dane Dehaan, Mia Goth and Jason Isaacs) were good in their roles and the story was intriguing, not spelling out everything to you and requiring you to think a lot. However, I think it is Gore Verbinski’s direction that made me love the movie so much. The cinematography, the lighting, the music, the entire aesthetic, everything is in place. It’s a perfectly directed movie to me. It seems that this movie is not for everyone, probably because of how long it is and how unconventional it is. But I do recommend giving it a chance because of how bizarre and strange it is.

My review of A Cure for Wellness

9. Get Out

Get Out was one of the biggest surprises of 2017. Jordan Peele seemed like an unlikely person to direct a horror film, given that he was more of a comedian. But he has created a truly genius movie that surprised everyone, one that not only has its fair share of horror aspects but also effective humour and great social commentary. Along with it being a great film, with Get Out, Peele and co. have created a new brand of horror, the social horror and it worked so well here.

Jordan Peele did such an excellent job with this movie. He applied such smart racial social commentary, which was utilised well for both horror and comedy. Tonally this film is actually quite well balanced out, the comedic and dramatic and horror aspects are handled fantastically and don’t feel out of place at all. All the performances were great with Daniel Kaluuya being the standout, however supporting performances like Allison Williams (she especially was really great) shouldn’t be overlooked. I haven’t stopped thinking about this movie ever since watching it and I have a feeling that I will love it even more upon repeat viewings. I can’t wait to see more films from Jordan Peele, he has proven himself to be a fantastic filmmaker and writer and will no doubt create some more excellent films.

My review of Get Out

8. Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi

After seeing The Last Jedi in cinemas for the first time it became my 2nd favourite Star Wars film and a rewatch has made it tied for being my favourite in the series with Empire Strikes Back. Director Rian Johnson has done such a great job at continuing where J.J. Abrams left the story off in Episode 8, while taking the story in some unpredictable directions. It may have resulted in an instant mixed reaction amongst some die hard fans but I think it was all worth it.

The Last Jedi makes some of the riskiest decisions of a Star Wars movie, and I am so glad that this happened. The story took the Star Wars universe in some directions that some didn’t like but I was completely on board with all of them. Along with the story being great, this has the best cinematography of all the Star Wars movies, the action was fantastic and the characters were played so wonderfully by the talented cast, the stand outs being Adam Driver as Kylo Ren and Mark Hamill as he returns to portray a very different Luke Skywalker. Yes, there are some parts that didn’t work, the Canto Byte sequence is still notably the weakest of the whole movie and there are some minor aspects that didn’t work so well. However the flaws are absolutely dwarfed by the rest of the movie which is so fantastic. I have confidence in director J.J. Abrams and writer Chris Terrio that Episode 9 will be good but I’m not even sure they will reach the level of The Last Jedi, we’ll just have to wait and see. For now, I can say with complete confidence that The Last Jedi is in the top 2 best Star Wars movies.

My review of Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi

7. Logan

There have been 6 comic book movies this year and while I liked most of them quite a bit, I’m not sure if I could call any of them great. They all seem to stretch from being good (Thor Ragnarok, Wonder Woman and Spider-Man Homecoming) to just being okay at best (Justice League). There is one exception however: James Mangold’s Logan. No other comic book movie this year even comes close to being at the level of greatness of Logan. Logan is without a doubt one of the best comic book films ever made. In a genre which has countless larger than life plots which involve saving the world (which I do like 95% of the time), it is very refreshing to see the plot being much smaller and personal. Just about everything about it worked incredibly and I couldn’t be happier for it.

The story was very gritty and raw, and it didn’t hold back in the violence and how dark it could get. The performances were fantastic, newcomer Dafne Keen was great as Laura/X-23, and Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart were outstanding in their final outings as Wolverine and Charles Xavier. In terms of flaws, there really was just one, an expeditionary scene that felt a little lazy, that’s it. Logan isn’t going to be a film that I watch multiple times due to its melancholy and at times depressing plot but it is nevertheless excellent and I’m glad that it turned out so well, and with it being Hugh Jackman’s and Patrick Stewart’s last X-Men film appearance it needed to.

My review of Logan

6. Dunkirk

With Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan has created a very unique war movie, one that really puts the audience in the centre of all the war, more so than most war movies. Intense and captivating, Dunkirk is a masterclass in visual direction and storytelling.

The cast was good, even the actors who really didn’t have particularly deep characters (which is most of them) or much chance to show off do very well in their roles but make no mistake, the true star of Dunkirk is Christopher Nolan. His direction is front and centre and he brought his style and techniques to bring this movie up to a level of near perfection. Pretty much everything works about this movie, really putting you in the position of three perspectives over the course of a week, an hour and a day and the structure somehow works. Everything comes together to make Dunkirk a fantastic film, and it might just be one of Nolan’s best movies, which is saying a lot all things considering.

My review of Dunkirk

5. War for the Planet of the Apes

War for the Planet of the Apes seemed like it was going to go all out in terms of its scale, almost every third part in a trilogy seems to want to make everything bigger and explosive for its finale. Instead, Matt Reeves decided to go in a much more personal and focussed direction, making it a character study for Andy Serkis’s Caesar. And I couldn’t be happier for this. War for the Planet of the Apes is honestly one of the best major ‘blockbusters’ in recent years, one that prioritises plot and character over action and definitely delivers in being an emotionally strong final act to one of the best film trilogies of all time.

The effects were incredible, especially the motion capture of the apes, nothing looked out of place. The story is, to be honest, perfect and fitted well with Caesar’s arc. Performances were great from Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn and Amiah Miller. But Andy Serkis is of course the stand out, delivering a final tremendous performance as Caesar, definitely deserving of high praise. I can’t think of really anything wrong with this movie, the issues I had with the previous movies (that being that the human element felt weaker) wasn’t present here, it definitely surpassed my expectations. War for the Planet of the Apes is a perfect conclusion to a great trilogy and deserves unending praise.

My review of War for the Planet of the Apes

4. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Martin McDonagh is one of my favourite directors/writers working today with In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths and he continues to prove that with Three Billboards, which might be his best film yet, it’s at least at the level of In Bruges. With fantastic writing and great performances, Three Billboards was one of the year’s best.

Everything that McDonagh has shown in his previous movies he brings here, from the dark and hilarious comedy to the shocking and truly impactful aspects. It’s a perfect mix of comedy and drama. The performances were also fantastic, with a very strong leading performance by Frances McDormand and great supporting performances including Woody Harrelson and especially Sam Rockwell. I also loved the story that was told about rage and anger and how it can lead people to do destructive and negative things. It’s story was controversial, dark and hilarious, it lead to some backlash, but I’m glad McDonagh stuck to what he set out to do. Whether it will hold up on repeat viewings remains to be seen. However from just my first viewing, I personally think that Three Billboards was fantastic.

My review of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

3. Phantom Thread

I’ve been holding back on releasing this list because I knew that there was a strong possibility that Phantom Thread would end up on it, and having seen it very recently, my instincts proved to be right, as it slides in at the number 3 slot. Phantom Thread is perfectly crafted, detailed, riveting and completely unexpected, made even better by its phenomenal performances. Paul Thomas Anderson has done it again.

Paul Thomas Anderson has weaved a truly effective and compelling story, one that is packed with so much detail in its writing and direction, this is a perfectly directed film. From start to finish, Phantom Thread has you riveted with it’s very original and unique story. This may well be one of PTA’s best films, which is saying a lot considered this is the man who directed films like There Will be Blood and Boogie Nights. The performances by not only Daniel Day-Lewis (in his last role) but also Vicky Krieps (who gives a performance at DDL’s level) and Lesley Manville were excellent and only strengthened the film even more. Phantom Thread was truly fantastic and was definitely one of the best films of 2017.

My review of Phantom Thread

2. The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water was such a beautiful movie and a future classic, absolutely everything about this movie is so fantastic. Despite how weird the concept is at times (I mean, it’s basically all about a woman falling in love with a fish monster), Guillermo del Toro does such a great job at making it work well, not many people would’ve been able to make this concept into such an excellent film. Del Toro has directed quite possibly his best film yet, and don’t forget that this is the man who brought us Pan’s Labyrinth.

Having seen it twice, I can say that The Shape of Water just might be a perfect movie, at the very least a near perfect movie. Guillermo del Toro’s direction was beautiful, the performances were great from everyone (particularly Hawkins, Shannon, Jenkins, Spencer, Stuhlbarg, Jones) and the story was just amazing. Much of the credit goes to del Toro, who manages to bring to the big screen some parts that in the hands of another director wouldn’t work at all (especially a very unexpected scene in the third act). Everything just worked together so well, and I can’t imagine it being any better, it honestly took me off guard. The Shape of Water is truly wonderful, definitely worthy of a lot of praise.

My review of The Shape of Water

1. Blade Runner 2049

I was curious about Blade Runner 2049 initially, mostly with the talent involved. However, I didn’t really know what to expect as at the time I found Blade Runner to be a just okay movie (having watched it like 5 years ago). 2049 surpassed my expectations on every single level, I was not expecting this film to be this remarkable, this spectacular, even with the amount of talented people involved. While it didn’t fare well at the box office, it deserves a lot more love and attention because it is really one of the best films of 2017, if not the best.

Denis Villeneuve as usual delivers on creating an excellent film and sequel to the original Blade Runner. It feels like a Blade Runner sequel and does some worldbuilding while doing enough original things to make it special and its absolutely riveting from start to finish. In fact, I personally think it’s significantly better than the original, for example with regards to the pacing (despite 2049 being a much longer movie) but also I loved the story that was told. Roger Deakins’s cinematography has never looked better, the cast with Gosling, Ford, de Armas, Leto, Wright, Hoeks and more did some fantastic work, pretty much everything about this movie is excellent. Blade Runner 2049 is not only the best film of 2017, it’s one of the best sequels of all time and one of the all time great films of the 2010s.

My review of Blade Runner 2049

On another note, while in previous years I made worst movies of the year lists, I decided that from now on I would no longer take part in this unfortunately common practice.

What were your favourite films of 2017? Comment below and let me know.

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) Review

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Time: 140 Minutes
Age Rating: Violence and content that may disturb
Cast:
Andy Serkis as Caesar
Steve Zahn as Bad Ape
Karin Konoval as Maurice
Terry Notary as Rocket
Ty Olsson as Red
Woody Harrelson as The Colonel
Amiah Miller as Nova
Director: Matt Reeves

Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both of their species and the future of the planet.

War for the Planet of the Apes was one of my most anticipated films of 2017. Director Matt Reeves did an excellent job with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the sequel to the surprising Rise of the Planet of the Apes. So naturally, I was excited for what was to come. I am happy to say that War for the Planet of the Apes was even better than I thought it would be. Matt Reeves again delivers on making a compelling film in this series and has truly crafted something special.

This movie probably shouldn’t have been called War for the Planet of the Apes, despite the trailer and the title its not really a war movie, its not an action movie either. There is only a couple of major action sequences, the rest of the film is a drama and I have to give Reeves credit for being willing enough to go much deeper with the story, instead of making the film bigger and more actiony just because its the conclusion of the trilogy. This film is also even darker than Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, its very bleak with only a few bright spots. The stakes are more personal and it focusses heavily on Caesar, it’s the most character driven story out of all the Apes movies. Rise and Dawn partially focussed on the humans along with the apes and because they weren’t as interesting as the apes, their segments felt weaker in comparison. War doesn’t have this problem, it’s almost always focussed on the apes (particularly Caesar) and you care about every moment. This film is slower paced and it is long, at 2 hours and 20 minutes. But it really does work in the film’s favour and helps to tell the story. The story of War for the Planet of the Apes may not be what you’d expect it to be (without spoiling anything) but I can’t imagine it being any better. Absolutely everything in this movie is perfect, Reeves again has made me emotionally attached to a movie about apes, not an easy task.

Andy Serkis is absolutely phenomenal as Caesar, honestly this is the best I’ve seen him in a movie. It’s been great seeing him evolve as a character from Rise, to Dawn and now War. This movie is Caesar’s story. Most of the main characters are apes and all of them are great, a standout (like in the previous movies) being Karin Konoval’s character Maurice. There is a new character, with Bad Ape played by Steve Zahn, who I guess you could call the comic relief of the film. This movie is very bleak, with only some instances of humour, and Bad Ape takes up the majority of the humour. This character could’ve gone so wrong, becoming annoying or distracting but that’s not the case. He’s an genuinely entertaining and likable character and Zahn did a great job. There are only a couple of noteworthy human characters. One of them is Amiah Miller as a mute girl, she did a really great job in her role, especially when she interacted with the apes. The other is Woody Harrelson as The Colonel. He works well as a threatening antagonist but at the same time is given some depth and has some motivations for what he does.

Rise and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes had great special effects and War for the Planet of the Apes has effects that are even better. The special effects are incredible, at no point does the CGI feel fake. I’m especially talking about the motion capture work for the apes, most of the characters are apes and all of them are look incredibly convincing. War for the Planet of the Apes has some of the best motion capture in a film ever. There isn’t a massive amount of action (really just two major sequences) but whenever it happens it is done excellently. Michael Giaachino has a bit of a reputation of making passable but forgettable scores, however his score here is actually pretty good, and really adds to the movie. Matt Reeves’s direction of this movie is overall perfect, there’s nothing I have an issue with really.

War for the Planet of the Apes is not just one of the best films of the year, it is also one of the best blockbusters in recent years. The fantastic direction by Matt Reeves, the excellent performances (particularly from Andy Serkis), and the deep and complex story truly make this an incredible movie. I will say for those going in, keep in mind is that it’s a full on drama, don’t go in expecting an action film. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has a mix of drama and action, War for the Planet of the Apes is a drama. Matt Reeves did a great job with this film, I don’t know how it could be any better. I don’t know whether there will be any more sequels but if this the final instalment to the franchise, then it’s a fantastic conclusion to one of the best film trilogies ever.

Top 25 Anticipated Movies of 2017

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While I’m working on catching up on some 2016 movies, I decided to make a list of the 2017 movies that I’m most looking forward to. There are movies that I’m really looking forward to. Now I don’t know of every movie coming out this year so if you’ve noticed that a movie is missing, it might be because I don’t know about it. Either that or I’m not that excited for that movie.

25. Beauty and the Beast

Yet another Disney film is being made into a live action movie.. While it’s annoying that there is more of these (The Lion King will be a live action movie to my disappointment), I liked what they did with Tarzan and The Jungle Book. So we’ll see what this movie will be like.

Belle (Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful and independent young woman, is taken prisoner by a beast (Dan Stevens) in its castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the beast’s hideous exterior, allowing her to recognise the kind heart and soul of the true prince that hides on the inside.

This movie has a large and talented cast with Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Ewan McGregor all involved. The director, Bill Condon, has made many great movies that I haven’t seen with Gods and Monsters, Kinsey and Dreamgirls but I have seen Mr Holmes. This director is clearly capable of making a great movie. So I’ll give this movie a shot.

Beauty and the Beast will be released on March 16, 2017.

24. Ghost in the Shell

I admit I’ve never watched the Ghost in the Shell anime. However I do know that apparently its great. Honestly the movie didn’t interest me that much until I saw the trailer. After the trailer, I’m now curious and interested in checking this movie out.

The Major (Scarlett Johansson), a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, leads an elite task force known as Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology.

Rupert Sanders also directed Snow White and the Huntsman (which I haven’t seen) so I don’t really have a clear idea how the movie will be. However the main takeway I got from the trailer was some incredible visuals. That’s the main reason I’m interested in this movie, along with it being an adaptation of a great anime. The one problem that this film faces is the casting of Scarlett Johansson as the lead, which caused problems with whitewashing and all (understandably) and this is going to probably affect the success of the movie. Which is a shame because everything else looks excellent. However, I will give this film a shot.

Ghost in the Shell will be released on March 30, 2017.

23. God Particle

Despite being titled God Particle, it is part of the Cloverfield trilogy which for whatever reason don’t really connect to each other but they actually might. However I’m not interested in the movie because of the connection (I haven’t seen Cloverfield yet), I’m interested because of the premise and the cast, also JJ Abrams is producing this movie.

Astronauts must fight for their lives after making a terrifying discovery in outer space.

I have no idea how this movie will connect to Cloverfield or 10 Cloverfield Lane. However either way I’m sure this movie will be great on its own. I just hope the ‘terrifying discovery’ is a twist that pays off. This movie also stars Elizabeth Debicki, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Daniel Bruhl, David Oyelowo and many more talented actors. The director, Julius Onah, is someone who haven’t done many movies but then again that’s the case with 10 Cloverfield Lane, so that doesn’t really concern me. Overall God Particle is a movie I’m curious about and can’t wait to see it.

God Particle will be released on November 30, 2017.

22. The Lego Batman Movie

I really liked The Lego Movie, it was such a surprising movie. One of the highlights was Batman and of course as he’s such a big character it was natural that he would get his own movie. Now that you have Batman and other DC characters that can be thrown in, there is a lot of possibilities for this movie to be entertaining and fun.

There are big changes brewing in Gotham, but if Batman (Will Arnett) wants to save the city from the Joker’s (Zach Galifianakis) hostile takeover, he may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.

I do hope that The Lego Batman Movie feels different enough from The Lego Movie but that can be done easily. It’s mostly surrounding characters that have already been created, just in Lego form. I have no doubt that this will be a really fun and enjoyable movie. There’s honestly not much to say. It’s Batman. And Lego. Lego Batman.

The Lego Batman Movie will be released on March 30, 2017.

21. Kong Skull Island

Kong: Skull Island is in the same universe as Godzilla, a movie that although divisive, I really liked. Now with Skull Island this movie will introduce Kong into the universe, and he looks like he’s going to be an absolute beast in this movie.

Explorers (Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson) encounter a monstrous ape after traveling to an uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean.

This is yet another monster movie and yet another Kong movie. This movie also has some pretty good actors with Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Toby Kebbell and Samuel L. Jackson all playing parts. From the trailer the movie has some potential. I’m most looking forward to seeing Kong in action. The one thing I’m not so sure about is the tone of the movie, because the first trailer and the second trailer have completely different tones. Other than that, I’m interested in checking out this movie.

Kong: Skull Island will be released on March 9, 2017.

20. A Ghost Story

A Ghost Story is a smaller movie which has me curious. With Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck, as well as the director and premise, this movie is quite intriguing to me. It’s only been announced a few months ago and as pictures and details have come out, my interest in this movie has escalated.

This is the story of a ghost and the house he haunts.

It has a simple premise but the fact that its got some great talent behind it has me on board to see what it is. This movie has the talents of Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck, who also collaborated with the director on Ain’t them Bodies Saints a few years ago. This film is directed by David Lowery, who directed Pete’s Dragon (A good movie) and Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (a movie I still really need to see). From early reviews, it’s a very unique movie, I can’t wait to see it.

A Ghost Story will be released in 2017.

19. War for the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a surprisingly good reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes however took the franchise to a new level. Now the third instalment of the Apes franchise is coming and like the previous film, it’s probably going to be a hit.

Andy Serkis is flawless in his motion capture performances, and is no doubt going to deliver yet another fantastic performance here, just like he did in the previous two films as Caesar. Woody Harrelson is also great, and will likely add a lot to the film. The trailer for the movie definitely looks impressive. Director Matt Reeves (who directed Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) returns for the sequel. This film seems like it may somehow top even the previous movie. I can’t wait to see it.

War for the Planet of the Apes will be released on July 13, 2017.

18. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2

Guardians of The Galaxy was one of the biggest surprises in recent years. It was just such a different and fun movie that was really entertaining. So naturally me and many people are looking forward to the sequel. I have no idea what the film will be about but I’m sure it will be great.

The one thing that I’m worried about however is how this film will compare to the original. While it will definitely have the things that we loved from the previous movie (as shown in the trailers), I also want to add and try something new from the original. Kurt Russell and Elizabeth Debicki join the returning cast, both are very talented and I can’t wait to see them in this movie. Overall I’m excited to see Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, I’m certain it will be at the very least a fun time.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 will be released on April 25, 2017.

17. The Snowman

The Snowman is a movie I only found out about recently but I think it has a chance at being one of the highlights of 2017. With the cast, director and premise, this movie definitely has a lot of potential.

A boy finds his missing mother’s pink scarf wrapped around the neck of a sinister-looking snowman. Detective Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) is called in to investigate and begins to suspect it’s the work of a serial killer.

This movie has a big cast with Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Val Kilmer, Toby Jones and J.K. Simmons and others involved. That amount of talent got my attention alone. Also the director, Tomas Alfredson, made Let the Right One In and Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy (the former I still have yet to watch). Clearly this director is very capable. So we’ve got an interesting premise, a talented cast and a great director. The Snowman is definitely a movie that I’m curious about.

The Snowman will be released on October 13, 2017.

16. The Discovery

What originally caught my attention with this movie is the talented cast involved. As information about this movie came out, The Discovery seemed like something truly unique. By the time the trailer came out, I was sold on this movie, and is now one of my most anticipated films of the year.

Soon after the existence of the afterlife has been scientifically proven, the son (Jason Segal) of the man who made the discovery (Robert Redford) falls in love with a woman (Rooney Mara) with a tragic past.

The film’s cast consists of actors like Rooney Mara, Jason Segal and Robert Redford, that alone has my interest. On top of that, the premise of this movie, about discovering that the afterlife is real and the aftermath of this discovery is such a fascinating idea, there’s a lot that can be done with this premise. The trailer was very… unique. It seems like such a different movie that I need to see it. This movie will be arriving on Netflix in late March and you can bet that I’ll be watching that as soon as I can. I really can’t wait to see this movie.

The Discovery will be released in March 31, 2017 on Netflix.

15. Mary Magdalene

Normally I’m not interested in biblical stories, however both the cast’s involvement as well as the director got me interested in this movie. This film will have Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix and Chiwetel Ejiofor. This film is also directed by Garth Davis (who also worked with Rooney on 2016’s Lion). There’s a lot of talent involved and that makes me intrigued to see what this movie is like.

The story of Mary Magdalene (Rooney Mara).

Garth Davis had previously worked on Lion, which was from what I heard was a great movie. So that already has me curious in checking out the Mary Magdalene movie. Also as I previously mentioned, the cast is excellent. We’ve got Rooney Mara as Mary Magdalene, Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus Christ and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter. All of these are very talented actors. As I said, the story didn’t initially interest me but to see all these talented people involved makes me interested in checking out this movie.

Mary Magdalene will be released in 2017.

14. Thor Ragnarok

Thor Ragnarok is a movie that I am still divided about. It has a lot of potential with the new cast and the director, Taika Waititi, I like Thor. I’ve also liked all the MCU movies so far. There are just aspects of the story details which turn me off. I’m certain I will like Thor Ragnarok, but I have no idea how much I’ll like it.

Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok – the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization – at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger – the Incredible Hulk.

Along with returning cast (with Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins), this film also has Tessa Thompson, Cate Blanchett, Karl Urban and Jeff Goldblum (with the latter three as villains, hopefully not wasted). Also, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk is confirmed to play a part in this movie, so that’s exciting as well. An interesting choice was made for this film, Taika Waititi. He is a very talented director and writer, Hunt for the Wilderpeople definitely showed that he’s great. One thing that’s also already looking up is that the comedic relief human characters from the first two Thor films aren’t here, so even if this movie is just funny, it will actually be funny. Thor Ragnarok has a lot of very unique ideas, and I’m looking forward to seeing how well these ideas are executed.

Thor Ragnarok will be released on November 3, 2017.

13. Split

M Night Shyamalan has unfortunately made a lot of bad films recently, with The Happening, The Last Airbender and After Earth. He however made a comeback recently with The Visit so I’m optimistic that he will have another great movie with Split. And according to many of the people who have seen Split already, it’s really good, so I can’t wait to see it.

A man (James McAvoy) who has multiple personality disorder holds three teenage girls captive.

Aside from Shyamalan the main reason I’m so excited for this movie is James McAvoy. He is a fantastic actor, and he’s taking on such a challenging role, playing someone with multiple personalities. And yes, some people have managed to see Split already and most of the people really like it. Even the people who didn’t like the movie, at least loved McAvoy’s performance. This movie has a lot of potential, I can’t wait to see it.

Split will be released on February 2, 2017

12. Blade Runner 2049

I’ll admit that while I liked parts of the first Blade Runner I never really loved it. I might need to rewatch it, see if my opinion on the movie changes. Despite not being the hugest fan of Blade Runner, I’m still excited to see its sequel, mostly due to director Denis Villeneuve being the director of the film, and I’m always interested in whatever films he makes.

Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a new blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department, unearths a long buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. His Discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner who’s been missing for 30 years.

Denis Villienueve is one of the best directors working today. He’s made some fantastic films with Prisoners, Enemy, Sicario and Arrival, so naturally I’m excited to see him take on the sequel of such a classic movie. Also, along with Harrison Ford returning to his role we have Ryan Gosling also involved, Gosling has been doing great recently with both La La Land and The Nice Guys last year, I can’t wait to see him here. From the trailer alone this film looks excellent, the imagery looks great, Denis Villeneuve’s films always look great and it looks like Blade Runner 2049 is no different. I can’t wait to see Blade Runner 2049, it looks like it’s going to be one of the stand out films of 2017.

Blade Runner 2049 will be released on October 5, 2017.

11. Song to Song

Originally titled Weightless, Song to Song is yet another ambitious film from unconventional filmmakers Terrence Malick. I will confess, I haven’t seen a Terrence Malick film before but from what I’ve heard he’s a great filmmaker, if divisive at times. The cast alone has me interested, with Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender and Natalie Portman all playing parts in the movie.

In this modern love story set against the Austin, TX music scene, two entangled couples – struggling songwriters Faye (Rooney Mara) & BV (Ryan Gosling), and music mogul Cook (Michael Fassbender) and the waitress whom he ensnares (Natalie Portman) – chase success through a rock ‘n’ roll landscape of seduction and betrayal.

As I said earlier I haven’t seen any films from Terrence Malick, so the cast is honestly the main reason that I’m interested in the movie. I can’t wait to see all these talented actors on screen at the same time. I’ve heard that Terrence Malick can be a bit divisive with his films, I saw a little bit of Knight of Cups and it was a bit unconventional to say the least. So I have no idea what Song to Song will be like. Despite this, I’m still really looking forward to see this movie, if only for the cast.

Song to Song will be released on March 17, 2017.

10. John Wick Chapter Two

2014’s John Wick was one of the year’s best surprises, not only was it Keanu Reeves’s best performance (and in my opinion his best movie), it was also a very fun movie with a great world that I would like to be explored more. And with John Wick Chapter 2, it looks like we’ll be getting that.

Legendary hitman John Wick is forced back out of retirement by a former associate plotting to seize control of a shadowy international assassins’ guild. Bound by a blood oath to help him, John travels to Rome where he squares off against some of the world’s deadliest killers.

Thankfully, one of the two John Wick directors Chad Stahelski (the other is David Leitch who is instead working on The Coldest City) is returning for the sequel, one of the best aspects of that original film is how the action was done. Instead of a lot of shaky cam, close up shots and fast cuts to create their action like a lot of modern action movies use, they let us to actually see the action unfold, allowing us to get more into it. Common is playing the villain, and he was effective as a villain in Run All Night (even though he could’ve been used more), so I think he will be quite effective here. Oh and also, Laurence Fishburne is involved with this movie. That’s always great. I sure do hope that it lives up to the previous movie, the only possible way that I think this film could be flawed is that only one of the director is returning, we can only hope that one of the directors can deliver the same amount (if not more) as the previous film. The trailer definitely looks like we’ll be getting a fun movie, so I’m hyped.

John Wick: Chapter Two will be released in 2017

9. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Misouri

Most of you won’t know what this movie even is. It’s the next film by Martin McDonagh who has created In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, both fantastic movies (definitely check them out when you can). So naturally, I am extremely excited to see yet another movie from him.

A vigilante mother takes matters into her own hands as she searches for her daughter’s murderer. Fueled by fury, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) erects three provocative highway signs to catch the eye of the town’s revered Chief of Police Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), who has made few inroads finding a culprit. Hoping the incendiary messages spur Willoughby’s unprincipled protégé Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell) into action, Mildred ignites a firestorm in the community as the police force evades charges of racism and corruption.

The cast with Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell and Peter Dinklage is enough to get me interested in this movie but what got my interest in this movie in the first place was Martin McDonagh’s involvement. We can expect this movie to be hilarious, dark, violent, entertaining and overall just fantastically written. With the director/writer and the cast involved, this movie is likely going to be great.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Misouri will be released in 2017.

8. Kingman: The Golden Circle

Kingsman: The Secret Service was such a great and fun movie, it was such a pleasant surprise film in 2015. Matthew Vaughn and his talented cast return for the sequel, which will hopefully be just as great as the previous film. It definitely has a lot of potential.

Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong), two British spies, travel to the United States to join forces with their American counterparts.

Matthew Vaughn is a fantastic director with films like Kick Ass, X-Men First Class, Layer Cake and the first Kingsman, so I expect that this movie will be great. My thing is like with Guardians of the Glaxy Volume 2, I just hope that it does something new to separate it from the previous movie, while giving us what we loved from the previous movie. In the sequel we also have Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum, Julianne Moore, Halle Berry and Pedro Pascal joining the cast. All of them are very talented and so I’m excited to see them in Kingsman.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle will be released on September 28, 2017

7. The Disaster Artist

The Disaster Artist is the story behind The Room, one of the worst movies of all time. I have seen The Room and actually reviewed it (and I loved the movie for how terrible it is). This movie is based off the book of the same name by Greg Sestero, actor from The Room and friend of Tommy Wiseau, the star, writer, producer and director of The Room. I myself have read the book, and was fascinated in how the making of the film went. This adaptation has the potential to be a modern day Ed Wood.

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Tommy Wiseau’s The Room (2003).

The Disaster Artist has a great cast, with James Franco as Tommy Wiseau, Dave Franco as Greg Sestero as well as Josh Hutcherson, Seth Rogen and Zac Efron and others playing real life people who worked on The Room. From the set photos, the actors even looked like the characters/people, so I think that they are doing it right. I think my biggest concern is how Franco can portray Tommy. Look at any clips of The Room, Wiseau acts a certain way and it’s hard to act like Tommy Wiseau without making it look like an imitation. Franco also has to nail the inner emotions of Tommy, as there are moments in the book where there are moments where that happens. I’ve been hearing about this movie for a while and seeing it finally get made is really exciting.

The Disaster Artist will be released in 2017.

6. Alien Covenant

The Prometheus sequel (I know it’s confusing with the Alien title) is directed by Ridley Scott. I was a little sceptical because Ridley Scott nowadays can be inconsistent with his recent films. However he just delivered the great film The Martian, and I also loved Prometheus (even though most people don’t). But what brought me over to make me excited for this movie was the trailer. It was… not what I was expecting.

Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers a dark world whose sole inhabitant is David (Michael Fassbender), the synthetic survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

The trailer shows that the film will be straight up horror as well as unflinching and very violent and gory. It also shows some Xenomorphs (or early stages of Xenomorphs) and that’s always nice to see. Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender return from the previous film and other actors like Katheryn Waterson, Demian Bichir and Danny McBride are also part of the film. Before the trailer, I had no idea how this film will turn out but now I am excited for it and I’m completely on board.

Alien: Covenant will be released on May 19, 2017.

5. Wonder Woman

Despite the divisive response to Batman v Superman, one thing that most people liked was Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, she really was something special in that movie. And from everything I’ve seen in this movie, her solo movie looks great.

After leaving her all-female island, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) discovers her full powers and true destiny while fighting alongside soldiers during World War I.

This film looks dark and like a war movie and I love that setting. Director Patty Jenkins directs this film and if you’ve seen Monster, you know that she is a great director. Gal Gadot stole the show in Batman v Superman and I look forward to seeing her lead her own film. The supporting cast with talented actors like Chris Pine and Robin Wright is great. In terms of possible fears, it’s just Warner Bros interfering with the film. As it’s a standalone movie and not tieing into anything (as it’s a prequel), I have a feeling that it won’t be affected. Also not to mention the more positive reception to Batman v Superman’s Ultimate Edition and the criticism of the missing Suicide Squad scenes should’ve altered Warner Bros. But we’ll have to see what happens. Anyway, I can’t wait to see this movie.

Wonder Woman will be released on June 2, 2017.

4. Logan

This movie is one of my biggest worries of 2017. It’s not that I don’t think it will be a great movie, it’s just that it’s the kind of film that needs to be perfect. This is the last time we’ll see Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Patrick Stewart as Professor X. This movie
needs to be a good sendoff to these two actors in their characters. With that said, based on the trailer alone this film looks excellent.

In 2024, mutant births are severely in decline, and people aren’t sure why. A government-type operation is turning mutant children into killing machines. From this, Logan (Hugh Jackman) emerges as a mentor to a mutant girl (Dafne Keen), who has two claws instead of his three.

James Mangold (director of The Wolverine) returns to direct the final Wolverine film. The Wolverine was a film I liked quite a bit but with Logan the trailer have made it look on a whole other level. So in this movie we have Wolverine, Professor X, X-23 and others. The first trailer alone had me sold, it looks dark, sad and nothing like any comic book movie we’ve ever seen before. It was the best trailer released in 2016 (the second trailer is also good as well). Logan definitely has the potential to be the best comic book movie of 2017.

Logan will be released on March 2, 2017.

3. Dunkirk

Dunkirk is another film from Christopher Nolan. That’s almost all that really needs to be said. There’s not one movie that he’s made that I haven’t called at the very least ‘great’. This time he is taking on a war movie, a true life story. I have no doubt that this film will be amazing based on the talent involved and the trailer.

British forces embark on a mission to evacuate Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, in 1940.

Nolan has made a very wide range of types of films, I can’t wait to see how he does a war movie. From the trailer alone it looks amazing. The cast is also great with Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh and others involved. If there’s any possible weak link it’s the questionable choice of having Harry Styles in the movie. However if Christopher Nolan cast him, he must’ve had a good reason. I’m sure Styles will do fine. Overall Dunkirk looks like it will be a great film and one of the highlights of 2017 and I can’t wait to see it.

Dunkirk will be released on July 21, 2017.

2. Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi

This film was a no-brainer on my list. I loved what JJ Abrams did with The Force Awakens. Now Rian Johnson is in charge of handling the sequel. He impressed me with 2012’s Looper and I can just tell that I will love Episode 8.

We don’t know a huge amount of the plot of Star Wars Episode 8 thus far, or anything really. Not even a teaser of sorts have been revealed. Just the title recently. But I’m actually okay with that. I loved The Force Awakens, so I’ll probably feel the same about Episode 8. Also, I like it when bigger films are more secretive about their movies. What we do know is that Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern have joined the cast, both are great so I’m interested to see what part they will play in the movie. I’m looking forward to Star Wars Episode 8 a great deal, it’s hard not to be, it’s Star Wars.

Star Wars Episode 8 will be released on December 15, 2017.

1. Justice League

Despite all the mixed reception towards the DCEU, it has done nothing to dampen my excitement for the future films. I loved Man of Steel and Batman v Superman and I liked Suicide Squad (despite it’s many flaws. The second 2017 DCEU film will be the first time we’ll see the Justice League on screen together on the big screen. I am hyped.

Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), the Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) unite to battle the evil Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds).

As I said, this is the first time we’ll see Justice League in live action for the first time. This movie has a lot of elements going on, it’s has to set up the Justice League, introducing 3 new characters and handle 6 Justice League characters effectively. But I believe that this movie can pull it off This movie also has a great cast, we’ve got Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa and Ray Fisher as the Justice League. Also there will be returning cast members and characters with Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Diane Lane as Martha Kent and Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta. Along with the returning DCEU cast we have new actors and characters with J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Nudis Vulko, and Ciaran Hinds as Steppenwolf, the villain of the film. On top of that we have Chris Terrio returning to write the film as well as Zack Snyder returning as director.

There are some worries I have. Like with Wonder Woman, studio interference is a worry, as that happened with both Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad in regards to the editing. However I think Warner Bros have learnt their lesson. Also I don’t know if this movie will be too stuffed with other things for setup for other solo movies. There’s a lot of elements that this movie needs to get just right. However I think it’s possible. I loved Batman v Superman, so I can’t wait to see the story that Terrio and Snyder have planned out. I have no idea how this film will turn out, but I have high hopes.

Justice League will be released on November 16, 2017.

So what did you think of my list? What are your picks for the most anticipated movies of 2017. Comment below and let me know.