Films To Keep An Eye Out For In 2018

Superhero Fatigue? A Flash Forward For Film In 2018

And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been...

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Blog once again for the year of 2018. I hope everyone had a nice Christmas break and a wonderful new year! 😁🎉 As is the norm on this Blog, since this is the first Post that I'll be presenting to everyone in this new year, what better way to comeback and write to you all then to look onward into the many months that lay before us and pick-out particular films that are certainly going to capture the eye of avid cinephiles. In quickly viewing the plethora of features that will, for sure, comprise film in 2018, it can't go unnoticed how there are many products that will satisfy the viewing eye; more so than what the preceding year offered us all. Nevertheless, without further babbling, let us go through the many films that will make the year of 2018. 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - (Martin McDonagh - 12th January)

As is the case whenever a new year appears, the awards season and speculation always props-up; with critics and cinephiles alike surmising which particular films and actors/actresses will be nominated for a certain category. One upcoming film that has people murmuring over it already is Martin McDonagh's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, a dark-comedy that moulds itself around the drama depicted and has already been nominated for numerous categories for a plethora of film ceremonies. As McDonagh has directed films in the past that have accentuated his style of blending drama with a serious contextual backdrop, in both In Bruges and in Seven Psychopaths, there's no going around the fact that his latest film will once again do its job in being entertaining yet comically smart all at the same time...

Coco - (Lee Unkrich - 19th January)

Aside the artistic notions that were effortlessly depicted in Michaël Dudok de Wit's The Red Turtle, there wasn't too much to talk about animation in 2017; since there wasn't many animated-features that could take the limelight as they wanted to. However, in looking at the many features that comprise the year of 2018, there are a select few animated-pieces that could possibly justify the notion that we're witnessing a 'golden age' for animation. One notable example could come in the form of Pixar's latest cinema-outing in Coco, a 3-D computer-animated musical-fantasy feature that takes a leaf from Jorge R. Gutierrez's The Book of Life which centralises its story around the Mexican holiday of the Day of the Dead. Ever since the inventive Inside Out, Pixar themselves have been producing features, both sequels and original stories, that are still capturing the imagination of the younger generation and their future could be even more impactful with their notable up-comers... 

Early Man - (Nick Park - 26th January)

From one animation to the other, Nick Park is once again entering the cinematic fray with his latest feature-length stop-motion animation of Early Man, starring the likes of Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddlestone, Maisie Williams and many other British starlets. In making ever-familiar stop-motion titles in the forms of the many Wallace & Gromit theatrical and short films to my personal favourite of Chicken Run, there are no reservations whatsoever when it comes to the Park's involvement with Early Man, since the projects that he's been involved with have never failed to provide witty entertainment that never feels stale or out-of-place. As much as it has been a while since Park himself has taken the directorial chair, with his last directing contribution being Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit back in 2005, there's evidence to suggest, from watching the trailers, that much of the spirit seen in his past films will be retained in this upcoming feature... 

Black Panther - (Ryan Coolger - 12th February)

As you will have noticed from the title of this Blog Post, if there's one thing that's making it's presence finally known to me, as much as critics and audience alike have been discussing this for a few years now, it's how the yearly multitude of superhero films are slowly starting to gnaw my own perspective. Don't get me wrong, there have a been a select few superhero features in recent years that are ultimately entertaining to perceive and mould the genre in ways that break-away from the typical formalities that are synonymous with the said genre. However, it can't denied as well that many of these films tend to be the same; despite the scenario and protagonist depicted. As much as it's easy for me to say that Ryan Coolger's Black Panther will fall into that line of thinking, I want to be wrong. More than anything, I would like to come out watching Black Panther thinking that it doesn't uphold a formula that many of like-minded films share. We'll just have to wait and see. Not only that, but there is bigger competition that Marvel themselves are releasing mid-way through the year... 

The Shape of Water - (Guillermo del Toro - 14th February)

While his films of Cronos, The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth exude his artistic qualities in a manner that is distinctively beautiful to gaze at, it has to be said that Guillermo del Toro, in some regards, has to redeem such qualities for my own liking. While his preceding feature in Crimson Peak saw the aforementioned director go back to his-routes of providing a unique tale that elegantly bestows an attainable chill and surrealism, as shown through the ensnaring production design, there was much left to be desired in the way of story-telling in that particular film and with his latest working of The Shape of Water fast approaching to cinemas, there is room for del Toro to vastly improve upon...

Lady Bird - (Greta Gerwig - 16th February)

Another film that's being released this that's also been in many cinema-goers perspectives, as it's been tipped for success in upcoming film awards season, is Greta Gerwig's directorial-debut film, Lady Bird. Admittedly, while I don't know too much about the film in discussion, since it's a film I plan on seeing and reviewing on this very Blog, if there's one aspect that I'm intrigued by in viewing the trailer for Gerwig's film, it is the appearance of Saoirse Ronan. Ever since I watched her enact as Lucy Salmon in Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones, Ronan has always been involved in roles and film projects that are savouring to watch and for her to continue to be in films that provide characters that are screen-grabbing, is certainly worthwhile to ponder over. As she's appearing in Josie Rourke's film of Mary Queen of Scots later in the year, Ronan is one actress to keep an eye-out-for...

Annihilation - (Alex Garland, 23rd February)

From the much deserved success he received from the intellectually embroiling Ex Machina, it's pleasing to see that Alex Garland, from his debut as a film-maker in 2015, is receiving his chance in making another sci-fi film in Annihilation that similarly evokes smart and engaging qualities. As much as Garland's upcoming film has had a few 'problems' in regards to it's post-production and how said film will both be showing in cinemas as well as on the Netflix digital platform, there's no apprehension when it comes to this upcoming film, since Garland has proven, from his efforts in writing and film-making, that he's capable of showcasing a film that is competently engaging and devoid from tendencies that are nonsensical and easy to flesh-out.   

Red Sparrow - (Francis Lawrence - 2nd March)

Based on the novel of the same name, written by Jason Matthews, Francis Lawrence is once again in the directing chair working with Jennifer Lawrence in Red Sparrow, a spy-thriller that seems to share some likenesses with David Leitch's Atomic Blonde; as both features centralise their premise around a lugubrious femme-fatale doing what they respectively need to do in worlds that metaphorically illuminate the downtrodden political conflict initially seen throughout the days of the Cold War. As much as this notion is trying to suggest that Lawrence's upcoming film is an intentionally deep meditation between Western capitalism and Eastern socialist views of old, I have no quarrels that Red Sparrow will, more or less, extend on this trend in cinema of featuring a violent seductress enacting the 'James Bond' role of shooting first and asking questions later and will be an espionage romp that will be there to entertain those craving for more of the same action and more...

Tomb Raider - (Roar Uthaug - 16th March)

Much of the same can be said of Roar Uthaug's take on the very-much revived Tomb-Raider film franchise, since the reboot film will once again follow Lara Croft researching and uncovering ancient secrets in tombs that haven't ever been explored by someone else. Joking and jabbing aside, while Angelina Jolie's depiction of the ever iconic video-game character wasn't exactly a film that stands the test-of-time for its overall quality, it'll be interesting, non-the-less, to see if Alicia Vikander can eclipse the preceding actresses recognised role and perhaps start a rebooted film franchise that can imbue an approachable viewing standard. Not that I'm expecting this film to be as good as some of the other films that are being released this year, but it'll intriguing how critics and audiences alike will react...

Isle of Dogs - (Wes Anderson - 30th March)

There are a number of films that I'm looking forward to seeing in cinemas this year, and one feature that is sure to be a treat to the eyes is Wes Anderson's return to animation with Isle of Dogs; a stop-motion animated flick that once again see's Hollywood's A-list movie stars come to the forefront. As many cinema-goers will have noticed in Anderson's preceding animated feature of Fantastic Mr. Fox, is how the aforesaid director does have a knack for animation and implements the stop-motion aesthetic in a way that feels like a story-book being lifted into life. As most of his films adhere a mixture of amusement and darkness that only Anderson can pull-off, I have no feelings of discords that Isle of Dogs will be not only one of the better animations to watch this entire year, but will be a delightfully funny feast for young and older audiences...

Ready Player One - (Steven Spielberg - 30th March)

While it's a shame that Steven Spielberg's upcoming adaptation of Ready Player One was initially set to be released into cinemas last December but was pushed to a later date, due to the fact that Warner Bros. didn't want to compete with the inevitable attention of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it can't be denied that this is one of the more eagerly awaited features that readers of Ernest Cline's book and general cinephiles are looking forward in seeing. Much of the appeal of the book and of the film is down to the fact that the premise homages to popular culture characters and elements from the 1980's, 90's 2000's and 2010's and how they'll interact with each other. For myself, I would be satisfied if there's a scene featuring Ryu, from Street Fighter, squabbling with a Battletoad. Right?! Anyone?! 😂

The New Mutants - (Josh Boone - 11th April)

Despite the fact that Disney have now bought the bulk of 21st Century Fox's business, which means that Fox themselves won't be producing any X-Men/Fantastic Four films anymore as those properties have now gone back into Marvel's buoy of heroes, if there's one film that I'm personally looking forward it's Josh Boone's The New Mutants; a superhero horror flick that looks to combine supernatural elements, one might expect to see in a Stephen King novel, with social elements that's synonymous with a John Hughes feature. In mentioning that the filming tried to exploit much of the effects depicted as practically as they could, to try and emulate the acclaimed horror films of old, it's as if Boone really understands the source material that he initially proposed and I just hope that this standalone spin-off works and dismisses audience presumptive claims of denial.  

Avengers: Infinity War - (Anthony & Joe Russo - 27th April)

In being one of, if not, the most anticipated film to be released into cinemas this year, Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War stamps its mark onto the big screens in April that will finally see the likes of Iron Man, Captain America and Thor team-up with other Marvel superheroes in the forms of Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy to face Thanos, who appears to be finally collecting the mysterious Infinity Stones for himself. While it can't be denied that the hype of said film is, in some ways, justified through the fact that the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far is comprised of films that are, more or less, different and engaging in their own distinctive ways, I get this feeling that Infinity War will be the film where I turn off from the superhero genre; as much as I've been accustomed to the said conception ever since I was little. The fact that each year we have an assortment of similar films can be tiring to keep engaged and by the time I have finished watching this film, that could very well be the case for myself. Like with Black Panther, we'll just have to see what happens...

Mary and the Witch's Flower - (Hiromasa Yonebayashi - 18th May)

For someone who's been so ingrained by the many Studio Ghibli films that have been released throughout my own life-time and how each and everyone of these features have displayed stories that respectively offer different experiences, it's indeed sad to know the fact that the said studio won't be releasing a full-length feature anytime soon. What soothes this anguish I have of Ghibli however, is that Hiromasa Yonebayashi, a director known for making Ghibli's last theatrical production in When Marnie Was There, will be continuing the style that was common-place to notice in the many works of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata in his latest film of Mary and the Witch's Flower, an animated feature that marks the rise of the new Studio Ponoc and will, hopefully, spark a new-age for drawn-animation in the East and will partly fulfil the legacy that many acclaimed animators have recently left behind... 

Solo: A Star Wars Story - (Ron Howard - 25th May)

If there's one particular film to be trepidatious about, it's the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story now directed by Ron Howard since the said feature went through a lot of ups-and-down in the production. With the original directors of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller parting ways with Lucasfilm, due to the fact the directors and said company didn't see eye-to-eye in terms of what kind of film was being made, it's hard to really be positive over a film that has endured a nightmare of a production which saw two opposing parties seeing the film in the way they wanted to make. The only hope, mind the referential pun, that Solo has in being a Star Wars film that fans and general audiences will be talking about long after is the fact that Rogue One also suffered from production problems and stands as a standalone Star Wars film that's perfectly adequate and fits in nicely with the story of the original trilogy. Only time will tell what will come of Howard's efforts...

Deadpool 2 - (David Leitch - 1st June)

The fourth-wall busting Deadpool, starring Ryan Reynolds, makes his presence known once again in a much-anticipated sequel that will, like the preceding film, make cinema-watchers glee in bombastic amusement. As a lot of you will know from watching the first film, what made Deadpool such a great-watch, aside the crude and indiscriminate humour that was projected consistently throughout the entirety of the run-time, was how voraciously self-aware it was in terms the past endeavours that the lovable character has had to go-through, with the fact that the Deadpool character was literally sown-off in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Of course, there's going to be new comical material that Reynolds will play-off in Deadpool 2, but to what extent? Will there be a jibe at the Disney and Fox deal?...

Ocean's 8 - (Gary Ross - 22nd June)

Similar to how the Ghostbusters film franchise formatted a reboot which saw an all-female cast become the central characters instead of an all-male troupe, the Oceans Eleven franchise is going down the same route; with Gary Ross' soft reboot of the said franchise and spin-off of Ocean's 11 will focus on Danny Oceans estranged sister, Debbie and other female archetypes trying to pull-off a heist in New York City. Considering that this reboot will, more or less, continue from the events depicted in the previous Oceans films, it's arguable to state whether or not a reboot/sequel of the said franchise needed to happen; since Clooney himself said he wouldn't want to feature in another one, yet is seen as one of the producers for Ross' feature. 

Incredibles 2 - (Brad Bird - 13th July)

Like many others my age, The Incredibles was a Pixar feature that captured our own little imaginations and presented subtle moments between the lovable super-heroic characters that young and older audiences can relate to; an aspect that every Pixar film has upholded ever since. With the news that Brad Bird will be making the sequel to a Pixar concept that has come to be one of the best animations made in said studios' history, it can't be denied that my own excitement levels are through the roof. As much as it's a film targeted for the younger demographic, don't be surprised if you manage to watch Incredibles 2 with other full-grown and young adults who managed to watch the original film back in their primary school days...

Alita: Battle Angel - (Robert Rodriguez - 20th July)

When doing a list such as this that explores the many films that will be released within a single year, it's paramount that you'll come across a film that you're intrigued by but know nothing about. This is assuredly the case with Robert Rodriguez's Alita: Battle Angel; a cyberpunk graphic novel adaptation which curiously opts for a style whereby the central character, a cyborg portrayed by actress Rosa Salazar, is displayed by the way of motion-capture. With many CGI animators of recent memory trying to mimic realistic facial expressions and not entirely succeeding, as seen with Ray Winstone and his enactment in Beowulf, it's hard to know for sure whether or not the motion capture seen in the Alita trailer will be convincing or not. However, with it's rather ambitious premise and backdrop, this particular stylisation may prove to be appropriate for the aforementioned feature...

Venom - (Ruben Fleischer - 5th October)

Likewise, this is a precedent that Ruben Fleischer has to get across as well in his upcoming film of Venom, a superhero spin-off which see's Tom Hardy become Eddie Brock/Venom through performance capture. While it's unclear what sought of story we'll be getting from the film, since Venom is known to be one of the more iconic villains for Spider-Man and Marvel itself and is the first R-rated standalone superhero film that centres its story around the mentioned antagonist, it'll be intersting to perceive how the narrative will flourish. Will it centre around another villain that conflicts Venom in some way? Or, like The New Mutants, will the film have an inherent horrific-side that differentiates itself from the light-hearted optimism that audiences have come to normally find in features showcasing heroes?

Jungle Book/Mowgli? - (Andy Serkis - 19th October)

If there's one trend of film-making in recent years that's slowly becoming more prevalent, it's the innate fashion of well-versed storybooks and fairy-tales being made into live-action adaptations. Ever since Maleficent rolled-onto the silver-screen back in 2014, we've been seeing well-acclaimed animated features, mainly Disney animations, being turned into re-imaginations that present the respective stories in a different yet familiar angle. This was certainly the case with Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella, a live-action fantasy-drama which expanded on the original 1950's animation by adding sequences of exposition that gave the narrative more of an understanding, and much of the same could be said of Andy Serkis' take on Rudyard Kipling's novel which features motion capture performances from the likes of Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch and Cate Blanchett, With their being Jon Favreau's live-action take of The Jungle Book last year, it's unusual to say the least that Warner Bros. are pushing a film of similar ilk into the cinemas considering that many people will have been familiarised with said story through last years take on the story as well as the Disney animation... 

X-Men: Dark Phoenix - (Simon Kinberg - 2nd November)

Set to be the last superhero feature to be released into cinemas this year, Simon Kinberg takes the high-chair in what appears to be the last X-Men related film that Fox will be producing and distributing in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, a sequel to X-Men: Apocalypse that, similarly to X-Men: The Last Stand, centralises its narrative around Jean Grey and her indisposition in becoming "the Phoenix" (which was eluded to near the conclusion of the previous film). Unlike The Last Stand which suffered greatly from the production problems of the writers and studio separately wanting different stories, it's clear enough where Kinberg's take on this up-and-down franchise is going to lead, but will this new-take on The Dark Phoenix Saga alone appeal to those who've seen the majority of past X-Men related films?..

First Man - (Damien Chazelle - 2nd November)

On the back of their shared success with La La Land, both Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling are set to work with one another once again with the upcoming biographical period drama of First Man which focuses its run-time on the years leading up-to the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. In directing films that both centralise their respective time on the power and artistry of music, with Whiplash providing a sombre yet realistic take on the anguish of playing music whilst La La Land gleefully hallmarks back to golden-age of musicals of the 30's, it'll be intriguing to see how Chazelle approaches a film such as this that is depicted events rather practically. With the assistance of cinematographer Linus Sandgren who provided the camera-work for said directors preceding film, expect to see eye-popping yet visceral imagery here...

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - (David Yates - 16th November)

As apprehensive as I was when first approaching Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, since the fantastical feature was inherently expanding upon an ever-beloved world that a lot of devoted fans care for and could have easily tarnished the legacy that the Harry Potter film franchise left behind, it showed itself to be a spin-off that credited J.K. Rowling's loved world and provided contextual aspects that enriched the status quo. What's exciting to behold in regards to this sequel of The Crimes of Grindewald, is how little audiences know of the events that will unfold. Unlike the Harry Potter films, which of course, came from the books that the majority of school kids read to this day, there are no novels for admirers to read before-hand when watching this sequel, which makes this film rather alluring. Since we don't really know the main plot of the film, it results into an experience that's unexpected and rewarding - much like how the Star Wars films are - and makes Yates' film that much more appealing...

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 - (Rich Moore and Phil Johnston - 30th November)

In similar vein to that of Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One which naturally showcases pop-culture references through the narrative, Walt Disney Animation Studio's Wreck-It Ralph 2 also upholds this obligatory notion to showcase video-game cultural remarks that are sure to wow the target audience. With the previous film showcasing popular video-game characters into this premise that's aimed for avid button-bashers, and how this new film will bring back Disney princesses of old with original voice actresses of the endeared animations reprising their respective roles, it's guaranteed that Moore and Johnston's film will just as fun and thrilling to watch as the first entry.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey & Rodney Rothman - 14th December)

I think it's fair to say that Marvel's treatment of Spider-Man in recent years has been fairly content. From the ever-loving return of the web-head in last years Spider-Man: Homecoming, to the PS4-exclusive game that's being released sometime this year of the web-crawler, it can't go unnoticed that Spider-Man is Marvel's hottest property at the moment and it's almost as if we've gone back in time in the 90's, when the characters likeability was at its all time-high. It's clear to see that people are still affectionate towards the very iconography of the character and what he represents, and that's sure to follow-on in Sony's 3-D animated flick, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, that expands upon a lore that's considerably changed. As the film centres its premise around the new Spidey of Miles Morales, not Peter Parker, it'll be fascinating to see where the story of the film goes...

Mary Poppins Returns - (Rob Marshall - 21st December)

It's hard to imagine that a sequel to the 1964 Disney musical of Marry Poppins is coming later in 2018, since the original film didn't necessarily warrant a follow-up; yet, here we are now talking about it. While many people who adored Disney's musical-fantasy feature that combined vivid special-effects with catchy songs, if there's one cause for concern it's whether or not this sequel will display aspects that are different; and not just simply things that are forever copying what the first film did. Still, a sequel of this magnitude can't be ignored and with Emily Blunt enacting the titular role, a casting choice that is seamlessly perfect, there is room for Disney fans to be giddy about...

Batman Ninja - (Junpei Mizusaki - 2018?)

In viewing the many feature films and animations that they've released in recent memory, it comes as no surprise really that DC are somewhat struggling to produce content that is memorable to sustain and are toiling with the simple fact that their rivals in Marvel are head-and-shoulders achieving more. Not only are their live-action films minuscule and hogwash to say the least, but the majority of animated films that they've released to-DVD/Blu-Ray is frankly laughable; considering the animation-style is something that you would see in a 1990's Saturday morning cartoon show. Nevertheless, DC could be about to redeem themselves in the form of Batman Ninja, an animation which see's the caped-crusader himself being transported to Feudal Japan. In adopting an animation style which is a bit hit-or-miss for myself and written by the person who did the script for the outlandish Kill La Kill, at least DC are offering something new and different that possibly could benefit them in the long-run...

And there you have it, the list of some of the films to keep an eye-out throughout 2018. As much as it's noticeable that I've left some films out of this listing that you would have wanted to see, the beauty of making a list such as this is that there's always going to be a feature that appears out of nowhere that you never saw coming. It's truly a rewarding experience when you happen to find yourself watching a film that you know nothing about, yet proves to be something that you akin to. Anywho, as always everyone thank you for reading my first Blog Post of the year and I hope you've enjoyed the read! In terms of the schedule, I can't definitively say when my next film review will be out due to the fact that I'm a bit busy with other responsibilities at the moment. What I could try and do is get a review out sometime later this week, or early next week, for The Disaster Artist; since it's a film that I've been meaning to watch and discuss for sometime now. Until then, I hope you've enjoyed this weeks read and I shall, hopefully, see you all next week. Have a nice start to the week! Adieu! 😁😎👋

Alexander Rabbitte