Most Anticipated in 2010

First off, I'll say Happy New Year to everyone out there. 2009 has been a year of ups and downs, but on the whole I'll say it was alright. In terms of film, the beginning did seem to be plagued with terrible to mediocre films that didn't show much promise for making it a great year for cinema. But then, the last few months started to show some promise, and it evened the year out. It wasn't a fantastic year, but it was alright. However, there's still a few more films I have to see before I can officially make my top 10 list and personal awards. So for now, I'm giving my list of the ten films I'm most looking forward to this year:

10. Toy Story 3

Normally I'm not looking forward to an animated sequel, but you have to remember that this is Pixar we're talking about, which has had a pretty good track record on all of their films. Add to it the fact that the only other sequel they've done is Toy Story 2, a film that many argue to be superior to the original. I don't deny there's a lot of places they could mess this up, but I have faith in them for now.

9. A Nightmare on Elm Street

What I look forward to even less than a sequel tends to be a remake of a gory horror film, particularly from the era that's been producing lackluster remakes like Halloween and Friday the 13th. But I have to say I'm intrigued with this one, mainly because it's the only horror film that has had enough personality to distinguish itself. I'm interested in seeing what a great actor like Jackie Earle Haley can do with such an iconic role. I'm not expecting an Oscar winner, but maybe something that can be better than I think it should be.

8. Tron Legacy

The only reason I'm interested in this film is because after seeing that Jeff Bridges can still act his ass off in Crazy Heart, I want to see him in just about anything now. That and the updated visual effects I hope will provide a film that will more than likely be flawed but very entertaining at the same time.

7. Prince of Persia

I have never once played the videogame, nor am I a fan of this property. But, looking at this footage, I can't deny that this looks like one very entertaining ride. It's got all the ingredients for a good action film: a likable lead character, a humorous romantic relationship, a notable actor playing the villain, and a lot of cool looking action set pieces. Plus, I will go see anything starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

6. Clash of the Titans

This is actually a film I've been wishing they'd remake for a while now. I am a big fan of the original, but that film always suffered from the dated Ray Harryhousen claymation effects, which in 1981 was long after their heyday in the '30s thru '50s. To retell such a classic story with better effects seems like a terrific idea, not to mention a cast that includes Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes as Zeus and Hades, respectively, is a great selection. Not to mention the Cracken looks amazing.

5. Shutter Island

It's a shame I have to list this as an anticipated release for 2010 since it was supposed to come out last year, only the studio didn't have the money for an Oscar campaign. But even though they've dumped it into the barren wasteland of movie releases from January thru April, at least this means we can hopefully get at least one great film. After all, when you mix Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow and a Dennis Lehane source material together, I can't see that going insanely wrong.

4. Iron Man 2

I was pleasantly surprised at how well the first Iron Man turned out, with Robert Downey Jr. creating a superhero that was off the cusp just enough to feel fresh and be next to Gwyneth Paltrow who turned in her best performance in years. The only thing it suffered from was a weak villain. Now with the additions of Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell, I'm thinking that might not be a problem this time. Downey in particular continues to prove that his status as not only an A-list star but also a great actor is well solidified now, and I look forward to just about anything with his name on it.

3. Alice in Wonderland

My fanboy heart for Tim Burton will never stop beating, and while it does look like the same stuff he's been doing before, I can't lie about being totally amped up to see this film. Particularly since my fear of it being a direct remake of the original Disney film is now gone. With another weird performance from Johnny Depp, and a host of other great actors filling the screen, I am very much excited to see how Burton will distort another childhood classic of mine. I just wonder if he can piss off the same amount of people as he did with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I

I still think that if Warner Bros. really wanted to, they could do this in all one movie. But I know there's so much material in that last book that it's almost justified. Either way, the start of the last chapter of this very successful franchise is high up on my list for this year. Every new Potter adventure gives me another reason to love going to the movies, and knowing all the dramatic events that happen in the last book, my mind is conjuring up some wild images as to what this film can do.

1. Inception

I still know pretty much nothing about this project. What is basically selling it to a lot of people are a bunch of cool looking images over an eerily boastful score, the vastly assembled cast and the reputation of its director. But that really helps me get excited for a film when that director is Christopher Nolan and the cast includes such greats as Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine. The hush-hush nature of the project also peaks my interest incredibly, and since Warner Bros. is also giving this film the IMAX treatment, that also makes me think this project is pretty big on their list. It's certainly big on mine, and I can't think of any other film I'm looking forward to the most this new year.

In a little bit, I will probably have my top 25 films of the decade up, followed as soon as I can by my top ten of 2009 and personal awards selections as well. Happy New Decade everyone!