Jay's Top Ten Most Anticipated Movies of 2018

There are a lot of intriguing movies coming out in 2018. These are the ones I'm most interested in.

 Honorable Mentions:  Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse, Ocean's 8, A Wrinkle in Time, Aquaman, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-it Ralph 2, A Quiet Place, The New Mutants, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom, Venom (out of curiosity)

10. Annhilation
Trailer
The director of Ex Machina adapting a popular science fiction novel. It follows a group of scientists including Natalie Portman who go on a dangerous mission to explore an area where the rules of physics do not apply. The trailer looks creepy and intense.

9. Untitled Cloverfield Sequel
This was also an honorable mention in last years list. It's release has since been moved to next year. But if it is as good as 10 Cloverfield Lane or even the original Cloverfield, it should be a treat.

8. The Predator
A remake of the action-horror classic. This is written and directed by Shane Black, the highly influential writer of hits such as Lethal Weapon, and was even an actor in the original Predator. I am very interested in his take on his this movie.

7. Black Panther

 Chadwick Boseman reprises his role from Captain America: Civil War as Black Panther. I really liked the character, and am interested in seeing more of him.

6. Untitled Deadpool Sequel

 Deadpool was the filthy, violent surprise hit superhero film of 2016. The teasers for the sequel promise more of the outrageous humor that made the first so entertaining.

5. Isle of Dogs

The next stop-motion animated movie from Wes Anderson, starring too many celebrities to list here. The story takes place in Japan in the future where all dogs are quarantined to an island, and some of them help a young boy find his own dog. This looks like it will maintain the quirky charm of Anderson's last animated movie, The Fantastic Mr Fox.

4. Pacific Rim: Uprising

The long awaited sequel to Guillermo del Toro's monster movie. This one may not have the same director, but it should still have the same great action sequences.

3. The Incredibles 2

If Pacific Rim: Uprising was long-awaited, then this is the movie we've been waiting for forever. It has been fourteen years since the original The Incredibles, and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.

2. Avengers: Infinity War

This is part one of a two part conclusion to this phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These movies are supposed to be the be-all-end-all of this franchise, and things will happen that will change this franchise. It will also bring all of the heroes together for one big, exciting movie event.

1. The Irishman
 I actually did not know about this movie until I did the research for this list, but now I'm really excited for it. It is directed by none other than the great Martin Scorsese, and follows a hitman who may have killed Jimmy Hoffa. It stars Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. The reason this is at the top is because it's another gangster movie from Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest directors working today.

Quick Thoughts on Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Since it is around Christmastime and I have family plans, I do not think I can write a full review of this movie. However, I will say that I enjoyed it. Though it has its flaws, I still think it was a very fun and emotional blockbuster. I'll be back sometime before New Years with my Most and Least Anticipated of 2018 list.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond Review

Directed by: Chris Smith (American Movie, The Pool, American Job)

Plot: Released on Netflix. A documentary on the filming of the movie Man on the Moon, which featured Jim Carrey playing his hero, legendary comedian, Andy Kaufman.

Review: This is an interesting documentary that shines light on both the lives of Carrey and Kaufman.
It features never-before-seen footage from behind the scenes, where Jim Carrey never broke character. This footage was withheld by Universal, because they thought it would make him look like a jerk. And there are several moments where that is true, with the lengths that he went to keep in character. But, whether or not you like Carrey, you still have to appreciate the lengths he went to portray this character.
It also features interviews with Carrey himself, in which he goes in depth about Andy Kaufman and his own life. These interviews give depth into both of these characters, and show how Jim was so attracted to Andy.
This is an interesting show business documentary that shows the lengths of method acting, and goes into the lives of two eccentric comedians.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Disaster Artist Review

Directed by: James Franco (Good Time Max, Child of God, In Dubious Battle)

Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen

Written by: Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber (500 Days of Summer, The Spectacular Now, The Fault in our Stars) Based on the memoir by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissel)
 
Released: In theaters

Plot: The story of the making of The Room, a film that is widely known as one of the best so-bad-it's-good movies of all time.

Review:  I have read the book that this movie is based on very recently, so it was fresh in my mind when I saw the movie. The movie is not nearly as interesting as the book, but it is still a funny movie.
James Franco does an outstanding job portraying the mastermind behind The Room, Tommy Wiseau. He nails every aspect of his personality. He is an extremely bizarre person, but he always seems like a sympathetic character. There was many times I laughed at him, but I legitimately cared about his character
It is clear that this was made by fans of The Room, who respect Wiseau and his movie. They went into great detail recreating the set, which shows at the end, when they show recreations of scenes from the movie. They are shown side-by-side with the actual scenes to show that they are almost exactly identical.
The Disaster Artist is a funny biopic, with a great lead performance. Even though it doesn't live up to the potential of the book, and the ending scene is pretty cheesy, this is otherwise a decently written, entertaining film.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Justice League Review

Directed by: Zack Snyder (300, Man of Steel, Watchmen)

Starring: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Henry Cavil

Written by: Chris Terrio, Joss Whedon, Zack Snyder. Based on the characters by Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Gardner Fox, Bob Kane, Bill Finger, William Moulton Marston, and Jack Kirby

Released: In theaters

Plot: Batman (Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gadot), The Flash (Miller), Aquaman (Momoa), and Cyborg (Fisher) team up to stop an enemy that threatens the entire world.

Review: Justice League should not be able to work as well as it does. It has gone through many re-shoots, and has dealt with the director leaving during post-production for personal reasons, and being replaced by Joss Whedon. While this movie is not perfect, it is much better than it could have been.
It gets by on the chemistry and dialogue of the main characters. There is a lot more humor than in previous DC universe movies, mostly in the form of the banter between the heroes. The movie strikes the right tone between humor and seriousness.
Superman is also played with less gloominess, which is a major improvement for the series. The Flash is a very fun character who feels a little like Tom Holland's Spider-man. And they finally managed to make Aquaman cool.
However, the plot is pretty generic and the villain is very forgettable. There are very few surprises, and it felt like I'd seen the story before. The villain is not menacing nor does he have any qualities that would make him memorable.
But it is still worth the trip to the theater to see the heroes. The movie is very well-shot, and Joss Whedon's writing gives it life.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Mudbound Review

Directed by: Dee Rees (Bessie, Pariah)

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchel, Mary J Blige, Rob Morgan, Jonathan Banks, Garret Hedlund,

Written by: Virgil Williams and Dee Rees. Based on the novel by Hillary Jordan

Released: On Netflix

Plot: Two families, one black and one white, face problems in the rural American south after a member comes back from World War II.

Review: Mudbound is a powerful drama that deals with racism and PTSD. Even though parts of it are not as interesting as others, it is a very emotionally involving movie. It is bleak and sometimes hard to watch, but it might be an Oscar contender.
Everybody gives a great performance, and it is very well-shot. There are many scenes that show the characters' struggles amazingly. A great example of this is when a black veteran (Jason Mitchel) talks about how he misses the war because he wasn't a second class citizen there. Another is the last act which shows racism in all its horror.
However, there are moments that are not as interesting. Most of the plotlines that do not involve the veterans move kind of slowly, and a lot of people will be bored by it.
But I think the powerful moments and performances make it a worthwhile watch. It is a moving film, that will stick with you.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Babysitter Review

Directed by: McG (Charlie's Angels, Terminator: Salvation, We Are Marshall)

Starring: Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving, Robbie Amell

Written by: Brian Duffield (Insurgent, Jane Got a Gun)

Plot: Released on Netflix. A kid (Lewis) sees his babysitter (Weaving) and her friends in a Satanic ritual. They are now pursuing him for what he witnessed.

Review: The Babysitter is a very flawed horror-comedy, but it is also a very fun one.
It is directed in a very stylized way. This is the kind of movie where, after the main character witnesses his first murder, the words "What the fuck?" appear on the screen in big bold letters. As you can see this style can be over-the-top at times, but then again, so is most of the movie.
Throughout the movie, there are a few instances of characters doing dumb things (it is a horror movie after all), and being saved by pure coincidence. There were also a couple times when I thought to myself "That should have probably killed the main character." But after watching it, I realized that this movie was not meant to be taken seriously. That does not excuse these things entirely, but it does make them a little more forgivable. All this movie really wants to be is a fun ride, and it succeeds in that regard.
Underneath all this, there is also a good coming of age story. The child has a very clear character arc, where he overcomes his fears, and "grows up" over the course of the night.
All in all, this is nowhere near a perfect movie, but it is a very fun and funny one. It is rarely scary, but there is a lot of blood. It is ridiculous and maybe a little over-stylized, but if you want to see a fun horror movie, this should satisfy you.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars