WHAT'S COMING IN 2011 (Part 2)

We continue with the coming attractions that are coming form abroad, especially from Hollywood, and the list goes on as this:

SINBAD THE FIFTH VOYAGE (USA Release Date: July 15th). Starring: Patrick Stewart. Lorna Raver and Isaac C. Singleton Jr. Dir.: Shahin Sean Solimon. Employing the old fashioned animation techniques and special effects before the arrival of the computers, this homage to the stop motion animation genius Ray Harryhausen will be seen in the United States in July, but I doubt it will arrive to the cinemas in Venezuela. I will wait for the DVD release and I will tell tou about it.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (USA Release Date: July 23th). Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell and Samuel L. Jackson. Dir.: Joe Johnston. With a 1948 movie serial - not so faithful with the comic book, but considered one of the best ever made; a 1973 film releases in Turkey where he joined forces with our Santo, The Man in the Silver Mask against an evil Spiderman; two TV movies in 1979 - not so well received by the fans - and a direct-to-video version in 1990 starred by Matt Salinger - J.D. Salinger's son, The Catcher in the Rye author -, this character has not received a good treatment that we think it deserves. We hope this version could adapt it to the cinema acceptably. Let's pray for that.

COWBOYS & ALIENS (Release Date: July 29th). Starring: Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde and Harrison Ford. Dir.: Jon Favreau. After his two successful and well reviewed incursions in the comic books adaptions world, the director of the two Iron Man movies, now adapt tjis graphic novel created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg in 2006. I totally trust in the skillful direction of Favreau, and the participation of Harrinson Ford and Daniel Craig in the main roles is a plus. Another forced visit to the movie theaters at the time of its premiere.

THE SMURFS. (USA Released Date: August 3rd). Starring: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris and Sofia Vergara. Dir.: Raja Gosnell. Although expectations are very low and the story places the characters out of the original place of the comic book, I will see it as soon it getes to the theaters. Created in 1958, the little blue characters are going to visit New York, chase by their common enemy Gargamel. Beside a unoriginal story, this film will be commanded by the guy who took Scooby Doo twice to the big screen; that's very scary, pretty scary.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN (Previously known as CONAN 3D. USA Release Date: August 19th). Starring: Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols and Ron Perlman. Dir.: Marcus Nispel. 7 years in the making, several directos attached to the project as well as different produncing companies , the new adventure of Conan will apparently hit the screen at mid year. It will be converted to 3D in order to get more money. I will see it because Ron Perlman is involved, but I won't expect a big deal from this film.

FRIGHT NIGHT. (USA Release Date: August 19th). Starring: David Tennant and Collin Farrell. Dir.: Craig Gillespie. The 1985 cult classic is taken again to the big screen, thanks to the actual lack of creativity in Hollywood nowadays. Its harder fight won't be all that the summertime offers in the cinema area, but the comparisson with the acclaimed and beloved original version. Little hopes, but we'll never know what could happen.

SPY KIDS 4. (USA Release Date: August 19th). Starring: Jessica Alba, Antonio Banderas amd Danny Trejo. Dir.: Robert Rodriguez. Rodríguez always makes one or another film to raise funds and energy for any other big budget production. I guess this is the case to make the Machete. sequel. But who says no to this orchestra man who always work below the budget and makes films that would not become classics, but they always generate profits, even though this simple moviegoer consider this new chapter of the series unnnecessary.

THE THING. (USA Release Date: 14 de Octubre). Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Erich Christian Olsen and Joel Edgetorn. Dir.: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. This prequel to the John Carpenter classic film (remake of the also classic of 1951) has generated good press comments in general. A commentary made by one of the producers of the film says that they decided to make a prequel instead of a remake because do that with the Carpenter film would be like "painting moustache to the Mona Lisa". That is admirable, really admirable.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PT. 1. (USA Release Date: November 18th). Starring: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner. Dir.: Bill Condon. Truly this series of films have became more and more dedicated to the fans and followers of the male stars of the movies. The fact that it is made in 2 parts is due to the extent of the book and, of course, to generate more profits. It is strange the assignment of Bill Condon as a director, dbecause of his background; this gives certain attractiveness to the film, but I am not eager to see it in the cinema. I will wait for the DVD release as I did with Eclipse (not a big deal if you ask me).

CAESAR: RISE OF THE APES. (USA Release Date: November 23th). Starring: James Franco, Tom Felton and Andy Serkis. Dir.: Rupert Wyatt. A under the sleeve surprise that was a real pleasure to know about it. Although the date has been changed. the expectation is huge, after the failed attempt of Tim Burton reimagining the original saga. Andy Serkis is again the actor who would be sustituted by a CGI playing Caesar, the ape who initiates the primates revolt in the original saga. I wish it won't be a dissappointment as my admired Burton's version.

THE MUPPETS. (USA Release Date: November 23th). Starring: Amy Adams, Jason Segel and Zach Galifianakis. Dir.: James Bobin andJason Segel. Finally a Muppets movie which is not a adaption of another story (Treasure Island, A Chritsmas Carol, The Wizard of Oz) - and it doesnt mean that they haven't been amusing, but essencially they were not the Muppets as well. This time we will see the beloved characters of the TV show trying to save the theater where they used to make their show from an evil Texan villain link to the oil industry. With several famous stars cameos, the seventh Muppet movie will be int the top of the list of the films I must see this year.

SHERLOCK HOLMES II (USA Release Date: December 16th). Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Rachel McAdams. Dir.: Guy Ritchie. With high reserve, I approach the first film and, even Holmes did not look like the image I had of him from the books, Robert Downey Jr. got pretty close to the esence of the character; the most drastic change was Watson, but the chemistry between the two actors made possible the acceptance of this more active Watson than the one form the book and I love Rachel MacAdams - besides she's not the Irene Adler that I thought. Well, finally, nothing in the film looks like the work of Conan Doyle, but it was funny and I think the sequel will follow the same way. Ah, and it is good to know that Moriarty will arrive in the sequel, the great Holmes's nemesis. This time I will go to the movies, because the first one I enjoyed it on DVD.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL (USA Release Date: December 16th). Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Paula Patton. Dir.: Brad Bird. ¿Will Brad Bird, the same guy who created and directed that great animated film called THE INCREDIBLES, direct a sequel of Mission Impossible with Tom Cruise? Impossible, I said to myself. But IT IS TRUE, Bird approaches to the live action films with a new installment of the serie which has allow Tom Cruise to continue in the big screen.Only because Bird in in charge I will see it, more by curiosity than following the saga steps.

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN. (USA Release Date: December 23). Starring: Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg and Jamie Bell. Dir.: Steven Spielberg. As a matter of fact, I was expecting a live action adaption, but I have to deal with this movie made through the motion capture technique. Based on the comic created by Hergé in 1929, this film - which I predict it is just for fans - will follow the adventure of the same name written by the belgian author in 1943 - which happens to be the only book I own form the Tintin series. It will be a trilogy, this first film will be directed by Spielberg, the second one by Peter Jackson and to conclude bothe directors will work togheter in the third installment. Of course, this film is in the list of the movies I must see in 2011 together with Thor, Captain America and the Muppets movies.
There are plenty of films coming to the movie theaters this 2011, but talking about them would have to be in a third part of this article and, to tell the truth, there were plenty of movies I have mentioned in these two parts, don't you think?

WHAT'S COMING IN 2011 (Part 1)

After the big dissapointment that THE GREEN HORNET was, this year cinema has a great deal of options which can take away the bitter taste that film left us.

RANGO (USA Release Date: March 18th). Starring: Johnny Depp, Alanna Ubach, Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher and Alfred Molina. Dir.: Gore Verbinski. The Director and Actor duet from the saga of Pirates of the Caribbean get together in this strange and psicodelic CGI adventure. As I read, it is inspired in the journalist Hunter S. Thompson who Depp played in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It doesn't catch my attention so much, but I consider it a good choice for this year.


SUCKER PUNCH (USA Release Date: March 25th). Starring: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens and Abbie Cornish. Dir.: Zach Snyder. It would be Snyder first film that is based on an original material and not in the adaption of a comic or a remake. Judging it by its trailer, Snyder mantains his visual style which he used in 300 and Watchmen and the story seems to be interesting. I liked what Zach Snyder have done so far and this one I would see it for sure.

SCREAM 4 (USA Release Date: April 15th). Starring: Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell and David Arquette. Dir.: Wes Craven. The actors and director from the original trilogy are back to write a new chapter in the saga. Just for the lovers and followers of this saga. It's not priority number one and perhaps I would go and see it if I were really bored, or I better wait for its DVD release and some friend of mine would lend it to me.


FAST FIVE. (USA Release Date: April 29th). Starring: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Paul Walker. Dir.: Justin Lin. As the previous installments, the actors of the previous ones get together and, as we can see, there would be cars, chases, explosions, beautiful girls and Río de Janeiro. Maybe I would see it, or maybe not.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES. (USA Release Date: May 20th). Starring: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane. Dir.: Rob Marshall. With a change in the rudder, the saga of Captain Jack Sparrow changes some faces and certainly it would a box office success this year. After the dissapointed third part, there is few enthusiasm to see it although the trailer offers what made the first one a success. We'll wait and see.


THOR (USA Release Date: May 6th - Venezuela Release Date: April 28th - that waht is said on the official site). Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins. Dir.: Kenneth Branagh. ¿Is Kenneth Branagh directing an movie based on a comic book? is the big questions fans and followers of the Marvel famous character. The casting is well done, with Anthony Hopkins as Odin and the beautiful Natalie Portman as the hero's love interest. I trust Branagh, even though he's been out of the public eye for quite a while. I'm anxious to see it and I hope O won't be dissapointed.


KUNG FU PANDA 2 (USA Release Date: May 27th). Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman and Jackie Chan. Dir.: Jennifer Yuh. Without any high expectations, it would be another funny animated film for a family outing, nothing else. An outing with the children.

X MEN: FIRST CLASS (USA Release Date: June 3th). Starring: James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. Dir.: Matthew Vaughn. The reboot fever got to Marvel; following the example of the DC films, the multimedia company decided to go back with its mutant heores and it starts the story when Professor X and Magneto were friends. The director of Kick Ass is in charge which means a good omen and nice way to correct the mistake of the Wolverine movie (which would have a sequel pretty soon - I don't know why). Another sure visit to the movie theater.


GREEN LANTERN. (USA Release Date: June 17th). Starring: Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. Dir.: Martin Campbell. Martin Campbell is an efficient director who has taken to good port projects such as Zorro and the revitalizing of the James Bond saga. He knows how to handle action and humour and I trust that he makes it again this time. This is one of the films that has generated high expectations and, of course, I will be ready to see it on its release date.


CARS 2 (USA Release Date: June 24th). Starring: Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy. Dir.: John Lasseter and Brad Lewis. The least admired Pixar film, but the most personal from John Lasseter surely has its sequel. This time it goes to the spies films parody area. With or without the kids, I would see it for sure and we'll see how the experiment goes.

TRANSFORMERS: THE DARK OF THE MOON. (USA Release Date: July 1st). Starring: Shia Lebouf, Rosie Huntington – Whiteley and Josh Duhamel. Dir.: Michael Bay. The form changing robots are back to do their stuff on the big screen. Beside the bad reviews, but the huge incomes, Michael is back again and shows us what it is meant to be the final chapter of the saga (although Hasbro said it would continue with the movies without Bay). We hope it would be better that second part, althoug I have no interest to see it, not even with the attraction the 3D gimmick could add (besides the additional cost it means)


HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2. (USA Release Date: July 15th). Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Ralph Fiennes. Dir.: David Yates. The end of the adventures of the young wizard and his friends will arrive to the screen this summer and, of course, the attendance would be massive. The expectations are high, althougn the book fans are complaining more and more that the movies are far behind the literature source (as I only read the first book, I have no complains at all). The movie promises lots of action - more tthan the first part - and, possibly, records in the box office. A movie that have to be seen without any excuse.
To be continued...