Looking Ahead at 2005

Batman Begins is one of our most anticipated films.

Eric:
2005 is looking like a potentially awesome year for superhero movies. Sure, Elektra just came out, but even better superhero movies are on this year’s horizon.

Batman Begins begins showing in June and the previews look great. Hopefully Christian Bale can play The Dark Knight seriously and never a moment of camp will be seen. The previews, so far, show the movie as being very atmospheric and dark. My fingers are tightly crossed that some one in Hollywood has finally done this character justice.

Another superhero movie that could really soar is the Fantastic Four due in July. It has a relatively unknown cast with the exception of Michael Chiklis, television's The Shield, as Ben Grimm/The Thing. The four do battle with one of Marvels Comics best villains, Doctor Doom.

With the success of The Incredibles comes Sky High in August. It is a live action movie about a family of superheroes. It stars Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston as the parents of a high school freshman who can't figure out what his superpowers are.

Scott:
Ok, despite hating the first two prequels, I have to confess that I’m looking forward to seeing Revenge of the Sith, even if it’s for no other reason than, at last, it will be the end of the Star Wars movies. And who knows? Maybe at last, Lucas will manage to recapture the magic of the original trilogy.

The Brothers Grimm is scheduled to be released for the Thanksgiving weekend and as it marks the return of Terry Gilliam as a director for the first time since 1998’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, I can’t wait to see it. Every movie Gilliam makes is well made and this one should prove no exception.

Around Christmas comes the first installment in The Chronicles of Narnia series with the release of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. With the special effects, props, and costumes being done by the same group who did The Lord of the Rings, at the very least, it will look fantastic.

And speaking of The Lord of the Rings, Christmas 2005 also brings the return of Peter Jackson, this time directing a remake of King Kong. While it’s disappointing that it’s not being filmed in New York City, as a follow-up to one of the most successful films of all time, this is a must see.

My anticipation for all of those movies pales however in comparison to my impatience to see the May 6th release of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Based upon one of my favorite books of all time, I’m hoping that it lives up to the late, great Douglas Adams’ written words. It’s either going to be my favorite movie of the year, or my least, and I can’t wait to find out which it will be.