Movie Trailer Wednesday!

Good day, everyone. The topic for today's reading is movies. Below are a few movies that are coming out this year and that are worth keeping an eye on. Each of these movies is appealing in some way. Let's hope that they are as good as we want them to be!

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The first Captain America movie was put together so well that it left us craving more. Unfortunately, pretty much the entire movie was set in a WWII setting, and we all want to see him kick ass in a modern time. Now it's time to see what Cap can really do. He's not fighting Nazis anymore... now he has to fight other supers. When a worldwide mystery comes to his doorstep, there are very few people that can help him.

This movie is probably going to have elements of the "stranger in a strange land" trope that we didn't really get to see in Avengers or the original Captain America film. While there was some of that present, the movie didn't focus on Cap as a character, thus they didn't really expand on it. With a pedigree of the first movie, expectations are pretty high that this one is going to be just as good, if not better. Look for this movie April 4.

Maleficent

Based off of the original animated film from Disney, this live-action film is a new take on this old story. Originally released in 1959, Sleeping Beauty was told from the perspective of the princess, Aurora. With this film, we are given a new opportunity to view the events that took place - seeing things from perspective of the iconic villainess, Maleficent. Never knowing before why the curse was placed on the Sleeping Beauty, we may now finally see what transpired.

Anyone who is a fan of Disney should have this movie on their radar. Being a Walt Disney Studios production, this movie has a pretty excellent team working on it. Despite some production hiccups, the trailers reveal a gorgeous film that will probably be wonderfully entertaining. Angelina Jolie is the lead, and she fits the part perfectly. This is one film to be excited about; look for it in theaters May 30.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Following the events of the first and second film, Katniss Everdeen becomes a symbol for the rebellion against the capital of Panem. The people of Panem find themselves in the midst of a full uprising, and with the entire continent on fire, sides must be chosen. While the people of the districts have justice and numbers on their side, the people of the capital have advanced technology and weaponry. As the events of the war climax, Katniss is forced to choose between two equally terrible choices.

Both films so far have been much better than the books. Yes, I read all three of them. In my opinion, the second film was much better than the first. While the book tended to drag along and the first half was dedicated to a "who will she choose?" love triangle, the movie eliminated those problems. Because of this, I have faith that the director will recognize the problem areas for the final book. Hopefully this movie will be as exciting as the second. Look for the film in theaters November 21.

X-men: Days of Future Past

Taking place in the same movie universe as the third film, this movie incorporates the events from all earlier X-men films. There is a war for the existence of mutantkind that is transpiring in both the future and the past. The full ensemble of heroes will battle for their fate, fighting alongside their younger selves.

With as many characters put into this film as there are, it will be a daunting task to make it entertaining. My guess is that the film is going to feature all these people, but not give them many of them much attention. Let's be honest, having 15 main characters makes for a really convoluted/bad movie (better for TV). I have high hopes for this film as the graphics look fantastic. The cast choice is absolutely wonderful, plenty of big names in attendance. I may be biased, though, since I've actually met Sir Patrick Stewart (I should basically say that as much as possible, seriously). Even so, I find that I like almost anything with Peter Dinklage in it. Not to mention, Sentinels were a big part of my childhood; my sister and I would play with our stuffed animals and some would be X-men and some would be Sentinels (you're jealous). That story always made me happy and I've loved it ever since. Look for this film May 23.

-Jack

Let me know what films you're excited about in the comments below.

EDIT: Maleficent is from Sleeping Beauty... mixing my Disney...