It’s hard to say if these movies will be good or they’ll be flops but here are a handful that I think we’ll be worth paying overpriced popcorn for. These are not Oscar Winners by any stretch of the imagination. These are the movies that should bring in the weekend crowds for escapist fluff.

1. My Bloody Valentine 3D - I’m guessing the writing on this one is no better than the original but that’s not the point. Going to the theater to see a 3D horror movie should be fun simply for the effects, to hell with the plot.

2. Terminator Salvation - With Christian Bale starring in this vehicle at least that means it’s not just another throwaway with hopes of recouping costs through DVD sales. Which seems to be the fate of the Alien-Predator crossover films.

3. Friday The 13th Remake - Keep your fingers crossed. Jason movies are normally borderline bad and you usually go to see them for the death scenes, T&A, and possibly scaring your date if she (and he, I don’t know your orientation) is that vunerable. This time around the writers are working on building up Jason’s history from the first 3 movies. We could see a more intelligent script with a darker version of what has become the ultimate pop culture boogeyman. BTW: They are releasing Friday the 13th Part 3 in it’s original 3D format for DVD in February of this year. Get your glasses now.

4. Night at the Museum 2 - As much as I dread sequels to movies I think needed work in the first place, this expanded vehicle for Ben Stiller looks better the second time around. And maybe the history geek in me will find something to enjoy in all of the gags about The Smithsonian. I still say Night of The Museum 2 has the worst tagline ever.

5. Fast and the Furious 4 - This is the genre where Vin Diesel needs to stay put. He’s been straying too far into science fiction like a NASA astronaut who’s forgotten his tether line and drifts off into space. If the producers are smart they’ll release this film at just about the time gas prices start rising again along with all of the media hype and consumer complaints. Then we’ll want to see a gas truck get ripped off, as shown in the trailer.

6. Land of the Lost - I remember watching this show on Saturday Mornings, it was like Twilight Zone for kids. With Will Ferrell starring I’m betting this new version could succeed as long as he doesn’t go overboard with his antics. On the other hand we don’t want the remake to take itself too seriously either, remember the mistakes of “Lost in Space.”

7. Transformers Part 2 - I don’t think they could screw this up even if they tried.

8. Star Trek 11 - This is one flick they could easily screw up. A whole new franchise of films is resting on this release as they bring in an entire new cast to play Kirk, Spock and McCoy. The trailer looks promising though, but as I recall Spock did look a little emotional.

9. Monsters Versus Aliens - I hesitate to put this here since this is not Pixar but Dreamworks Animation. They tend to be “iffy” films that never seem to hit the mark. Monsters Versus Aliens will most likely be shown in 3D which despite a not-so-great plot could prove enjoyable.

10. The Watchmen - It looks epic, the same as the graphic novel was. Cross your fingers Alan Moore.

This is by no means an all inclusive list, just a start. Feel free to add your own hopes for releases in 2009 in the comments. I also am aware that Thundercats will be made, but there doesn’t seem to a lot of good info on it. It would be nice to see it done right. I’m sure they’re pulling out all of the old eighties cartoons for examination after Transformers hit big.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS