Movies from 2008 I Still Want to See

Part two of my look at the last (and upcoming) year at the movies.  My last post was a list of brief reviews of the movies released in 2008 that I’d seen.  There were a lot more that looked intriguing than I was able to see!

Today’s post is a list of films that I’d still be interested in viewing, along with why they’re on my list.  Like last time, they’re listed in order of 2008 release date.  Also like last time, I’m linking each movie to its official website, which is a good place to go to check out trailers or find out other info if you want.  Finally, if you’ve seen any of these, I’d love to hear what you thought, so please leave a comment.

The Orphanage (December 28th, 2007)

Yep, 2007.  That’s the answer to those who might’ve been wondering why I said something about 25 months (instead of merely 24) in my previous post.  The Orphanage was released so late in 2007 that I’m including it as a 2008 release.  It’s a Spanish import produced by Guillermo del Toro, and it comes highly recommended by my cousin Chris as a truly scary movie (not like the kind of shock horror or slasher fare that constitutes scary movies in America these days).  I’m not big into horror flicks, but this one comes with enough endorsement that I’m curious.  (Trailer)

In Bruges (February 8th)

Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell star as hitmen hiding out in Bruges, Belgium.  It’s been well-received and is supposed to be clever, funny, and very entertaining, if not entirely original.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (April 18th)

Rather than listen to the dogmatic opinions (on both sides) that either praise or vilify this documentary, I’d rather see it for myself.  If it truly does present a well-reasoned, well-researched argument for intelligent design, then I want to be able to refer people to it.  If it’s not worth bothering about, I want to know that, too.  Either way…Ben Stein!

Kung Fu Panda (June 6th)

I’ve heard from multiple people that this is terrific and funny, so I plan to give it a try at some point.

WALL•E (June 27th)

To be honest, the trailers for this movie alone wouldn’t sell me on it.  Two other things have: the Pixar name and the fact that so many people have been speaking so highly of it — to the point that it’s showing up on Oscar nomination lists and people’s “best of the year” lists.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (August 1st)

Judging from the trailers, this looked like it would be one of the weaker entries into the Mummy series, but Brendan Fraser has thus far been enjoyable in them, and they’ve never taken themselves so seriously that one feels the need to mistake their campiness for awful film making.

Burn After Reading (September 12th)

My history with the Coen Brothers has been up and down; I seem to dislike as many of their movies as I enjoy.  However, I’m always willing to give them a shot, especially when there’s a great cast.  This comedy thriller definitely has that going for it — George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich…in other words, it could be really good.

Righteous Kill (September 12th)

I really don’t know much about this one except that both Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro are in it.  That by itself, though, is about enough to sell it.  Unfortunately, it sounds like it wasn’t that great, so maybe it belongs on the secondary list below!

Ghost Town (September 19th)

Romantic comedies are usually my least favorite genre, but occasionally — whether because of one of the actors or because of the setup — one of them looks intriguing.  This particular one has Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, and a bunch of British ghosts.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua (October 3rd)

Ha!  Just kidding.

Gran Torino (December 12th)

“Vintage Eastwood,” if all the reviews are to be believed.  This looks like a pretty interesting drama.  Sure, there are some standard cliches at work, but it’s been reviewed well, and if nothing else, my film viewing experience has thus far suffered from a dearth of Clint Eastwood, so it’d be good to remedy that.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (December 25th)

Brad Pitt’s character is born old, and he ages in reverse.  Not only is this directed by David Fincher, but it’s been getting good reviews and has been nominated for several awards.  Probably one that will have me waiting on the DVD, but I’m betting it’ll be good in some way.

Valkyrie (December 25th)

One of the few movies on this list that I’m not just intrigued by, but that I’m actually excited about.  I’ve never disliked a Bryan Singer film, and this has the added benefit of being full of World War II espionage and action — not to mention Tom Cruise in the sort of roll he’s actually good at playing.

Other movies that aren’t as high of a priority for me are as follows.  Some of these are films that look good, but that just don’t have me bursting at the seams to go see them, while others are films that looked good initially, but that didn’t fare as well in the box office, in reviews, or with audiences.  Regardless of why they’re on this secondary list, I might still check them out sometime.

• VeggieTales: The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything (January 11th) – The veggies are always pretty funny!
• Vantage Point (February 22nd) – Interesting premise, but reviews say it’s a stinker.
• 88 Minutes (April 18th) – Another unique premise that sounds like it falls flat, only with Al Pacino.
• Hancock (July 1st) – Will Smith is usually good, but this got pretty mixed reviews.
• Yes Man (December 19th) – Jim Carrey back at his old tricks.
• Seven Pounds (December 19th) – Mysterious marketing plus Will Smith again, but with mostly poor reviews.
• Bedtime Stories (December 25th) – Adam Sandler in a kids movie that appears to be following in the footsteps of Night at the Museum.