Movies to Watch in 2009

…or at least ones that I think I do!

First I briefly reviewed the 2008 releases I’d seen, then made a list of 2008 releases I’d yet like to see.  Now, concluding this series of posts from the last several days is a look ahead to the coming year of movies and the ones that exist on my continuum of interest somewhere between “Hmm, Tell Me More” and “Couldja Please Hurry Up the Release Date Already??”

Taken (January 30th)

Liam Neeson plays a former spy whose daughter (played by LOST‘s Maggie Grace) is kidnapped while on vacation in Paris.  Liam then goes all Jason Bourne on the bad guys.  I’m not sure I’d even heard of this movie until about a week ago when I saw a TV spot for it.  The clips they showed of the phone call between Neeson and his daughter portrayed an unexpected interaction that made my jaw drop.  The movie could end up being fairly pedestrian, but for now, it’s on my list.

Coraline (February 6th)

This is based on a Neil Gaiman children’s book that I just recently read, and that only increased my interest in the film — especially since Neil has been expressing enthusiasm on his own blog about the movie.  It seems a rare thing when a creator not only allows but approves of an adaptation of his or her works.  I love the story, and the visual style looks to be a treat.

Fanboys (February 6th)

This one’s truly geeky.  After much delay, the movie about four high school friends who reunite to fulfill their Star Wars dream is going to be released.  As the world prepares for the release of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, these four friends road trip to Lucas-central (Skywalker Ranch) with the intent to steal a print of the film and see it before anyone else.  Allegedly, hilarity ensues.  Again, it could be a stinker, but its release has been so delayed that the movie is already almost legendary in some circles (geeky ones, naturally), and that alone is almost enough to inspire curiosity.

Watchmen (March 6th)

This is one of the big ones for me in 2009 (as any regular reader of this site knows) so there’s no sense taking up more space drooling about it here.  Of course, this is assuming Warner Bros. and Fox can work out their legal issues and release the film on time…

Monsters Vs. Aliens (March 27th)

I’m on the fence about this one.  On one hand, it looks fun and creative.  On the other hand, even just from the trailer it appears to be pushing the envelope in terms of appropriateness.  Now perhaps it’s not being geared toward children at all.  Still, I’m kind of done with potty humor and bodily-function jokes, and if the ratio of this kind of humor to screen time is the same in the full film as it is in the trailer, then I’m probably going to sit this one out.  However, it could just as easily be a terrific movie on the same lines as The Incredibles, so I guess we’ll see.

Fast & Furious (April 3rd)

Honestly, I’m a little embarrassed to be puting this on here.  The only reason it’s got my attention is the cool stunt sequence at the beginning of the trailer.  I saw the first movie in this series and was only mildly impressed.  Then it became a mediocre moneymaker franchise with a redundant naming scheme.  For whatever reason, though, this trailer makes it look like it might be passably entertaining…but it’s definitely a rental, if I even see it at all.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (May 1st)

Another top-of-the-list entry.  After the travesty that was the third X-men movie, this prequel looks set to get it right once again (and geeks around the world have their fingers crossed).  No need to tread old ground, though…

Star Trek (May 8th)

We were originally supposed to have seen this one already, but it got delayed from its original Christmas ’08 release.  With J.J. Abrams at the helm, this reboot/prequel of the Star Trek franchise could be terrific or way off the mark.  The casting is great, the story about the crew in their academy days sounds interesting, and the trailer is compelling.  The only question is whether it’s compelling in a Star Trek way, or in a sci-fi/action way…because those are frequently two very different things.  This film could easily be long on big action and short on characterization, ending up as a fun movie, but ultimately not a good Star Trek film.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (May 22nd)

It took me a long time to get around to seeing the first Night at the Museum, and I was surprised at how truly fun and good it was.  The trailer indicates that the sequel will deliver more of the same, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

Terminator Salvation (May 22nd)

The Arnold-less fourth installment in the Terminator film series promises Christian Bale as John Connor, leading the human resistance against Skynet and the Terminators.  In case you can’t tell, I’m quite wary of franchises that stretch on too long and become spinoffs of sequels with prequels, but even if the plot here ends up being sub-par, Bale can make this one exciting.  (I do have to wonder, though, about the curious lack of punctuation in this movie’s title.  Bad grammar or an insight into the film?  Hmm…)

Up (May 29th)

Despite the fact that I still haven’t seen Pixar’s 2008 movie, I’m all set for Up, their entry into the multiplex for 2009.  This one’s about a crotchety 78-year-old balloon salesman who decides to take off (literally) for a South American adventure — house and all.  Complicating matters is a 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer who inadvertently goes along for the ride.  Bonus: Ed Asner does great voice work!

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (June 26th)

The sequel to what was in my opinion the most enjoyable movie of 2007 (though certainly not the best movie of 2007).  No real word on the plot yet, no trailer, not much of anything to go on except that it’s more of what we got from the first movie, only amped up for the sequel.  Hey, sounds good!

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (July 1st)

Yeah, here’s another franchise that is wearing itself pretty thin.  I’ll still probably rent this one at some point, though.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 17th)

This is another movie we should have seen already.  Delayed for half a year since last Christmas, the sixth Harry Potter movie is naturally highly-anticipated.  While I think the trailers look good, I was very disappointed by Order of the Phoenix, and I can tell from the previews that they’ve again deviated from the book probably more than they needed to.  The other four movies were great, though, so I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve seen it.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (August 7th)

Here’s the deal: I never watched much G.I. Joe growing up, so I’m not super familiar with the source material.  That said, even I can tell that based on some of the costume photos that have been released so far, some of what they’re doing looks great while the rest of it probably has Joe fans shaking their heads in shame.  Plus, director Stephen Sommers (Van Helsing, the Mummy movies) is more known for a campy/over-the-top treatment of his source material than any sort of serious take.  I have a feeling that this G.I. Joe adaptation will wind up as DVD bargain bin fare rather than a fan-favorite, but we’ll see.

Disney’s A Christmas Carol (November 6th)

I know very little about this movie, and what I’ve discovered came mostly from Wikipedia, so take it with a grain of salt.  Directed by Robert Zemeckis using the same motion capture techniques previously employed on The Polar Express and Beowulf and starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Cary Elwes, and a bunch of other good actors, I imagine this will be worth watching.

Sherlock Holmes (November 20th)

Not much known about this yet except that it’s Robert Downey, Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Watson.  Sounds like a pretty good team to me.  This will be worth examining more closely when trailers and other info start becoming available.

Whew!  What a list.  Did I miss anything?