We continue from Part 1 of 10 Must-Watch Blockbusters in 2012.
#6 THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN (Dir. Marc Webb)
Release date: 05-July
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans.
Plot outline: Teenager Peter Parker grapples with both human problems and amazing super-human crises.
Trailer for THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN:
Why Must Watch? Some say it's too soon for a new Spiderman movie. After all, Sam Raimi's SPIDERMAN 3 (2007) screened only five years ago. But there are positives to look at. One, Marc Webb takes on the director role, which could see him lend some indie credibility to a huge summer blockbuster, after the success of the unconventional romantic-comedy (500) DAYS OF SUMMER (2009). Two, and to some this is most important, it's high time we see the sexy Emma Stone doing some BIG!
#7 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (Dir. Christopher Nolan)Release date: 19-July
Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine,
Plot outline: Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, the terrorist leader Bane arrives in Gotham City, pushing it and its police force to their limits, forcing its former hero Batman to resurface after taking the fall for Harvey Dent's crimes.
Trailer for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES:
Why Must Watch? There are too many reasons. Perhaps all could be sum up in one word: Nolan. Arguably the most exciting filmmaker working in Hollywood today, Nolan never, ever disappoints. And with acast that rivals in quality with THE AVENGERS, this is perhaps the most anticipated film of the last few years. Do set a reminder to book your tickets early, because the first weekend will probably sell out before the film is even released. Seriously, folks are going crazy over this film, and deservingly so.
#8 THE BOURNE LEGACY (Dir. Tony Gilroy)
Release date: 03-August (likely)
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton, Rachel Weisz, Joan Allen.
Plot outline: A story centered on a new CIA operative in the universe based on Robert Ludlum's novels.
Image of actor Jeremy Renner
Why Must Watch? Good question. There is no Matt Damon, and there is no director Paul Greengrass. This is not THE HURT LOCKER (2009), so the question to ask is if Jeremy Renner can anchor a studio action blockbuster on his own? But in new director Tony Gilroy, who wrote the screenplay for the previous Bourne films, there is a promising mood around it, or at the very least, some sense of consistency.
#9 SKYFALL (Dir. Sam Mendes)Release date: 01-November
Starring: Daniel Craig, HelenMcCrory, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes.
Plot outline: Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
Image of actor Daniel Craig
Why Must Watch? It's a James Bond movie! And it has Daniel Craig, who owes us a good outing as our favorite spy after the debacle that is QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008). For film enthusiasts who discard Bond movies as loud and trashy, this may be the Bond film for you because it is directed by Sam Mendes, an Oscar-winning director of acclaimed dramas like AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999) and ROAD TO PERDITION (2002).
#10 THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY (Dir. Peter Jackson)Release date: 14-December (likely)
Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis, Elljah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee.
Plot outline: Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, journeys to the Lonely Mountain accompanied by a group of dwarves to reclaim a treasure taken from them by the dragon Smaug.
Trailer for THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEYWhy Must Watch? Many fans were left disappointed when Guillermo Del Toro, of HELLBOY (2004) and PAN'S LABYRINTH (2006) fame, left the director chair's vacant. Now, it seems like a blessing in disguise as Peter Jackson, who made those incredible LORD OF THE RINGS (2001-2003) films not so long ago, returns to the hot seat. That alone guarantees a sell-out of tickets. But we have to wait another 11 months!