Top Five Most Anticipated Films for the Rest of 2013

Nope, this is not yet a review, since I haven't made the time to write reviews (due to the overload of studies), but here are five films I am eagerly anticipating - and might possibly review - for the rest of the year. But first, here are five honorable mentions, with the top five after the jump:

Honorable Mentions
Inside Llewyn Davis - The Coen Brothers' latest film celebrates the folk music of the 1960s, and stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, F. Murray Abraham and Justin Timberlake. Plus, the music was produced by legendary producer T-Bone Burnett, with help from Mulligan's husband Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons.

Ender's Game - Hugo's Asa Butterfield plays Ender, a child military cadet who could be humanity's greatest hope against aliens. Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Abigail Breslin and Hailee Steinfeld also star. Hopefully it's a better version of After Earth. 

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - The actor playing Nelson Mandela in this biographical movie is Idris Elba, who proved his worth as an actor in his standout roles in Prometheus, Thor and Pacific Rim. Expect nothing but greatness from him.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 - The first film was everybody's biggest guilty pleasure, with a plot so ridiculous and childish, characters so crazy they're obviously unbelievable, and jokes so numerous that it could set the world record for most puns in a movie. Why resist the sequel, with creatures such as "flamangoes", "shrimpanzees" and "water melo-phants"?
  
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Every critic, casual audience member, and fan was surprised when the first film turned out to be good - really good. The Hunger Games was well-acted, well-explained and well-told. Expect this new Hunger Games to up the ante, as Lionsgate recruited I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence to increase the intensity of the next deadly competition. Also, Coldplay contributed a pretty good song for the film.

5. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

 

Source: Why So Blu? 

Ben Stiller is one of those rare comedians of today who could also direct films. With his other two movies he directed and acted (Zoolander and Tropic Thunder) being pure self-deprecating comedies, it's pretty surprising that he decided to make a fantasy movie based on a 1939 short story which was also adapted to the big screen in 1947. Then again, Stiller's directorial visions are as an unpredictable as his improvisational skills. He plays Walter Mitty, an office worker who regularly forms full fantasy worlds while romancing his co-worker, played by SNL alum Kirsten Wiig, and sets off into a global journey to fix things when both of their jobs are threatened. Sure, most of the movie is in Mitty's fantasies, but after watching the trailer, Stiller may have accomplished something humorous, wonderful and magnificent, both visually and emotionally.

 
4. Prisoners

 

Source: Spinoff Online

Imagine Wolverine with no claws and less sanity. That's what Hugh Jackman's character becomes in Prisoners, a crime thriller film co-starring Oscar nominees and winners Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis, and Melissa Leo. Jackman plays Keller Dover, whose daughter has been kidnapped. When the only suspect apprehended is released, Dover captures him in a desperate attempt to find his daughter, which may cause him to lose his soul. It's thrillers like these that leave a sense of uncertainty that gets me interested to see what eventually happens in the film's conclusion.

 

3. Gravity

 

Source: Cieon Movies YouTube channel

I wasn't interested at this movie at first, but I'm a sucker for minimalist drama films. From A Little Princess director Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity is about two astronauts played by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney who get stranded in space after debris from a damaged satellite destroys their space shuttle, forcing them to work together to survive. The film probably ends in three ways: they eventually die, they are still stranded in space, or they are miraculously rescued by aliens. However, if James Cameron himself said "it's the best space film ever done, and it’s the movie I’ve been hungry to see for an awful long time", then you better believe him. And if you watch the film's new trailer, Gravity is much, much more intense than you thought.

2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

 

Source: Yahoo! Movies

Let's admit it. The first Hobbit was ok, but it took forever before something interesting happened in the movie. Now that the second film of the cash-grab trilogy covers the climax of the book, most of the excitement of the book finally happens. The film's story is about Bilbo Baggins, played once again by Martin Freeman, and his group heading to the dwarf kingdom of Erebor to save it from the evil dragon Smaug, voiced and motion-captured by Benedict Cumberbatch. Even if I was slightly disappointed by the first film, I love Peter Jackson's films and I have complete and utter faith that he will deliver this time. Plus, who doesn't love a big-screen Sherlock reunion between Dr. Watson (Freeman) and Sherlock (Cumberbatch)?

1. Thor: The Dark World

Source: Geeks of Doom

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is my second-favorite film franchise of all time, so it's no surprise why I'm extremely hyped up for the second film of the son of Odin. Thor: The Dark World, taking place a year after The Avengers, is about the titular character who has to save the Nine Realms from plunging into darkness by a dangerous enemy, and must reunite with his love Jane Foster, form an uneasy alliance with his brother and nemesis Loki and make the ultimate sacrifice.

Disney's Marvel Studios is not only known for creating massive blockbusters; they also care for quality filmmaking (in their case massive actions scenes with sentimental moments). That's why their response to the so-so reception of the first film was to get frequent Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor to spice up the Medieval feel of the action whilst adding more heart to the story. Not only do Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Jaimie Alexander, Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins returning as Thor, Loki, Jane Foster, Sif, Frigga and Odin, respectively; they are joined by Chuck's Zachary Levi as Fandrall, Benicio del Toro as Guardians of the Galaxy's The Collector and Doctor Who's Christopher Eccleston as the evil Malekith. It's great that we are treated to another film (as well as the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) in the Marvel franchise to prepare us for next year's Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy.



So that's it guys! Those are the films that I look forward to for the rest of the year. What are yours? Sound off in the comments below.

And yes, I promise that I'll write a review eventually!