TOM'S MOST ANTICIPATED FILMS OF 2014

2013 was a pretty good year for film and I saw lots of great films. I'm working hard on my favorites of 2013 list but I must say that I'm more excited for this new year's batch of films than I was for last year's. I've looked ahead and here is a list of movies that I personally can't wait to see.

Ernest & Célestine

This animated film from France looks absolutely delightful. The animation style is unique but at the same time reminds me of Miyazaki. It looks as though it's been making the rounds at film festivals in the US but should get a bit wider release sometime in March.

The Raid 2: Berandal

I can barely contain the excitement that I have for this movie. The Raid: Redemption is easily one of the greatest action films of all time in my mind and this sequel looks like it can hold its weight. If you're looking for brutal, non stop action this is probably your best bet for 2014. Look for this in March.

Transcendence

I'm a huge fan of Sci-fi films and this looks pretty interesting. Technology seems to still be a scary thing for a lot of people and this movie looks to feed on that fear. Look for this in theaters in April.

Edge of Tomorrow

More Sci-fi! I was a big fan of last year's Oblivion and I'm all for more Tom Cruise sci-fi movies so this is a no brainer for me. On top of it all, time travel in movies is always exciting when done correctly. Bill Paxton and Emily Blunt (who are both great to watch) also star in this. Look for this coming in June.

Journey to the West

Stephen Chow made some of the most entertaining movies I have ever seen (Shaolin Soccer, God of Cookery and Kung-Fu Hustle) and this looks like it will be much the same, entertaining and awesome. If you haven't seen any of his movies they are just a wonderful blend of action and comedy while being totally absurd and super fun. Look for this in a limited run in March and because it's Magnet they will probably have this VOD (Video On Demand) sometime around there as well.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2/Captain America: Winter Soldier/Guardians of the Galaxy/

X-Men: Days of Future Past

I am a huge Marvel Comics fanboy and let's all be honest here, Marvel is killing it with their movies. Spider-Man has always been my favorite superhero so I can't wait to see what they do in the second installment of the rebooted franchise. I really enjoyed the first one and dare I say it? I liked it more than the first of the Raimi films. Captain America: Winter Soldier looks vastly superior to the first movie. Looks darker and chock full of gritty action, while Guardians of the Galaxy looks fun, funny and frankly pretty awesome. James Gunn in the directors chair excites me to no end. Finally, X-Men: Days of Future Past. I am more excited about this movie than any other movie on this list. I am a die hard X-Men fan and after the horrendous debacle know as X-Men: Last Stand I thought they could never recover. Well, they did with X-Men: First Class and they are pressing on with what looks to be the biggest and best film yet. There are already plans for a third film entitled X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (!!!!!). Spider-Man 2 is coming in May, Captain America 2 in April, Guardians all the way in August and X-Men: Days of Future Past will hit theaters on May 23rd.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Wes Anderson. March. That's all you need to know.

The Wind Rises

Hayao Miyazaki's supposed final film. Looks as though he's going out on a more dramatic note. Mostly known for his fairy tale like subjects, he focuses on a biographical film about the man who designed Japanese fighter planes in WWII. Look for this movie to hit theaters in February.

Godzilla

Everyone seems to be a little tense about this one. The last time Hollywood tried to make a Godzilla movie it was a total bomb. This time around it looks like they've gotten their shit together. Good cast, good director and one big ass monster. I expect total destruction of the box office with this one. Check it out in May.

The Lego Movie

It's a Lego movie! C'mon! That just sounds great. If it has the same humor as the Lego video games we are all in for a treat. This one comes out soon, February 7th.

Other films to keep an eye out for: Jupiter Ascending, Big Bad Wolves, The Loft, The Equilizer, Grand Piano, Jodorowsky's Dune and of course the Veronica Mars movie. (Click on the titles to learn more about these films)

I hope this list gets you as excited as I am for the coming year. This is just the first half of the year too! There are more movies that we don't even know about yet. I can't wait!

-T. Reinert