My Most Anticipated Movies of 2012

My most anticipated list for 2011 ended up being a slew of hits and misses. The Green Lantern, Cowboys & Aliens, and The Hangover Part II were all films that didn't quite live up to the hype, while others like Captain America: The First Avenger, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes far exceeded expectations.

So what does 2012 have in store for us? There are superhero movies and sequels aplenty, some of which look very promising, while others, well... why bother? Whether the world comes to an end in 2012 or not, we got some good movies to look forward to.

Directed by Christopher Nolan.

Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Release Date: July 20, 2012

You’d be crazy to say you’re not excited to see what’s going to happen in Christopher Nolan’s epic conclusion to his Batman trilogy. The Dark Knight Rises is without a shadow of a doubt my number one most anticipated movie of 2012. Since Memento I have been a fan of director Christopher Nolan and his artistry. I was blown away by his realistic take on Batman when he introduced us to his world in 2005 with Batman Begins. Then he did the impossible and topped it in 2008 with The Dark Knight. Now all I want to do is see Catwoman rob banks and stretch in leather, and of course watch Bane break some bones.

Yes, like everyone I am nervous about this film— Anne Hathaway as Catwoman doesn’t quite hit home with me but I put my trust in Christopher Nolan, and I believe he will satisfy us and wrap up the franchise on a high note. But I also need to moderate my excitement for this film so I don’t set myself up for disappointment...

Directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Samuel L. Jackson, and Kurt Russell.

Release Date: Christmas 2012

Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds) is one of the most visual and gifted writers / directors working in Hollywood today; anything with his name attached to it is going to be bloody epic, literally. In his upcoming Django Unchained he has amassed a ridiculously strong cast including Leonardo DiCaprio as a villain (???). I have long waited to see DiCaprio play a villain and now, ladies and gentlemen, Tarantino is making my wish come true. So count me in! Django Unchained is going to be a blood bath!

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Yayaying.

Release Date: TBA 2012

Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson) and Ryan Gosling created magic in last year's Drive, which was my favorite film of 2011. There isn't too much out about Only God Forgives other than it's about a Bangkok police lieutenant who boxes. That's good enough for me!

Directed by Sam Mendes.

Starring: Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem, and Judi Dench.

Release Date: November 9, 2012

Director Martin Campbell (The Mask of Zorro, GoldenEye) rebooted James Bond in 2006 with Daniel Craig, and made Casino Royale arguably the best Bond film yet. Then two years later we got the Bond-dud Quantum of Solace from action-movie-virgin Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Monster’s Ball), which too closely resembled the Bourne films. But now we have director Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition, American Beauty) at the helm, and I believe he can put Bond on the right track again. This will be the last Bond film starring Daniel Craig, which is sad but I know he’ll make it grand.

Directed by Ridley Scott.

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Guy Pearce, and Idris Elba.

Release Date: June 8, 2012

Director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Blade Runner) has long been absent from sci-fi, but he’s taking a break from his period pieces with Russell Crowe and is returning to his roots. People have speculated that Prometheus will be a return to the Alien series, but reports have told us that this is a completely original alien film. I’ve been waiting for a good alien movie; I’ve been worn-out on alien invasion films (see Battle Los Angeles, Transformers, and the upcoming Battleship-- now why does that have to be aliens?). Another strong cast here; I’m excited!

Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Tommy Lee Jones.

Release Date: TBA, December 2012

It’s really difficult to not be excited for a Spielberg film. Last year’s War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin showed us that he hasn’t letup (we can let Indy 4 slide); he’s still going strong.

Spielberg’s team is returning for Lincoln: cinematographer Janusz Kaminsi, editor Michael Kahn, and Spielberg’s long friend and composer John Williams. Who wouldn’t want to see this? Plus we have Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln, and if you haven’t seen the recent photos— the resemblance is uncanny.

Directed by Baz Luhrmann.

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maquire, Joel Edgerton, & Carey Mulligan.

Release Date: Christmas 2012

This marks the fourth adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Long Island-set novel. Director Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!) isn't my favorite director. I don’t particularly favor his films but I admire them-- visually, they are absolutely stunning. But I hope he departs his cheesy ways and just makes an epic movie. On the surface The Great Gatsby looks like Oscar gold… let’s hope so.

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• The Gangster Squad
• Argo
• Gravity
• World War Z
• Cloud Atlas
• The Bourne Legacy
• The Avengers

If not mentioned, what are you looking forward to? What are not looking forward to? Please, do comment.

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My Red Carpet Crash film reviews: Red Carpet Crash