December in Film

December wraps up the 2013 film season with arguably the most intriguing slate of films of the year. Here are my thoughts on the crop of releases on the docket for December.

Films I want to see:
9.The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (12/13) : The first Hobbit film bored me to tears, but I'm too much of a fan of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy to write this series off after the first film. This installment allegedly has much more action than the first one, which will hopefully make me a lot less inclined to take a nap during this than the previous film.

8.The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (12/25): The concept and Ben Stiller's track record as a director is enough to get me to overlook the overly artsy vibe the trailers give off.

7.47 Ronin (12/25):  It looks completely ridiculous,  it's going to be a huge box office bomb, and yes I'm going to see it anyways. If you're a B-movie connoisseur like myself, a film where Keanu Reeves is playing a samurai just demands to be seen.

6.Grudge Match (12/25):Speaking of movies that need to be seen to believe... A film where Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone play retired boxers who get in the ring to fight each other 30 years after their last bout. Throw in the fact that their handlers are played by Kevin Hart and Alan Arkin respectively only adds to the potential comedy value of this film.

5.Out of the Furnace (12/6): Early buzz has been very good and the cast including Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck and Willem Dafoe is very talented.

4.Inside Llewyn Davis (12/6 limited,12/20 wide):I'm not a fan of folk music and the trailers haven't really done much for me, but the Cohen Brothers at the helm are enough for me to cancel out both of those deterrents.

3.The Wolf of Wall Street (12/25):Martin Scorcese doing a satirical film starring Leonardo DeCaprio, Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey about a group of corrupt stock brokers in the 90's and their life of excess? Sign me up.

2.American Hustle (12/18): Director David O. Russell is on a hot streak of late with The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, which are two of my favorite films of the past few years. American Hustle has all the potential to be another triumph for Russell as he reteams with four of the actors (Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence) who were key factors in why his last two films were so special and adding other talented actors like Jeremy Renner and Louis C.K. to the fold. My anticipation has been building since the release of the striking teaser trailer came out in August and I really hope this film is as amazing as it sounds on-paper

1.Anchorman: The Legend Continues (12/18): I never though I'd see the day where this film was actually produced. Anchorman is one of my favorite comedies of all-time so my excitement level for this is absolutely through the roof. The trailers have been hysterical and the new cast additions including Kristin Wiig, James Marsden and Harrison Ford should only add to the wackiness. I'm not expecting it to be as good as the first one, but I have no doubt that Will Ferrell and Adam McKay will craft a quality sequel to the film that put them on the map.

Films I'm not sure on:
Saving Mr. Banks (12/13 limited, 12/20 wide): There is a lot of talent involved with this film, but the story of how Mary Poppins was created doesn't really seem that intriguing to me.

Films I have zero interest in:
Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas (12/13): Good to know Larry the Cable Guy is still getting work, you're doing a great public service Tyler Perry.

Walking with Dinosaurs (12/20): The effects are certainly impressive, I'm just not really the target audience for this.

Believe (12/25):Another Justin Bieber documentary, no thanks.

December In Film

I can't believe that it's the end of the year already. It's been a solid, but not spectacular year for film this year. I have seen a lot of films this year and December brings even more films to add to my already full plate of 2011 films I need to see (I have seen 70 on the year and I still have a shitload to go). December has a decent number of films and looks to be one of the stronger months of the year. Here is my thoughts on the slate of December films.

Films I Want To See
4. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (12/21)-I will admit I am not completely stoked to see this, but there is enough here to make me want to. A solid cast (Jeremy Renner is a big plus) and a talented director in Brad Bird giving his first shot at a live-action film could put life into Tom Cruise's career and this franchise.

3.The Sitter(12/9)-This looks pretty damn hilarious. Jonah Hill looks to be perfectly cast and the over-the-top premise should lead to a lot of laughs.

2.Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows(12/16)-The first one was a lot of fun and the return of the same cast and director is promising. The trailer looks to be even better, so I am pretty damn excited to see this.

1.The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo(12/21)-I have been beyond excited for this film since I saw the teaser with X-Men: First Class. It looks like David Fincher has struck gold again and the early buzz is saying it's better than the original. I have a feeling like this could end up being the best film of the year and I plan on seeing it as close to opening day as possible.

Film I Am Not Sure About
The Adventures Of Tintin(12/21)-The feedback from overseas has been very strong, but the trailer doesn't do much for me.

We Bought A Zoo(12/23)-Good cast and director give it some hope, but it could end up being overly sappy.

The Darkest Hour(12/25)-Doesn't look too bad, but the alien films of late haven't been particularly good. I definitely have reservations about seeing this one, so I am not going to get excited about it.

War Horse (12/25)-Speilberg making drama again could end up being some special, but the trailer looks pretty damn boring. Will have to wait and see the reviews on this one.

Films I Have Zero Interest In Seeing (But Will Anyways Due To My Goal For 2011 Films)
New Year's Eve(12/9)-A remake of Valentine's Day except on New Year's Eve? No thanks. This looks to be just as tedious and generic as Valentine's Day, maybe even more so.

Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (12/16)-I can't even believe they made another one of these movies. They will probably make another one after this makes $200 million dollars. That just make me sad/nervous about people that go see movies in America.

December In Film

December tends to be when all the winter's big films and Oscar bait are released. This December is no different and there are a few films I am intrested in.

Movies I Want To See

4.Little Fockers(12/22) I was a fan of the first two films and the main cast is back. The trailer looks pretty amusing and I hope all the funny parts aren't in the trailer.

3.The Fighter(Opens Wide 12/17) The Fighter looks like a welcome return to serious acting for Mark Wahlberg. The cast which includes Wahlberg, Christian Bale and Amy Adams, is top notch. This film looks really good and it could be a Oscar Contender. Pretty excited to see this.

2.Black Swan(12/3) I am a big fan of Darren Aronofsky. Black Swan looks to be an odd, creepy film. This is right up Aronofsky's alley and his creative vision should really come out on this film. Also it doesn't hurt Natalie Portman and Milla Kunis have a kissing scene.

1.True Grit(12/22) True Grit looks fantastic. The full length trailer is one of the best trailers of the year. The Cohen Brothers almost always are great and I think they will knock a western out of the park. The three leads Jeff Bridges,Matt Damon and Josh Brolin is one of the best cast assembled in recent memory. Very, very excited for this.

Movies I Am Not Sure About

The Warrior's Way(12/3) Could be decent, but it looks way too much like Ninja Assassin for me to have my complete and total intrest.

How Do You Know(12/17) The cast is good, but the romantic-comedy vibe and James L.Brooks could kill it.

Movies There Is No Chance In Hell I'm Going To See

The Chronicles Of Narnia:The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader(12/10) I hated The Lion,Witch and The Wardrobe, so I think I'll pass on this.

The Tourist(12/10) It looks absurd and really lame.

Yogi Bear(12/17) I really don't understand why they made this into a movie, it will ruin the cartoon's legacy. This makes the Scooby Doo movie look like The Godfather.

Tron Legacy (12/17) I know I am in the minority, but I think this film looks like shit. I am sure the effects are good, but this looks so fucking stupid that I could care less.

Gulliver's Travels (12/22) I like Jack Black a lot and the cast is good, the problem is the trailer doesn't look funny and it's a kids movie.