It鈥檚 going to rain genre movies in 2019. That鈥檚 bad for movie critics who only like talky dramas, but great for popcorn-loving plebes who apparently don鈥檛 know any better. There are too many to even list, so let鈥檚 just look at the top 20 comics, sci-fi, horror, and animation movies of 2019, in reverse order of my enthusiasm.
20) Terminator 6 (Nov. 1):
The last couple of 鈥淭erminator鈥� reboots were so awful they soured me on the franchise. But this unnamed movie will ignore every 鈥淭erminator鈥� property after 鈥淭erminator 2: Judgment Day,鈥� which is a huge, robotic step in the right direction. And with James Cameron returning as producer, and both Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger on board to pass the torch, I feel my enthusiasm awakening 鈥攁nd becoming self-aware.
19) 鈥淛oker鈥� (Oct. 4):
I鈥檓 really interested in seeing what bizarre actor Joaquin Phoenix can do with Batman鈥檚 bizarre arch-foe. The movie also stars Zazie Beetz (鈥淒eadpool 2鈥�) and the legendary Robert DeNiro, which is very encouraging. The bad news is that much of The Joker鈥檚 appeal 鈥攁nd all of what makes him remotely plausible 鈥攊s that nobody is sure who or what he is. Giving him a specific, authoritative origin (which the comics have deliberately avoided) can only lessen his mystique. That seems like a dumb thing to do.
18) 鈥淢en In Black: International鈥� (June 14):
This concept has moved so far beyond its origins at tiny Aircel Comics in 1990 that it can safely be called its own animal. But Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones may have already said all that can be said with it. Still, with a cast that includes Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) and Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn), it should be thoroughly watchable.
17) 鈥淭he Crow Reborn鈥� (Oct. 11):
Wow, there have been a lot of bad Crow movies. But there鈥檚 nothing like a good revenge fantasy, which is what The Crow has always been, dating back to its inception at Caliber Comics in 1989. It鈥檚 a can鈥檛-miss concept (unless they miss).
16) 鈥淚t: Chapter Two鈥� (Sept. 6):
There have been a lot of bad Stephen King adaptations, too. But the $700 million the first chapter raked in worldwide says 鈥淚t鈥� isn鈥檛 one of them. This movie adapts the second half of King鈥檚 novel, with the kids of the first part now all grown up. They鈥檙e played by the likes of Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy and Bill Hader, plus Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise, so there鈥檚 going to be a lot of star power up there on the screen.
15) 鈥淏rightburn鈥� (May 24):
The idea of evil Supermen, even evil Superboys, has been old hat in the comics for decades. Heck, even 鈥淪uperman II鈥� had a drunk, unshaven Superman in a dirty costume. But what about a bad Superbaby? That鈥檚 the premise of this movie, answering the question 鈥渨hat if that cute, super-powered tyke arriving in a rocket is a bad seed?鈥� It turns heroism into horror, a genre-bender that treads new ground.
14) 鈥淜ingsman 3鈥� (Nov. 8):
There are all sorts of rumors swirling around what this movie is about. One possibility is that it鈥檚 a prequel, which would be terra incognita. Another is that it will constitute the third part a trilogy, bringing closure to the Eggsy-Harry Hart relationship (played by Taron Egerton and Colin Firth, respectively). Or it could be a musical. OK, probably not. The point is: We don鈥檛 know. But since I enjoyed the first two installments, I鈥檒l probably enjoy whatever this is. (Unless there are show tunes.)
13) 鈥淭he Kitchen鈥� (Sept. 20):
The original 8-issue miniseries of the same name, published in 2014 by Vertigo, DC Comics鈥� mature readers line, was a fascinating story about three mob wives who turn to crime to pay their incarcerated husbands鈥� debts 鈥攁nd how joining 鈥渢he life鈥� changes them. This movie stars Elisabeth Moss, Tiffany Haddish and Melissa McCarthy in the three principal roles, so it could even be better than the source material.
12) 鈥淭he Addams Family鈥� (October 11):
One reason my younger self loved 鈥淭he Addams Family鈥� TV show more than 鈥淭he Munsters鈥� was because the former, every once in a while, gave a hint of the vicious black humor of the original Charles Addams cartoons that appeared in 鈥淭he New Yorker.鈥� Since this animated movie is based directly on those cartoons, we鈥檙e getting Addams鈥� delightful venom straight from the source 鈥攁nd my inner 12 year old is thrilled.
11) 鈥淎lita: Battle Angel鈥� (Feb. 14):
Movies based on manga (Japanese comics) have an awful track record in the U.S., and there鈥檚 no reason to believe this one will buck the trend. But the original comics are awesome, the concept 鈥攁 post-apocalyptic cyborg warrior 鈥攊s cool, the special effects look amazing, plus Christoph Waltz and Jennifer Connelly are on hand. Here鈥檚 hoping.
10) 鈥淕lass鈥� (Jan. 18):
鈥淯nbreakable鈥� had comics fans feeling smug, because we knew the color code director M. Night Shyamalan was using to give us advance tips on the characters before the script did. (Hint: Superheroes generally wear primary colors, whereas villains favor purple, green and orange.) Shyamalan鈥檚 stock fell for a while, before being rescued by 鈥淪plit.鈥� Now comes 鈥淕lass,鈥� which is a sequel to both movies, heretofore unrelated. That鈥檚 some trick, M. Night.
9) 鈥淕odzilla: King of the Monsters鈥� (May 31):
I hear there are some people who don鈥檛 love Godzilla, and didn鈥檛 spend Saturday afternoons in their youth thrilling to the sight of men in rubber suits trampling tiny models of Tokyo. I don鈥檛 understand such people. That鈥檚 like hating pizza, or kittens, or sex. Well, it takes all kinds. And my kind of person will be front and center for this updated take on the Big G, Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah. Given today鈥檚 special effects, this sequel to 2014鈥檚 鈥淕odzilla鈥� should be quite a show. (Although I confess some part of me will miss the rubber suits.)
8) 鈥淪hazam!鈥� (April 5):
It鈥檚 a joy to see the original Captain Marvel 鈥攜es, that was his name when he was introduced in 1940 鈥攇iven his due. Now maybe people will better understand those vague memories swirling around the collective unconscious about this guy, who sold as well as Superman in the 鈥�40s. Anyway, this is the story of a boy who is given a magic word from a dying wizard that turns him into an immature, but genial, super-powered adult. Now called Shazam, this light-hearted character is the perfect antidote to the grimdark grimness of movies like 鈥淏atman v Superman.鈥�
7) 鈥淭he New Mutants鈥� (Aug. 2):
This next generation group of X-Men, introduced at Marvel Comics in 1982, had some pretty strange, non-superhero-ish adventures. One was a straight-up horror show titled 鈥淭he Demon Bear鈥� 鈥攁nd that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e getting in this hero/horror hybrid, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy (鈥淭he Witch鈥�), Maisie Williams (鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥�), Charlie Heaton (鈥淪tranger Things鈥�) and Rosario Dawson (the Marvel/Netflix shows).
6) 鈥淒ark Phoenix鈥� (June 7):
This movie promises a more faithful adaptation of the famed X-Men story 鈥淭he Dark Phoenix Saga鈥� than the mess we saw in 鈥淴-Men: The Last Stand.鈥� It鈥檚 also probably the last X-movie before Disney reboots the franchise, so this is probably the last X-dance for Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, Michael Fassbender as Magneto and Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique.
5) 鈥淗ellboy鈥� (April 12):
The two movies directed by Guillermo del Toro, which starred Ron Perlman as the demonic hero, were perfectly enjoyable films. But they weren鈥檛 really Hellboy. This new version, starring David Harbour (鈥淪tranger Things鈥�) promises to be more faithful to the comics, so that movie viewers can see why comics fans have loved Hellboy for so many years.
4) 鈥淐aptain Marvel鈥� (March 8):
Yes, it鈥檚 Marvel鈥檚 first female-led superhero movie. Yes, it鈥檚 Marvel鈥檚 first period-piece superhero movie. But is it good? I鈥檓 hoping for 鈥淲onder Woman鈥� good, but I鈥檒l settle for 鈥淎nt-Man鈥� good.
3) 鈥淪pider-Man: Far From Home鈥� (July 5):
Tom Holland made us fall in love with Peter Parker all over again in 鈥淐ivil War鈥� and 鈥淗omecoming.鈥� Bring on Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) and the popcorn!
2) Star Wars Episode IX (Dec. 20):
The last Star Wars movie got a lot of hate, and I for one have no idea why. But maybe it shook the powers that be, because 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� mastermind J.J. Abrams himself returns to direct this (unnamed) installment, which should conclude the storyline starring Rey (Daisy Ridley), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac).
1) 鈥淎vengers: Endgame鈥� (April 26):
There鈥檚 not a lot to say about this movie, because we know so little. But evidently we don鈥檛 need to know anything, because 鈥淓ndgame鈥� is already setting records for trailer views and advance ticket sales.
That鈥檚 my top 20. And for movie critics, I鈥檓 sure there will be a talky drama or two.
The Associated Press
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