Top 5 Anticipated Movies of 2025

5. Ballerina

I still need to watch John Wick 4. It’s a shame that I didn’t catch that one in the theaters when it came out, it just didn’t work out. So this is the first of the spin off movies, though not the first spin off project. I think The Continental is already out (and is) but wasn’t well received. This time we’re diving into another part of the world with Ana De Armas in the lead role, so someone who is definitely having a moment in Hollywood. I’m excited to see what they can do with a spin off film in the world and how they can continue to flesh out the story of the world.

4. Superman

It won’t be the only superhero stuff you see on the list. But this one is a bit further down. I like what James Gunn does with superheroes a lot. For me, I am just not blown away by the first trailer. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Snyderverse at all, so it’s not like I’m missing that. But the trailer for Superman just looked fine to me. And I am used to Marvel’s trailers where they can make it look great, even when it isn’t. But it is James Gunn and it’s a relaunch of that universe with new characters, so I’m definitely excited and intrigued.

3. Sinners

This is the movie that potentially caused a lot of the issues for Blade. But I like the sounds of that from Sinners a lot. This is a Michael B Jordan and Ryan Coogler vampire film. It is a period piece set in the 1930’s when something unnatural and unholy comes to a small town, how will the characters deal with it and survive. i like what both the forces behind it have done, and even if this was a bit too close to what Marvel was doing with Blade, I am excited to see what the two of them can turn out.

2. How to Train Your Dragon

I really have enjoyed the animated movies. And that is a good thing because my kid really liked them for a long time. Now we’re getting it as a live action film and the first trailer definitely looks fun. I hope that it’s not 100% a shot for shot remake as live action, but if it is, I’m sure it’ll still be good. I don’t expect it to be much different than that, though, because they know that their target audience is kids. And they’ll want the parents bringing them to something that the kids already know and love.

1. Captain America: Brave New World
Thunderbolts*
Fantastic Four: First Steps

Yes, this is that group where I said it was five* movies on the list. It’s more than that because of course my #1 is going to be the Marvel movies coming out this year. And we’re very close to the first one now, just over a month away, before Captain America: Brave New World comes out. But I really am looking forward to all of these movies. I think that they all offer something interesting from The Red Hulk, to a new, and hopefully best take, on the Fantastic Four.

And with my podcast, 10 Minute Marvel, that is another reason I hope as well. I want to talk about some great Marvel movies and shows this year. You can find the podcast here on the website and hear our conversations as to what our most anticipated of the movies are. Or you can go to the YouTube channel, 10 Minute Marvel, to check it out as well.

Thoughts on the List And Going to the Theater

It’s tough for me every year to do the list. I find that it’s tricky, with a kid, to make time for the movies. For going to the movies especially, but even in the evenings, how often do I find the time for a 2 hour long movie to watch. Not that often when the kid is going to be later and I don’t want to stay up too late. So instead I find myself watching more shows.

For me to go to a theater, it must be an event for me. So things like the Marvel movies at #1 are that sort of event for me. I love going there and being a part of the crowd and seeing what happens and how people react in the moment and getting swept up in that. But unless a movie is like that, so generally Marvel or Star Wars, I kind of just want to sit back, wait, hear how a movie is for people I trust who see more movies, and then watch it on a big screen at home.

Do you find yourself still going to theaters or is it only for those big event movies?

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Most Anticipated Movies of 2024

7. Borderlands

What are my expectations for a Borderlands movie, really it’s about zero. I think this is going to be train wreck most likely. But I really enjoy the Borderlands games, so I’m going to watch it sometime. And for being one of the lowest on my list, I think there is a chance I might see this in theaters. Why, because I have friends who like Borderlands and bad movies as well, so they might want to go.

6. Furiosa

But now to one that people are going to be really excited about. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. I liked Mad Max: Fury Road, I thought it was a fun movie. Maybe only kind of a Mad Max movie, but that’s okay because it was crazy and everything that I expected from the Mad Max world. I want to see what this movie does.

But it is lower on the list for me for one big reason. It is a prequel. I know where the movie ends up, or at least somewhat because it has to lead into sometime in the future Fury Road. If it can kind of ignore that and just lean into whatever is fun and give me a crazy ride, I’m cool with that. If it tries to be any sort of direct prequel, well, I have concerns about it.

5. Godzilla X Kong

Me like big monsters fight. That is the reason I want to watch this movie. I have to watch the first one, which I haven’t heard great things about. But let me reiterate. Me like big monsters fight. I’ll watch it once just because of that. That’s how I watched the movie Rampage (don’t watch it). I have a bit more hope for this one but if it gives me some massive monster fights, can’t really go wrong with it.

4. Sonic 3

Next up is Sonic 3. I still need to see Sonic 2. Why, because I was so surprised with how much fun the first one was. After the initial issue with the lovely teeth of sonic, they got him right. And it’s a fun character with a lot of fun and funny scenes in it. So I hope I’ll enjoy the second one, and since this is a kids movie, it might be one that I see in theaters with my kid. He’d be very happy to go to the theaters and see another movie.

3. Beyond the Spider-Verse

Now let’s talk about probably the #1 movie for a lot of people. I think that most people would probably put my #3 or #2 as their #1. And I also think that my Top 3 will mimic a lot of peoples top 3, just in a different order. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is going to be amazing. It’s maybe down a touch on my list because I’m not sure it will come out in 2024. I think with the writers/actors strikes this is likely a 2025 film now, but right now it still says 2024.

I want to see the “end” of this saga. I say that, but I don’t know that it will be the end of it. I think that it could just lead into more movies. Now not in the way that Across the Spider-Verse does where it doesn’t tell a whole story. Beyond the Spider-Verse I expect to wrap up the story started in Across the Spider-Verse, and it might even lead into live action Miles Morales. That’s my hope and dream, so let’s see what happens. No matter what happens, though, I’m very confident this is going to be an amazing movie.

2. Dune 2

Now we have Dune 2. And I know that I’m a bit less bullish on the first Dune movie as compared to some people. A lot of that comes from the fact that I think the first half of the Dune book is just okay and that’s what the movie was. So it was still just okay, I thought some of the casting was a bit odd, too close in age, but it looked amazing and sounded amazing.

Dune 2 is going to take the part of the book that I really love and put it on the screen. I expect it is going to be even more amazing and more fun than the first. Let’s remember, I did enjoy the first, just not as much as a lot of people. I think, if I were to put money on it, that I’ll see this on an Imax screen because it’s going to look amazing on that. So a movie that I think I’m likely to see in theaters.

1. Deadpool 3

Finally we have Deadpool 3. This should be the least surprising thing ever. I love my Marvel movies and this one is an MCU movie. The others are maybe not MCU movies because they get folded in with this one. But I want to know how that happens and I’m just excited to see what the craziness of this film is going to be. I expect it to be bonkers in a good way.

Plus it’s characters that I know and love with Deadpool and Wolverine. And it sounds like a lot of other characters as well. It means that I need to catch up on some Marvel movies that aren’t part of the MCU before seeing this. Which is a fun project to have on my plate.

What Movie Is Your Most Anticipated?

Let me know what you’re most interested in seeing. I know that there are probably a number of movies that I missed that will be coming out. And it’s a bummer, for me, that there is only one MCU movie that is coming out. But I’m extremely excited for Deadpool 3. And I think this upcoming year looks like it’ll have a lot of very fun movies. Are there any that you think I missed?

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Top 5 Movies of 2023

5. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

I know that a lot of people thought it was a very down year for Marvel. I tend to disagree as I really enjoyed Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Is it a perfect film? No, it is definitely not one of those, but it’s a fun film with a lot of fun visuals. And I thought that they handled everything in a way consistent with how Ant-Man and the Wasp films have worked before.

I really enjoyed the quantum realm in this movie, which is good because it’s mainly in there. But they got to explore and have some fun with it and the inhabitants of it. And Kang the Conqueror (or at least the person who called himself that) was terrifying at times and powerful at times. Then, yes, the finale is a bit goofy, but I like a lot of what it does.

I think Quantumania works well if you go into it and think it’s on the lighter end of the Star Wars movies. I know that isn’t for everyone, as well, but it feels like some elements from those films. And not just the prequel pod racing goofiness or the celebration retread feeling of the finale of the Skywalker saga. But like the original trilogy where there are places and locations with just a bit of everything going on in them.

4. Across the Spider-verse

This one might surprise some people with how low it is. I got one main critique of this film in that it’s not a complete story. In fact it’s barely a story, it’s more of a bridge between stories. I’m going to say something that sounds very negative, but this is more about how trilogies are made, it has a bit of the feel of Pirates of the Caribbean 2 & 3. I think it is better than those, but those two movies are one movie split into two. Across the Spider-verse is that as well.

Now with that negative out of the way, it is an amazingly gorgeous film to watch. And the characters are engaging in it. I think especially the older Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy really make the movie work. Miles Morales is solid as well, but Gwen in particular is kind of the lead and focus of the story, at least from how her character comes across and how she grows throughout the movie.

And I am very excited for the finale of this story. I’m not going to say end of the trilogy, they might do more. But the next Spider-verse movie should work together with Across the Spider-verse to make a great two part movie to show one whole story. And that is something that not all movies do, especially in trilogies. Often times I’m interested to finish it, but because the second movie isn’t it’s own whole story, I lose steam on it.

3. The Marvels

The Marvels might be one of the better surprises for me for the year. It’s really close between these bottom three of my Top 5 movies of 2023. But all of them are fun, and I think because I went into The Marvels with lower expectations I appreciate what it does even more.

The Marvels is just a fun movie. The characters are fun and work together and especially Iman Vellani who steals the show with basically every scene that she is in. But the other main characters do well, as well. And I think they leaned into Brie Larson’s wooden acting for Carol Danvers and made that more part of the story. Which I think is a smart move. She’s not the best superhero actor, so build around what is working.

Now, not all of the movie works perfectly. There are some rough patches. The singing planet is fine at best, and they really don’t spend enough time there to make it worth it. They also spend too much time there, so it’s a bit annoying. The planet didn’t fully know what it wanted or needed to be for the movie. But with good character development and a bunch of fun nods and good post credit type of scenes, this is just a fun movie to watch.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3

Now the last Marvel movie on the list, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is a fun movie but also not a fun movie to watch. It is a heavy movie with digging into Rocket’s backstory, but it is so good. And it is heartfelt too, I think that the High Evolutionary is one of the better bad bad guys. He isn’t trying to redeem anything really, he is just power hungry and wants to play god.

This is a great end to the trilogy of Guardians of the Galaxy films. At least as the Guardians as we know it. They gave a lot of the characters a good amount of time on the screen and left some in areas where they can continue in the MCU. I fully expect to see some of them back.

I think why this one is higher is that this one feels like there weren’t any missteps. The story works and you feel for the characters. And there is more character growth that happens as well for a lot of the characters figuring out what they want to do. It’s where Marvel is the best, when it’s about the characters and their arcs and growth across the movies.

1. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Finally, it’s a non-Marvel film. Everything else was Marvel and the other one from 2023 I know I watched, Paw Patrol movie, was still super pups so superheroes as well. But let’s talk about what makes the Dungeons and Dragons movie the top on my list.

This is the type of movie that I like a lot as well in terms of a light action adventure movie. And it is set in a setting that I really like. I enjoy Dungeons and Dragons a ton. I play it a ton. But it’s not just that, it’s also one that has heart to it.

The characters all have fun development of building confidence, trust, balancing out ego, and letting go of the past. The themes are good. When coming out of the movie the best way to describe it is that it’s a fun movie with Dungeons and Dragons stuff in it, but it was a movie and story first, and that was put into Dungeons and Dragons perfectly.

I just watched it again about a week ago and I’ve seen it three times. And it is just as fun every time. It’s like The Marvels in that I would always watch it if I stumbled across it. But I think with Honor Among Thieves I would still want to watch it once a year anyways. And I hope, fingers crossed, that there is a second movie because I think people were hesitant to start. But now that people are seeing it, they like it. It just didn’t do as well as in theaters as it could have been.

Final Thoughts

I really don’t watch too many movies anymore. There are a few reasons, the big one being that with a kid, a lot of my evenings are shorter. But when I do, it’s almost always going to be Marvel. I’ll do a Top 5 anticipated movies for 2024 coming out.

What have you watched from 2023 that you like? Let me know if you think there are some I should checkout.

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My expectations were middling going into it. I’d heard from other reviews and people who have seen it that it was good. But where does that fall into the mix of being a good movie critically and mainly just a popcorn flick? Let’s take a look, there might be some spoilers but minimal.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Plot

Edgin wants a simple life of doing what is right. Well, maybe not that simple as he throws in his lot with a group called the Harpers. He is partly tasked with keeping bad folks off the streets and then taking artifacts or things too dangerous to be in the world or at least the people’s hands who have them. However, that all goes wrong when his wife is killed by one of the evil groups he’s dealt with.

Forsaking his Harper vows he tries to lead a good life for his daughter but without his anchor falls into drink and depression. Things do get better when he gets someone who helps him through the process. But good things don’t last when he finds of a chance to get his wife back but is betrayed by someone in his own party. So breaking out of prison, how does he get his life back, wife back, and now daughter back, when everything has been taken from him?

Thoughts

Firstly, this is very much a popcorn flick. I tried to tease that it might be more but it’s really not. You sit down and watch it to get a lighter fantasy story with Dungeons and Dragons tropes mixed in. Now, aren’t those the same as fantasy, some of them, but generally how they are done is going to be different.

Use of Dungeons and Dragons

And that’s really the highlight of this movie. It could have easily juts been generic fantasy. They could have picked some random fantasy script slapped Dungeons and Dragons on the marquee and called it good. But that is not what this movie is. They spend a lot of time to make sure that it feels like Dungeons and Dragons, and not just that but to make sure they get it right.

That detail is going to be lost on some people. If you don’t know Dungeons and Dragons it’ll seem like a slightly different fantasy. It’ll still be a popcorn flick, but it will be missing some of that heart. When you play Dungeons and Dragons, or know it fairly well, it’ll feel like Dungeons and Dragons.

The Story

I think the story is where it really can start to drive in that Dungeons and Dragons feel. Things like the monsters, and some jokes about intelligence help, but to make it really feel, the story needs to feel like that too. So what does that even mean?

In a Dungeons and Dragons campaign you often go from one quest to another. Mainly think one set piece to another. Where you interact with some of the story, find new characters and fight something. That works well in a campaign at home because everyone is directly involved in the story.

On the flip side, it often doesn’t work well in movies or books which are meant for a longer sitting but also need a specific end. In Honor Among Thieves, though, it works. Why, because it matches the light tone. You expect them to go and get a random thing. How the party comes together makes sense even though it’s a random(ish) group. It isn’t as tight and nice a story as you want in a lot of movies, but it helps give it the Dungeons and Dragons feel.

But, and this will be a negative for some, it also has a Marvel feel to it. It has that super hero feel in some of the fights or moments where everything comes together. For me, this isn’t a major issue, but it definitely tries to lean on what is successful to find it’s success.

The Acting

Finally, let’s talk about the acting. Mainly because this is an interesting mixture in the cast. You have bigger names like Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Hugh Grant in the movie. But then you have lesser known talent to pair with them like Rege-Jean Page, Sophia Willis, Justice Smith, and Daisy Head. It’s an interesting combination of talents playing in main roles.

But that combination works well. I think they did a good job casting the characters so that they made sense for their roles. With a niche in a a niche genre of fantasy, you need a few bigger names, but also it’s nice that it’s not just big names so that you can enjoy what everyone is doing, not just have an actor who is in it for a paycheck. Yes, they all are, but the up and coming or lesser known all need to do well. And even with the more established, they do a good job of putting in effort.

Who Is It For?

Great question on this one, I think for a lot of people this is going to be a fun popcorn flick. In fact, I don’t think that many people are going to watch it and think that it sucks. But it isn’t also going to be one that people are seeking out.

I put it in that camp of people will often stop and watch The Fifth Element when that is on television. But is it a movie people seek out? I feel like it isn’t. That is a good thing, it’ll have staying power. It is also a bad thing, because people will wait on it.

Final Thoughts – Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

This is a movie that I really enjoyed. Is it great, no, but it is a ton of fun. And that is what I wanted in that movie. And the big thing is that it gets it right. I don’t mind movies taking liberties with the story it’s adapting. But with Dungeons and Dragons I am glad that they kept it close to the source materials.

It could have gone more generic with a fewer nods. But it does a good job of building on an really open world of Dungeons and Dragons. It leans into the source material so it stands out like it should. And they tell a true story to the source materials.

My Grade: B+
Critical Grade: C
Fun Grade: A

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Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023

5. Dune Part 2

This one is likely a lot higher for a lot of people. And I am very excited about this one. I didn’t see the first Dune in theaters, but I’ll likely go see Part 2 because the first one was good on a large screen at home, but having a huge screen and amazing sound in theaters, that is going to be even better. The first one was a lot of fun and dealt with a lot of the slow stuff, now the story is going to get even bigger, which I’m there for.

4. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Do I expect this one to be good, I do not. Do I plan on seeing it in theaters, probably not. But I am still looking forward to it. I love Dungeons and Dragons, it’s my RPG that I run. And this one looks like it takes a lot of D&D tropes and puts them into a movie. Will that work, I’m not sure, but it’s a duo of directors/producers who did Game Night which is a fun movie. So if Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is at that level, I’m here for it.

3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

This is another one that I didn’t see the first in theaters, but when I did see it, I really liked it. And Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse looks like it’s even a bigger scope. I am still waiting to get a live action Miles Morales, but until that happens (please in Phase 5 or 6), Across the Spider-Verse will have to do. I hope that it can maintain the style, build on the world, and not give me too many Spider-Man versions that it becomes confusing. But either way, I’m really looking forward to seeing this one.

2. John Wick 4

I really like the John Wick movies. Keanu Reeves does a great job in them. The action in them is amazing. And oddly enough, the story and world building is really good. For something that’s built around awesome action set pieces, they do a lot of world building. And I want to know more about this world of assassins, which we are getting in some films coming up, and I think maybe a show.

1. Marvel Movies

Yup, this is the cheat one, but I didn’t want to have three Marvel movies and then two other movies. So Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 all make the list. If you want to know what order they go in, checkout the January 3^rd episode of 10 Minute Marvel. We went through and ranked all the Marvel movies and shows coming out in 2023 in order of anticipation. The movies are pretty high on that list.

Honorable Mention:

Yeah, let’s cheat a bit, but I feel like it’s worth mentioning, I’m curious about them.

• The Super Mario Bros. Movie, I don’t expect it to be great, but hopefully it’s fun.
• Renfield because it’s a weird horror comedy starting Nicolas Cage, or having him it.
• Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny just for one last Indiana Jones.
• Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One not based on the board game by the same sub-name but they are generally fun movies.
• Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem as I like the turtles.
• Kraven the Hunter as I’m curious about this one, but it’s a Sony Marvel movie, so probably not a see in theaters.

And well, that’s a lot, but those top 5, well really Top 7 I might see in theaters, the honorable mentions, much less likely.

So what movies will you want to see in theaters, if any this year?

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And with a massive multiversial event coming up with The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars at the end of Phase 6, it got me thinking, what characters do I really want to see in the MCU that we haven’t so far. I am going to skip characters who might be coming up soon that we know about. The Hood for example in Ironheart might have made the list. The Fantastic Four would be obvious choices but we know we’re getting them. So without much more writing, let’s get to the list.

Top 10 Marvel Characters I Want in the MCU

10 – Squirrel Girl

Almost didn’t make my list. Squirrel Girl is such a meme at this point that it feels odd to put her on there. But she is a fun character and one of those grounded characters that works well. I’d love to see her and some other ground level characters work together. Once Ms Marvel is done with Captain Marvel, team her up with Squirrel Girl and Spider-Man and make a NY street level movie out of it.

9 – Beta Ray Bill

A character who is already hinted at in the MCU is Beta Ray Bill, but no casting and as far as I know, no plans. Beta Ray Bill’s face, or something similar, was on the Grandmasters tower with Hulks face. I’m glad they didn’t try and squeeze him into Thor: Ragnarok plot. But eventually Chris Hemsworth will be done with Thor. And instead of killing him off or recasting him, why not have a horse faced alien take over?

8 – Beast

This list could have just been X-Men and mutants. We’re obviously waiting for them to come up, but one of my favorites that I wanted to talk about is Beast. Beast, I like him because he’s like Smart Hulk without the other personality. But unlike Smart Hulk where eventually there will be smashing, Beast really never wants to use his strength. So it’d feel like a character with different motivations and I think he’s key to forming an X-Men team.

7 – Magik

I’m not sure if New Mutants technically came out after Disney bought 20th Century Fox, it was in the works for so long, but I want Magik in the MCU. We’ve had hints of things like other realms and demonic realms, so bring in Magik. Someone who has the ability to go through realms because, well, she has a lot of story connections to there. Even learning her dark magic in Limbo. Plus her character with a giant sword that can slice through dimensions is great.

6 – Amadeus Cho

Amadeus Cho, a hulk, and a character that I wish would have shown up in She Hulk but I don’t think will. But it’d be another chance to introduce another Hulk into the MCU. And one who isn’t blasted with gamma radiation, but instead using his smarts comes up with nanotechnology that allows him to control the gamma radiation and when he changes. Yes, we already do have a lot of Hulks, and I think we end She Hulk with one more, but Amadeus Cho is different enough, I think to work.

5 – Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider I hope we see sooner rather than later. I really enjoy him as a character and even Nicholas Cage’s Ghost Rider was fun. This would again like Magik tie into a story line with Mephisto or some other demon. Since Ghost Rider gets his powers that way as well. I really don’t care which version we get, I’d just like to see him show up and work with Moon Knight or Blade.

4 – Brother Voodoo

Brother Voodoo was actually rumored at one point in time to be in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He wasn’t and I’m okay with that. How do you bring him in, well, I want a Werewolf by Night, coming out so soon, style special with him. Give me in 2023 or 2024 a creepy Halloween special where Brother Voodoo is investigating something in the Louisiana Bayou, maybe even teamed up with a character higher on my list. It’d be a great vibe and he’s a character who takes the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme as well, which I think would be interesting to have Doctor Strange passed by again.

3 – Doctor Doom

I thought about, much like with X-Men stuffing the list full of villains. There are a lot of good ones out there, but Doctor Doom is the one who made it onto the list and very high on the list. I suspect we’ll see him first of any of these characters. I think he might even show up as soon as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but more like Fantastic Four. But Doom is such a great villain that I want him now.

I’ve talked on some a bit about how I’d bring them in, but I want Doom to already exist in the world. No origin story, but during the blip, he creates Latveria, the country he rules. He uses the political unrest to cut out a little country for himself. And when people come back, he greats them with open arms, but eventually we figure out that he is really a villain. Give me all that backstory before The Fantastic Four film, please.

2 – Rogue

Final two are X-Men and both of them could team up with Brother Voodoo for the Halloween special that I want to happen. Rogue is a great character mainly because she is very powerful. But with her power there is a massive drawback. There are rumors, unfounded, that she’ll be in The Marvels. There is a storyline where she drains Captain Marvel’s powers and leaves her in a coma, I doubt that they do that, though. But put her down south with my top character, put them on the run, and let them be somewhat shady good guys dealing with weird things, I’m cool with that.

1 – Gambit

My number one is Gambit. I just find his powers awesome. But to go along with that, I think he often has very interesting storylines. Gambit is a character who I wouldn’t mind seeing more of an origin for. Mainly because like an Ant-Man he goes from criminal to hero. But to get that full story and to get to see him as a criminal I think would be good. Ant-Man/Scott Lang, always seems like he was on the right side. What I like about Gambit is that he was on the wrong side and then comes over.

Plus, he’s a perfect character to provide a bit of levity to a Halloween special. Team him up with Brother Voodoo, Gambit is probably in over his head. But he’s the type of character who always tries to make it work even when the odds are against him.

Who Would Be On Your List?

Let me know who would make your list? If I had more of a connection to stuff like Jessica Jones or Luke Cage, I could see maybe having put them on the list. I like them as characters in the comics. But not enough and I need to watch the Defenders shows that they were in on Netflix. And there are some characters I’d like to see make more MCU debuts like Miles Morales, but he’s with Sony.

So this is my list, definitely could have come up with more. And I do think a number of them, will be coming in the next handful of years. But what that’ll look like, I’m not sure.

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Bob’s Burgers Movie – The Plot

The plot is pretty standard to that of the show. Bob and the restaurant are in trouble. They need money, as normal, not to pay Mr Fischoeder but so that they can pay the bank. Time is running out on them and then a sink hole opens up in front of their place.

Will they be able to get the money in time when one is coming to their restaurant? And what will the kids find down in the sink hole that is going to add even more to the drama of the movie?

What Doesn’t Work?

Firstly, I think the animation only kind of works for this. They make the animation better, there is a bigger budget so why wouldn’t they. But part of the charm of Bob’s Burgers is that it isn’t all shiny, it doesn’t try and be 3D and have a ton of depth to it. The movie does, and as a fan of the show, it just feels different. It’s not a massive negative and I got over it quickly while watching, but there are times where it just feels off because of that.

The plot, for me is also just okay. Now, this is another minor negative. The negative piece about it is not that the plot isn’t fun, but it is generally an episode feeling plot stretched out over a full movie. It might really be three episodes squished together around different things. I won’t go into detail as to not spoil anything, but the plot should be better for something that is longer and needs more plot than an episode.

What Works?

The characters, as always in Bob’s Burgers the characters work. And with more time to shine they still work well. Each of them is given a moment to shine and a moment to show off what makes them who they are. Which, I appreciate as it helps fill in for the gaps in the plot by reminding you about the character.

The jokes also still work well in the movie. They take what works well in the show for the likes of Tina, Louise, Gene, and really all the characters we see, and run with them. That means you have a lot of good laughs while watching it because of absurd things that are done. They don’t up the ante on the jokes too much, but they manage to get a lot into the movie.

Who Is It For?

If you like Bob’s Burgers you are going to like this. If you don’t like Bob’s Burgers you likely won’t like this. I don’t think it does that much different from the show, just longer. That is a downside to it, it isn’t going to bring in new viewers. Granted, that isn’t a bad thing, it is made for the fans of the show.

Final Thoughts – Bob’s Burgers Movie

This movie neither wowed me or disappointed me. It is really just a longer Bob’s Burgers episode made into a movie. It’s a bit shinier, didn’t need to be, but everything that I love about the show is there. Still, when I think about it, I would watch it again, but not often. It is an episode but just one that is harder to sit down and watch.

In the end, I think I just wanted a bit more. I wanted it to feel like Bob’s Burgers but bigger, and I don’t feel like it is that much bigger. There is more song and dance, but even that is a regular thing on Bob’s Burgers. I’m not sure what they could or should have done to make it feel bigger, I just wish it had.

Have you had a chance to checkout the movie? Let me know your thoughts on it down in the comment section below.

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So what movies are going to make the list, or universes created in cinema do I want to see even more of?

5. Chronicles of Narnia

I enjoy the book series a lot. Chronicles of Narnia is one of those series that I grew up reading or having read to me when I was younger. And it holds a spot in my heart. I thought that the recent adaptation was solid, but it didn’t surprise me when they didn’t get through everything.

And Chronicles of Narnia is kind of a cheat. I know that there is a show coming for it. I forget if it is Amazon or Netflix who is producing it. So I hope that is really good. But for a series that I watched growing up the original films and then the new releases, I’d love to see the whole thing redone again.

4. Star Wars

Another one that is a bit of a cheat. There are obviously going to be more Star Wars movies. And today the Obi Wan show came out on Disney+. And we got our first trailer for Andor yesterday and some other shows announced. But I want more Star Wars movies.

And in particular, I want more Star Wars movies, but ones that don’t have anything to do with Skywalkers. We’ve gotten through the Luke and Leia saga with an entertaining but odd sequel trilogy. And prequels that probably didn’t tell the story that they should have. I’d love something set prior to the events, or well after. Or maybe in a corner of the galaxy that never really had to deal with this situation. But I’m done with the Skywalker Saga and the shows, minus the Mandalorian, thus far, haven’t interested me that much.

3. Mutant Chronicles

This is probably not one that people know about or if they do, they just thought it was okay. But I really enjoy this film with Ron Pearlman and Thomas Jane. It’s an odd world, and I’d love to see it rebooted. And with rebooting it getting a whole series of these films set in the world that is originally a pen and paper RPG.

With it being an RPG that’d give more room for stories and more characters. I would probably want to get Ron Pearlman back just because I like him as an actor, as you’ll see with my next pick, but the movie for me is one. Now that I’m talking about it, I want to watch it again.

2. Hellboy

Speaking or Ron Pearlman, we have Hellboy on the list. Hellboy is going to be based off of a comic book series, and is about a half demon or devil, Hellboy, played by Ron Pearlman. He does a great job in the roll, but this is another one that probably needs a reboot.

The original one is a lot of fun and I like the absurdity of everything in it. But I think it’d make more sense to start again. I hope if and when this happens that they don’t try and make it too dark or gritty and keep the Hellboy style humor in it. But I’d love to see more.

1. Need For Speed

Finally, probably not one that people would guess. But I find dumb car movies generally fun. Especially with a it based off of a game series that I’ve played a lot of. I prefer Need For Speed to Fast and the Furious, but they are obviously going to get compared.

This is one where I don’t need a reboot. I just want more in the series. Aaron Paul is a lot of fun in the lead role for this. And I think that you could create something about street racing, or illegal racing, and come up with some very fun movies about it. Yes, it is basically Fast and the Furious again. But that one has gone so crazy with the series. I’d prefer to see Need For Speed continue and be a bit more grounded.

Final Thoughts

What movies would you want to see rebooted or more in the world of those movies? I think that it’s a harder list to make than television shows because a lot of television shows run for a little while and get cancelled before the story is done. With movies they more often tell complete stories in the movie, so it’s less open ended for wanting more.

For example, I love the movie Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, but there isn’t really more story for that world. Maybe rebooting some of the 80’s B movie classics, but making a B movie is hard. So it is not something that’s too easy to come up with, at least for me. Hence the few that are most definitely cheating with Star Wars and Chronicles of Narnia.

Let me know your choices down below, on Facebook, or Twitter.

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The Most Faithful Adaptations

It should be just like the book. I know what I liked about the books, and I need to see them. I want the same monsters, characters, plot points, everything to be like I think it is.

The upside to that style of adaptation is that the fans of the book are going to love it. All the nods and details that are from the book are going to stand out and feel like you get what you want. It also means that it won’t diverge too far from the story and give the show runners and writers a chance to mess it up. We can all think about adaptations, like late Game of Thrones or Bourne Identity that don’t feel like the book.

On the flip side, it can make it harder to get into. Let’s look at Lord of the Rings, or Wheel of Time. Do we need a massive section of the movies of Lord of the Rings with Tom Bombadil? As a fan of the books I might have liked it, but probably even I wouldn’t have enjoyed it that much. That isn’t what makes the book(s) interesting. The first Wheel of Time book would need to be 15-20 episodes to really cover everything at least.

The Least Faithful Adaptations

So instead you could just let the show runners do what they want. Once it’s out of the authors hand, it can be someone else’s vision of what it should be. They own the story n ow so don’t make a big deal out of the fact it has changed.

This can be good in some ways as well. It updates a story, potentially, for a wider audience. More appeal means better chance to long term success of the show or movies. So if there are a lot of books in the series to be adapted, better shot that we get them all. Sure, they might be different in a lot of ways, but it is still an adaptation of the series.

The downside is pretty big, though. You might get a show or movie that cuts out massive parts of the story. You end up with characters being completely skipped over. The main character changes completely. The bad guy has completely different plans. The murderer in a who-done-it is a different person. And now the heart of what made the book(s) special has been removed.

Somewhere In Between

Now, both of those are extreme examples of everything the same or everything different. I think that basically all adaptations end up here. Somewhere instbetween. And they lean towards either side. Even The Bourne Identity which just basically has Jason Bourne (the name) and amnesia as the main things it takes from the books, is technically here. Game of Thrones, which was very faithful in the first season, ends up here as well as they dropped out plot lines.

I think that this is the right spot for things to be. Let’s look at a few examples

Wheel of Time

Wheel of Time meanders through the first section of the book. Everyone goes to Baerlon together. Shadar Logoth takes longer than it does in the show. It really breathes and gives you a chance to get to know the characters. It spends time explaining in more detail who the White Cloaks are and their intentions. We meet characters in different spots and get to see Moiraine use her power in different ways.

But that wouldn’t work as well in a show. Characters who are spending time learning things, Perrin for example, need the time to breath and think in the book. But thinking doesn’t translate well for television. A way was needed to show his struggles. While I think the show was heavy handed with how they did it, I know why they needed to do it. Plus a lot of traveling is only so interesting.

The Bourne Identity

This is an example of maybe how not to do it. Why, because it stripped a lot of the soul of it out. Now, the movie did well enough to get several sequels. So I know that I’m a bit in the minority on this one. But in terms of being a Bourne movie and someone who really liked the books, this isn’t a great adaptation. So a good action film.

But what made it not work for well what took it too far away. I think the idea of Treadstone being the bad guy for the whole of the movie. The books definitely don’t make you like Treadstone, but there is something else bigger pulling the strings, or maybe less bigger but scarier. The movie felt dumbed down from what the books were. The books are spy thrillers, the movie is an action film.

Game of Thrones

Now, admittedly, I didn’t watch all of Game of Thrones. I thought that the books themselves were average at best, and gave up after book four which was bad. But this one falls between, for me, what I’ve seen of Wheel of Time and The Bourne Identity. I think that they made some very needed changes to the show. Lady Stoneheart and that element of magic were pretty dumb in the books.

At the same time, they meandered through a number of pretty boring storylines. Bran’s story was never interesting in the book and the show didn’t do anything to make it more interesting. Even when things started to happen with that story, I still wasn’t interested in it. I think the number of characters and scope was just too big for the show and they never cut it down.

What Do We Do As Viewers?

First, know that it will be changed. Even things that are highly faithful, Game of Thrones probably the most faithful of my examples, will change. It’s not a knock or a negative that things change. It is needed sometime. Five episode of the Wheel of Time just with them traveling to places and listening to Perrin’s inner monologue to switch to Nyneaves and then to Rands, that’s not interesting.

Shows and movies have the ability to, well, show things. So a major point to a character that takes up pages in a book, that might be five minutes of showing something different on the screen. Different mediums need different things. So I always look for what the show feels like, and how well the aesthetic matches.

That’s the second thing, really, pay more attention to the feel of the show than the precise story points. Are they getting the feel of the characters right? Is the plot progressing to those key moments that it needs to. Even if those moments are tweaked slightly does it hit the major plot points. Wheel of Time is a good example of this, a lot has changed, but the major beats are getting used in the story. Sometimes in different ways but leading us in the right direction.

Finally, sometimes you need to just let it go. Don’t hold onto the book at all. For me, I had to let go of the fact that the Bourne Identity isn’t The Bourne Identity, it is it’s completely own thing. Now, I don’t like it still as an action movie, but that doesn’t have to do with the story or name but with the filming of the fight scenes. Change is going to happen, and it might be big changes, so sometimes I, and everyone, need to enjoy it for what it is.

What is your favorite adaptation of a book? And what book would you really love to see get adapted?

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Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness
Thor: Love and Thunder
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Like I said, I could have just done this with Marvel movies, and we have a lot of them that I’m really excited for and curious about. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness being a horror style movie in the MCU is going to be great. Thor: Love and Thunder seems to match-up with the style of Thor: Ragnarok and seeing Jane Foster as Lady Thor will be fun. Quantumania is going to give us more Kang. And Wakanda Forever is going to have some big questions to answer about a new Black Panther.

Uncharted

This one I don’t have that high hopes for, but I’m curious about it. Tom Holland as Nathan Drake is an interesting choice, and the trailer looks perfectly okay. It’s a video game adaptation which means I’m always going to have low expectations for it, but while I certainly won’t be seeing this one in theaters, when I can rent it, I probably am going to watch it.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Besides the really bad first trailer and weird look for Sonic, the first movie is actually really fun. I like Sonic as a character and they did a good job of creating an interesting enough story and the action is a lot of fun. So another Sonic movie, I hope that this one can keep the same magic as the first one. Again, doubt I’ll see it in theaters, but it’s definitely one I can see actually picking up a Blu-Ray/DVD of it to go along with owning the other one.

John Wick: Chapter 4

Now for a movie that I likely will see in theaters. I didn’t see the first two in theaters but did see the third. The John Wick films are great. The Gunkata (I believe that’s the term) is amazing, and the story is really entertaining. It’s a world of hitmen and honor in how the hitmen do things. So it’s a world with cool rules to it and depth to what is happening. You don’t expect that for a film that is all about action.

And the action. I could talk about the action for a long time. The fights are as much pieces of art as they are bloody/violent fights. Everything just flows so well the set pieces where the action takes place are really good. Each movie has some action that really stands out in it, but even the small fights are extremely well done.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)

Finally, this isn’t a Marvel movie, but a Sony animated Spider-Verse film. I’m excited for it, because even though I didn’t see Into the Spider-Verse in theaters, when I did watch it, I really loved it. The style is just amazing on the film and this one is going to continue with more of that and grow that animated work that Sony is creating. And while I’m sure that Sony is hoping to add Miles Morales into the MCU somehow at some point in time, the stuff they have done on the animated front is amazing.

That’s it for movies for me. I am guessing that other people will think of movies that I’ve missed or have more they want to see. There is a Super Mario movie coming out and Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers. I might check those out at some point in time, but I’m not anticipating them.

What movies are you looking forward to in 2022?

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