Coming soon: 2010’s brightest prospects


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The year 2009 was a disappointment for movie lovers. It’s not because there were no good films to be seen — there were quite a few — but overall, most of the big-budget films from well-known directors stumbled, long-running franchises suffered from weak new installments and the good films passed us by unnoticed, lost amid the shuffle of mediocre cinema.

2010 looks much better.

The new year brings with it the promise of new films from creative directors, working in a variety of different genres. There is something for everyone — be they monster movie fans looking for a scary film, superhero fans ready for the next fun blockbuster or laugh-starved moviegoers in need of a legitimately funny comedy. Here are 10 films to definitely go see this year.

Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) brings his 1985 BBC miniseries Edge of Darkness (release date Jan. 29) to the big screen. Now set in Boston, the film stars Mel Gibson as a detective investigating the murder of his activist daughter. The original miniseries was an excellent conspiracy thriller and, with Campbell adapting it with his personal touch, Edge of Darkness looks to be a perfect film for fans of smart mysteries.

There are far too many remakes in Hollywood these days, and most are pointless rehashes that fail to live up to the original. Every so often, however, a remake is just good enough to warrant its existence, like Joe Johnston’s remake of the universal monster movie classic The Wolfman (release date Feb. 12). The cast, which includes Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and Hugo Weaving, looks amazing, and Rich Baker’s makeup for the Wolfman looks both frightening and realistic. The Wolfman might actually prove scary in the atmospheric, suspenseful way that’s nowhere to be found in the gore fests that seek to pass themselves off as horror films today.

Not as scary but filtered through a layer of gothic weirdness, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (release date March 5) offers up a sequel to Lewis Carroll’s classic story, with Alice (Mia Wasikowska) unable to remember her previous adventures. Pulled into Wonderland by the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen) and the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), Alice has to rediscover the magical land and help save the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). Visually it’s a treat, and fans of Burton will find it a worthy addition to his filmography.

Those who prefer a more realistic film should check out Green Zone (release date March 12). The creative team behind the last two Bourne films — director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon — delivers a tale of pre-surge Iraq as a soldier (Damon) gets caught up in a CIA hunt for weapons of mass destruction. Usually movies about the war in Iraq are bogged down by political messages and weak storylines, but Green Zone looks to be an excellent action thriller that uses its setting to tell a story, not to preach a message.

For those not into action and politics, I Love You Phillip Morris, (release date March 26) is the film to see. A very true story, the film stars Jim Carrey as the gay con artist Stephen Russell, a man who embezzled thousands, was arrested, fell in love with fellow inmate Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor) and escaped jail numerous times. Carrey abandons his usual slapstick for a more subdued take but still gives his funniest performance in a long time.

While the 1980s T.V. show The A-Team is getting a film adaptation this year, it won’t be the year’s best ex-special forces movie. That honor goes to The Losers (release date April 9), an adaptation of the Vertigo comic book series created by Andy Diggle and Jock. Set up by their superiors, a left-for-dead CIA team declares war on the agency. The source material is smart, action-packed and inventive, and the cast — which includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans and Idris Elba — looks talented enough to make this a strong adaptation.

Everyone’s favorite sarcastic, hard-drinking superhero is back in Iron Man 2 (release date May 7). Picking up where the last film left off, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) must deal with the repercussions of revealing his secret identity, a decision with fallout coming in the form of both congressional hearings and new enemies out to destroy him. Fans of Marvel’s film line will enjoy the build up to The Avengers film with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and new cast members Don Cheadle and Mickey Rourke only add to the appeal of the film.

But without a doubt, the best film of the year looks to be Inception (release date July 16), written and directed by Christopher Nolan, the man behind Memento, The Prestige and the revitalized Batman franchise. All that is known about the film is that it involves the blackmailing of a CEO, but the trailers have involved gravity-defying fights, cities folding over on themselves and a large amount of water imagery. Add in Nolan’s cast, which includes Leonardo DiCaprio and Ken Watanabe as the leads, and Inception looks ready to be a mind-bending cinematic experience, if not the highlight of the cinematic year.

Switching gears from drama to comedy is The Social Network (release date Oct. 15), David Fincher’s (Fight Club, Se7en) new film that memorializes the true story of the creation of Facebook. Part biopic, part comedy, The Social Network stars Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, with Justin Timberlake as his business partner. The premise is certainly unique, and Fincher’s direction plus the always funny Eisenberg make The Social Network a must-see for anyone who logs on to Facebook.

Ending the year on a quirky note, Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind) offers up a modern day adaptation of the radio and television hero in The Green Hornet (release date Dec. 22). While it’s a bit hard to picture Seth Rogen as the Green Hornet, the released pictures look promising, and Jay Chou’s filmography makes him a worthy successor to Bruce Lee for the role of the Hornet’s martial artist sidekick Kato. Plus, it is the first film to feature Christoph Waltz since his breakout role in 2009’s Inglourious Basterds.