1. Brave

This I can not wait for! When I heard Pixar was doing a fairy tale I was very excited of how they would approach the idea. Orginally titled The Bear and the Bow, we follow the story of unruly Scottish raven,  Princess Merida, who wishes to pursue her on path in life rather than follow the ancient traditions her Kingdom obliged to. But when she finally plucks up the courage to take control of her own life, disaster is unleashed on the Highlands and only Merida can put things right again and discover the true meaning of what it means to be Brave.
The story sounds and looks fascinating and with a lot of first time elements Pixar has chosen to play with (First Pixar Princess, female protagonist) so there is naturally a lot of high expectations about this film, after last years lukewarm reception to Cars 2. In contrast to the bright, flash kid-friendly sweetness, we have a more darker, maturer approach which should appeal to more than boys above the age of eight. This film reminds me of how the Disney Renaissance told it's life lessons, you start to notice the detail and effort more and some of the characters main goals and relationships with the audience as you get older, something I think the trailer has achieved greatly.
The cast is almost all Scottish to fit in with the theme, which am I pleased about. Interestingly, they have not given much away about the villian to this film, or to be more precise who is the villan?! The trailer suggests it to be the ginormous grizzly bear, but I have a feeling the Wise Woman who has not had her screen debut yet, might temper with the film's fate.
Brave looks packed with magic, archery, laughs, action, beautiful scenery and an adventure that I am sure many people will want to repeat in many years to come.

2. The Dark Knight Rises

Oh how I wish I saw The Dark Knight in the cinemas. The performances was outstanding and some of the best "oh my God without saying it" moments I have seen.
Set eight years on from 2008's events,Batman/ Bruce Wayne still has the finger pointed at him for the death of Two Face/Harvey Dent. Washed-up and unwanted, apart from police and Michael Caine, it's fair to say the movie is going to be about Batman regaining his strength and trust of the people when they need it most (hence the title) when steriod body-builder Bane tries his attempt of taking down Gotham City and is once again under threat of being destroyed.
For fans of the previous two films would be aware of Bale's skeptism of returning to another potryal, but with writer David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan also directing, I personally would feel pretty comfortable of delivering what appears to be an amazing one last performance.
This film is also the bookies favourite of being the highest grossing film of the summer, or being more realistic the year and I have to say I strongly agree with them.
 P.S. I certainly will not be making the same mistake of missing this on the big screen.

3. Les Miserables

I have to admit, I do love a good musica.l But I am being a bit of a hypocrite by saying I have not been to see the second-longest running stage production. I have seen snippets of the 1998 version but I believe a musical adaptation is what fans have been bursting for for years.
Set during the 19th Century over the course of 17 years we follow the lives of the French people's  (er, acting world's finest) personal struggles of the depressive era of France which leads to the infamous French Revolution. The novel is beautfully told by Victor Hugo and with Tom Hooper serving as director, I have a strong gut feeling this will be his next greatest success following 2010's The King Speech.
 It is unknown if the release date will change to January 2013 (right on queue for the award season),  as principal photography only began three weeks ago, but whatever the world of cinemas decision is, this will be an excellent film to end 2012 on a high note.

4. Taken 2

Due to be released this October, this a film I am happy to wait for. The chilling phonecall still gives me thrills when I here it and the thought of another leaves me extactic. Very little has been released about the plot, but we are guarnenteed another round of Liam Neeson badass in another rescue attempt to save himself and his wife in Instabul, for revenge on the events that happened back in 2008.
A trailer is rumoured to be released soon, so for now it is just guess work as to whether the film with have a redundant plot and if the villans will live up to our expectations my prediction is definately.

5. The Hunger Games

We all have to get inpisration to get a story, but for the film's novelist Suzanne Collins, it was flicking between a gameshow and the live footage of the Middle East civil war. A bit of tweeking here and there and The Hunger Games is born. The fan base is pretty big already and is sure to explode in the next four years with plans already underway for the next two novels to be relased on to the big screen.

I know this film has been out for a week but I have not had a chance to go see it yet. But for those I know who already have, talk very enthusiastically and luckily have not given anything away to me apart from the trailer. This is the stand out film for me this year for pre teens to adults, you can tell a lot of effort has been put in to making this a realistic world the attention to detail to the setting and costume designs look impressive. There is a hint of a good moral to be sent out to those who are not familar to the books that balances out soe of the films dark elements of capitalism, war and death.
 I am sure this a film that will be well recieved by the loyal readers who have high expectations.

6. The Dictator

When I heard of Sacha Baron Cohen's new mockumentary, I had high hopes for it to be as good as Borat, Bruno was a let down, I felt it was pushing itself too much to be more controversial and I did not really like the storyline, a bit dull. After three years away, it seems Baron Cohen has reflected back gained some good inspiration. The poster scared the hell out of me as my initial idea of what the characters appearance was going to be like was destroyed.
 Meet Admiral General Aladeen (now say it five times faster) is the leader of the Republic of Wadiya (filmed in Spain) who travels to New York to "risk his life" for the fictional country he unlovingly prides himself on. The opening to the trailer is shown as a very Gaddafi threat tape, warning movie goers to not underestimate this film, as demonstrated at the Academy Awards. Some would argue it's a sensitive subject to touch on especially for Americans after last years events in the Middle East but director Larry Charles has cleverly made the film focus on the side several characters that look great. Something the previous films did not do, helping Aladeen/Cohen expand on his most outrageous journey yet.

7. Snow White and the Huntsman

I have been following this film very carefully for the last 6 months and with the recent 5 minute trailer, it's fair to say it's been sold to me and one I will go see with my friends once the exams are over.
This film will help quench the appetite of Twi-hard fans until November, but this offers so much more than Kristen Stewart (I'm sure to be brilliant performance).In a way, it is no surprise she was given this role, looking at her film career Stewart is no stranger to playing physically demanding characters Catch That Kid, The Runaways and Whip It are just a few examples. But Queen Bitch Charlize Therone is the scene stealer for me and one to watch out at the awards next year.
The cast is packed with many familar faces good enough for a game of Guess Who. The CGI looks impressive and the good old plotline of good versus evil I'm sure will deliever.
There is no doubt that it will be compared to rivaling Mirror Mirror that is due out today, with both films taking a modern approach with this famous Grimms Brother's fairy tale in their own way, I think it's safe to say they have saved the best till last.

8. Prometheus

I have heard a lot of buzz about this movie and I overlooked it for a long time now, as I generally have not been interested. But a few months ago, my media class watched Alien and I was left mesmorised. Why I had not seen this movie sooner? If I was around to see this at the time of it's release; it would definately be one of them special films I would watch about twice a year and not get tired of seeing and gets better with age. As soon as I understood this was going to be the prequel, my prejudice views changed and I have now jumped on the bound wagon.
Set in 2085, we are given a fresh new batch of scientists (Guy Pearce, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron) are sent to the infamous universe to research some newly discovered imagery Aztec culture, but when extraterrestial meet human our race becomes at risk of being destroyed. As original director Ridley Scott commented, "the film share's strands of Alien DNA, so to speak" the film clearly has it's own statement to make and with visuals and digital technology rapidly improved since 1979 this is certainly the one to see for all sci-fi fans.

9. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

This is one of them films that will either hit or miss but I think will go in the films favour of being this years dark horse. The teaser trailer that was released last month has had me gripped ever since, as it takes a mixture of American history and the novel based on with the same-name should appeal to a wide range of fans. The author Seth Grahame-Smith has interestingly wrote the script but with Tim Burton as the producer, I wonder how close they have stuck to original story or will the gothic genre period overwhelm this blood- thirsty- political- revenge- vampire- film? It is a big order digest but I will certainly be their to see its final outcome. Newbee actor Benjamin Walker is cast as the 16th President who beat Nicolas Cage for the role may I point out! and from the two minutes I have witnessed, I'm sure there is going to be a few tricks up his sleeve that will make 2012 his year to shine.

10. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

I have high hope's for this third installment of our favourite "New York Giants" with Dreamworks recently pulling out some real gems such as "Puss in Boots" and "How to Train Your Dragon" this is should definately be a the top of any kids film list this summer. The trailer shows the animals arriving in Monte Carlos only to cause more chaos whatever country they set foot in. They team up with a run-down circus in the hope of getting home to the Big Apple with some laughs and morals along the way.
The sequel I found to be much more engaging and a better storyline than the first, so hopefully the franchise should not fall to the curse of so many other triologies. The animation looks great and improved so this should be a winner and a good way to start off many families first summer trip to the cinemas.

Top 10 Films I'm most looking forward to seeing in 2012

So lets get started, I thoroughly enjoyed many of the films I saw in 2011 from summer blockbusters to sequels. I already had a heads up of what films were being planned of being released this year even if some of the infomation was skeptic or limited.
We are already a quarter through the year and to be honest, my visit to the big screen has been pretty limited this year due to resits and work. But the one film I have liked the best this year is The Woman in Black . It was visually gorgeous, especially the setting in the countrysides of England and it caught people out at the right times. I was happy about the film focusing on the characters journies, major and minor. I feel protagonist Daniel Radcliffe in particular pulled off an amazing performance and shook off a lot of Potter fans and haters cliches by proving he can stand alone on his own two feet, without a sign of a magicwand in sight. I was slightly disappointed with the ending but looking back it allows individuals to privatley conclude their on thought's a topic that is commonly brought up amongst others I know who have also been to witness this film. Another pleasing factor was the almost no gore bloodbath scenes, something I'm personally not a big fan of, but it had more edgy, thriller moments like Mrs. Daily "drawings" gave me goosebumps.
This is more of an artistic movie which  surprisingly has very little dialogue and gets us focusing on our other senses to connect with the characters such as your hearing, every footstep or creek of the house left you feeling chilled leaving me more frightened of the house than the Woman in Black herself. The films plotline opens up nicely but drops off slightly but eventually unfolds at just the right pace.
I have not seen the stage production but this film does encourage me to go see it aswell.


After that brief review, I want to focus on the other films that have no yet been released that I'm sure will gain some interest from people and critics alike. So I want to kickstart my movie blog by doing my personal countdown of the top 10 films I am most looking forward to seeing in 2012 from family to action. Please comment below on what you think of my list and what films you are looking forward to seeing this year.

:)

Hi

Hello this is my first blog and hopefully with many more to follow. I will be focusing on reviewing films and tv shows and would be grateful for more experienced bloggers or writers to comment and give advice to help improve my writing skills and style. Here a bit of background, I enjoy going to the cinemas, shopping a lot and are favourite past time for me and my friends and travelling around London.
Happy blogging everyone! :)