Before we get down to business, let me begin by saying attempting to pick 14 movies for 2014 was a very difficult task. Originally, I had selected 35 releases and after much deliberation, I’ve got it down to 14. By no means is this a definitive list for 2014, but these should definitely be worth your time. Also, release dates are subject to change, especially the towards the last quarter of the year, but rest assured if they change, you’ll know about it here. So the list is below along with some trailers and images to blow off the New Years cobwebs! Enjoy. And by the way, there are four movies in the graphic below. Can you spot them all?
What: The Wolf Of Wall Street
When: January 17th
Why: Martin Scorsese teams up with Leonardo DiCaprio yet again for this account of the excess filled life of stockbroker Jordan Belfort. The closet thing to a comedy the director has ever done, this follows horrible people as they delve deeper into debauchery, all the time striving to make more money than they have any need for. DiCaprio heads an impressive cast, including Matthew McConaughey, Rob Reiner, Jean DuJardin, and Jonah Hill, with a turn that is expected to bag him another Oscar nomination.
What: Her
When: Jan 10th USA / Feb 14th IRELAND & UK
Why: Spike Jonze writes and directs this sweet and soulful look at our current technology obsessed culture, with Joaquin Phoenix as a lonely writer who embarks on a relationship with the operating system of his new phone, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Jonze is known for delivering something unique and thought provoking, and Her promises to be no different.
What: Captain America: The Winter Solider
When:March 28th IRELAND & UK / April 4th USA
Why: After the World War Two boys own adventure that was his first solo movie, Captain America returns, this time in the modern day with an adventure that is placed in the realm of the political thriller, with Cap coming face to face with shady dealings within the U.S. government, and a dangerous face from his past. A much different beast than the first movie, this promises the action we have come to expect from Marvel Studios, mixed with the more ”grown up“ storytelling that started with Iron Man 3.
What: The Amazing Spiderman 2
When: April 18th IRELAND & UK / May 2nd USA
Why: Marc Webb's Spider-Man reboot continues with an instalment that ditches the darkness of The Amazing Spider-Man, and replaces it with the light hearted nature of the Sam Raimi movies and the original comics. Along with the most faithful recreation of the iconic suit we've seen on the big screen so far, this promises to make a big deal of the bad guys (one of the best parts of Spider-Man lore) with Jamie Foxx's Electro, Paul Giamatti's The Rhino, and The Green Goblin coming together to make life hard for Spidey.
What: Transcendence
When: April 18th / April 25th IRELAND & UK
Why: After lensing for Christopher Nolan since Memento, cinematographer Wally Pfister makes his directorial debut with this smartly written sci-fi thriller, starring Johnny Depp as an artificial intelligence advocate who finds himself becoming one with his own creation after a fatal accident. The hype has been slowly building on this, and the first trailer showcased the sumptuous visuals we have come to expect from Pfister, and promised a story much bigger than we originally lead to believe.
What: Godzilla
When: May 16th IRELAND / UK / USA
Why: The King of Monsters returns, and director Gareth Edwards promises something a lot better, and more faithful to the iconic monster’s memory, than Hollywood's original stab at Godzilla way back in 1998. An impressive cast, including Elisabeth Olsen, Brian Cranston, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, pales in comparison to Godzilla himself, who is the real star of the show. An absolutely massive creation, taking cues from his original look first seen in 1954, the destruction he delivers is off the scale. If you got a kick out of giant robots fighting giant monsters in Pacific Rim, this movie gives you the chance to see the master at work.
What: X-Men: Days Of Future Past
When: May 22nd IRELAND & UK / May 23rd USA
Why: Bryan Singer is back in the the director's chair, the first time since X-Men 2, orchestrating a meeting up of the cast of the original X-Men with the young whipper snappers of First Class using the wonders of time travel. Adapting one of the most famous X-Men story lines of all time, seeing Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen back in their iconic roles should be enough of a draw for Days of Future Past (not to mention the possibility of them acting alongside James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as their younger selves), but throw in a story that promises to hit the darker and more human beats teased with First Class, and Days of Future Past should be one of the comic book movies of 2014.
What: Edge Of Tomorrow
When: May 30th IRELAND & UK / June 6th USA
Why: Love him or loathe him, and lets be honest, everybody at some point has had a soft spot for Tom Cruise, nobody does action movies better! This looks pretty intense and taking some inspiration from Source Code we could well be in for an explosive rollercoaster.
What: Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
When: July 11th / July 17th IRELAND & UK
Why: Besides Andy Serkis doing the best “impression” of a bunch of pissed of monkeys ever, the original really nailed the idea and now the monkeys (ok, they’re apes, but for comedic effect monkey is more hilarious) are about to really start kicking ass!
What: Guardians Of The Galaxy
When: August 1st
Why: When this was first announced, many people were a bit skeptical of it. Mainly down to the fact that its probably one of the lesser known Marvel franchises. But trust me on this one, having read the comics, this will be absolutely insane and completely off the charts. And I’m thats based on some early footage I’ve seen. This is going to be in alot of peoples Top 5s come year end!
What: Fury
When: October 24th IRELAND & UK / November 12th USA
Why: Tragically, Shia LeBeouf is attached to this, but that aside Brad Pitt leads a Sherman tank team behind enemy lines for one final mission. Written and directed by David Ayer who most recently blew our mind with End Of Watch we could be in for some seriously good movie times! Hopefully LeBeouf’s character will be killed off in the opening 5 minutes.
What: Interstellar
When:November 7th IRELAND / UK / USA
Why: Christopher Nolan. Sci-Fi. What more do you want?
What: The Interview
When: October 10th USA / December 5th IRELAND & UK
Why: Written and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Rogen and James Franco find themselves as a talk show host and producer caught up in an assassination plot. We’d start putting money on this one to be downright hilarious!
What: The Hobbit: There and Back Again
When: December 17th USA / December 19th IRELAND & UK
Why: The finale! The Dragon. The Destruction. The Ring. In a way we’re not actually looking forward to this as it signals the end of all things Peter Jackson and Middle Earth, but if the last two Hobbit movies are anything to go by, this is going to turned all the ways up to 11!
So there you have it, obviously going to be impossible to get everything in there and keep everyone happy! Regardless, 2014 is going to be one superb year for quality movies!Bring it on! And have a very Happy New Year!
