Scifi Picks for 2013 Part 2: Movies

2013 is going to be a great year for spec-fic fans.

There are a slew of speculative fiction movies coming out over the next 12 months. Speculative fiction will be represented in everything from mega-blockbusters to small releases. Below are some of the up and coming films that are just a sample of what's ahead.


Elysium
Staring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster

Intrigued? I am. Although the trailer doesn't really do more than set up the environment, a trip over to the movie's IMDB page reveals Elysium is about the fight for equality at the end of the 21st century where the elite live in a space station above a ruined Earth (where the rest of us are forced to scrape out an existence.) Has the plot been done before? Sure, but the world looks interesting, and I'm amused by the Armadyne website. If the movie itself shows at least the same level of creativity, we're in for a good one.

Man of Steel

Staring: Henry Cavill, Russel Crowe, Amy Adams

Yup, it's Superman again. This take on the 80 year old superhero is being done by director Zack Snyder, the same man who directed 300, Watchmen, and Sucker Punch. At the very least this movie is going to be visually stunning. It's not that I didn't like 300 or Watchmen—I loved Watchmen—but I'm wary of yet another Superman movie that's taking us in a new direction. On top of that, it is yet another reboot (I'm getting tired of reboots). This one is supposed to be a bit of a darker spin on the story, which I'm looking forward to, but I am not 100% sure it's actually going to be a good movie. Hopefully, this won't be the case.

Pacific Rim

Starring: Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi

I'll be honest with you. I hate giant robot movies (I don't even like the Transformers; I know, I know, blasphemy!) despite loving robots. My brain just doesn't accept them—they'd be too heavy to move, the power required for such things is absurd, how the hell would we build something that big?—you get the picture. It's a shame, too, since I am a big fan of Idris Elba (Prometheus, Luther), and this movie not only looks pretty (as expected from director Guillermo Del Toro) but I really want to see the combat training sequences (I'm a sucker for martial arts). I just don't think I can bring myself to watch a movie where giant robots fight giant alien monsters from a rift in space time under the ocean... Maybe I'll catch it on Netflix in a year, but I don't think I'm going to shell out for this one in the movie theater. Still, if giant robots and monsters are your thing, you'll probably love this movie.


Oz the Great and Powerful
Staring: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis

I grew up watching the Wizard of Oz reruns every year around Thanksgiving time on TV, and I'm very much looking forward to this new take/back-story. From the looks of things it's going to be a combination of nods to the original story and a modern interpretation of Oz itself. I'm a fan of James Franco and Rachel Weisz, which only adds to the excitement for me. I've really got my fingers crossed that Oz the Great and Powerful will deliver.


Iron Man 3
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pierce, Ben Kingsley

I was pleasantly surprised by the first Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man, and haven't really been disappointed at all as his appearances in Iron Man 2 and the Avengers have rolled out. The trailer has me a bit iffy about 3, however. These "hero gets brought low, then rebuilds himself" movies are so common that I almost feel like they're becoming a bit worn, but if done right it can still make for good entertainment. Hopefully, it will.


Star Trek Into Darkness
Staring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho, Anton Yelchin

If I only get to see one movie this year, this is going to be it. JJ Abrams' take on Star Trek is one of my favorite movies of the last decade, and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to the next installment. He's also done a masterful job of building the suspense for who the villain, played by Benedict Cumberbatch,  will be. Is it Khan? Is he new? Time will tell, but I'm chomping at the bit to see how this all plays out!