Top 11 Comic-Con 2009 Movies with Buzz
Comic-Con isn’t just about silly books; often what is most-talked about at the geeked-out convention are the upcoming movies showcased. This is a look at the upcoming movies from Comic-Con 2009 that are getting the most buzz, from movies based on amusing book characters like ‘Iron Man 2′ to teen girl fantasy fodder like ‘New Moon’ and new alien life like that found in ‘Avatar’ and ‘District 9′:
Avatar - This 3D fantasy film by director James Cameron has become one of the most highly-anticipated movies of 2009, although you’ll have until the very end of the year to see it. Lucky Comic-Con attendees were treated to twenty-five minutes of the movie, and it looks like the film could live up to all of the buzz. The movie focuses on a war veteran who visits an alien world called Pandora inhabited by humanoid aliens. He visits the world through a mind link with an human-alien hybrid body as portion of a program to obtain primary minerals from the planet, but finds himself sympathizing more and more with the alien inhabitants of Pandora. It’s sounding like, even if this isn’t a great film, it will be incredibly visually stunning, especially in 3D. It could also be one of the ten Oscar contenders, so it’s definitely one of the must-see movies of 2009.
Ponyo - Miyazaki’s newest animated movie is his own version of ‘The Little Mermaid’, and one of the movies that more female 2009 Comic-Con attendees are most likely generating buzz about. It seems to be one of Miyazaki’s simpler movies, along the lines of ‘My Neighbor Totoro’, but since I consider that movie one of his best, I’m really looking forward to this one. It’s about a child goldfish princess who longs to become human. A young boy finds her washed up on shore and befriends her, but her father from the sea is looking for his daughter. It should be a unique take on the classic tale, and one full of Miyazaki magic. It’ll be refreshing to see some classic animation, and this one could be one of the contenders for Best Animated Feature when Oscar season rolls around.
Iron Man 2 - Grand ado has been made about the next installment in the Iron Man franchise at Comic-Con 2009 and in the news. Additions to the new film include Scarlett Johansson as the black widow and Mickey Rourke as Whiplash. There’s also been a little bit of controversy over Terrance Howard’s character War Machine being replaced by Don Cheadle, so fans of the budding franchise might be a little upset about this. Tony Stark’s alcoholism will be explored, and he’ll have to deal with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) having a fresh boyfriend. According to all the buzz, it’s looking like this franchise could turn out as big if not bigger than Spider Man.
New Moon – Many fanboys at Comic-Con 2009 have been whining over the presence of teen girls there for only one reason: the sequel to ‘Twilight’, ‘New Moon’. Well, actually it could be more for three reasons: Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, and Taylor Lautner’s abs. Some comic book fans have likely questioned whether movies like ‘Twilight’ and ‘New Moon’ should be a part of Comic-Con at all, but what fanboy in his right mind would complain about more girls being around? Of course Taylor Lautner has the ‘New Moon’ set and the ‘Team Jacob’ members all in a tizzy over his topless scene (apparently being a werewolf is the best workout around; fanboys take note), and the buzz-generating ‘New Moon’ already has big box office success written all over it.
The Hobbit movies – Will one of these two movies become the next fantasy film to win an Oscar? Peter Jackson’s ‘Return of the King’ became the first of the fantasy film genre to earn this high honor, but he won’t be returning to the director’s chair for The Hobbit movies; that job will go to director Guillermo del Toro. But before LOTR fans earn too upset, keep in mind that this is the man who directed ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ and ‘Hellboy’, so he can handle the fantasy genre quite well. It might actually be interesting to peruse a fresh take on the LOTR prequels, and I’m hoping they’ll pleasantly surprise fans of the franchise.
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus – Terry Gilliam’s movies are often unique, to say the least, and this looks like another of his movies that will take the audience on a wild bound. It’s Heath Ledger’s true last role, although he didn’t find to finish work on the film and the rest of his scenes were done by Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Collin Farrell. Having three men play the same role might seem curious, but the film is about a theater troupe that makes a deal with the devil and uses a mirror that allows audience members to travel through their imaginations, so it really could work out in this dream-like atmosphere. As if the movie didn’t seem amazing enough already, Tom Waits will be playing the devil, and the beautiful Lily Cole will be the female lead. Terry Gilliam surprised fans with a panel at Comic-Con 2009 and a few scenes from the film. As an avid fan of fantasy, this is one of the movies I’m most looking forward to; it’s just a shame Heath Ledger didn’t live to finish it and see the amazing final result.
Where the Wild Things Are - Comic-Con really isn’t a genuine place for the kiddies, with all of those skimpy and scary outfits everyone wears, but this 2009 children’s film has generated a lot buzz. The trailer for Spike Jonze’s foray into movies for kids is visually stunning, and his big furry critters are surely sights to behold. Will these monsters from the book by the same name translate into box office gold or scare the kiddies away? It’s hard to say, but this seems like one of the many movies of late that have been aimed at kids that adults can’t help but look forward to.
District 9 – The latest alien movie might not have a chance in hell at Oscar gold and might be just as immense of a let-down as ‘Cloverfield’, but it’s definitely generating buzz, and the premise has hooked me. It’s about a group of aliens (real extraterrestrials, not illegal aliens) that are hiding out in South Africa (and no, Miss South Carolina, there really aren’t aliens in South Africa). It could be interesting, or it could be terrible. I might give it a chance in the theater or wait to see it through Netflix, depending on early reviews.
Kick-Ass – It’s a comic book movie for the rest of us! Of course this movie is getting a lot of buzz at Comic-Con 2009, since it’s actually based on a comic book, but it’ll be interesting to see how it works out. The movie is about a normal teenager who decides to become a real superhero. In the comic book, Kick-Ass (which is the name of the superhero) uses Myspace to gain popularity, but no word on if the movie will try to appeal more to the modern crowd by using Facebook or Twitter instead. Nicholas Cage has a role in it, and the superhero’s costume is a little sad. Still, amusing book fans may enjoy seeing something different.
Alice in Wonderland - Tim Burton’s version of this classic tale looks amazing, based on the trailer and screenshots. In fact, I almost don’t care if there’s a plot at all. But then again, turning the looking glass on its head by making the movie take place when Alice is older will invent the movie even more enchanting. But don’t expect an Alice and Excited Hatter romance; Tim Burton laughed off this notion at Comic-Con 2009. Still, Tim Burton’s movies often have a touch of romance, so there’s still hope for the fangirls obsessed with fantasy romances!
Extract - Could Mike Judge’s new movie be the next ‘Office Space’? Mike Judge may not be dedicating himself to movies full-time, even though his series ‘King of the Hill’ has come to an end, because he’s already jumped into another animated television project with ‘The Goode Family’. Still, this might be one of those movies that becomes a cult classic. It’s kind of like ‘Office Space’ in that it focuses on a business, but this time it’s about the woes of the man in charge, the owner of an Extract plant played by Jason Bateman. He experiences exertion with his wife and employees who attempt to take advantage of him. The film also stars Mila Kunis and Ben Affleck. It could be a miss, but I’m hoping this film that’s been generating a bit of 2009 Comic-Con buzz is a grand hit.
So whether you like sci-fi, fantasy, comedy, or romance, there’s some movies on this list of those generating buzz at 2009 Comic-Con that you won’t want to miss.
SOURCES:
www.wikipedia.com
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/671960
http://www.totalfilm.com/news/comic-con-09-tim-burton-talks-alice? cid=OTC-RSS&attr=news
