When I wrote my list for 2021 last December we were facing a much different environment. Movies changed their release dates or switched to streaming so often that I had no idea how many (if any) of the movies on my list would even make it to movie theaters at all. As it turned out, 9 of the 10 DID make it to theaters and so the only returning member on this list is Mission Impossible 7. Covid still exists and continues to affect our lives but even in the midst of variants and other threats, I'm hopeful that we will continue to get back to a world where the only reason a movie doesn't come out is because it turned out so badly that the movie studio tried to forget it existed.
Did the movies actually come back? I only took a break from the movie theater from March 2020 to September 2020 when they were closed and I didn't want them to report me for breaking inside so for me, the movies never really left. I will say that even though I've been thankful to be able to continue seeing movies in the theater, there were two experiences that made me feel like I had taken a time machine to the simple non-Covid days back in 2019: Dune and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Both featured plenty of clapping, responding to surprises in the screen and most importantly, full movie theaters.
There were many who thought that Covid would increase the switch from "going to the movies" to streaming them in your basement. That may still be the case. There is, however, no substitute to seeing a movie in a crowded theater full of strangers responding to the screen. Sure, are there times that I wish people next to me would stop talking but as the poet Linkin Park once said "You don't know what you've got until it's gone."
However long we have movie theaters, I will always be thankful for that unique communal experience of laughing and reacting with strangers.
Now onto this year's list:
1. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 6)
The main feeling for me after watching Spider-man was "What comes next?" and so that's why Doctor Strange gets the top spot on my list. Through Wandavision, Loki and Spider-man, Marvel has been building the direction of their post-Endgame direction and it seems like the multiverse will come to a head in an intriguing way in this movie.
2. Mission Impossible 7 (September 30)
This is one of the last movies that has been suffering continued delays due to Covid and it was a high-ranking movie on my list last year and it's still one I'm really looking forward to. Tom Cruise might be a crazy person but he makes great spy movies.
3. Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8)
This one probably deserves to top this list and only doesn't because of the strength of Doctor Strange and Mission Impossible. You've got a great director (Taika Waititi), it's got Thor, the Guardians of the Galaxy and Christian Bale. If I had to guess one movie on the list that I'll see more than once, it'd be this one.
4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (November 11)
Chadwick Boseman made the character of T'Challa/Black Panther something special. His passing is a blow to any follow up and the only reason I have confidence in it is that the original's director Ryan Coogler wrote and directed this movie with the purpose of honoring Boseman's legacy.
5. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (April 15)
Are the Fantastic Beasts movies as good as the Harry Potter movies that preceded them? No. Is it still fun to revisit the "Wizarding World"? Most definitely. The movies are strongest when they don't rely on nostalgia but I also understand that nostalgia sells tickets. Mads Mikkelsen replaces Johnny Depp as Grindelwald and Mikkelsen is great in whatever he shows up in (ex: Casino Royale, Rogue One) and I'm sure he'll elevate the role even further.
6. Avatar 2 (December 16)
A long time ago, in a movie theater far far away the first Avatar movie came out. Was the plot roughly the same as Pocahontas or FernGully? Sure. On the plus side, was it like an amusement park level attraction when seeing the movie in 3D? Absolutely. Director James Cameron is dedicated like George Lucas before him to pushing the limits of special effects in movies and so even if they decide to copy The Lion King this time, it'll still be a fun trip to the movies.
7. Jurassic World: Dominion (June 10)
I loved the original Jurassic Park movies. I think I've seen the original over 50 times at least. I still remember where I was when I saw the poster for Jurassic Park III, a movie that middle-school aged me didn't know was even coming out at the time. That being said, I'm not sure I could tell you what the plot of the first two Jurassic World movies was besides that I know Chris Pratt and Bryce Howard show up and run from dinosaurs. I'm not sure I'll remember the plot of this one either but it's the perfect "popcorn movie" to see during the summer.
8. Downton Abbey: A New Era (March 18)
I have no shame in admitting that I am a huge Downton Abbey fan. The show deals with things that don't seem like they should actually matter to someone who isn't a wealthy British person in the early 20th century but somehow they make you care about things like who is inheriting the house or what fork is used with the salad. The first movie felt like an extra long episode but I don't think that's a bad thing, if it isn't broke don't fix it! I'll be grabbing some tea and scones and seeing this as well.
9. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Part One (October 7)
I enjoyed the original movie even though I felt like I was betraying Tom Holland's Spider-man series by watching it. The animation style takes a bit to get used to (I must not be cool enough to appreciate it) but the story of the first one ended up being really interesting. There's so much than they can do with a Miles Morales Spider-man that they can't do with the main Spider-man series or live action in general. It might not be MCU but it still is a lot of fun.
10. Lightyear (June 17)
Finally, a movie I can't believe made it on this list. When Pixar announced that they were making a movie about the "real" Buzz Lightyear, I couldn't believe it wasn't something from The Onion or the Babylon Bee. When the trailer came out, however, I was hooked. This looks like a fun animated science fiction movie that wouldn't need to be connected to Buzz Lightyear to be good but will probably make a lot more money since it is. I don't really understand the internet outrage over Tim Allen not voicing the character since this isn't about the toy but the "real" Buzz but I do hope that Michigan's most famous tourist voice still makes a cameo appearance at some point.
