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2007 wasn’t the greatest of years for movies but 2008 really could be a total cracker. Here is a breakdown of the top ten films i’m looking forward to seeing this year.

10. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (imdb)
Release Date: July 11, 2008
Talent: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Guillermo Del Toro
Synopsis: The mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth, so Hellboy and his team must save the world from the rebellious creatures.
The Buzz: This time around, Hellboy gets bigger and badder thanks to it’s director’s much-inflated profile. Universal has given Guillermo Del Toro a major green light to make a visual spectacle unlike any other — all he has to do is deliver as he always does.

9. The Incredible Hulk (imdb)
Release Date: June 13, 2008
Talent: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, Louis Leterrier (Director)
Synopsis: Depicting the events after the Gamma Bomb. ‘The Incredible Hulk’ tells the story of Dr Bruce Banner, who seeks a cure to his unique condition, which causes him to turn into a giant green monster under emotional stress. Whilst on the run from military which seeks his capture, Banner comes close to a cure. But all is lost when a new creature emerges; The Abomination.
The Buzz: Not much has been released about this new Hulk.

8. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince c(imdb)
Release Date: May 16, 2008
Talent: Liam Neeson, Ben Barnes, Andrew Adamson (Director)
Synopsis: “Prince Caspian” finds the Pevensie siblings pulled back into the land of Narnia, where a thousand years have passed since they left. The children are once again enlisted to join the colorful creatures of Narnia in combating an evil villain who prevents the rightful Prince from ruling the land.
The Buzz: The Pevensie kids are going back to Narnia, and it would appear that we are all going with them. Fans of the first film (of which there are many) are getting very excited about this one. Those of us who were bored with the first one, myself included, can take refuge in the fact that the first trailer for Prince Caspian has tons of action.

7. Star Trek (imdb)
Release Date: December 25, 2008
Talent: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, J.J. Abrams (Director)
Synopsis: A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members.
The Buzz: J.J. Abrams has practically an entire year to make sure that his installment is up to par, as he would be an idiot to disappoint the throngs of Trekkies that will be putting his film under a microscope. And while they may be harsh, they should also be a very excited bunch — as there hasn’t been much in the way of a good Trek film since — ever.

6. Wall-E (imdb)
Release Date: June 27, 2008
Talent: Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin, Andrew Stanton (Director)
Synopsis: The year is 2700. WALL*E, a robot, spends every day doing what he was made for. But soon, he will discover what he was meant for.
The Buzz: While Wall-E is significantly more soft-spoken than any past Pixar character (except Luxo the lamp, that is), we have no doubts that audiences will have no trouble falling head over heels for the little guy — it’s something in his eyes. Andrew Stanton and the crew at Pixar have failed to disappoint us up to now, with plenty of great films under there belt — we see no reason why they would start here.

5. Cloverfield (imdb)
Release Date: January 18, 2008
Talent: Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Lizzy Caplan, Matt Reeves (Director)
Synopsis: Revolves around a monster attack in New York as told from the point of view of a small group of people.
The Buzz: There are some that have had this marked on their calendar since the mysterious first teaser trailer ran in front of Transformers last summer. Basically, we are all waiting to see the monster that pretty much eats New York City. On 1-18-08, the lines will surely be long — so get to the theater early.

4. Iron Man (imdb)
Release Date: May 2, 2008
Talent: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon Favreau (Director)
Synopsis: When Tony Stark is forced to create a life support suit to keep him alive after an accident he decides to use the technology in his suit to fight crime.
The Buzz: Did you see the trailer? How much more do you need to see to be excited for Iron Man? Downey Jr. is perfectly cast as Tony Stark and Director Jon Favreau has every fan of the Marvel universe believing. This will be the first big blockbuster of what could be the most exciting summer movie season ever.

3. Zack and Miri Make a Porno (imdb)
Release Date: 2008
Talent: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith (Director)
Synopsis: Lifelong platonic friends Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Banks) look to solve their respective cashflow problems by making an adult film together. As the cameras roll, however, the duo begin to sense that they may have more feelings for each other than they previously thought.
The Buzz: You didn’t think that this list would be all summer blockbusters did you? Zack and Miri will combine two of the most beloved comedic minds in all of Hollywood, director Kevin Smith and actor Seth Rogen, to make a movie about two people who want to start a porn company. And it stars the always gorgeous Elizabeth Banks. If you need to read that again to allow it to really sink in, we can wait.

2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (imdb)
Release Date: May 22, 2008
Talent: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Steven Spielberg (Director), George Lucas (Writer)
Synopsis: Not Available.
The Buzz: They might as well have titled this film Indiana Jones and the Return to the Bank, as it is going to seriously pad the LucasFilm bankroll. Steven Spielberg brings back his trusted old adopted son (Harrison Ford) and throws him back in the Indy costume alongside his new adopted son (Shia LaBeouf) for what can only be described as a wild ride — and we don’t even know what the film is about yet.

1. The Dark Knight (imdb)
Release Date: July 18, 2008
Talent: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Christopher Nolan (Director)
Synopsis: Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker.
The Buzz: Part of it may be the fanboy inside of me, the other part might be the brilliant web of viral marketing being spun by the folks at Warner Brothers, but there is 2008 release that can get here any sooner than The Dark Knight. Christian Bale is back and as badass as ever in the (nippleless) batsuit and Heath Ledger is slowly transforming into the Joker that we never knew he could be. Mark my words, The Dark Knight is going to rule the summer box office.

(4 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)

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