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Big Action Good news people: with a couple of big, explode-y exceptions, there's barely an action sequel blockbuster on the cards this year, with the studios apparently willing to take a punt on lesser known, first time ideas instead. Yes, despite received Hollywood wisdom that the only safe buck is a franchise buck, there's a whole raft of new contenders on the scene - so let's look at the films that will be shooting us in the head, running us over in a car chase or otherwise blowing us away this year…
Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2
We've waited two years for definitive proof, but come APRIL 30 Robert Downey Jr.'s status as 'coolest man alive' will be certified in Iron Man 2. Mickey Rourke (Whiplash) and Sam Rockwell (Justin Hammer) will be the primary antagonists, besides Scarlett Johansson appearing as undercover spy (and Stark's new assistant) Black Widow. It's going to be the biggest, loudest most metal-filled film of the year - especially considering that Don Cheadle's going to be War Machine. Check out the outstanding trailer here and, once you've got your breath back, start getting excited.
Based on one of the best videogame franchises of all time (in our opinion - and yes, we're ignoring Prince of Persia 3D here), produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and costing $200 m plus, you can expect the sound of clashing scimitars and the sight of a topless Jake Gyllenhall kicking off the summer blockbuster season in Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time come MAY 28. The teaser trailer looks like a lot of sand-filled fun, and with the ever-so-purty Gemma Arterton as the Prince's love interest, the men in the audience won't have to look at Jake's abs or floppy hair all the time.
Though its poster might boast the worst photoshopping since The Full Monty we've still got hope for bank heist flick Takers, due out MARCH 26. After all, it features The Wire's Idris Elba leading a pack of criminal ne'er-do-wells, and Avatar's Zoe Saldana makes an appearance, and really what more do you need?
Repo Men poster
JUNE 18 will see Repo Men and Jude Law returning to sci-fi in this story of a world where you can buy organs on credit - only Jude's character can't make the payments for his heart, forcing him to go on the run. Forest Whitaker plays his former partner and the man assigned to hunt him down. We're assured that Whitaker will be showing off the martial arts skills he displayed in Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai, which makes this a guaranteed must-watch in our books, but the trailer is also promising.
Tom Cruise? In a spy thriller? You better believe it. Released JULY 2, Knight & Day sees Mr Cruise going on a blind date with Cameron Diaz, which though a series of unbelievable circumstances has them travelling half way across the world, trusting no-one - not even each other - and probably prodding some buttock on the way. The trailer looks more comic than his Mission Impossible but more serious than her Charlie's Angels, so it'll be nice to see him crack some funnies as well as some skulls.
Circling around in development hell since the 1990s, on JULY 30The A-Team will finally see the gang back together again, even if they're in the form of Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, mixed martial arts fighter Quinton Jackson and District 9's Sharlto Copley. The Scott brothers are producing too, which can only be a good sign, Narc's Joe Carnahan is directing and we're genuinely shaking in our seats waiting for B.A. Baracus to explain that he primarily avoids taking air transport if at all possible, and that he would prefer to avoid jibber-jabber on the subject.
With the less-than-successful AvP films looming in the near past, there's a lot riding on Nimrod Antal's Predators, out sometime in JULY. A direct sequel to the 1987 classic, the lead man comes in the form of Adrien Brody, a leftfield choice and significantly skinnier figure than Dutch. But with rumours of a cameo appearance from the Governator and the promise of respect for John McTiernan's towering original, we're doubly excited about this one - a merciless killing machine and some predators? Sounds good to us.
One of Jerry Bruckheimer's other babies this year, The Sorceror's Apprentice (out AUGUST 13) has Nic Cage blasting bolts of lightning at his nemesis Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina) and teaching a young whippersnapper Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel) how to do likewise. Loosely based on Disney's Fantasia (and we mean loosely), its trailer shows off some ace CGI, and, unsurprisingly, some dancing mops.
Mickey Rourke and Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables
Sylvester Stallone. Jason "The Stath" Statham. Jet Li. Mickey Rourke. Bruce Willis. Arnold Schwarzenegger. It can only be… The Expendables, out AUGUST 20. Expect arses to be kicked, guns to be fired, punches to be thrown, a big heap of explosions and actual whooping from your fellow cinema-goers. The director-star broke his neck during filmmaking and just shrugged it off. Simply put: if you like it when things go 'ka-ba-boom' you're going to love this. If you prefer Armenian character dramas with long static shots of someone's soulful eyes, probably not so much.
On the very same day as The Expendables cinemas will also see something a little bit more sophisticated in the form of Salt, a CIA thriller involving a spy on the run Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) trying to defend her name after being accused of being a Russian spy. There's been a huge buzz about its screenplay for a good while, and Jolie was so keen to be onboard they even rewrote the script to make it a female lead after Tom Cruise passed up the role, making this a possible feminist movie of the year as well. Very high hopes for this one, no mistake.
On NOVEMBER 12, expect an Unstoppable runaway train full of toxic chemicals to blast through your cinema screens and into a lake - that is, unless veteran railroad engineer Denzel Washington and train conductor Chris Pine do something about it. We're confident that there'll be some Under Siege 2-style train-based arse kicking rather than tea being slipped and complaints about 'the wrong kind of snow on the line' - and with Tony Scott directing, things are looking promising.
Tron: Legacy
Towards the end of the year, the long-awaited sequel to the 1982 sci-fi classic has Jeff Bridges return in Tron: Legacy, out DECEMBER 26. The twist is that this time… he's the bad guy, with Garrett Hedlund playing his son, Sam, and Daft Punk doing the music. The trailer released last year looks absolutely stunning, modernised Light Bikes and all, the Comic-Con footage blew us away, and the finished article should come as a screaming delight to all those Tron fanboys out there (for example this man).
Finally, come DECEMBER 29 you'll need to grab your fedora (or other wide-brimmed hat of your choosing), put on your trench coat and stick on a tiny green mask because The Green Hornet is heading for the big screen, and he's being played by curly-haired funny man Seth Rogen. Yep, that Seth Rogen. Taiwanese singer Jay Chou is Kato, and his ace automobile 'Black Beauty' will no doubt be a mixture of CGI and a tricked out Chrysler Crown Imperial sedan. A comedy / action franchise like no other, it'll be great to see Rogen break out of his comedy shell a little bit too. And with Michel Gondry directing, you know that this won't be just another superhero movie. Bring it on!
