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Tron: Legacy

Speaking of Jeff Bridges and returning, also in December, we have Tron: Legacy. Walt Disney Pictures is putting every ounce of marketing energy it has behind this movie, and it has worked so far. Here’s an example. This is one of my top five anticipated movies of the last three months of the year. I have never seen Tron. I know barely what the original is about, and I’m taking a wild guess that I don’t need to see it before I watch the sequel. And yet, the footage has done its job. I want to see this movie. Why? It looks cool, and the kind of cool that I can get behind. Some people - none I know, granted - think Michael Bay movies are cool. Though it’s an opinion, I would consider those people a bit too nutty for my tastes. Tron: Legacy, on the other hand, just looks cool.

The special effects, for the most part, seem seamless and eye-popping. Based on the full trailer from a few months back, the only glaring issue is…well, a potentially big one. Whatever plot the film has involves the son of Jeff Bridges’ character from the original being transported to the world of Tron and encountering someone who looks like his dad, circa 1982. The effect should be amazing, but it put me in mind of The Polar Express and Beowulf. I’ve never been one to be creeped out by this kind of effect, but in the trailer, that’s how I felt. Of course, it’s a small issue and I’m sincerely hoping that it’s not a problem. What’s more, I’m hoping the rumors of the male lead, Garret Hedlund, not being up to snuff are wrong. It’s been a few years since there was a great crowd-pleasing Christmas movie, but Tron: Legacy could very well fit the bill.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One

How could I not include this film? In the same way that its conclusion, coming in July of 2011, will be on any summer movie list, this movie has to show up on year-end excitements. If you, like me and a lot of other people, have read the final book in the series, you may be confused or baffled at how the full-length trailer almost delights in giving away a lot of the final 200 pages of the book (and for those of you who have managed to stay spoiler-free, I’d seriously suggest you avoid the trailer). Why not highlight some of the big action set pieces from the first half of the book, whether it’s an early chase on brooms or an infiltration of the Ministry of Magic? That aside, it’s hard to argue with the footage, because of how cool it looks.

As always, one of the best reasons to be excited for a Harry Potter movie is the expansive cast. Of course, the old favorites are back from the kids (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint) to the professors (Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson), and there are new actors including Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifans. Though it’s clearly being done to make money, I can’t fault Warner Bros. too much for wanting to split the final book into two movies, as there’s so much left, even if you’re not a big fan of all the fighting between Harry, Hermione, and Ron. The films are always visually exciting, and previous helmer David Yates is back for the final two films, making him the man who’s directed the most of the series. Each of the films has improved on its predecessors, to me, so I’ve got very high hopes for this one.

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