My 5 Most Anticipated Films of 2024

Yeah, I know. We are two months into the year already, and I am just now putting out a list of upcoming 2024 movies.

If I had put it out at the end of Dec. 2023, I probably would have had to extend the main list to seven and included Argylle and Ballerina. As it is, the former has already been released, and the latter has been re-scheduled for 2025. On the upside, I do have more up-to-date titles and release dates.

So, in order by release date (subject to change, of course), here are my most anticipated films of the year…

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Mar. 29, 2024)

There’s just something about giant apes and lizards… Seriously, though, I love these particular kaiju and their Legendary incarnations. It may seem a little hokey, but teaming them up again — this time against more apes and one especially cunning one, apparently — looks from the trailer to be a really good move.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Apr. 19, 2024)

This film, directed by Guy Ritchie, hasn’t been on my radar for long, but I’m all for it. The fact that it’s about a crazy, violent, special strike force — including Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson — pulled together for a special mission during WWII makes it all the more appealing. And it’s based (however loosely) on a real, historical team, too!

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (May 10, 2024)

These apes are smaller than in the film mentioned above, but the characters and story are very interesting for other reasons. I hope this is the beginning of another ‘Planet of the Apes’ trilogy, and that we will eventually see 20th- or 21st-century human astronauts flung into the future to encounter this ape-dominated Earth developing before our eyes.

Deadpool & Wolverine (July 26, 2024)

To be honest, I don’t care for some of Deadpool’s humor (which is typical of Ryan Reynolds), due to its often profane or vulgar nature. That aside, I do find Reynolds to be very creative and clever. The biggest draw for me, however, is the team-up with Wolverine. Gotta problem with that, bub?

Alien: Romulus (Aug. 16, 2024)

This horror/sci-fi film is co-written and directed by Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe, The Girl in the Spider’s Web). It sounds like the vibe will be similar to that of the original Alien film, though the endangered humans will be a group of “young people”. What is most encouraging to me is that Ridley Scott saw a rough cut and said, “It’s f*#%ing great!”

Since I can’t seem to limit my lists to the number I decided on, here are four more that I am also quite hopeful about:

The Fall Guy (May 3, 2024)

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (May 24, 2024)

Twisters (July 19, 2024)

Venom 3 (Nov. 8, 2024)

I notice that most of my choices are parts of franchises. (In the case of Twisters, it being only the second film, I guess this film makes the property a “franchise”. I’m not sure if The Fall Guy film is technically part of a franchise, though I did enjoy the original TV series with Lee Majors.) I guess that’s a good thing, ‘cuz it indicates that I have enjoyed previous films about the same subject, or at least in the same fictional universe.

Excuse me while I go pop some popcorn (extra butter)…

Review of Reacher, Season 2

“You do not mess with the Special Investigators!” — unofficial motto of the Army’s 110th Special Investigations Unit (under command of Maj. Jack Reacher)

As with my review of Season 1,…

*** THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW! THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW! ***

(Well, maybe just a couple of minor things might be mentioned, but nothing that would spoil the viewing.)

I have mentioned in a previous post or two that I prefer to read book series in order, as I do watching seasons of a TV series. It just makes sense. This is why I was one of those fans who hoped the “Reacher” series would adapt each book in order, while accepting that they might want to skip one or two here or there. The fact that season 1 was an adaptation of Killing Floor, i.e., Reacher book #1, boded well. I seem to remember star Alan Ritchson saying or implying that this was the plan. Unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to be the case, since Season 2 of the show was based on the 11th book in the series (Bad Luck and Trouble), and Season 3 will be based on the 7th book (Persuader).

I have only just begun reading book #10 (The Hard Way), so I cannot comment on how closely the plot and characters in Season 2 stuck to the novel version. (However, I am aware that the book version takes place in Los Angeles, whereas the TV show places most of the action in New York City, which also means that a different police department will be involved.)

In Season 1, I recognized Malcolm Goodwin (‘Det. Finlay’) from “Breakout Kings”, among other things. In case you’re unfamiliar, that was a short-lived show about a small group of convicts working with a beleaguered U.S. Marshal on a special task force. This season of “Reacher” includes two more people who worked on that earlier show — Serinda Swan (‘Dixon’) and Domenick Lombardozzi (‘Det. Russo’). I checked, and the common denominator is writer/producer Nick Santora. If the pattern continues, I hope to see Laz Alonso, Brooke Nevin, and Jimmi Simpson in future seasons of “Reacher”. Santora also produced “Scorpion” (which co-starred Robert Patrick, who plays bad guy ‘Langston’ in “Reacher” Season 2) and “Prison Break”, both shows I watched and enjoyed, so maybe we’ll see some actors from those shows, too.

Assuming the new characters were faithful to the book, then I think the actors who played them did a decent job overall. On the one hand it was great getting to see flashbacks of the 110th, so the audience could see them bonding and working together. It made the deaths of some of them hit harder. And it was good to see some of them working together again X years later, watching each others’ backs, etc. On the other hand, it seemed a bit strange to see Reacher intentionally working and hanging out with so many people, let alone getting teased by them, both then and now.

As before, there were some pretty good — not to mention, brutal — fight scenes this season, both with guns and unarmed. I noticed some bad choreography (e.g., widely telegraphed punches) in at least one, but I don’t want to ruin it for you. There was a fight scene in episode 6 that I found unsatisfying, as well.

Flashback photo of the 110th Special Investigations Unit

The running joke is that Reacher travels with only a toothbrush and the clothes on his back… and a wad of money in his pocket. But, it’s established in the first episode or two that he has an ATM and a passport, too. It makes sense, since he a) occasionally needs to get cash and b) might need to travel internationally. (For example, I remember him traveling to France in one novel.) In fact, since he doesn’t have any other form of ID on him, he probably needs to use the passport to travel domestically, too, as he does when Neagley (Maria Sten) buys him a plane ticket to NYC.

A few more observations and brief commentary…

1) Reacher seems more socially awkward in the show than I remember him being in the books. Quiet, yes, but not so awkward.

2) The scenes in the diner served their purpose, but a couple things were kinda stupid (e.g., brad vs. fastener). Unless, of course, they were to remind the audience that Reacher actually enjoys these guys’ company, and the arguing/ribbing is all part of it. Another side of Reacher, I guess. (See my earlier comment.)

3) Reacher and the rest of the 110th seem somewhat careless when it comes to leaving their own footprints, fingerprints, and possibly DNA at scenes of their fights, even when dead bodies are left behind.

4) I find myself rather conflicted about the necessity(?) of Reacher’s scenes (however brief) of, er, physical intimacy.

5) I like Reacher’s methods of “gun shopping”.

6) Time for some “cowboy $#!+”…

7) Russo will never know how close he came to getting the crap beat out of him by Reacher.

8) I appreciated the surprise cameo by… whoops, can’t tell ya. No spoilers, remember!

9) I was surprised at how well Reacher got along with O’Donnell (Shaun Sipos), who is easily the most annoying (and somewhat unscrupulous) of his old crew.

10) That ‘A.M.’ guy (played by Ferdinand Kingsley, son of Sir Ben Kingsley) is a calm, cool killer. Scary dude without a conscience! Same could be said for Langston, I suppose, but he mostly lets his men do the dirty work.

11) Without going into specifics, there were a few times when a character did or said something foolish or should have realized not to do X, or no way they should have gotten away with Y, etc. Annoying! Makes me wonder if those incidents were actually in the novel.

12) Why was there no one else in the vicinity of that operating room where Neagley had the fight in the hospital? Was there supposed to be a fully-stocked O.R. in an abandoned (or otherwise unfinished) hospital wing?

13) Dealing with the two main villains at the end didn’t take as long as I anticipated. But, that left time for Reacher et al. to tie up loose ends (in a good way) and say their good-byes.

14) Great, funny moment between Reacher and Dixon at the end. Nice convo with Neagley, too. I really like their friendship.

To be honest, I didn’t feel that this season was quite as satisfying as the first. But, it was still entertaining and had a lot of good moments — action, drama, and fun/humor. The good definitely outweighed the bad/disappointing for me. So, maybe I’ll give it… 1 1/2 thumbs up! 🙂

Review of Reacher, Season 1

*** THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW! THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW! ***

(Except maybe for confirming that a couple characters are bad, but that becomes apparent rather soon.)

I will begin by saying what probably every other Reacher fan has said: “Alan Ritchson as ‘Reacher’ is a massive improvement over Tom Cruise.” Thank the “casting gods” that Ritchson was available, enthusiastic, and willing to add another 30 lbs. of muscle to his already impressive frame in a short amount of time. (All with no steroids or other illegal substances!) True, he is not 6’5″ or 250+ lbs. But, all things considered, Ritchson’s 6’3″ and 235 lbs. of muscle — plus decent acting ability — is as close as we are likely to get. He is also more handsome and his muscles more defined than the book ‘Reacher’, but I guess we can forgive him for that. 🙂

This Reacher is more vocal than the characteristically silent character in the books — not a lot, but a bit. I suspect this was done to make him a little more likable for TV audiences that didn’t already like him from the books. (I have been reminded that he was indeed more vocal, even sang, in the first book.) In particular, I suspect that some of his normally internal dialogue, such as when sizing up opponents before a fight and deciding how to act/attack, was made external for the benefit of the viewers. After all, the book was told in the first person. A separate narration of sorts — i.e., Reacher’s voice talking to the audience — would have been another option but perhaps not as effective.

His fighting is fairly true to the books, i.e., fast and brutally efficient. It was a little inconsistent at times, though. Seemed like some of the guys he fought gave him way more trouble than they should have and that a couple of the fights lasted a bit longer than they should have. (Unfortunately, I didn’t jot down any notes about this, so I can’t point to any particular fight or even episode.)

Unfortunately, it has been too long since I read The Killing Floor, so a lot of the details are sketchy in my mind. Therefore, I won’t say too much about faithfulness to the original plot, ‘cuz I’m not sure. But, as far as the broad strokes, it was certainly recognizable. I thought the pacing was (not perfect but) pretty good, too, which is often a problem in adapting written works for the screen. (Kudos to Nick Santora.)

Goodwin, Fitzgerald, Webster

There were three or four scenes that involved a bit of nudity, which could have been done without. (On the other hand, if it was in the book…) Hopefully, minors aren’t watching this show anyway, due to the violence and occasional profanity. But, ya can’t be sure these days. I also found it a little annoying that certain other characters kept remarking on how Reacher was “Sasquatch” or a “giant” or some such thing. (I’m guessing this was done to reinforce in our minds how big Reacher was supposed to be, even though seeing him next to other people showed that he wasn’t quite that big.) I appreciated the use of flashbacks (pulled from later books) that gave a bit of insight into what made Reacher the man he is. But, when his mother tells slender, mid-teenage Reacher “you have the strength of 3 boys your age,” I just had to roll my eyes.

Semi-random thought: Not enough coffee!

Other than that, I have no real complaints about the plot or writing. Characterizations were believable and, for the most part, accurate. There was some good verbal sparring, both serious and humorous, between characters. Bad guys, though leaning to certain stereotypes, were definitely bad… and ruthless. They did very bad things and got their just desserts. (And I’m not talking about the peach pie.) Good guys (i.e., the real good guys, which were few) were flawed but relatable — more in some ways than others — and came through in the end.

Speaking of good guys and bad guys, I thought everyone was well-cast for their respective parts. I enjoyed Malcolm Goodwin (‘Finlay’) in this role (as in others), and Willa Fitzgerald (‘Roscoe’) was a feisty delight. The fact that they are both on the short side helped to sell the idea that ‘Reacher’ was very big. (So did upward camera angles.) I prefer to see Bruce McGill as a good guy, but he played ‘Teale’ to a ‘T’. Currie Graham was his smug, arrogant best as ‘Kliner Sr.’. I am not familiar with Chris Webster, but his performance as ‘KJ’ made me hate him… and that’s a good thing. Supporting characters played by the likes of Kristin Kreuk (‘Charlie’), Marc Bendavid (‘Hubble’), Maria Sten (‘Neagley’, who was pulled in from later books), Willie C. Carpenter (‘Mosley’), Harvey Guillén (‘Jasper’), et al., did fine jobs, too.

This was a very enjoyable and chiefly faithful adaptation of Lee Child’s first Jack Reacher novel, with the added advantage of making sure the TV ‘Reacher’ adheres more closely to the version solidified in Child’s later novels. I’m so glad it finally got made, and I’m looking forward to subsequent seasons. Two thumbs up! 😉

Progress on ‘Jack Reacher’ TV Series

“It’s a big character and a huge property, so it’s not lost on me, what it is. I’m thrilled.” — Alan Ritchson

Alan Ritchson

Nearly two years ago, I wrote about Amazon Prime’s newly-announced TV series about the “Jack Reacher” novel character created by Lee Child. (See that post for more about who’s producing.) And, a few months ago, it was finally announced who would be playing the big guy… Alan Ritchson.

If Ritchson isn’t a familiar name, that’s understandable, though he has been in a number of genre productions — e.g., “Smallville”, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & a sequel, “Blood Drive”, “Titans”. (I fan-cast him for Captain America some time ago.) He also isn’t 6’5″, 250+ lbs, like Reacher is in the books. BUT, he’s a heckuva better choice than Tom Cruise was, I gotta say. He realized that he didn’t have quite the physical presence everyone would prefer to see, so he didn’t think he’d get the job, despite a good audition. But, there were some behind-the-scenes changes, they asked him back, and they eventually offered him the part.

“I was overwhelmed when I found out that it had gone my way. It had been months of pursuing it and campaigning and just continuing to fight the fight….

I’ve really fallen in love. I’ve read the books now and Reacher has some big shoes to fill, metaphorically speaking. I’m just so thrilled to be a part of it. It’s my favorite character that I’ve played yet….

I don’t know how much I can say. I’ll say that we’re gonna be doing a book a season, so the first season will be the first book. I think that’s such a great way to do this. I can see why it’d be exciting as a film, but the slow burn is what I love so much about the books.”

I really appreciate Ritchson’s enthusiasm, and it sounds to me like they’re taking the right approach to adapting the source material, too. As for casting Ritchson,…

Given my own attempt at fan-casting the Reacher role, I realize how hard it is to find a good match, and I think Ritchson is a good compromise. He is 36-years-old, 6’2″ and has an athletic build (as required for other roles). If anything, he may need to put on a few well-placed pounds (‘cuz he is lean w/ well-defined muscles) and try not to be quite so handsome. 🙂 He has played “strong & silent” before, and as indicated earlier he’s no stranger to action roles. I can see him playing the coffee-guzzling military-cop-turned-nomad.

Webster, Goodwin, Fitzgerald

Not long after the interview with Ritchson in March, we started getting announcements for other characters cast for the show — for the first season, at least. Malcolm Goodwin (American Gangster, “Breakout Kings”, “iZombie”) will play Chief Detective — or, is it ‘Captain’? — Oscar Finlay, “a Harvard-educated police detective who recently relocated to the small town of Margrave, Ga. to take a job at the local cop shop.”

Willa Fitzgerald (“Scream: The TV Series”, “Dare Me”) takes the role of “Roscoe Conklin, a Margrave-born and -raised police officer who is described as ‘resilient’ and ‘intimidated by nothing and no one.'”

Mostly recently, Chris Webster (“TURN: Washington’s Spies”, “Most Dangerous Game”) was announced to be playing KJ, “the spoiled son of businessman and town benefactor Kliner. KJ thinks the town and townspeople, especially Roscoe, belong to him.”

“Reacher” does not yet have a release date. But, I, for one, am really looking forward to it.

Fan-Cast: Captain America

“I fought your kind every day of that war, Zemo! You mocked democracy and said that free men were weak! Well feel this grip, Zemo. It’s the grip of a man who loves liberty! Look into the eyes of your foe, and know that he will die for his freedom! The world must never again mistake compassion for weakness! And while I live, it had better not!” — Captain America, Avengers, vol. 1, #6

Evans as Rogers/Cap

When the fourth Avengers movie comes out next year (2019), Chris Evans will be almost 38, and it will be his 10th film overall (including brief cameos) portraying the Sentinel of Liberty, Captain America. If you ask me, he could play the character for a few more years, but he might be getting a little tired of it, wanting more time to branch out into other roles. At the moment, Evans doesn’t have any other movies scheduled in which he plays Cap, and he confirmed this past March that Avengers 4 will be his last time as the Shield-Slinger. Rumor has it that Steve Rogers will die, and another hero will put on the flag costume and grab the shield — probably either Bucky Barnes (aka Winter Soldier) or Sam Wilson (aka Falcon), both of whom have taken on the mantle in the comics.

But, what if Marvel/Disney decided to go another way? What if they re-cast the Steve Rogers role, perhaps by bringing in a version from an alternate timeline? Or, they fake his death, only to bring him back after a little plastic surgery? (Hey! It could happen…) Don’t like those options? OK, let’s pretend we are in an alternate universe in which they are only now getting around to planning the MCU, and they’ve decided to start with Captain America, the First Avenger, instead of Iron Man or Hulk. Who should we cast? Hmmm…

Captain America

First, allow me to give a brief “origin story” / history / profile of the character from the comics….

Steve Rogers was a rather skinny, even frail, young man with a strong sense of honor and duty. He wanted desperately to help fight America’s enemies in World War II, but his slight physique kept him from meeting the physical requirements to join the Army. He was recruited by General Chester Phillips to participate in Dr. Abraham Erskine’s “Operation Rebirth”, a top-secret performance-enhancing experiment. With a combination of Super Soldier Serum and vita-rays, Rogers was transformed into a robust figure at the peak of human strength, speed, and agility. After combat training, Rogers was given a red-white-and-blue costume and similarly painted steel shield, then sent overseas. Later, his “uniform” was updated, and he was given his famously indestructible, disc-shaped shield of vibranium-steel alloy, designed by Dr. Myron MacLain.

Rogers went on several missions over the next few years, some solo, some with his partner (teenage Bucky Barnes) and/or a squad of soldiers. He also occasionally fought alongside other costumed heroes of the era (e.g., the Invaders). He became quite a hero and symbol for America and her Allies, fighting Nazis and other fascists, imperialists, and even a time-traveling Dr. Doom. Then, when he and Bucky were battling Baron Zemo in April 1945, an exploding plane apparently killed Bucky and cast Cap’s unconscious body into icy waters. His body was never recovered and he was presumed dead. That is, until decades later, when his frozen body was discovered in suspended animation in a block of ice. He was recovered by the Avengers, whose ranks he soon joined.

Over the following couple decades (longer in real-time, of course), Rogers fought innumerable fascists, communists, anti-nationalists, eco-terrorists, alien invaders, ninjas, evil secret societies, street gangs, fanatical militias, criminal organizations, supervillains of various types, demons, gods and demi-gods, etc. On occasion, he even mixed it up with a few superheroes and vigilantes. His personal rogues’ gallery would likely be topped by the Red Skull, Baron Zemo (both of them), and Hydra.

While Captain America has befriended many superheroes, including working with a few official junior partners (i.e., Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson / Falcon, Rick Jones), he is best known for his membership in the Avengers. His inspiring presence and leadership abilities made him a natural leader of the team, whether on or off the battlefield, and he served in that role — off and on — for many years. There were times when he temporarily left the team, by choice or otherwise, but he eventually ended up back with them in some capacity. Rogers even spent brief periods using different noms de guerre — e.g., Nomad, the Captain — and a few civilian aliases. But, as Captain America, not only did Rogers become a prominent modern-day hero and the heart & soul of the Avengers, he also grew his Living Legend status as an icon and defender of liberty, justice, American ideals and patriotism.

Except for those storylines where he temporarily mutated or significantly aged, Steve Rogers has always been a handsome, square-jawed, white guy with blonde hair. Thanks to the experiment that gave him his enhanced abilities and an intensive exercise regimen, Rogers is quite muscular and athletic. More recent events would, I think, put him at roughly early- to mid-40s (ignoring the 60-70 years in suspended animation, of course), but he was born in 1920 and would have been in his early-20s when he was subjected to Dr. Erskine’s procedure. The Cap that emerged from the ice would’ve been roughly 25. Marvel’s wiki lists him at 6’2″, 220 lbs, and “a ‘perfect’ specimen of human development and conditioning.” (I would like to see someone cast who is between 6′ and 6’5″, with a physique that is believable for a near-superhuman with the martial and acrobatic training Cap has had.) As for personality, Rogers is kind, selfless, even-tempered, loyal, brave, very confident, but without the arrogance someone of his abilities and accomplishments might be expected to have. He is mostly serious, especially during a mission, but can relax and joke around a bit during down-time. Sometimes… maybe.

If the powers-that-be wanted (for whatever reason) to cast a 40-ish Steve Rogers, then I suggest one of the following: Ryan McPartlin (6’4.5″,b.1975), Johann Urb (6’4″,b.1977), Justin Hartley (6’2.5″,b.1977), or Trevor Donovan (6’2″,b.1978). They all meet the physical requirements. McPartlin played ‘Captain Awesome’ (just a nickname) on “Chuck”, Urb played ‘Vigilante’ on “Arrow”, Hartley has played both ‘Aquaman’ (sort of) and ‘Green Arrow’. Donovan hasn’t played a superhero, yet, but he’s quite young-looking and could play a 30-something character. On the other hand, if they wanted someone closer to Chris Evans’ age (b.1981), here are four more great choices: Dylan Bruce (5’11.5″,b.1980), Luke Macfarlane (6’2″,b.1980), Philip Winchester (6’1″,b.1981), or Travis Van Winkle (6′,b.1982). You may remember Bruce from shows like “Arrow” and “Orphan Black”; Macfarlane plays the older Jaqobis brother on “Killjoys”, though he has appeared in “Supergirl”, too; Winchester has been in “Strike Back” and “Fringe”, among others; Van Winkle currently co-stars in “The Last Ship”. Again, they’re all very physical actors, but Van Winkle would probably need to bulk up more than the others.

My preference is to go a bit younger. I considered both Chris Zylka (6′,b.1985) and Luke Bracey (6′,b.1989) but ultimately rejected them in favor of the following three gentlemen:

Alan Ritchson

My favorite candidate is Alan Ritchson (6’2″,b.1984), who I have had in mind for the role for several years — probably since I first saw him as Arthur Curry / ‘Aquaman’ on “Smallville”. Genre fans might remember him as ‘Gloss’ on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and he also played ‘Raphael’ in the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films. Ritchson was in Lazer Team and made appearances on “CSI: Miami”, “Hawaii Five-O”, and “Black Mirror”. He was a regular as a cop on “Blood Drive”, and he will be portraying ‘Hawk’ in the “Titans” series premiering later this year. He has the perfect look and build for Steve Rogers, and he even has prior (and upcoming) experience playing costumed adventurers. This guy would make an awesome Captain America!

Greg Finley on ‘The Flash’

Greg Finley (6′,b.1984) is a lesser-known actor, but he has been in a few genre productions. For example, he appeared in Hypothermia, “Star-Crossed”, “The Flash” (as ‘Gridiron’), and “iZombie”, as well as episodes of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “CSI”. In that last one, he played an amateur — and non-powered, of course — costumed vigilante. (One of a small group, actually.) Thus, he was credited as ‘Male Superhero’. Finley is obviously a beefy, good-looking guy, and he might actually be a surprisingly good Captain America.

Armie Hammer

Probably the biggest name — not to mention, tallest actor — among my candidates is Armie Hammer (6’5″,b.1986), who teamed up with Henry Cavill (aka Superman) in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. not long ago. He has also appeared in J. Edgar, Mirror Mirror, The Lone Ranger (as the title character), Free Fire, Mine, and Sorry to Bother You. He also provided the voice of ‘Strong Arm’ in Stan Lee’s Mighty 7. Assuming he bulks up sufficiently for the role (as the other two would, I’m sure), I think Hammer could really make a great Steve Rogers and his alter-ego, too!

 

In addition to acting talent and an appropriate physique, the best choice would have a good measure of charisma and likability, as well. So, who do you think would be the best pick?

Happy Independence Day, y’all!

* All ideas copyright Christopher Harris, 2013-2018.