Five More: Geeky Movies Coming Soon (2011)

A list of the five (or so) geeky movies I’m most looking forward to in the second half of 2011, arranged in chronological order.

 July 29
Cowboys and Aliens

I love westerns and science fiction. This is a bit of both.

I also enjoy Daniel Craig (Casino Royale), Harrison Ford (Star Wars), and have a soft spot for Jon Favreau (Swingers).

Really, what are the odds this won’t be a hit?

August 8
Rise of the Planet of the Apes

It’s a prequel to the original series. Or a reboot. Or a remake of Escape and/or Conquest.

It stars Brian Cox (X2), Tom Felton (Harry Potter), James Franco (Spider-Man), David Hewlett (Cube), John Lithgow (2010), and Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings).

It’s been a while in coming but, at last, we’re closing in.

September 2
Apollo 18

A movie about which I know only the producer, Timur Bekmambetov (who directed the excellent Wanted), the tagline (“There’s a reason we’ve never gone back to the moon.”), and very little else. Could be good, right?

Another delayed selection from earlier on.

 October 14
The Thing (2011)

I know it sounds like heresy for a geek these days to say: I prefer the Fifties’ version to the Eighties’.

As much affection as I have for John Carpenter, the original Thing from Another World was just more formative, and it’s hard to shake nostalgia’s winning hold. Maybe this companion piece will change my mind.

 December 16
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

I have my issues with the feature series, but the last instalment gave me cause to hope.

I’m slightly concerned that the trailer shows nothing of stalwart Ving Rhames (Entrapment). A great strength of the third in the series was its return to a team-based dynamic. At least we see the return of Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead).

Honourable Mention:

December 23
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

This one’s a little tricky. I’ve been a massive fan of Tintin from a very early age, and the TV show was nearly good enough.

But I’m slightly concerned about motion capture and the trailers that I’ve seen have done little to convince me otherwise.