Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2012

Since this is our last year on Earth, it would only make sense that so many awesome movies would be released right before the end of days. So, in honor of the fact that we're all going to be dead by the end of the year, I have decided to compile a list of my most anticipated movies of 2012. Enjoy, before it's too late...

#10 - Prometheus

Not being a fan of the Alien film franchise, I was a bit hesitant about this movie when I first heard about it. But upon watching the trailer, hearing that its connection to the Alien series may not be as strong as I originally thought, and seeing that Michael Fassbender (AKA, the new greatest actor in the world) is in the starring role, I am now definitely looking forward to it -- even if Ridley Scott is hit-and-miss.

#9 - Gravity

Alfonso Cuaron's first directorial effort since the sci-fi masterpiece Children of Men (which I would rank as one of the top 5 greatest movies of the '00s) is a complete mystery at this point. All I know about it is it's science fiction and it stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock. Bullock, I am not a fan of, but Clooney is a great actor, and though his sci-fi outing Solaris was a massive let down, I think under the direction of someone who has already proven themselves to be quite proficient in the genre, this could wind up being a pretty great movie.

#8 - Only God Forgives

Though I never watched the Pusher trilogy, and I thought Bronson was difficult to say the least, being Refn's movie directly following Valhalla Rising and Drive, I have high expectations for this one. Paired with the fact that it seems Ryan Gosling can do no wrong, even if put in run-of-the-mill romantic comedies like Crazy Stupid Love. A great actor/director combo that's already proven to yield results. I don't want to have too high of expectations, but it's hard for me not to.

#7 - Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson, who ranks as one of my all-time favorite directors, always produces enjoyable material. My least favorite of his up to this point being Rushmore would still earn an easy 3 out of 4 from me, so even if the results aren't great, you can expect to at least be solidly entertained. With an all-star cast which includes Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Harvey Keitel, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Jason Schwartzman, Moonrise Kingdom looks to be yet another lovable indie comedy from Anderson, and I can't wait to see it.

#6 - Lincoln

More excited at the notion of Daniel Day-Lewis being in another movie than anything, Steven Spielberg's potentially great biopic of one of America's greatest presidents is a sure-fire candidate for about a million Oscars come awards season. But the awards aren't as much of a draw to me as the fact that Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the greatest actors who has ever lived, and I can't wait to see what he can do as Abraham Lincoln. The man is a chameleon and he very much looks the role, so even if the rest of the movie surrounding him isn't as fantastic as it could be, I already know he will be.

#5 - Skyfall

After the disappointing Die Another Day, I had lost a lot of faith in the James Bond franchise. Then under the direction of Martin Campbell the franchise was restored with Casino Royale, and then butchered again with Quantom Of Solace. Needless to say, James Bond has been a pretty rocky franchise, but this one may be a high point. Yes, "Skyfall" is a totally lame title for a Bond movie -- or any movie, for that matter -- but when you see the talent that's going into the production of this movie, it's hard not to have high hopes. Directed by Sam Mendes and featuring Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, and Albert Finney in his first movie for 5 years. The promise of Mendes, Finney or Bardem on their own would be enough to push me over the edge, but the combination is awe-inspiring.

#4 - Django Unchained

Being the movie buff that I am, it's hard for me not to be looking forward to the next Tarantino feature. The thought of Leonardo DiCaprio in a villainous role is very enticing, and paired with the dialogue-heavy scripts that Tarantino often produces, my anticipation for his performance grows daily. My only fear is that this movie may be a bit too much like Grindhouse or the Kill Bill movies, which were just too campy and stylized for my tastes. Still, with a great cast that also includes Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, and Samuel L. Jackson, this could very well be one of the best movies of the year. Or, at least we can hope so.

#3 - The Master

It's been five years since Paul Thomas Anderson directed There Will Be Blood, which is probably one of the greatest movies I've ever seen, and though this time he won't have Daniel Day-Lewis there to provide another masterful performance, he has found another excellent actor to fill in the lead -- Philip Seymour Hoffman. Add Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams into the mix, and you have what could very well be the best actor/director combination of the year. Due to the fact that Paul Thomas Anderson has never directed a bad movie, seeing his name attached to a movie would make it worthy of anticipation on his name alone, but Hoffman, Phoenix, and Adams joining in as the leading cast makes it hard for me to look at this as anything but a candidate for being potentially the best movie of the year.

#2 - The Dark Knight Rises

Considering how great my taste in movies is, it should be pretty obvious that I am also very much looking forward to the third and final installment in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Coming off of the awesome sci-fi action/adventure Inception, Nolan has shown that he is probably the greatest blockbuster director of this generation, and considering how great the last Batman movie was, it's not unreasonable to expect The Dark Knight Rises to be one of the coolest movies of the year. No, the villains aren't going to be as cool as in The Dark Knight (it's hard to beat Heath Ledger's Joker), but Tom Hardy should be able to fill in nicely as Bane. Regardless of specifics, we already know it's going to be awesome, it's just a matter of exactly how awesome.

#1 - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Just like any other person who doesn't take themselves too seriously, I enjoyed The Lord Of The Rings trilogy about as much as humanly possible. They were totally awesome, and the prospect of getting to see more Peter Jackson adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkein has me about as excited as you could expect. From the trailers, it looks very similar to The Fellowship Of The Ring, which is easily my favorite of the original trilogy. Also, I always personally enjoyed the story of The Hobbit more than the Lord Of The Rings, so I can't help but to expect greatness. It's been almost ten years since the last LOTR movie, and over that time I've only grown to love the experience more and more. Please don't let us down, Peter Jackson. Please...

So what are some of your most anticipated movies of the year?