Top Movies You Need to Avoid in 2017
The new year has begun and the slate of releases coming up for 2017 is looking very, very promising. Unfortunately, for every promising film, there’s bound to be a dud or two along the way. Given studio and franchise track records, previous adaptations or the directors previous work, here are 10 movies you may want to avoid in the upcoming year. I’m hoping to be pleasantly surprised by more than one of these, but as the list goes on… well, you get where I’m headed.
9) Ghost in the Shell
This has nothing to do with Scarlett Johannson being cast in the lead. In fact, I think it was a smart move to put such a recognizable face on the poster of this adaptation of the internationally acclaimed manga, especially given that she’s a cyborg and all.
Anyway, there are far more red flags to notice other than a ‘controversial’ casting. Have you ever seen a live action anime film that hasn’t been awful? At what point did this massive saga seem like a good idea for adaptation? Did the studio look at The Last Airbender and think ‘that’s what I want’? On top of the always problematic adaptation, they’ve put this project in the ‘capable’ hands of Rupert Sanders, a man best known for directing Snow White and the Huntsman.
While the trailer manages to get the visuals down and cram in some pretty great action, there’s probably a good reason that there are absolutely zero story points given away. While I could be off base on this one, everything I’ve seen so far gives me good reason to be wary.
8) Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Admittedly, this one could be awesome as it has a bunch of things going for it. Mainly, Luc Besson, the guy who did The Fifth Element, is creating another galaxy sprawling sci-fi saga. With names like Dane DeHaan, Ethan Hawke and Clive Owen on the cast and a trailer that looks to capture the sci-fi that made Luc Besson famous.
However, the other lead of the cast is Cara Delevingne and that should be enough to warn you off, but let me continue. This is another expansive series that they’re trying to turn into a franchise, so I immediately have to wonder where the source material is going to get chopped up for franchise series purposes. Additionally, the trailer is just a bunch of generic sci-fi action sequences that certainly shows the scope that Besson is trying to capture, but precious little else. Also, for every Leon or Fifth Element that Besson does, there’s a Transporter or Taken sequel to make you scratch your head.
The success of this one may depend on which Luc Besson decided to make the film and whether or not he can make everyone stomach Cara Delevingne as a lead.
Head over to the next page for more movies on our list…