Upcoming Movies in 2012

*Originally published on 3/25/12



Cinema is a mixed bag. Some years see amazing releases, while others seem to see nothing but duds. Luckily, this year seems to be falling into the category of the prior. With such well-received hits as The Grey and Chronicle under its belt, 2012 is off to a roaring start and that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty of movies to get excited about this year.

The Hunger Games releases March 23, 2012

With the Harry Potter film series having reached their conclusion and the Twilight movies wrapping up in the near future, this aims to be the next young adult literature inspired series of blockbusters.

I'm unfamiliar with the series myself, but it has become rather popular by readers of all ages. It takes place in an apocalyptic future and centers around a girl who volunteers to participate in a televised tournament where the contestants (all teenagers) fight to the death.

It's managed to develop quite a bit of buzz and is highly anticipated by film goers worldwide.


The Avengers releases May 4, 2012

Since 2008, Marvel has been building up a cohesive universe on film that mirrors the one seen in comics. All of the films released under the Marvel Studios banner have taken place in the same continuity and have been building up to this team up.

Marvel heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Captain America all join forces to save the world from a threat unlike anything they have ever seen before.

It's the sort of movie comic book fans could only dream about and now it's been made into reality. With all the hype behind it, this is sure to be one of the year's biggest moneymakers.

The Dark Knight Rises releases July 20, 2012

Christopher Nolan follows up the mega-blockbuster that was The Dark Knight with this final entry in his Batman saga.

Taking place eight years after the previous film, this entry sees Bruce Wayne once again take up the mantle when a terrorist named Bane threatens the city, as well as a thief known as Catwoman.

This acts as an interesting counter-balance to The Avengers. Not just because one is DC and one is Marvel, but because the tones are so drastically different. One embraces its comic book roots and goes for something bright, colorful, and fun, while the other takes on a more somber and serious tone.


While the hype behind this entry is nowhere near the levels of its predecessor, it too is sure to rake in big bucks at the box office and still stands as one of the more anticipated movies of the year.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to new movies slated to come out this year. There's a lot to talk about so, rest assured, we aren't done quite yet.

There are quite a few movies set to release this year, so let's keep the momentum going and look at another batch of features that are up ahead.

The Amazing Spider-Man releases July 3, 2012

Rounding out the trio of comic book based superhero films set to release this year, we have The Amazing Spider-Man. This film has no ties to Sam Raimi's popular series of movies and aims to reboot the franchise.

Sadly, this will, once again, cover Spider-Man's origins, which, many fear will lead to it being a rehash of the first Spider-Man film.

The trailer did make it look like this story will follow its own path, so it may surprise people. In addition to Peter acquiring his powers and becoming the titular super-hero, this film puts focus on Peter uncovering secrets that his parents hid from him.

We also have Mary Jane being replaced as a love interest by Gwen Stacy and rather than battle the Green Goblin as he did in the first film, Spider-Man will battle the monstrous creature known as The Lizard.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted releases June 8, 2012

Honestly, I enjoyed the first movie. I thought it was silly and fun. It entertained me. I didn't see the second one, but I didn't hear good things.

Even if the original sequel was good, I have to admit, three movies based around this franchise is pushing it just a tad.

This time around, the animal crew will be joining a circus in order to get back home. The series regulars all return and the all star voice cast is built up on as both Martin Short and John DiMaggio are added in to the mix. This new film will also feature a host of new animal characters to add in some new flavor to the franchise.

American Reunion releases April 6, 2012

So, apparently, this is a thing. I didn't even know about it until browsing the internet just now looking for another release to fill this final slot.

Apparently, American Wedding and all of those direct to video movies weren't enough to keep this franchise down. To this entry's credit, it does reunite all the characters from the original, showing a chance that it may be attempting to go back to its roots.

This entry will see Jim, Oz, Finch, and the rest of the gang get together for their 10 year reunion. Wacky antics are sure to ensue, but one has to wonder if there's any flavor to be mined from this particular pie.

Sadly, this batch wasn't as exciting as the previous one, though I am sort of looking forward to Spidey's new flick. While these don't have the hype that the others do, they may still surprise us upon release. We'll just have to wait and find out.