Tinseltown’s churned out over a dozen blockbusters from Night at the Museum to Transformers to The Bourne Ultimatum, but save a couple of upcoming December films (which probably won’t be shown here this year, thank you very much Metro Manila Film Fest), moviegoers are better off checking out the new TV fall lineups (see featured reviews). So as we close the year in movies as early as October, it’s time to check out what the big oh-8 has in store.
Jumpstart January
In this installment of Flick Pick Special: 2008 Lineup, we take a look at some of the movies greeting the new year. No ought-to-go-straight-to-video tear jerkers here; it’s all-out testosterone-filled action, just the way we like it.
I Am Legend 01.01 (RP) 12.14 (US)
Cast: Will Smith
Links: official site
Details: One of two December leftovers whose release dates have been pushed back to give way to the film festival. Will Smith is the sole survivor of a viral outbreak, or so he thinks. The director says this is just loosely based on the book, so no required reading necessary for this one.
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National Treasure: Book of Secrets 01 (RP) 12.21 (US)
Cast: Nicolas Cage
Links: official site
Details: The other leftover. Maybe they should consider rescheduling these festivals to coincide with the regular Hollywood summer slump. After a John Wilkes Booth diary surfaces, Benjamin “Indiana Jones 2k” Gates tries to clear his family name by going after the nation’s book of secrets.
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Cloverfield 01.18 (US)
Cast: Michael Stahl-David
Links: official site
Details: It’s been called The Untitled J.J. Abrams Project and 1-18-08 for obvious reasons, and these actually sound better for this monster movie than the final name Cloverfield. The title or Blair Witch-esque trailers don’t shed light on what creature is tearing up NYC but people assume it’s the traditional Godzilla or King Kong. I think the Marshmallow Man would be sweeter (no pun intended).
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Rambo 01.25 (US)
Cast: who else
Links: promotion site
Details: Stallone seeks to conclude each of his franchises by omitting the number from his titles. John Rambo is at it one last time in another war-torn Asian third-world country. A pretty graphic trailer is out, and although news of this movie production have been out for quite some time the hype doesn’t seem to be apparent. Nonetheless you’ve got to give Sly the benefit of a doubt, especially after the success of Rocky Balboa. Much like Rocky Balboa, the Rambo trailer plays the same angle of highlighting Rambo’s age.
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