One email that I always look forward to at the beginning of the year is the email from Disney showcasing the movies that they have coming out in the year. Yes, this year is going to be a fantastic year if you are a fan of Marvel, but there are a few old favorites coming back to grace the big screen and entertain you and your family. Let’s begin, shall we?
BLACK PANTHER – February 16
Since the rumor of him appearing in Captain America: Civil War, I was excited to see T’challa on the big screen. When he did appear, he did not disappoint. His scenes were incredible and it was great to see a new face amongst the heroes we have all grown to love that could handle himself and play with the big boys if you will. In a few weeks, we will get to see the Black Panther in all of his glory and this movie is going to rock the Marvel Universe.
Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.
A WRINKLE IN TIME – March 9
I remember reading this book in grammar school and not enjoying. Maybe it was the fact that I was reading it for a book report, but the story was just bizarre and it did not catch my attention. I read the book again years later while taking a Young Adult Literature class and I absolutely enjoyed. Now that the movie is coming out, my daughter is interested in reading the book and I can not be more than excited for her to experience this wonderful story.
From visionary director Ava DuVernay comes Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” an epic adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s timeless classic which takes audiences across dimensions of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light and, ultimately, the triumph of love. Through one girl’s transformative journey led by three celestial guides, we discover that strength comes from embracing one’s individuality and that the best way to triumph over fear is to travel by one’s own light.
Meg Murry is a typical middle school student struggling with issues of self-worth who just wants to fit in. The daughter of two world-renowned physicists, she is intelligent and uniquely gifted, as is Meg’s younger brother, Charles Wallace, but she has yet to realize it for herself. Complicating matters is the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Murry, which has left Meg devastated and her mother broken-hearted. Charles Wallace introduces Meg and her fellow classmate Calvin to three celestial beings (Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Who) who have journeyed to Earth to help search for their father, and together they embark on their formidable quest. Travelling via a wrinkling of time and space known as tessering, they are transported to worlds beyond their imagination where they must confront a powerful evil force. To make it back home to Earth, Meg must face the darkness within herself in order to harness the strength necessary to defeat the darkness rapidly enveloping the Universe.
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR – May 4
I remember when I was younger there would always be a huge summer crossover with my favorite Marvel comic books. There was the Secret Wars, Inferno, X-tinction Agenda, Civil War and Infinity Gauntlet. I loved buying all the books and seeing how each story connected and when the Marvel movies started hinting at a big team-up, the Fandad in me started geeking out. Well, all of those hints that have been dropped will finally come to fruition in May with Infinity War and I can not wait to see this!
An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY – May 25
As much as Han Solo is one of my favorite characters, I would have liked to have seen a Boba Fett movie come out after Rogue One. With the switch in directors, I am curious to see what comes out of this movie. I love Donald Glover and him being in this movie is one of the main reasons that I want to see it. Regardless of who directed this, I would like to see how this story of Han Solo pans out.
Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” an all-new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy. Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes.
INCREDIBLES 2 – June 15
Come on, since the last scene of the first Incredibles, we have been waiting for a sequel. I mean, how can you tease us like that and not give us anything for 14 years? Next June we will finally be getting the sequel that we have been waiting for and hopefully, it will live up to the original. My children have seen the first one a hundred times and can not wait for part 2.
Everyone’s favorite family of superheroes is back in “Incredibles 2” – but this time Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is in the spotlight, leaving Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell) and Dash (voice of Huck Milner) to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life. It’s a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) must find a way to work together again—which is easier said than done, even when they’re all Incredible.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP – July 6
What can I say about the first Ant-Man film other than it was brilliant! The writing, the acting, and the action were just phenomenal. For such an ancillary character, the Ant-Man movie was a great blend of action and heart. I loved what they did with the character and how it connected to the events in the Marvel Universe. I mean, (Possible spoiler) who did not love the fight between him and Falcon? That was such a great scene and a great surprise. Who knows what character will make a cameo this time around.
From the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes a new chapter featuring heroes with the astonishing ability to shrink: “Ant-Man and The Wasp.” In the aftermath of “Captain America: Civil War,” Scott Lang (Rudd) grapples with the consequences of his choices as both a Super Hero and a father. As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne (Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas) with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside The Wasp as the team works together to uncover secrets from their past.
DISNEY’S CHRISTOPHER ROBIN – August 3
I have been a Winnie the Pooh fan since I was little and I am very curious to see this.
In the heartwarming live action adventure “Disney’s Christopher Robin,” the young boy who loved embarking on adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood with a band of spirited and loveable stuffed animals, has grown up and lost his way. Now it’s up to his childhood friends to venture into our world and help Christopher Robin remember the loving and playful boy who is still inside.
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS – November 2
This one is new to me and I am curious to see it.
All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Disney’s new holiday feature film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale.
RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET: WRECK-IT RALPH 2 – November 21
I remember when I say the first image of Wreck-It Ralph and I thought to myself “A movie about a video game character that interacts with video games I grew up playing? Sign me up!” I’m a huge fan of John C. Reilly and this movie hit me in the right in the feels. Seeing some of my favorite games on the screen (Tapper and Q-Bert) made me miss the days of going to the arcade and spending countless quarters trying to make it to the next level. The entire storyline between Ralph and Vanellope was so heartwarming, that I still tear up at the end when Ralph sees her from his video game.
I can not wait for part two especially since I heard about a scene with a certain protocol droid and a few Disney princesses.
“Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2” leaves Litwak’s video arcade behind, venturing into the uncharted, expansive and thrilling world of the internet—which may or may not survive Ralph’s wrecking. Video game bad guy Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) must risk it all by traveling to the world wide web in search of a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game, Sugar Rush. In way over their heads, Ralph and Vanellope rely on the citizens of the internet—the netizens—to help navigate their way, including a webite entrepreneur named Yesss (voice of Taraji P. Henson), who is the head algorithm and the heart and soul of trend-making site “BuzzzTube.” Directed by Rich Moore (“Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph”) and Phil Johnston (co-writer “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Cedar Rapids,” co-writer “Zootopia,”), and produced by Clark Spencer (“Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Bolt”), “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-Ralph 2” hits theaters on Nov. 21, 2018.
MARY POPPINS RETURNS – December 25
My children just recently were introduced to Mary Poppins and it took them a while to get into it. I remember watching the original and just thinking to “How did they get that man to dance with penguins?”. I am pretty curious to see how this sequel will do.
PL Travers first introduced the world to the no-nonsense nanny in her 1934 children’s book “Mary Poppins.” However, the subsequent adventures of Mary Poppins remained only on the pages of the seven other PL Travers’ books…until now. “Mary Poppins Returns” is drawn from the wealth of material in these additional books. The film takes place in 1930s Depression-era London 24 years after the original film was set. Michael Banks works for the same financial institution that employed his father and still lives at 17 Cherry Tree Lane with his three children, Annabel, John and Georgie and their housekeeper Ellen. Carrying on in her mother’s tradition, Jane Banks campaigns for workers’ rights and provides a helping hand to Michael’s family. When the family suffers a personal loss, Mary Poppins magically re-enters their lives and with Jack’s help, brings joy and wonder back into their home.
