#1 - Mad Max: Fury Road
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I've always been a big fan of the Mad Max franchise, and releasing a sequel with Tom Hardy in the title role is a stroke of genius. He'll make a fantastic Max Rockatansky. Fury Road is helmed by the man behind the three previous films, George Miller, so that means consistency will be maintained. The film is apparently one big chase scene and I'm full on board with that. If the outstanding trailer is any indication, this will be one hell of an apocalyptic thrill ride. And the trailers keep getting better! This has now become my most anticipated and I think it's going to be phenomenal!
#2 - Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
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Oh man, I got goosebumps just from watching the teaser trailer. When the Millennium Falcon shows up and the John Williams' score swells, it gives me chills every time. I know I'm overly optimistic, but I really think director J.J. Abrams can pull it off. It's written by Lawrence Kasdan, who also wrote The Empire Strikes Back, so that gives me hope since Lucas isn't behind the 'script'. The film appears to have a similar visual style to the original trilogy with some of Abrams' trademarks and the effects look beautiful. On top of that, a set of new characters will take the lead, something the prequels failed to realize.
#3 - Avengers: Age of Ultron
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The same cast and crew are back so in theory this should be a smash. However, I worry that The Avengers captured lightning in a bottle and they won't be able to generate the same level of balance and quality. The trailer looks OK but it does look a bit samey. How different will it be? I hope the Ultron clones aren't like the battle droids from Episode I, posing no threat. I'm sure Ultron will make for a calculating, imposing villain, but could there be too many heroes in this one? I love these team-ups but with the exception of the original, one or more characters always gets pushed to the background and forgotten. Age of Ultron will be interesting because not only is it a sequel to the best-reviewed superhero movie ever but it has more world-building to do for Civil War in addition to kicking off Phase 3. It's too big to fail, but that doesn't mean it'll be good.
#4 - Crimson Peak
I LOVE Guillermo del Toro so I'm expecting a lot from this Gothic horror fairytale. It's going to look amazing and hopefully it'll have the same dramatic heft that The Devil's Backbone had.
#5 - Spectre (Bond 24)
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Given how great Skyfall was, this is shot up the list. Director Sam Mendes is back and he's introducing S.P.E.C.T.R.E., the evil organization behind some of 007's most famous early adventures. I like this because it affords Mendes an opportunity to bring in brand new memorable villains to add to Bond's rogues gallery.
#6 - Jurassic World
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It's Jurassic Park...how could I NOT be excited for this!? The park is actually up and running with all sorts of cool exhibits and new dinos, plus Chris Pratt is starring and he has apparently tamed some velociraptors. I'm keeping my expectations in check given the sequel track record (I enjoy them all, but the first is an untouchable masterpiece as far as I'm concerned. The second is darker which I dug, much like Temple of Doom. The third is campy but tons of fun.) and hope it doesn't jump the shark.
#7 - Terminator Genisys
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Terminator 2: Judgment Day is my all-time favorite film. The first two films are perfection, for totally different reasons. T3 is fun and I'm one of the few who liked Salvation, but without James Cameron directing, these sequels will never be on the same level as the first two. I've come to terms with it. However, given the right director with love for the franchise could result in a fun new entry. Arnold's back, Emilia Clarke looks to make a good Sarah Connor and the action looks decent. I refuse to get too excited for fear of hating this movie once it's released, but my fingers are crossed.
#8 - Tomorrowland
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Brad Bird & George Clooney in a sci-fi film. Need I say more?
#9 - Furious 7
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Big fan of this franchise which continues to get more ridiculous with each passing entry, but that's the point. The charismatic cast and action and stunts make these movies worth the price of admission. Ride or die.
#10 - Ant Man
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Losing original director Edgar Wright was a huge blow for this movie. It speaks to Marvel's controlling nature and their dedication to their vision. However, I think this will still be a good Marvel movie but the comedy will suffer because of it.
The Martian
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The Last Witch Hunter
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The Revenant
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