My Top 25 Most Anticipated Movies of 2018
by MattsMovieWatchingWorld | created - 01 Jan 2018 | updated - 6 months ago | Public25 movies from the year of 2018 that I am anticipating the most, as of Dec. 31, 2017 (except where noted). After I see the movie, I give it a number out of 10. Be sure to check back throughout the year to find out what I think about them after I've seen them.
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1. Incredibles 2 (2018)
PG | 118 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The Incredibles family takes on a new mission which involves a change in family roles: Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) must manage the house while his wife Helen (Elastigirl) goes out to save the world.
Director: Brad Bird | Stars: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner
Votes: 331,380 | Gross: $608.58M
Most anticipated movie of the year … and most anticipated movie OF ALL TIME! AFTER SEEING IT -- I'm using the go-to adjective 'incredible' here. This movie's incredible. I am fairly close to giving this movie only a 9, but Pixar has successfully created a satisfying and funny and action-packed sequel with superior animation (hopefully with more to come in 3?), so I'm still giving this movie a <10>.
2. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
PG-13 | 149 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The Avengers and their 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.
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans
Votes: 1,203,835 | Gross: $678.82M
I'm more excited about this movie than I have been for any other Marvel movie, and not just because ALL of the other Marvel characters are converging together here. AFTER SEEING IT -- There's a shocking plot twist, which I'm not spoiling here. The bad guy, Thanos, has entered the top ten best bad guys in cinema history with this movie, and he's the best bad guy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The story and action are fun, and this becomes my third favorite in the MCU, with a sideways infinity sign as my rating. <8>
3. Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
PG | 112 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Six years after the events of "Wreck-It Ralph," Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure.
Directors: Phil Johnston, Rich Moore | Stars: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson
Votes: 182,971 | Gross: $201.09M
The other sequel to a movie I give a 10 coming out this year. Oh, and the Disney princesses are coming back. Ralph is probably going to WIN the Internet with this one. AFTER SEEING IT -- A great Disney movie about video games, and it has a fun reshuffling of settings, weaving through the Internet in and out of the video game theme. The Disney princesses contribute well, there's a good new Disney message, and there's a great quirky lovely song too. <10>
4. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
PG-13 | 128 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
When the island's dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.
Director: J.A. Bayona | Stars: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith
Votes: 344,017 | Gross: $417.72M
Big-action dinosaur-movie classic-franchise sequel. Yeah, baby. AFTER SEEING IT -- With a volcanic eruption and a some new dinosaur content that outdoes the action done before (in a way), this is a mostly satisfying Jurassic sequel, almost as good as a Jurassic movie can be expected to be. It has a good story with a spoilable ending. <8+>
5. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
PG-13 | 135 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
During an adventure in the criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian years before joining the Rebel Alliance.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover
Votes: 379,301 | Gross: $213.77M
Star Wars. Han Solo. A character origin story that can be expected to have come out at some point. AFTER SEEING IT -- There is some fun action, so it's moderately good for a Star Wars movie, even if it doesn't have everything that made the earlier Star Wars movies great. <8->
6. Ready Player One (2018)
PG-13 | 140 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
When the creator of a virtual reality called the OASIS dies, he makes a posthumous challenge to all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune and control of his world.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe
Votes: 486,458 | Gross: $137.69M
Spielberg. A futuristic video game movie. Some references to the '80's, lots of movies, and more. Probably going to be one of the most interesting movies of 2018. AFTER SEEING IT -- Spielberg packs a whole lot of action, visual effects, and story interestingness (as well as a whole bunch of references to movies, video games, and the '80's) into an interesting story given to us by Ernest Cline, and the impact of it all totally makes me geek out. <9->
7. The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
PG-13 | 102 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Orbiting a planet on the brink of war, scientists test a device to solve an energy crisis, and end up face-to-face with a dark alternate reality.
Director: Julius Onah | Stars: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel Brühl, John Ortiz
Votes: 113,044
The third movie in the Cloverfield pseudo-universe, with "God Particle" as a working title, I feel like one of the only movie fans who are devotedly following this series. Too bad it had to be rescheduled a couple times after originally being pegged for 2017. AFTER SEEING IT -- To start out with, this movie was announced in an extremely interesting way, like the two previous Cloverfield movies were. And fittingly, it's another movie with an extremely interesting story, in a confusing and horrific kind of way that I like, and I want this kind of confusing and paradoxical entertainment to continue. <8+>
8. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
PG-13 | 118 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
As Scott Lang balances being both a superhero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.
Director: Peyton Reed | Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins
Votes: 450,018 | Gross: $216.65M
Next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Avengers: Infinity War. I want to see this one. AFTER SEEING IT -- Taking place at the same time as Infinity War (which you should see before seeing this one), we have here a decently fun and satisfying movie, but it's sort of a repeat of a lot of the style in the previous Ant-Man movie, which means it's okay, but not a whole lot is new or memorable. <8->
9. A Wrinkle in Time (2018)
PG | 109 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
After the disappearance of her scientist father, three peculiar beings send Meg, her brother, and her friend to space in order to find him.
Director: Ava DuVernay | Stars: Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling
Votes: 47,800 | Gross: $100.48M
A Disney movie based on a famous book that I haven't read before, but I will read it before the movie comes out. The trailer looks like it's full of cliches though. AFTER SEEING IT -- After reading the book, I decided I liked it, because it reminded me of my other favorite books, and I guess the movie's adaptation on it has some hits and misses, but I also decided not to worry much about the imperfections in this movie, and I give this a mostly positive review. <8->
10. Black Panther (2018)
PG-13 | 134 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
T'Challa, heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must step forward to lead his people into a new future and must confront a challenger from his country's past.
Director: Ryan Coogler | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira
Votes: 837,842 | Gross: $700.06M
I would have preferred for this movie to be released before Captain America: Civil War, but early in 2018 is okay with me. AFTER SEEING IT -- I can see some good in this movie, that there are impressive utopian and technological elements in a secret African country, and some visual effects help out with that, but I regret to say that I don't find the story very interesting or original, and there are societal elements I don't relate well with. <5+>
11. Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
PG | 130 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A few decades after her original visit, Mary Poppins, the magical nanny, returns to help the Banks siblings and Michael's children through a difficult time in their lives.
Director: Rob Marshall | Stars: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer
Votes: 95,216 | Gross: $171.96M
Okay, a sequel to Mary Poppins, 54 years later. AFTER SEEING IT -- This sequel is a repetitively parallel story to that of the predecessor, which I think is told in a good way. Not as good as the predecessor, but still fantastically enjoyable, especially to the younger generation. <8+>
12. Aquaman (2018)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Arthur Curry, the human-born heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, goes on a quest to prevent a war between the worlds of ocean and land.
Director: James Wan | Stars: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson
Votes: 520,911 | Gross: $335.06M
If they had made this movie more than five years ago, it might have sucked. But right now, in the Justice League universe, I'm optimistic that they're getting this one good. AFTER SEEING IT -- Well, this movie didn't suck, but unfortunately, I don't think this movie did as well as it could have, or maybe it didn't have much to do good with. It has some unoriginal villains and unoriginal content in a long running time. <6+>
13. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
PG | 117 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Teen Miles Morales becomes the Spider-Man of his universe and must join with five spider-powered individuals from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.
Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman | Stars: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali
Votes: 671,966 | Gross: $190.24M
I'm not sure about where the story is going with this, or if I'll be happy with it, but Spider-Man is one of my favorite superheroes, and this one is animated, so it's probably right down my alley. AFTER SEEING IT -- This is a unique Spider-Man movie with marvelous visual and story appeal. And it involves the Multiverse. <8->
14. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
PG-13 | 134 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Gellert Grindelwald plans to raise an army of wizards to rule over non-magical beings. In response, Newt Scamander's former professor, Albus Dumbledore, seeks his help to stop him.
Director: David Yates | Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Johnny Depp
Votes: 308,892 | Gross: $159.56M
Sequel to a prequel of an extremely popular franchise, I'm moderately excited at most, but I'm okay with this. AFTER SEEING IT -- There are fewer fantastic beasts in this movie and more complexity than before, about as much complexity as the Harry Potter novels had, and it isn't very satisfying or entertaining. Good names in the actors and characters though. <6->
15. Rampage (2018)
PG-13 | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
When three different animals become infected with a dangerous pathogen, a primatologist and a geneticist team up to stop them from destroying Chicago.
Director: Brad Peyton | Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Votes: 185,002 | Gross: $101.03M
A science-fiction monster movie, loosely based on a video game series. I kind of have a good feeling about how that sounds. AFTER SEEING IT -- It might be the good feeling I had to begin with that's talking here, but I thought this was a really fun, interesting, thrilling, and funny monster movie. The presence of Dwayne Johnson also helps. <9->
16. The Grinch (2018)
PG | 85 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
A grumpy Grinch plots to ruin Christmas for the village of Whoville.
Directors: Yarrow Cheney, Scott Mosier | Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Cameron Seely, Rashida Jones, Pharrell Williams
Votes: 91,166 | Gross: $270.62M
We've seen this story before, both animated and in live-action, but this time it's the Illumination company's turn to tell it, and that could make it pretty entertaining. AFTER SEEING IT -- This version is a little shorter, simpler, and a little bit better than the 2000 version, though Jim Carrey's live-action performance from then is probably more memorable than the voice-acting performance of Benedict Cumberbatch in the Grinch role. <7>
17. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
PG | 99 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
A young girl is transported into a magical world of gingerbread soldiers and an army of mice.
Directors: Lasse Hallström, Joe Johnston | Stars: Mackenzie Foy, Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren
Votes: 37,441 | Gross: $54.86M
I didn't know much about this movie at the end of 2017, but a trailer was available then, it's based on a well-known story (or two), and it's a Disney movie with talented artists and a good kind of appearance, so it will probably deserve my attendance. AFTER SEEING IT -- An okay, not great, story, with impressive artistic design and effects, with okay acting. Maybe no one will get an award for this movie, but it's still a moderately good movie. <7+>
18. Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Young hero Thomas embarks on a mission to find a cure for a deadly disease known as "The Flare".
Director: Wes Ball | Stars: Dylan O'Brien, Ki Hong Lee, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster
Votes: 163,590 | Gross: $58.03M
The predecessor in this trilogy, The Scorch Trials, wasn't very good. But the first movie, The Maze Runner, was good enough that I'd like to know how this third movie turns out. AFTER SEEING IT -- This third in the trilogy is a little better and more maze-like than the second in the trilogy, but it's still a moderately poor sequel. It's a trilogy that started out good and then continued badly. <6->
19. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)
PG | 97 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Count Dracula and company participate in a cruise for sea-loving monsters, unaware that their boat is being commandeered by the monster-hating Van Helsing family.
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky | Stars: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James
Votes: 85,369 | Gross: $167.51M
The first two Hotel Transylvania movies were okay, not great, and I don't see this series going in very many directions, but a summer cruise direction could maybe work. AFTER SEEING IT -- I wouldn't have predicted early on that there would be a third Hotel Transylvania movie, but it's okay. The hotel setting that has moved to the water makes some fun interesting sense. <7>
20. Smallfoot (2018)
PG | 96 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
High up on a mountain peak surrounded by clouds, a secret Yeti society lives in peace and harmony. One day, a Yeti witnesses an airplane crash; Inside lies "Smallfoot", a legendary creature that will rock the society to its core.
Directors: Karey Kirkpatrick, Jason Reisig | Stars: Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, Common
Votes: 42,970 | Gross: $83.24M
An animated movie about the Bigfoot legend told inversely. Okay. AFTER SEEING IT -- A moderately fun animated movie about Yetis, with some moderately pleasing musical songs too. <7>
21. First Man (2018)
PG-13 | 141 min | Biography, Drama, History
A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
Director: Damien Chazelle | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler
Votes: 202,306 | Gross: $44.94M
A biography of Neil Armstrong, "first man" on the moon, and directed by Damien Chazelle. Sounds good to me. AFTER SEEING IT -- With good Oscar-experienced filmmakers participating, it's fulfilling to see this important story portrayed the way it is here, though maybe some of the acting is imperfect or overdone, with some effects being good but not spectacular. <7>
22. Isle of Dogs (2018)
PG-13 | 101 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Set in Japan, Isle of Dogs follows a boy's odyssey in search of his lost dog.
Director: Wes Anderson | Stars: Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban
Votes: 190,919 | Gross: $32.02M
A movie animated in 2009's Fantastic Mr. Fox style. Could be good. AFTER SEEING IT -- It has a good appearance and quirky style, but this is not really an entertaining film. <6->
23. Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots, including rival Lambert and 15-year-old hacker Amara, against a new Kaiju threat.
Director: Steven S. DeKnight | Stars: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Burn Gorman
Votes: 127,334 | Gross: $59.87M
I thought the first Pacific Rim movie was all right, but it wasn't great enough for me to think that I'm excited about this one. But I'll probably see it. AFTER SEEING IT -- Okay, there, I saw it, but not much interesting to see here. It's okay, but just barely a repeat of the original with just a little bit added to it here and there. <6->
24. Welcome to Marwen (2018)
PG-13 | 116 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A victim of a brutal attack finds a unique and beautiful therapeutic outlet to help him through his recovery process.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Steve Carell, Falk Hentschel, Matt O'Leary, Nikolai Witschl
Votes: 26,001 | Gross: $10.76M
A Robert Zemeckis movie that combines a true-life element with a special-effects toy-art element, and it looks delightful. (This movie and BumbleBee were added to this list after two X-Men movies were rescheduled from 2018 to 2019.) AFTER SEEING IT -- A comedic dramatic movie with a fairly serious personal struggle story and a World War II element, but an imaginary world filled with quirky characters and funny situations makes it more fun than serious. <8->
25. Bumblebee (I) (2018)
PG-13 | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town. On the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, Charlie Watson discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.
Director: Travis Knight | Stars: Hailee Steinfeld, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Cena, Jason Drucker
Votes: 188,642 | Gross: $127.20M
After some disappointing TransFormers movies, I'm not very optimistic in this movie or any other future TransFormers movie, but some people have had positive views on this movie's trailer, so maybe some hope? AFTER SEEING IT -- A nice attempt by TransFormers to make the franchise all right again, but in my opinion it doesn't really work that way. <6>
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