Top 5 Movies To See

Perusing the last few weeks of box office reports, the titles in the top ten haven't impressed me much. I think the major production companies could have saved some money if they had collaborated to make one monstrous movie called Bigalow, The 40-Year-Old Wedding Crasher of Hazzard.

Judging from recent trailers on television, it seems the only films out are brainless comedies and gory fright flicks. Maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe the companies producing the worthwhile movies are simply averse to advertising through mainstream media outlets. Maybe they simply can't afford it. Whatever the case may be, if they're out there, they're doing a fine job of hiding.

The only movie that looks anything close to appealing is March of the Penguins, but I'm of the opinion that a documentary, even a exceptional one with penguins and Morgan Freeman, isn't worth ten dollars. Don't get me wrong. I want to see it. I just don't need to the full "theater experience". I'm content to add it to my queue and watch it when it comes out on DVD.

Until then, either I can continue to rant about the slim pickings or I can be more positive and make a list of upcoming movies that have caught my eye. Let's go with the second option. Here are the Top 5 future features I want to see in the theaters.

1. The Chronicles of Narnia. The seven-book series by C.S. Lewis comes to life. I hear that it will be a trilogy, a la The Lord of the Rings, where Disney releases one installment each December.
2. Serenity. It's the movie adaptation of Joss Whedon's short-lived television sci-fi western. I hope the show translates well to the big screen.
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I'm curious to see how much the actors have changed since the last one. The plan is to watch the first three again over a period of weeks to keep the interest burning, but at the same time, not burn out.
4. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. They endeared themselves to me with their short films. Wallace is the wacky inventor who loves cheese. Gromit is his dog and the smarter of the two. They finally get their first full-length film.
5. King Kong. It has the potential to be campy and awful, but I'm hopeful that Peter Jackson will be as masterful with dinosaurs and a giant gorilla as he was with elves and orcs.