A Look at the Best Movies of the Year

There are many wonderful movies set to be released in 2010, but there are a few that are sure to leave movie-goers excited. These are what I consider to be the best movies of the year and worth your time and money spent to see.

These movies promise to deliver and I don't think you'll leave the theater disappointed in any of them. Some are remakes of classics, based on or improved upon books and comics, video games, and a continuation of a series. They all offer lots of action and adventure we want in our movies.

The Best Movies of 2010:

1. Jonah Hex - Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, Jonah Hex promises to be a big hit at the box office when it premiers June 18.

Jonah, a Confederate soldier during the Civil War, is a drifter, bounty hunter, and one tough gunslinger who has one foot in the natural world and the other on the other side. His face was scarred after a he was struck with a firy hot tomahawk for killing an Indian brave.

When he's approached by the U.S. military with an offer he can't refuse - track down terrorist Quentin Turnbull (played by John Malkovich) in exchange for his freedom of warrants - Jonah takes care of business.

Starring in Jonah Hex are:
- Josh Brolin
- John Malkovich
- Megan Fox as Leila, a prostitute and Jonah's love interest
- Michael Shannon as Doc Cross Williams, the ringleader of a gladiators circus
- Michael Fassbender as Burke, Turnbull's psychopathic right-hand man
- Will Arnett plays the role of a Union soldier who enlists Hex as a bounty hunter.

Be on the look out for my exclusive interview with Duane Clemmons - an extra on the Jonah Hex movie. Clemmons played one of Turnbull's henchmen.

2. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - This movie is an action-fantasy movie about a Persian street urchin, Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal), who is adopted by the King to be his heir. Dastan teams up with Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) to rescue the Sands of Time from villain Nizam (Ben Kingsley) who plans to unleash a sandstorm that could destroy the world.

Tricked by Vizier, Dastan unleashes the Sands of Time which destroys the kingdom and changing the inhabitants into fierce demons. In order to redeem himself, Dastan must return the sands to the hourglass by using the Dagger of Time.

3. The Wolfman - In this thriller, Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) is lured to his ancestral home to search for his brother, Ben, who had disappeared. Once there, he is reunited with his estranged father who had sent Lawrence to an insane asylum when he was a boy after he witnessed his mothers death. His father, Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins), tells him his brother's body had been found the day before, another victim of something with brute strength and an insatiable taste for blood that has been killing villagers.

Once bitten himself, Lawrence Talbot becomes The Wolfman.

The Wolfman stars:
- Benicio Del Toro
- Anthony Hopkins
- Emily Blunt as Gwen Conliffe
- Hugo Weaving as Inspector Francis Aberline

4. Alice in Wonderland- Be prepared to be taken to another world where Alice learns her destiny lies in ending the Red Queen's reign of terror. Seems the Red Queen had conquered Underland by stealing the ruling crown from the White Queen Mirana, her sister.

When Alice in Wonderland opened in the U.S., it grossed over $41 million, a record opening-day in March and earned roughly $116 million for the weekend, breaking the record for a March opening held by 300 with $70 million and taking the glory away from Avatar.

Alice in Wonderland has an all-star cast including:
- Mia Wasikowska as Alice
- Johnny Depp as Tarrant Hightopp/the Mad Hatter
- Helena Bonham Carter as Iracebeth of Crims/the Red Queen
- Anne Hathaway as Mirana of Marmoreal/the White Queen
- Crispin Glover as Ilosovic/the Knave of Hearts
- Matt Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedledum

5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - Scheduled to be released in November, this is the first part of the final Harry Potter series of movies (part two should be released in 2011). Fans of the Harry Potter franchise will be in tears when characters start dying. Look for several major characters to die during the first wave of the battle against Voldemort, his Death Eaters, and Voldemort's other creatures.

Stars of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 are:
- Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
- Emma Watson as Hermione Granger - Harry's best friend
- Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley - Harry's best friend
- Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort - Harry Potter's sworn enemy
- Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange - Lord Voldemort's most loyal Death Eater

My personal most anticipated movie of the year? Jonah Hex, of course. I love that it's set in the post-Civil War era which gives it a sort of historical feel to it. It will be interesting to see how well this adaptation of the DC Comics character will play out. I think everyone will be pleased with the end result.

Sources:
Jonah Hex
The Wolfman Movie
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1