The Sunday Mail
Film Review
Tinashe Kusema
IT might be a little bit premature, but then I cannot seem to shake off the feeling that 2022 could possibly be one of the biggest years for cinema.
Last year was a bit lukewarm though it finished on a high with the release of the critically acclaimed “Spiderman: No Way Home”.
However, this year could be bigger and better. As usual, Marvel leads the way with the release of two hugely anticipated movies in “Dr Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness” and the “Black Panther” sequel “Wakanda Forever”.
DC Films have three attempts to get it right.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s pet project “Black Adam”, “The Flash” movie and “Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom” are all coming this year. Though not necessarily part of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), the stand-alone Batman movie is where the real money is for Warner Brothers and DC Comics.
There is also the new “Mission Impossible” movie, chapter four of the “John Wick” franchise, two belated “Avatar” and “Top Gun” sequels, “Jurassic World: Dominion”, “Fantastic Beast: Secrets of Dumbledore” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” for kids.
Here, I focus on four of the movies that could shape the face of cinema this year.
The Batman (March 4)
One thing we know for a fact about the caped crusader is that DC simply does not know what to do with their most popular character. Christopher Nolan set the bar high with the “Dark Knight” trilogy, after which all the work was undone with the release of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016) and the “Justice League” movie that came out the following year. Now, Matt Reeves has been given the task to breathe new life into the character once again with the standalone movie “The Batman”.
While the cast of Robert Pattison as Bruce Wayne is suspect at best, the one thing that Reeves has going for him is originality.
The film will focus on the formative year of Gotham’s famed vigilante and allegedly rely more on his smarts rather than brawn to track down a serial killer wreaking havoc in his city.
Reeves, who is writing and directing the film, has called upon a great cast to help bring his vision to life. Among them are Zoe Kravitz (Selina Kyle/Catwoman), Andy Serkis (Alfred) and Collin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin.
Black Adam (July 29)
I have never been a big fan of The Rock, but he seems to be as passionate about the “Black Adam” as Ryan Reynolds was about the “Deadpool” project.
If he does a half-decent job and comes close to what Reynolds did, then that should be ok.
DC is also understood to be playing the long game with this movie. It is believed plans are afoot for a Black Adam and Shazam crossover in the near future. The story will also see the debut of DC’s secondary team, “The Justice Society of America”, with at least three members already confirmed in the teaser trailer released during last weekend’s “Superbowl” halftime. These include Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher, Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman and Pierce Brosnan’s Dr Fate. This alone should have comic book nerds and DC fanatics drooling.
Also, The Rock might lack some aspects in actual talent but he is a box office magnet.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (November 11)
Now, this one is a bit tricky.
The success of this film hinges on two things, with the first being how Marvel treats the death of Chadwick Bosman. Bosman succumbed to colon cancer in 2020. His death forced a rethink for Marvel about how they would continue with the “Black Panther” movie, with the studio choosing to retire and not recast his T’Challa character. There are rumours the mantle will be handed off to one of the film’s key characters, with favourite being T’Challa’s onscreen sister Shuri played by British actress Letitia Wright. Apparently, this decision has not gone down well with Marvel fans. Wright seems to have caught the fans ire with her stance and opinions on Covid-19 vaccines. Wright and how Marvel treats Bosman’s character will be crucial to the franchise going forward.
“Dr Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness” (May 6)
The success of the year hinges on this film, and, so far, the “Dr Strange” sequel already promises to be a history-making and critical success. The “Superbowl” trailer all but made sure that the film will dominate conversation between now and its May 6 release.
The Multiverse shenanigans, introduced in last year’s “Spiderman: No Way Home”, have since allowed Marvel to introduce “The Illuminati”, which is a secret group of Marvel’s most powerful and intelligent heroes.
Patrick Stewart’s Professor Xavier and Defender Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) were confirmed in the trailer, while some eagle-eyed fans spotted Tom Cruise (Supreme Ironman) and Reed Richards from the “Fantastic Four” franchise. While I do believe they will appear, I am not totally convinced that Cruise and a Richards shadow were in the trailer. Still, the hype and rumour mill is enough to make this the most eagerly anticipated movie of the year.
