Opinion: Predicting The Highs And Lows Of 2013 Films (Part 1)

My personal guide to the films that'll rock and the ones that'll flop in the year ahead!
I've only seen Pitch Perfect in a cinema so far this year, and yet in reality 2013 is absolutely packed with massive blockbusters and subtle indie movies that demand your attention. While it's impossible to guess just how many big hits there really will be in the next eleven months, it's at least possible to analyse what we currently know. Here we are, then- a guide to the vast majority of notable movies coming out in the first half of this year, with predictions from me on how they'll perform and a predicted rating at the end...
LES MISERABLES (January 11th)- A surefire big-seller, Les Miserables already boasts one of the best instances of source material for a film adaptation ever, and it looks on solid form to perform great in the Box Office charts. 5/5
DJANGO UNCHAINED (January 18th)- Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz and Samuel L Jackson should just about lend that star appeal Quinten Tarantino no doubt wants to pull viewers into his latest film. You have to wonder if this'll be too controversial for some, though...4.5/5
ZERO DARK THIRTY (January 25th)- This is likely to be one for the more hardcore indie film fans among us, especially as it's up for a wealth of Best Picture awards. Watching the fictionalised hunt for Bin Laden play out and reveal its secrets should be gripping stuff. 4.5/5
MOVIE 43 (January 25th)- One of the big early comedies of the year, Movie 43 is laden with cameos from big name celebrities including Stephen Merchant, Halle Berry and Catherine Tate. Don't expect too much on the quality front, however. 2/5
WRECK-IT-RALPH (February 8th)- Disney are already likely onto a winner with this one after a brilliant run in the States and now with a February half-term release here. Wreck-It-Ralph seems like nostalgic, hilarious viewing for the masses. 4.5/5
OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (March 5th)- Given that the mediocre John Carter hit last year at the same time, it's easy to be pessimistic about Oz's new prequel. All the same, with James Franco and Mila Kunis on board, I reckon it has the potential to go far. 4/5
SCARY MOVIE 5 (April 12th)- The Scary Movie franchise has always been hit-and-miss in terms of ticket sales, especially here in the UK. This fifth instalment could go either way, then, but it's certainly safe to say that the odds are not in its favour! 3/5
IRON MAN 3 (April 28th)- Here's our first big superhero movie of 2013, people! The third entry in the Iron Man franchise has to go about making up for the slightly underwhelming Iron Man 2 (4/5), yet it really does stand a very good shot judging by the very promising initial trailers. I'll be more than happy to be proved wrong and go up 0.5 points on that score in three months' time. 4.5/5
THE GREAT GATSBY (May 16th)- Again, having Leonardo DeCaprio at the helm of this blockbuster novel-to-film adaptation will not hurt its chances in the box office. I have a feeling Iron Man 3 and other Summer blockbusters will perform better in the weekly UK rankings, but don't count this one out by any stretch of the imagination. 5/5
STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (May 17th)- Everyone loves a new Star Trek film, and this sequel to the 2009 reboot promises to pay homage to an almighty project: The Wrath Of Khan. With British talent like Simon Pegg, Noel Clarke and Benedict Cumberbatch on board, expect Into Darkness to get a big welcoming party from the UK this time around. 4.5/5
THE HANGOVER PART III (May 24th)- There's likely going to be a sense that the Hangover franchise has run its course by this point. Part III should still be a hilarious outing to be sure, and yet I'd be surprised if it performed to as high a level as Legendary Pictures will want from UK ticket sales in their series finale. 4/5
FAST SIX (May 24th)- I was actually pleasantly surprised by Fast Five back in 2011, so this fast-track sequel isn't an unwelcome prospect for me. All the same, the writers really do need to pull out all of the stops if they want to convince fans that the proposed near back-to-back seventh film is worth the risk. 3/5
MAN OF STEEL (June 14th)- As you all know, I've said that this Superman film reboot is a big risk for DC Studios on multiple occassions. Well, nevertheless it's here with Man Of Steel, but I'm willing to give this superhero movie a chance when it hits cinemas, and I'm sure UK fans will flock to cinemas for it, even if they don't do so as avidly as they will the Marvel films. 3.5/5
THIS IS THE END (June 14th)- I'm willing to bet that the makers of this apocalyptic comedy will place emphasis on Brit star Emma Watson playing as herself in the marketing campaign. Beyond that, though, it'll be unexpected if this performs well, as it looks like a compilation of worn-out gags. 3/5
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (June 28th)- Disney Pixar animated movies always go down a storm for UK ticket sales with kids, Monsters University likely to continue that trend. Expect this to rule the cinemas in the first weeks of the Summer holidays! 3.5/5
Coming Soon: My guide to the biggest films of the second half of 2013, including The Wolverine, Kick-Ass 2, Despicable Me 2, The World's End, Star Wars 3D, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, Thor: The Dark World, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and more...