Top 20 Most Anticipated Games Of 2012: #8/#7

#8: ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES- We don't know much about what Gearbox are getting ready to bring us with their horror sci-fi shooter in the Springtime, but given their strong connections to the key members behind the creation of the Alien universe, we can be sure that the final product will be hugely faithful to the film franchise. Hopefully, this could be one of the first person shooters that turns the tide for the genre in 2012...

#7: ASSASSIN'S CREED III- The burning sensation of Assassin's Creed: Revelations' unwillingness to move past the trappings of its predecessors still hurts to this day. Still, the series has outdone itself on multiple occassions, so I have faith that Ubisoft Montreal can make Assassin's Creed III a memorable and unique experience that harkens back in tone to the standalone AC1 and AC2 rather than relying on the various side stories that the series has spawned. With a new Assassin, a new timeframe and the final conclusion to Desmond's story all set to reach us before December 2012, Assassin's Creed III has the potential to be a real treat for fans and newcomers alike!

The Best Films Of 2011: #8/#7

#8: SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (8.5/10)- I don't envy Guy Ritchie for having to create a successful follow-up to his hit 2009 flick Sherlock Holmes, but to give the director credit, he actually nearly manages to match the high standard set by the original with A Game of Shadows. Jared Harris' casting as Professor Moriarty was by far the best move on the part of Ritchie, yet his expert direction and the tightly-woven (if occassionally confusing) storyline threaten to steal the crown of the most worthwhile change too. While the humour felt a little more forced and the plot more convoluted this time around, I can't fault the team for having the courage to return to their franchise and bring us a great new romp in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

#7: THOR (9/10)- Definitely my surprise of the year, Thor went from looking like a sub-par superhero origins movie in its trailers to becoming a heartfelt and action-packed standalone adventure that didn't feel as restricted by its ties to The Avengers as Iron Man 2 had previously. Best of all, Chris Hemsworth's portrayal of the titular Nordic hero was spot on, and his sublime chemistry with Natalie Portman on screen really made for a realistic take on the fantasy Marvel legends. Were it not for the rather melodramatic Asgard sequences (which do admittedly look amazing!), Thor might have even placed in the Top 5 of this list, but it still remains one of my favourite films of 2011!

Advent Calendar 2011: Days Ninteen And Twenty

2012 IN FILM
It's nearly Christmas, a time to rejoice and look back on the past twelve months of entertainment, as I'm doing with my 2011 Awards over the course of this week. That said, it's always just as fun to look ahead to what awaits us in the next year, and thus I've compiled together a big list of all of the films you should expect to buy tickets for in 2012...
JANUARY:
THE IRON LADY- Meryl Streep gives an Oscar-worthy turn as Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister who changed the future of our country with her radical beliefs and actions.
WAR HORSE- This will undoubtedly be one to look out for: Steven Spielberg brings the famed World War One tale from Michael Morpurgo to the big screen, as we find young Albert desperate to be reunited with his horse Joey in the midst of the ultimate battle...
FEBRUARY:
THE WOMAN IN BLACK- Want to see more of Daniel Radcliffe after his conclusion of his work on Harry Potter? Look no further than this chilling adaptation of the award-winning West End horror play which sees Arthur Kipps haunted by a ghostly omen from the past!
THE MUPPETS- Quite possibly the most widely promoted movie this year, The Muppets boasts a huge all-star cast and promises to be one of the finest ensemble comedies in a long time.
STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE IN 3D- Although I doubt many of us have particularly warm memories of this turgid prequel, we need to flock to cinemas to see this if we want the other five great movies to return to the big screen!
GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE- Nicholas Cage returns as the demonic anti-hero, now forced to stop the Devil returning to Earth if he is to lift his dark curse and become a human once more...
MARCH:
WRATH OF THE TITANS- If you're into big fight sequences, 300-style, then Wrath of the Titans is probably your best bet for a great night out in the first half of 2012, bringing the action to its fullest measure!
THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS- A clay animation from the makers of Wallace & Gromit, this historical romp could prove to be a real sleeper hit for Aardman in the Springtime.
THE HUNGER GAMES- Easily one of my most anticipated releases of the year, The Hunger Games is a promising adaptation of the fabulous novel by Suzanne Collins, which could well lead to a huge blockbuster fantasy franchise if it's done justice on screen.
APRIL:
SCARY MOVIE 5- From the makers of Meet The Spartans, Epic Movie, Superhero Movie and Vampires Suck comes yet another horror spoof guaranteed to provide wholesome, if frequently cringeworthy laughs aplenty!
BATTLESHIP- A Bay-esque blockbuster for the masses, this board game adaptation stars Emma Thompson, Rihanna, Liam Neeson and many other big-name celebrities, and despite its source material is actually showing a lot of potential...
THE AVENGERS- Yep, April is bringing with it the year's biggest (and best?) ensemble superhero movie: The Avengers sees Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, the Black Widow and the Hulk team up to fight the villainous Loki and his mysterious army. Excited yet? It's every fanboy's dream!
MAY:
THE DICTATOR- Likely to be one of the most controversial films of the entire year, The Dictator comes from the mind of Sacha Baron Cohen, following a ruthless dictator's plight to find love and some kind of peace...well, maybe.
MEN IN BLACK III- Nod ya head, because the Black Suits are coming back, as Agent Jay must travel into the past to save K from being wiped from the timelines by a dark force that has returned from beyond the grave!
JUNE:
ROCK OF AGES- Adapted from a hit Broadway and West End musical, Rock Of Ages boasts an impressive cast list- Tom Cruise at the head- and may well be 2012's feel-good musical to boot.
PROMETHEUS- Ridley Scott returns to the big screen for a new epic science-fiction adventure set in the same world as Alien (but before the events of the original film). What horrors lie for the crew of the Prometheus to discover as they delve into humanity's distant beginnings?
JULY:
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN- This is the make or break moment for Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone as they work with Columbia Pictures to resurrect the dead Spider-Man film franchise with a fully-fledged reboot. We'll finally be finding out whether their drastic move has paid off...
ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT- It's the sequel that no one was asking for, but seeing as Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs actually turned out alright, I'm willing to give DreamWorks the benefit of the doubt- let's just hope they don't screw their franchise up!
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES- We've all seen that epic full trailer released this week, yet what does 'The Legend Ends' actually mean for Batman? Certainly, survival isn't going to be an easy option for the Dark Knight next year when Bane, Catwoman and the League of Shadows rise to provide his most dangerous and brutal challenge yet...
AUGUST:
THE BOURNE LEGACY- Another franchise reboot of sorts, Legacy sees Jeremy Renner step onto the stage in place of Matt Damon. It sounds as if this film is testing whether fans still want Bourne in their lives, so it rests on Renner's shoulders to prove that the series deserves to stay.
THE EXPENDABLES 2- Another sequel that no one asked for, I was one of those who absolutely hated Expendables and can't quite believe this got commissioned, but I'll be interested to see whether the increased screen time for Schwazzeneger and Willis works to Stallone's favour this time around.
SEPTEMBER:
FINDING NEMO 3D- Disney continue their 3D re-release schedule that opens in January with their new version of Beauty and the Beast. It'll be great to take a look at one of the best loved Pixar animations again five years after its inital release!
RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION- The video game to film adaptations return for another run, and while this is hardly my favourite film franchise, I'm sure fans will get a lot out of the new 3D gimmicks and special effect upgrades.
OCTOBER:
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED- America is getting this sequel in the Summer, but I'd say it was a good idea of DreamWorks' to shift this to the Autumn here in the UK, as it'll give it a chance to shine outside of the glare of the Summer of Film (always a good thing!).
TAKEN 2- Liam Neeson returns for a second kidnapping thriller- it'll be interesting to see if the writers of Taken can keep their innovation going after the stellar original!
NOVEMBER:
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART TWO- It all ends here. Expect action and romance aplenty as all of the threads of the titular Saga come to their natural conclusions, when the Volturi make their move to capture the Cullen baby and in doing so threaten an all out vampire war...
DECEMBER:
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY- Are you ready for Peter Jackson's first part of an epic prequel to his award-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy? You better be, because The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey looks to be one of 2012's best releases!
LIFE OF PI- Always a bizarre one, this novel was, so it'll be intriguing to see what reception the moving tale of a boy lost at sea meets with a mainstream audience.
THE GREAT GATSBY- Another really anticipated movie for me, Gatsby should hopefully evoke all of the memories of the brilliant novel, especially with such big names as Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan attached!

Top 20 Most Anticipated Games Of 2012: #10/#9

#10: KINECT STAR WARS- Microsoft's Xbox 360 Kinect peripheral really hasn't had a good time of it in 2011, recieving just sequels to Kinect Sports and Dance Central and a mere handful of rubbish movie tie-in games. However, 2012 looks set to change the camera's fortunes, and no title looks more ready to do this than Kinect Star Wars. After a lukewarm reception at E3 earlier this year, developer LucasArts went back to the drawing board on the project but from what we've seen things look to have improved for the better for the product, and seriously, who doesn't want to do some dancing in Jabba's palace? Yep, that really is a mode, yet above all LucasArts' dedication to replicating the wide universe of Wars in so many areas should easily guarantee that this becomes one of Kinect's finest showcases next Spring!

#9: SYNDICATE- I've not been an avid fan of first person shooters recently, but games like Bulletstorm and Crysis 2 released earlier in 2011 did give me some hope that the genre can redeem itself by looking to new franchises to lead the way rather than rely on the CODs and Battlefields of this day and age. Enter Syndicate, a thrilling new science-fiction reboot of a 1990s side-scroller which allows players to control their enemies' minds as they fight to rid a cybernetic city of an evil menace before it's too late. There's a chance things might go awry- what matters is that Starbreeze Studios give it their all so they can start helming an exciting new wave of shooters to change things for FPS developers.

The Best Films Of 2011: #10/#9

#10: TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON (8.5/10)- After the travesty that was Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), I had little hope of Dark of the Moon being anything but another predictable Michael Bay explosion-fest. Thankfully, I was only partly right in that sense: yes, the slow-motion action setpieces were there once more in full force, but this time the likes of Shia LeBeouf and Rosie Huntington Whiteley brought a surprising realism to their portrayals of the human characters, providing an unexpected heart and soul to the film alongside its exhilirating action, sublime soundtrack and above all its dazzling special effects, making the third dimension really seem worth paying for in its greatest moments (of which there were many!).
#9: THE HANGOVER: PART II (8.5/10)- I couldn't have been more surprised to see the sequel to The Hangover triumph against the odds, managing to still bring more and more laughs while innovating on the much-loved story formula of its predecessor. Part II could hardly be argued as bringing much to the table, yet the iconic 'Wolfpack' of Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifinakis shined brighter than ever. Add to that a stunning list of cameos from big names, and this easily became the essential comedy watch of 2011!

Wrath of the Titans Trailer Unveiled

Well, whether you wanted it or not, the sequel to one of 2010's worst films is nearly here- Wrath of the Titans will be with us in three months. The first trailer unveiled for the flick- which follows Perseus' quest to stop the return of Hades from the depths of Hell- shows some promise, even if it is looking rather tiresomely predictable and seems nothing more than a rehash of the original Clash. I'd say we'll have to wait and see whether this'll be as bad, worse or better than the first film, but my hopes aren't yet at any kind of high...Wrath of the Titans hits March 30th, 2012.

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer Arrives

It's taken a while and various bootlegged versions, but Warner Brothers have finally released the first official full trailer for The Dark Knight Rises. Taking place eight years after The Dark Knight (2008, 5/5), the much-anticipated superhero movie sees Batman force to return from retiring his cape when the villainous gangster Bane threatens to destroy the city of Gotham- could the end of the Dark Knight be upon Bruce Wayne as he faces the greatest of physical challenges? That's certainly what the new poster implies, showing a broken Bat mask along with Bane himself and the words 'The Legend Ends'. We'll have to wait until July 20th, 2012 to find out what will become of Gotham's Caped Crusader...for now, though, indulge yourself in one of the best film trailers of the year!