Superheros, crude humor and sequels are the ones to watch this year

The Woman in Black – February 3

Harry Potter….I mean Daniel Radcliffe sees 2012 as the year he has to prove himself beyond the walls of Hogwarts. Sure, he spent a majority of 2011 on Broadway in the revival of the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, but he has yet to showcase his talents on the big screen without the Potter glasses. The Woman in Black is Radcliffe’s first major post-”Potter” role and will bring up the question: Can Radcliffe make the transition from child star to adult actor? He sure can! Radcliffe plays lawyer, father and widower Arthur Kipps. He uncovers haunting figures while staying in a mansion of a recently deceased client. One of those haunting figures is The Woman in Black (aka the female Lord Voldemort), who has plans to make his stay in this creepy mansion very unpleasant. At 22 years old, Radcliffe has saved Hogwarts and now is looking to take over Hollywood as well.

21 Jump Street – March 16

2012 will be the year of reboots and remakes. But 21 Jump Street? Wasn’t that the ‘80s TV show that started Johnny Depp’s career? Yes, and now some movie studios have decided to make it into a movie. The original TV series protrayed young officers doing undercover work in high schools and college to stop drug trafficking. The remake has a twist. It stars newly skinny Jonah Hill and the very good-looking Channing Tatum as undercover cops who pose as high school students to expose a drug ring. The trailer itself is loaded with profanity and hilarious hijinks, some tiptoeing on offensive. Two adult cops and underage girls in one film? The jokes practically write themselves. And to answer everyone’s questions – yes Johnny Depp will be making a cameo.

The Hunger Games – March 23

Now that the “Harry Potter” franchise is over and the “Twilight” series is coming to a close, The Hunger Games is coming to theaters to fill the void. The film is based on the young adult novel by Suzanna Collins. With North America in ruins, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Petta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are chosen as victors from one of the 12 districts to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games competition. Only 24 go in and one comes out. The victors must use their training and skills to survive. The fandom of “The Hunger Games” series is strong, but is it stronger than the Potterheads and Twilight fans?

American Reunion – April 6

The fourth film in the “American Pie” series will be sure to bring in the laughs as the class of 1999 return for their high school reunion. Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan return to the big screen as the loveable Jim and Michelle, who now have two kids. Fans of the original film should be prepared for crude humor, sexual innuendos, “…that one time at band camp” references and jokes about Stifler’s mom.

The Avengers – May 4

Superhero films always conquer the box office and 2012 will be no different. Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the Black Window (Scarlett Johansson) team up to save the world in The Avengers. But this will be no Justice League flick. With an estimated $220 million budget, this Marvel Comic movie will amaze fans in 3D.

The Dictator – May 11

It’s safe to say Sacha Baron Cohen’s Dictator will be offensive. It will be controversial. It will also be one of the funniest movies of the year. The mockumentary chronicles his excellency Admiral General Aladeen (Cohen), dictator of the Republic of Wadiya, and his trip to America. The film also stars Anna Faris and Megan Fox. Oh, forgot to mention it is based on a book by Saddam Hussein.

Snow White and the Huntsman – June 1

Two films based on the classic tale of Snow White will be released this year. The other film staring Lily Collins as Snow White and Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen is kid-friendly and light hearted. But Snow White and the Huntsman is darker and will probably be the most successful of the two. Kristen Stewart as Snow White should gather “Twilight” fans to theaters by her name alone. Stewart has had minimal success outside of Twilight  in Indie films so this twist on Snow White could be her shot to be taken seriously as an actress.

The Amazing Spider-man – July 3

Can The Social Network star Andrew Garfield fill the shoes of Tobey McGuire as Peter Parker? Audiences will have to judge for themselves this summer in a reboot of the Spider-Man franchise. Gwen Stacey will be portrayed by Emma Stone, who had a great year in 2011 in Crazy, Stupid, Love and The Help. Of course like every other big budget movie this year, it will be shown in 3D.

The Dark Knight Rises – July 20

This movie will be the best of 2012. With director Christopher Nolan and Oscar winner Christian Bale things can’t go wrong. This film, taking place eight years  after The Dark Knight, will sadly conclude the Nolan series. Bale is arguably the best Batman of the franchise and with an all-star cast, including Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard and Morgan Freeman, I’m already calling a Best Picture nomination.

The Great Gatsby – Dec. 25

After phenomenal performances in films like J. Edgar, Leonardo DiCaprio has yet to win an Academy Award. 2012 will be his year as he portrays the iconic Jay Gatsby in the adaptation of the 1925 novel. Over the years, DiCaprio has proven he is more than Jack Dawson from Titanic. Give the man an Oscar!