Welcome to The Top 5, where every week, we list five things for a given topic. These topics can range from “5 Things We Liked About The Power Rangers Teaser Trailer” to “5 Things We Want (Or Don’t Want) In Ben Affleck’s The Batman.”

Of course, because everyone has an opinion, there is sure to be some disagreements, which is why, despite the title “The Top 5,” very rarely are these actual “best of” articles. Instead, they’re meant to provide entertaining insight, and to stir a discussion, and give everyone a chance to speak their mind. 

If you have a suggestion for a Top 5 piece, send them my way via #TheTop5LRM on Twitter. If I choose your topic, I’ll be sure to give you a shoutout!

Now, on with today’s topic!

5 BLOCKBUSTERS WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2017

We’ve finally left behind the terribleness that was 2016. Between all the celebrities that left us last year, along with the numerous disappointments in theaters, I think we’re all ready to look ahead to the future. And that’s how it always is. As soon a film hits theaters, we’re already looking towards its sequel or spinoff, so why should the year be any different?

As promising as 2016 looked a year ago, I’d say that 2017 looks all the more promising, especially on the big blockbuster front. Between new shared universes, continuing shared universes, anticipated sequels, 2017 has no shortage of potentially great flicks for fanboys to salivate over. 

This was by no means an easy list, and it’s also, by no means, definitive. In fact, there are so many great movies coming out that I had to go so far as to give out a few honorable mentions at the tail end. So here we go.

5 films we’re looking forward to in 2017.

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

Who’d’ve thought we’d be looking forward to another Spider-Man movie so soon after the last series folded? Things were bad enough during the era of The Amazing Spider-Man. As great as that first movie was in said series, many fans couldn’t shake the feeling that we’d already seen this story before. By the time the new saga had its direction, they’d muddied the water so badly that there was no turning back. So why is it that we’re still excited about this one?

Captain America: Civil War introduced us to a new Spidey — a younger, more naive Spidey. While Tom Holland as Peter Parker is definitely a huge reason why fans were so taken with this interpretation, we also have another solid reason: Tony Stark. That’s right, the new Spidey has what Amazing Spider-Man Spidey didn’t have: ties to the MCU. Sure, we’ve seen Spider-Man’s origin several times over, and we’ve had a chance to see him take down a significant number of baddies from his rogues gallery, but never in the backdrop of the MCU. Add in the fun, John Hughes-esque tone from the recent trailer, and you have a lot of great things to look forward to.

KONG: SKULL ISLAND

It was a tossup for me. Should I put The Mummy on here, or Kong: Skull Island? Both are in the same vein, and without a doubt, I’m very excited to see both come to the big screen, but when I look at all the evidence from the trailers, it became very clear that I’m more excited for The Mummy’s potential than for what I’ve seen so far. Kong: Skull Island, however, has me hooked based on its trailers alone, not its premise.

As far as its premise goes, it’s simple enough: men go to island of monsters that include King Kong. Craziness ensues. What I appreciated a great deal from the trailers so far were its hybrid of old-school Hollywood high adventure, and modern spectacle films. It looks fun, action-packed, and most importantly, it’s giving us the biggest freakin’ Kong we’ve ever had, and in watching this trailer, I was filled with a strange excitement over the prospect of this one going toe-to-toe with Godzilla in a few years. Considering I was someone who had zero interest in the film to begin with, I’d say that’s a job well done for the marketing.

POWER RANGERS

Apart from Star Wars, Power Rangers may be the first show that became my show. As it was with many kids in my generation, Power Rangers was a show I couldn’t wait to watch when I got home from school everyday. No, the series hasn’t aged well, but as with many properties, give it a nice coat of paint, a modern sensibility, and just enough nostalgia, and it’s very possible we’ll have a winner on our hands.

It helps that the first trailer for the film was actually pretty great, showing it as a much-needed update to the campy nature of the series, very much in the vein of Josh Trank’s 2012 film Chronicle. If that wasn’t enough, the proliferation of the amazing Green Ranger theory involving Elizabeth Bank’s Rita Repulsa is enough to give this movie an added weight that it will need to compete in today’s age of blockbuster films. Let’s just hope this movie delivers on its promises.

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES

War for the Planet of the Apes is the third film in the trilogy no one asked for. when Rise of the Planet of the Apes was first announced many years ago, no one expected anything more than a terrible cash grab not unlike the early-2000s reboot from Tim Burton. Even when the film first came out, excitement wasn’t exactly through the roof. Only when word of mouth started to circulate did moviegoers realize we had something special on our hands.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes came out a few years later, and once again raised the bar of expectations. With its nuanced character story about conflict from within a group, it became my personal favorite film of 2014. War for the Planet of the Apes is a movie that looks to extend that “gray” storytelling to the next chapter of this struggle between man and ape. While it doesn’t sound like the film will lead us to the titular “planet of the apes,” it certainly seems like it brings us one step closer to that world that shocked audiences decades back. If they stick the landing on this, this may very well conclude one of the best movie trilogies of all time.

KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure whether or not this should be on the list, as my enthusiasm for this one is based solely on the strengths of the original. Kingsman: The Secret Service was a film that I had rockbottom expectations for. The trailers for it looked like something out of a bad YA movie, and little more than a wish fulfillment fantasy for kids who’ve felt they were meant to do more with their lives.

Man, was I wrong. Instead, I got a kickass spy flick with a likable lead, a badass Colin Firth, an amazing villain from Samuel L. Jackson, and more over-the-top violent fight scenes than you can shake a stick at. It’s since been announced that Firth will be coming back to the sequel, and therein lies the most questionable part of this whole escapade. Can we trust that this would be anything more than a “bigger and badder” sequel? Given the involvement of director Matthew Vaughn, I am willing to bet it will be much more than just a simple case of “more of the same.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS: GHOST IN THE SHELL, THE MUMMY, & STAR WARS EPISODE VIII

I know, I know, blasphemy. I left out Star Wars Episode VIII. But that was such an obvious gimme, I had to leave it out in favor of some different blood. The Mummy, while promising, didn’t look quite as promising as Kong: Skull Island, so I had to give it a pass. Ghost in the Shell looks like a film that could potentially lead to more anime/manga adaptations, but if I’m being honest, I’m much more excited about all these other films. But I appreciate its potential influence on the medium down the road.

Did you agree with our list? What films are you looking forward to in 2017? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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