[ot-caption title=” Kong: Skull Island is one of several films predicted to blow up the box office in early 2017. (via Prayitno/Flickr)”]

Overall, 2016 was a great year for movies, as it was filled with with plenty of deep, award-caliber films as well as the usual batch of fun comic book/franchise films. Although the Academy Awards is coming up in a few weeks (February 26), I won’t be blogging about that because I honestly have no idea what it takes to win an Oscar (although, if Arrival somehow wins best picture, it would be due, in some part, to the review I wrote back in November). Instead, I’ll be going through a couple of films that I’m personally looking forward to this upcoming February and March.[spacer height=”20px”]

John Wick: Chapter Two (Feb. 10)[spacer height=”20px”]

I only recently got around to seeing the 2014 action thrill-ride John Wick. For this film, Keanu Reeves, despite the fact that he was 50 years old, intensively trained so that he was able to perform all of his own stunts. You seriously need to see John Wick if you’re into action choreography. I was blown away with how much fun the simple revenge story was. This time around the stakes are raised as Wick must once again come out of retirement and travel to Europe to work with a guild of assassins to protect their livelihood. John Wick: Chapter Two promises to contain more of the same awesomeness Reeves and stuntman-turned director Chad Stahelski brought us last time.[spacer height=”20px”]

The Lego Batman Movie (Feb. 10)[spacer height=”20px”]

I can’t believe we live in a world where not only is there a Lego movie, but it’s also awesome and there’s going to be a spin-off with Will Arnett reprising his role as Lego Batman and Michael Cera playing robin. What a time to be alive. Batman is going to have to learn how to work with others if he wants to stop the Joker from taking over Lego Gotham. If this one is half as much fun as The Lego Movie, I’ll be sure to see it.[spacer height=”20px”]

Logan (March. 3)[spacer height=”20px”]

Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine one last time in an intimate, R-rated, smaller-scale film which has Wolverine and Professor X (Patrick Stewart) taking part in one final mission in their post-apocalyptic world. The goal of their mission is to save a new young mutant from pursuit by dark forces. Jackman and Stewart are always the most professional and best part of the X-Men films, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to make a great movie. Jackman is even taking a paycut to ensure that the film remains R-rated with all of it’s action entirely intact. I’m excited to see Logan as an interesting, rougher take on the superhero genre.[spacer height=”20px”]

Kong: Skull Island (March. 10)[spacer height=”20px”]

Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (directed The Kings of Summer, which is a great teen movie and lots of fun) is bringing us the newest version of King Kong, America’s contribution to the world of monster films. Kong brings together a great cast with some big names including Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, and John C. Riley. The film, taking place in the 1970s, brings a group of scientists and soldiers to a mysterious island in the pacific where they end up disturbing Kong and the island’s monsters on their home turf. If the trailers are any indication, this one looks to be a novel take on the King Kong story and it is being made by Legendary Pictures, the same studio by which 2014’s Godzilla was made. In fact, in 2020 Legendary Pictures will be crossing the two over in an American remake of King Kong vs. Godzilla.[spacer height=”20px”]

That’s all for the next two months. There are some films I’ve probably missed and some films that I don’t know if I’ll like or not (Ice Cube and Charlie Day’s Fist Fight being one of them and Power Rangers being another). But overall, 2017 looks like it’ll be another great year to go catch some movies.[spacer height=”20px”]

Sources: Youtube, Slashfilm, cinemablend, vignette2.wikia [spacer height=”20px”]

Photo Sources: Flickr