45 Must See Films of 2014 - Part 1

2014 has a substantial number of high quality films that will or are currently slated to come out during the 12 month period. Some of these films might find themselves in the studio black holes with no avenue for distribution, and some may die during pre-production. Others may be bumped back into 2015, but these are the 45 that I have found that look pretty good to me. I've broken them into four categories: Blockbusters, Comedies, Mainstream Fillers, and Wildcards. I'm not even going to mention the "O" word yet. I've been premature on awards predictions before, so I'm being patient.

Let's start with the fourteen blockbusters on the docket.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Captain America seems to be the least popular of the Avengers, but they are making Scarlett Johannson a major part of the film, and are introducing us to a few new characters. It's Marvel's last Avengers film until we get to see Avengers 2 in 2015, but the studio is continuing their trend of cycling through directors to give the films fresh and unique feels. April 4.

The Amazing Spiderman 2. Marc Webb has been tantalizing the public with teasers of possible villains or plot lines, but it looks like many of them are just that. Teasers. Andrew Garfield returns as the web-slinging hero, and this time goes up against Paul Giamatti and Jamie Foxx. It will be fun, and devoid of any of the Avengers or Justice League heroes, this might be the superhero film of the summer. May 2.

X-Men: Days of Future Past. Bryan Singer returns to the helm (X-Men and X-Men 2), which could be a downturn in the franchise after Matthew Vaughn took over for the surprisingly fun X-Men: First Class. He hasn't directed anything good in years, and is still holding on to his Usual Suspects reputation. Expect this to be a bit more disappointing than you think. May 23.

Transformers: Age of Extinction. Michael Bay returns and wisely revamps the cast and moves on to a more action-centered Transformers. Not that the others weren't packed with special effects action and explosions, but this should be a step in the right direction for the franchise. After all, it has made so much money, they would be stupid not to keep making them. Michael Bay knows how to entertain, this will be cool. June 27.

Godzilla. Hollywood can't get enough of giant monster disaster flicks, and this might be a different Godzilla than what we're used to. Director Gareth Edwards has a history of creature features with special effects mixed with just enough imagination to make it more fun than it should be. This will be a darker, more fun Godzilla than the typical Hollywood renditions. May 16.

Edge of Tomorrow. Tom Cruise's latest by Doug Liman. Very intriguing premise. Basically a futuristic Groundhog Day centered around an Alien invasion. June 6.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Director Matt Reeves takes the helm, and he lacks big budget experience. This project might be a bit over his head, but if it's anything like 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, it will be a pretty entertaining action film. Expect state of the art special effects as well, and as always, Andy Serkis as the Apes (and monkeys). July 11.

Jupiter Ascending. The Wachowski siblings return to sci-fi action after the Speed Racer pet project, and the dismal Cloud Atlas. This, at least at first glance, looks to be more like the Matrix than anything we've seen since. I have high hopes for this, and think it might mark a resurgence in the Wachowski name. July 18.

Guardians of the Galaxy. Chris Pratt gets his turn in the first film of Marvel's "Phase 2". A ragtag group of misfits are charged with saving the galaxy. This includes a talking raccoon, a giant tree-man, and their leader, Starlord (Pratt). I'm pretty excited to see what director James Gunn does with it. I've rarely been disappointed by Marvel, and this will be a step in a different direction, but I have confidence that it will do well with both critics and audiences. August 1.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Michael Bay is the producer, and the director has a handful of somewhat successful action films under his belt. The material is 1990's cult classic lore, but what is really intriguing is the special effects angle. Rumors are that the turtles are amazing, blending actors with CGI. I'm excited just to see that. August 8.

Interstellar. Probably the film I'm most excited for heading into 2014, Chris Nolan is a genius, and he takes a step back from the Sci-Fi to something a bit more Sci-non-Fi (trademark pending). There has been a teaser trailer, but other than that, the only thing we know is that it has an incredible cast, and looks at space travel with the discovery of wormholes. Think what Contact could have been back in 1997 if it had Nolan and today's special effects. Will be a great film. November 7.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1. Catching Fire just barely surpassed Iron Man 3 as the top grossing domestic film of 2013, and don't expect Mockingjay to be any different. The third book takes a different turn, but it's still Jennifer Lawrence, and it's still a young adult novel adaptation. Will rock the box office, but my thoughts are that it deviates from the theme of the first two. Almost a different franchise for the last two films. November 21.

The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Peter Jackson has run out of Tolkien material, so expect his swan song to be epic. Although the Hobbit films have a different tone than the LOTR ones, he will find a way to make this monumental. December 14.

Next up, We'll take a look at the six comedies that have the most potential to be memorable.