45 Must See Films of 2014 - Part 3

Part 3 of 4 - the "Mainstream Fillers". Some of these films may bleed into the blockbuster category, but it will be a pleasant surprise for the studios, stars, and producers. Others may end up on my awards short list, but these are the films that will fill theatre seats throughout the year when people aren't clamoring to see the superhero flicks on the docket. These are the 14 films of part 3.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Tom Clancy's franchise returns with an origins story. Directed by Thor's Kenneth Branaugh (who also plays the Russian badguy - he loves the accent), Chris Pine takes the titular role, and depending on the success (box office, critics), we may see a resurgence of Jack Ryan in the near future. January 17.

Labor Day. Jason Reitman is one of my favorite young dramedy directors (Up in the Air, Juno, Thank you for Smoking, Young Adult) and this one may be a bit too heavy-handed. A one-time Oscar hopeful for 2013, Labor Day missed its mark and is now opening in the dreaded month of January. I'm still interested though. Should be the best thing out at the time. Ironically, opens on January 31.

The Monuments Men. Written, directed, starring George Clooney. This film was dubbed the "Argo" of 2013, and had Academy Awards written all over it, then it was pushed back to 2014 because they couldn't get the visual effects completed by year's end. The good news is that it might be a better film than anything that came out in 2013, and you get to see that during what is typically the calm before the spring season. This is a must-see. February 7.

Need for Speed. Aaron Paul gets a shot to headline a big budget video game adaptation, and from the few previews and screenshots, it might be a quieter, more artful Fast and Furious. With better cars. There is a slew of video game films coming down the pipe, Warcraft, Halo, Assassin's Creed. But this is one that is less ambitious and will likely be a lot of fun without taking itself too seriously. This is Paul's big break into film, but even if this is a bust, he can ride the Breaking Bad wave for another year or two. He will be fine either way. March 14.

Noah. Russell Crowe teams up with director Darren Aronofsky on the ambitious biblical tale of the end and rebirth of the world. Expect beautiful imagery and masterful camerawork. March 28.

Sabotage. Arnold Schwarzenegger's still got it. He leads a team of DEA special forces cops as they are taken out one by one, Agatha Christie Ten Little Indians style. Will be a lot of testosterone and explosions. Pure fun. April 11.

Transcendence. Johnny Depp lends his name to a wildcard Sci-Fi endeavor. Longtime Chris Nolan cinematographer, Wally Pfister (won an Oscar for Inception) makes his directorial debut in a film where a dying man essentially transcends death by uploading his personality into a computer. This film could be brilliant or terrible, but I'm not sensing a middle ground. April 18.

The Giver. That's right, Lois Lowry's classic young adult dystopian novel finally gets a home in film. An eyebrow-raising cast with Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, and Taylor Swift (yes, that Taylor Swift) will follow the lead of last fall's Ender's Game and give us something familiar but different than the rest of what's being made these days. I'm excited as I am a fan of the book. August 15.

Gone Girl. One of the more anticipated releases of 2014, Ben Affleck plays the lead in the David Fincher film. I don't know what the big deal is, so I'm picking up the book. October 3.

The Judge. Robert Downey Jr. ditches his Iron Man suit to play a lawyer coming home for his mom's funeral only to find out that his dad is the prime suspect. This could be a powerful legal drama, or a dark comedy. Director David Dobkin has a history of comedy, so don't get your hopes up too much. Downey is a very funny actor, and Robert Duvall plays his dad. However it turns out, it should be a fairly entertaining film. October 10.

Fury. Brad Pitt drives a tank during WWII in what will likely be another Inglorious Basterds war/revenge type film. Brad Pitt has chosen pretty wisely lately, so this has potential on his name alone. November 14.

Exodus. The third biblical interpretation of the year, this one finds Christian Bale as Moses, leading the Israelites out of Egypt. It's directed by Ridley Scott, so it is a bit of an odd match. Must be a passion project. December 12.

Everest. Not to be confused with the Doug Liman/Benedict Cumberbatch George Mallory biopic, the one I'm referring to is the thriller that finds Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, and John Hawkes stranded during a severe snow storm. Has some serious potential for greatness with that cast. December 19.

Unbroken. There's a lot of buzz already about the Angelina Jolie film based on the biography of an Olympic athlete and WWII POW. The Coen Brothers wrote the screenplay and my favorite cinematographer, Roger Deakins (10 Oscar nominations, 0 wins) is behind the camera. December 25.

There are 12 more films that I am excited to see, I'll call them the "Wildcards" and they will be featured in part 4. Enjoy!