Dumb And Dumber To
Welcome to the Total Film list of Movies to Look Foward to in 2014.
In our list we'll run through the most anticipated films of 2014, including blockbuster smashes, mega-sequels and more. First up, Dumb & Dumber To ...
The 2014 Film: Two decades after the events of the first movie, Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne return for more idiotic adventures.
Most Exciting Element: If this was a Dumb And Dumber sequel involving any other creative team, we'd probably be shoving our fingers into our ears and pretending this one doesn't exist.
But the prospect of the Farrelly brothers, Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey returning to arguably their funniest creations is just too intruiging to ignore.
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
The 2014 Film: A spin-off from the successful franchise that swaps ghosts for black magic as Jesse (Andrew Jacobs) discovers a strange mark on his arm and starts to worry for his well-being.
Most Exciting Element: From what we've seen in the trailer, this won't take the gently-gently approach of the other PA films (i.e. slow build to a third act showdown).
Instead, this looks all-out bonkers in the best possible way. Grab a pillow to hide behind while you still can…
Non-Stop
The 2014 Film: Liam Neeson continues his transformation into an unexpected action star with this thriller from director Jaume Collet-Serra ( Orphan , Unknown ).
Neeson plays a US air marshal who attempts to root out a killer on a plane. Meanwhile, Julianne Moore looks worried.
Most Exciting Element: It's Taken on a plane, really, isn't it?
The Expendables 3
The 2014 Film: Before we get the Expendabelles (or the Expendababes , or whatever they decide to call the female version of the Expendables ), the guys are back for a third round of muscle flexing and testosterone gushing (sorry).
This time around, they've recruited Kelsey Grammer as a silver fox ally, while Mel Gibson's the big bad.
Most Exciting Element: Kelsey Grammer as an ACTION HERO! Sure, he played Beast, but this time (we assume) he won't be blue and furry.
Wonder if he'll attempt to psychoanalyse the Expendables while he shoots bad guys…
Lone Survivor
The 2014 Film: Based on Marcus Luttrell's tell-all book, this adaptation follows Mark Wahlberg (as Luttrell), a SEAL who goes on a deadly mission to apprehend a member of the Taliban.
Most Exciting Element: It's directed by Peter Berg, who's got something to prove after Battleship sunk with critics and audiences alike.
Luckily, Lone Survivor looks awesome, and could wipe out all memory of that boardgame adap.
Need For Speed
The 2014 Film: Inspired by the EA video game, this Scott Waugh actioner seems to take a leaf out of the Fast & Furious rulebook as street racer Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul) set out to avenge his friend's death.
Most Exciting Element: This is Paul's first lead role after Breaking Bad , and we're excited to find out how he acquits himself on the big screen.
That Awkward Moment
The 2014 Film: A rom-com told from the guys' perspective, as Michael B. Jordan, Zac Efron and Miles Teller navigate the murky world of romance and dating.
It's that film where, in the trailer, Efron's balancing naked on a toilet, in case you're wondering.
Most Exciting Element: Efron's been around a while, but he's tapping a comedy vein at the moment that could see his career branching off into an interesting new direction.
And with Jordan making waves with indie drama Fruitvale Station , it'll be great to see him tackle comedy, too.
Sabotage
The 2014 Film: Arnie plays a DEA operative who goes up against a murderous drug cartel in David Ayer's mad-looking actioner.
It's based on a book by Agatha Christie. Now there's two people we never thought would ever get billed together: Arnie and Agatha Christie.
Most Exciting Element: Arnie, who was fantastic in this year's The Last Stand , proving that he may be in his sixties, but he's still every bit the action star.
We expect him to BRING IT in Sabotage .
Out Of The Furnace
The 2014 Film: The second film from Crazy Heart director Scott Cooper, and a grim-looking drama.
Christian Bale plays a steel mill worker who goes in search of his missing brother (Casey Affleck), and comes up against Woody Harrelson's crime boss.
Most Exciting Element: The involvement of Cooper, who calls the film massively personal, and who directed Jeff Bridges to an Oscar with Crazy Heart.
Could he beat the 'tricky second film' curse?
Her
The 2014 Film : The fourth film from director Spike Jonze looks like a typically fascinating mix of heartbreak and life-affirming drama as Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with his disembodied new operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).
Most Exciting Element: Johansson.
Though she doesn't physically appear in the film, her performance is apparently so good that she won a Best Actress award at the Rome Film Festival…
Minions
The 2014 Film: A Despicable Me spin-off starring those scene-stealing little yellow tic-tacs.
Putting the likes of Kevin and co front and centre, the spin-off will delve into the origins of the minions (explaining that their sole purpose is serving the ultimate evil), which apparently includes wiping out the dinosaurs…
Most Exciting Element: The minions of course. Bouncy, incomprehensible and really, really stupid, they're also ridiculously entertaining.
Pompeii
The 2014 Film: Kit Harington and Emily Browning face impending doom in this historical action flick, as Mount Vesuvius threatens to erupt and destroy the city of Pompeii…
Most Exciting Element: Fans of wanton movie destruction should get a serious fix with this film - director Paul WS Anderson's not exactly known for scrimping on the action.
That, and Harington's six-pack. Have you SEEN that stomach?
I, Frankenstein
The 2014 Film: Aaron Eckhart cracks out the pecks and the facial scars as Frankenstein's monster in this adaptation of Kevin Grevioux's graphic novel.
In a bit of a departure from Mark Shelley's original novel, the plot of this action flick sees the monster caught in a war between two immortal races.
Most Exciting Element: Frankenstein, action hero? It's an idea that's just barking enough that it might actually work.
The Book Thief
The 2014 Film: Based on Markus Zusack's bestselling book, this follows young Liesel (Sophie Nelisse), who's sent to stay with a couple in Munich (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson) during World War II.
Most Exciting Element: The book's a beautifully-written contemplation on life and death, and it'll be fascinating to see how director Brian Percival translates that to the big screen - and in particular the character of Death.
Noah
The 2014 Film: Russell Crowe plays the ark-building prophet, who has a premonition about a great flood and decides to build a boat in order to survive the imminent destruction.
After Darren Aronofsky quit The Wolverine , this is what he decided to make instead, which means it MUST be good.
Most Exciting Element: Far from a squeaky clean biblical adaptation, Aronofsky's promised something dark and disturbing, with the theme of madness running throughout.
Sort of like a less dance-y sequel to Black Swan , then…
RoboCop
The 2014 Film: The Killing actor Joel Kinnaman dons shiny body armour as the titular cop in José Padilha's slick-looking franchise reboot.
Most Exciting Element: Though the idea of remaking Paul Verhoeven's modern classic didn't compute initially, the trailer has us all-but convinced this is going to be an ace futuristic thriller.
And it's about time RoboCop was back on the big screen.
Grudge Match
The 2014 Film: Otherwise known (at least, to us) as Rocky vs Raging Bull.
Pitting heavyweight pugilists Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro against one another, this promises to be an epic scrap movie… with OAP credentials. What more could you ask for?
Most Exciting Element: Stallone and De Niro in the ring. That's top quality entertainment right there.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The 2014 Film: The heroes in a half shell are back! This time taking advantage of mo-cap technology, the old Jim Henson prosthetics are out and slick new mutant ninjas are in.
Also in: Megan Fox as news reporter April and Will Arnett her finnicky cameraman.
Most Exciting Element: We haven't had a live-action TMNT movie since the disappointing third movie in 1993, so a comeback is massively exciting.
Especially as William Fichtner's also on board as the villainous Shredder.
Divergent
The 2014 Film: First in a proposed new YA movie series, Divergent stars Shailene Woodley ( The Descendants ) as a faction-flouting whipper snapper who discovers that the seemingly perfect future society in Chicago is all just a lie.
Most Exciting Element : Could this be the new Hunger Games ?
We've got an entire year to wait for Mockingjay Part 1 to hit cinemas (in November 2014), and Divergent 's April 2014 release date is perfectly timed to give film-lovers a fix of futuristic girl power.
The Equalizer
The 2014 Film: Fresh from blowing up the White House in Olympus Has Fallen , director Antoine Fuqua helms this American thriller based on the '80s TV series.
Denzel Washington plays a retired officer who turns vigilante when he decides to help Chloe Grace Moretz's young prostitute.
Most Exciting Element: Whenever Washington and Fuqua get together, you can expect explosive results - if The Equalizer 's even half as good as Training Day, we're in for a memorable ride.
Jupiter Ascending
The 2014 Film: Mila Kunis' future down-and-out is targeted for death by the Queen of the Universe, who's predicted that she'll be key to the Queen's downfall.
Think Snow White in a future landscape.
Most Exciting Element: Cloud Atlas was a bit too 'out there' for some, but there's no denying the Wachowksis are visionaries when it comes to futuristic thrillers.
We're hoping that with Jupiter , they're able to recapture the same lightning in a bottle that made The Matrix so good.
Transcendence
The 2014 Film: Christopher Nolan's favourite cinematographer, Wally Pfister, makes the jump to director with this sci-fi thriller.
Johnny Depp plays a guy whose consciousness is transferred into a computer by Rebecca Hall's scientist when he's killed.
Most Exciting Element: Though it'll be interesting to see how Pfister's cinematography skills translate to the director's chair, we're most excited to see Johnny Depp in a film that (presumably) doesn't involve him slathering himself in multi-coloured paint.
The Maze Runner
The 2014 Film: Think The Hunger Games and Divergent look a little too girly? This is the blokey answer, apparently - a male-led YA adap that stars Teen Wolf 's Dylan O'Brien as a youngster who wakes up in a maze that could be the death of him.
Most Exciting Element: Not only is it based on a kick-ass book, it also includes what should be some awesome movie monsters.
Also, what's not to love about a movie that has things in common with Cube and The Hunger Games ?
Hercules: The Thracian Wars
The 2014 Film: An adaptation of the Radical Comics series, with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson playing the Grecian legend.
Most Exciting Element: The Rock as Hercules. The former wrestler has made no secret of the fact that this is his dream role, and we're chomping at the bit to see what he does with the character.
From the images he's tweeted so far, Hercules looks battered, shaggy-haired and totally no-nonsense. This could be good…
Neighbours
The 2014 Film: Zac Efron dresses up as Robert De Niro from Taxi Driver and gets his pecks out in this fratboy comedy from director Nicholas Stoller.
Efron's the belligerent college student who makes life hell for his new neighbours, married couple Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne).
Most Exciting Element: It's Stoller's first film since The Five-Year Engagement , and while that comedy ended up being a little unwieldy, it still contained some proper ROLF moments. Which we hope to get in Neighbours , too.
The film, not the Aussie soap.
Labour Day
The 2014 Film: One all-but-guaranteed to prick up the ears of Academy members, this adaptation of Joyce Maynard's novel sees Kate Winslet's single mum take in Josh Brolin's injured convict over a summer weekend.
We don't think this is going to end well.
Most Exciting Element: Not just the fact that this is the latest film from the always-impressive Jason Reitman, but because Winslet pretty much never disappoints.
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
The 2014 Film : The fifth film to centre on Tom Clancy's CIA analyst, and the first to star Chris Pine (the fourth actor to take on the role, if you want more numbers).
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, this franchise-starter sees Ryan attempt to take down Russian terrorists who are planning on crashing the US economy. Scary.
Most Exciting Element: Pine's proven he can do action with Star Trek and This Means War , but this will be the first time he's carried a big franchise entirely on his own shoulders.
The LEGO Movie
The 2014 Film: Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller adapt the teeny toys into a badass-looking movie.
Channing Tatum, Morgan Freeman and Liam Neeson all provide voices.
Most Exciting Element: Batman! Wonder Woman! GOD!
The cast of characters involved in this potential mini masterpiece is enough to have us choking with joy - plus it's the first time we'll see Batman and Superman on-screen together before Zack Snyder's Batman Vs Superman.
Edge Of Tomorrow
The 2014 Film: Tom Cruise teams up with Emily Blunt for a futuristic sci-fi in which they wear heavy duty battle gear and fight off alien Mimics.
Most Exciting Element: Director Doug Liman's got form with action double-headers (see Mr & Mrs Smith ), and we're hoping for similarly ballsy action kicks with this one.
Also, Blunt as an action heroine is going to kick serious ass.
The Monuments Men
The 2014 Film: George Clooney's fifth time behind the camera unites a heck of a cast in John Goodman, Bill Murray, Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett.
The plot centres on a WW2 platoon who attempt to steal back precious art from the Nazis.
Most Exciting Element: That phenomenal cast. Goodman and Murray trading barbs? YES PLEASE.
Transformers: Age Of Extinction
The 2014 Film: Thought the Transformers franchise was over? Michael Bay obviously just can't get enough of the skyscraper-sized robots in disguise as he's just shot a fourth flick starring Mark Wahlberg.
"I at least wanted to set it up on some good footing," Bay's said of kicking off a new trilogy of Transformers films.
Most Exciting Element: Dinobots!
"I can not disclose the specifics, but you can be sure that the arrival of the Dinobots will give the audience a lot to be excited about," producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura told Beijing News earlier this year, sending fanboys into a fever.
How To Catch A Monster
The 2014 Film: Described as a dark and dreamy fantasy, this neo-noir is written and directed by Ryan Gosling.
Christina Hendricks plays a single mother whose son discovers a road to another world. Matt Smith, Saoirse Ronan and Eva Mendes also star.
Most Exciting Element: It's Ryan Gosling's directorial debut!
After Joseph Gordon-Levitt impressed this year with his debut feature Don Jon , we're desperate to see how Gosling measures up.
Muppets Most Wanted
The 2014 Film: Having made a successful critical and commercial comeback in 2011 ($165m and counting), the Muppets are back for a Europe-hopping caper that includes bad guy Ricky Gervais and Kermit clone Constantine.
Most Exciting Element: Bret McKenzie won an Oscar for the first film's 'Man Or Muppet', and he's back with all-new music for this sequel.
We can't wait to find out what he's rustled up.
How To Train Your Dragon 2
The 2014 Film: DreamWorks Animation's follow-up to their wildly successful book adaptation.
Set five years after the first film, we find an older and wiser Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) going up against the mysterious Dragon Rider.
Most Exciting Element: The swooping aerial battle scenes were a massive highlight in the first Dragon , and hopefully Dragon 2 will serve up even more thrilling set-pieces.
Also, dragon Toothless is just adorable.
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
The 2014 Film: Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes was an unexpectedly solid prequel to the Apes franchise, and we're hoping for more of the same from the sequel.
Set years after Rise , Dawn sees Caesar's (Andy Serkis) army of apes beset by human survivors in a post-apocalyptic world.
Most Exciting Element: Ape fights! Plus we have a great human cast, which includes Gary Oldman and Keri Russell.
300: Rise Of An Empire
The 2014 Film : A 'sidequel' to Zack Snyder's 300 , this adaptation of Frank Miller's Xerxes swaps Gerard Butler for Aussie actor Sullivan Stapleton, who goes head-to-head with Eva Green's menacing armada-leader.
Most Exciting Element: From what we've seen in the trailers, Green looks like a formidable new foe.
Plus all the blood and guts, of course.
Maleficent
The 2014 Film: Angelina Jolie plays the titular villainess in this update of Sleeping Beauty.
Based on the fairytale, it's told from the perspective of evil crone Maleficent, who goes from pure-hearted youngster to twisted crone after she's betrayed.
Most Exciting Element: Undoubtedly Jolie, who looks both gorgeous and terrifying as Maleficent.
There will be nightmares…
22 Jump Street
The 2014 Film: Officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are assigned another undercover case, this time going plain-clothes at college in order to take down a corrupt fraternity.
Most Exciting Element: Hill and Tatum, whose unexpectedly sparkling chemistry in 21 Jump Street surprised just about everyone.
Here’s hoping they can pull that trick off a second time.
Fifty Shades Of Grey
The 2014 Film: Only an adaptation of the most famous book since Harry Potter (and for entirely different reasons).
After a bit of casting musical chairs, Jamie Dornan will play Christian Grey, who enters into a rather unusual relationship with one Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson). Expect steam.
Most Exciting Element: The question of just HOW racy this is actually going to go is up there. Fans will be disappointed by anything less than totally in-yer-face.
Plus can Sam Taylor-Wood take E.L. James' book and turn it into a watchable movie? Time will tell…
Sin City: A Dame To Kill For
The 2014 Film: They promised they'd make it, and they haven't let us down.
Reuniting after 2005's Sin City , Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller adapt Miller's second set of sinful stories, this time adding Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Juno Temple to the monochrome mix.
Most Exciting Element: As with 300: Rise Of An Empire , Eva Green looks set to put the cat among the pigeons with Dame - she's playing Ava Lord, one of the slipperiest, most manipulative characters ever created. Awesome.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
The 2014 Film: Film three in the quadrilogy based on Susanne Collins' bestselling YA series, dealing with the fall-out of Catching Fire.
With Fire already breaking records all over the place, the series' popularity should have reached fever pitch by the time Mockingjay Part 1 reaches us.
Most Exciting Element: Jennifer Lawrence has capably led the franchise this far, and she's really going to be put through her paces in Mockingjay. We're 100% confident she can pull it off and then some.
The Hobbit: There And Back Again
The 2014 Film: Bilbo's (Martin Freeman) final outing and the last entry in Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy.
With Bilbo and the dwarves having made it to the Lonely Mountain, they've got a battle on their hands...
Most Exciting Element: The Battle of Five Armies, which should match anything from The Lord Of The Rings in terms of scale.
Expect it to be absolutely massive.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The 2014 Film: Caps (Chris Evans) gets a second solo outing, this one set after the events of Avengers Assemble.
Paired up with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), CA2 has been described as a '70s-style paranoid thriller, with Caps going up against the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), and finding a possible new ally in Falcon (Anthony Mackie).
Most Exciting Element: The trailer dropped some massive scenes in our laps that we can't wait to see, including that helicarrier set-piece.
The Wolf Of Wall Street
The 2014 Film: Leonardo DiCaprio plays real-life stock broker Jordan Belfort, who went to jail for ripping off investors in a scam that exposed shocking corruption in Wall Street.
Most Exciting Element: The last time DiCaprio worked with director Martin Scorsese, we got gorgeous noir Shutter Island.
This time, DiCaprio's joined by Matthew McConaughey for what looks like one of this year's Oscar best bets.
12 Years A Slave
The 2014 Film: The third collaboration between Michael Fassbender and director Steve McQueen.
This time, they're taking a harrowing trip into history as Fassbender plays an evil slave driver who keeps Chiwetel Ejiofor's New Yorker captive.
Most Exciting Element: Fassbender's popularity is way up there, but he's never more fascinating than when he's working with McQueen, who seems to know exactly which buttons to press. Can't wait.
Interstellar
The 2014 Film: Christopher Nolan moves onto pastures new after wrapping up his Batman trilogy, helming this mysterious sci-fi about space exploration, and apparently, time travelling through wormholes.
Most Exciting Element: Like JJ Abrams, Nolan's unmatched in keeping his movie projects shrouded in secrecy right up to release.
Which means we'll know pretty much nothing about it going on, just like the good old days.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The 2014 Film: Follow-up to Marc Webb's Spidey reboot, with Andrew Garfield back in the skin-tight outfit, this time going up against Electro (Jamie Foxx) and Rhino (Paul Giamatti).
Most Exciting Element: The first Amazing Spider-Man felt a little bit déjà vu all over again, so we can't wait for the story to really get cranking in this high-flying sequel.
Also, Jamie Foxx as Electro is going to be magnificent.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past
The 2014 Film: The mutants are back!
A sequel to both X-Men: First Class and X-Men: The Last Stand , this time-jumping comic adaptation sees Professor X and co caught up in a war against robotic Sentinels that could lead to the destruction of all mutants.
Most Exciting Element: We thought Avengers Assemble was big, but Bryan Singer's return to the X-verse is huge in its ambition, not least because it unites the older and younger version of our favourite characters.
This is going to be BIG.
Godzilla
The 2014 Film: Monsters director Gareth Edwards helms this franchise reboot, in which Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays a soldier who goes up against that titular nasty.
M ost Exciting Element: Godzilla! Though we've only seen artwork for the mighty beast, it looks like Edwards is sticking to a more traditional look for the giant reptile, which has us quivering with excitement.
Who needs Pacific Rim when you've got Godzilla?
Guardians Of The Galaxy
The 2014 Film: Marvel go out of this world for their first full-on space opera, which stars Chris Pratt as the Star-Lord, a cocky Han Solo-esque anti-hero who heads up that titular team.
Move over Avengers, there's a new set of heroes in town…
Most Exciting Element: Rocket Raccoon! Described by Pratt as the best character in the movie, the CGI gun-lover is being voiced by Bradley Cooper and looks set to steal the show entirely.
