What movie are you most looking forward to in 2022?

There are a lot of hardships in life, and these can easily get us down. I believe that having things to look forward to, however small they might be, is an important part of staying positive and taking care of our mental health. It is now 2022 and, while life continues to be difficult with the ebb and flow of the ongoing pandemic, there is a bunch of movies being released that should add some excitement to the year. I am going to introduce a few movies that are worth waiting for.

The Mission Impossible series is yet another example of the love of sequels displayed by movie production companies. To date, already 6 movies in this series have been released. However, unlike some other movie series, the Mission Impossible saga has provided audiences with quality movies one after the other. In fact, it would be no exaggeration to say that the movies have actually gotten better throughout the series, which is quite rare indeed. What I like about the Mission Impossible movies is that they are probably as close as you can get to the perfect action movie. They have interesting story lines, good character development and relationships, they are not too predictable but also not too difficult to understand. There is action, but, in my opinion, they don't take the violence and gore too far. Of course, there are a lot of of unrealistic stunts which will not appeal to some people, but, personally, such things don't bother me as I don't expect movies to be realistic. The seventh movie in the series, Mission Impossible: Fallout, was going to be released in 2022, but I have just discovered it has been delayed until 2023. What a pity! Therefore, while it is no longer a candidate for the top movies being released in 2022, it most definitely will be on my list of must-watch movies in 2023!

With Mission Impossible 7 now off the list, that makes room for some other interesting candidates. One of these is 'Lightyear', which tells the story of the person who inspired the much-loved character of the Toy Story series; 'Buzz Lightyear'. I am interested in this movie first of all because I like the Toy Story series. But I am also drawn to this movie because I am impressed by the ingenuity and creativity of the story angle. They could have just made yet another Toy Story movie (and indeed they may still do so). Instead, though, they have looked at the world of Toy Story from a different angle and focused in on one character. Lightyear will be connected to Toy Story, but it will also have its own uniqueness. I really appreciate this creativity and I am looking forward to seeing where the creators have gone with the story.

While I could write about some other candidates, I am going to finish by writing about a movie that stirs up some complex emotions for fans, like myself, of the Marvel movies series: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This will be the second movie in the Black Panther movie series. The first was a masterful blend of action, humor and dazzling special effects. I am very much looking forward to the next instalment, but it is a bittersweet feeling as the actor who so skillfully starred as the Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman, tragically died in real life. I don't know a lot about the new movie, but I have heard they will not cast someone else in his place, and they will also not use CG to recreate him as the character. I am glad they have decided to not go in either of these directions, especially the latter, as, especially because he died so young, it just wouldn't feel right to replace him digitally like that. However, they have decided to move forward with the story of the Black Panther and his home Wakanda, I am confident that they will have endeavored to do so in a way that is respectful to the memory of Chadwick Boseman.

Well, that wraps up my article about the top movies I am looking forward to in 2022. Movies may not be your thing, but I hope that you can find many things to look forward to this year.

Belinda

Vocabulary

ebb and flow (phrase) – the repeated, often regular, movement from one state to another; the repeated change in level, numbers or amount
no exaggeration to say (phrase) – used to emphasize that something is really true
ingenuity (noun) – the ability to invent things or solve problems in clever new ways
stir up (phrasal verb) – to make people feel strong emotions
masterful (adjective) – able to do something in a very skilful way
endeavor (verb) - to attempt to do something, especially something new or difficult