Mark’s top 10 most anticipated films of 2014:

Here’s my top 10 look at what’s coming up for cinema goers this year.

1. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (UK cinema release April 18)

Action / Adventure / Fantasy
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Dane DeHaan, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field.
Director: Marc Webb

Peter Parker aka Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) is still struggling with his inner conflict in his double life. However, being Spider-Man does have its advantages swinging through New York skyscrapers, having a relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and being the hero to the residents of the City. Unfortunately New York is once again threatened by super-villains although this time in triplicate. Jamie Foxx plays his first comic book bad guy as Electro and Peter Parker’s old friend Harry Osborne (Dane DeHaan) aka The Green Goblin returns and Paul Giamatti is cast as The Rhino.
There has already been some controversy over the casting of Dane DeHaan and the previous Spider-Man 3 with Toby Maguire was accused of suffering from an overload of villains. Let’s hope this is as good as Andrew Garfield’s first outing as the webbed wonder.

2. Transcendence (UK cinema release April 25)
Action / Drama / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Cast: Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Cole Hauser, Cory Hardrict, Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy.
Director: Wally Pfister

A terminally ill scientist (Johnny Depp) downloads his mind into a computer. This grants him power beyond his wildest dreams, and soon he becomes unstoppable.
Not much else known about this film but has promise with a stellar cast and first time director Wally Pfister who is a favourite cinematographer of Christopher Nolan who worked with him on The Dark Night. Interesting.

3. Godzilla (UK cinema release May 16)
Action / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Cast:  Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins
Director: Gareth Edwards

Godzilla is probably the most well-known giant monster second only to King Kong. But unlike the Japanese Godzilla movies of the 60’s we won’t be treated to watching two men in suits battle for monster supremacy. However, this 2014 film is yet another reboot and it’s hard to believe that the Matthew Broderick version was 16 years ago! Once again we have a strong cast including the other Breaking Bad favourite Bryan Cranston or Heisenberg to you and me (You’re damn right!). Coincidentally, Cranston’s Godzilla predecessor Matthew Broderick was originally approached by Breaking Bad producers to play Walter White / Heisenberg.
I think I was one of the few people who liked the 1998 version but I have to admit the trailers for 2014 look amazing!
Visual effects man Gareth Edwards (not the 1970’s Welsh International rugby player) who won acclaim for his directorial debut in the low budget Monsters in 2010, was handed a big budget and a bigger toy box by Warner Brothers to direct the new Godzilla. This is already in my diary.

4. X-Men: Days of Future Past (UK cinema release May 22)
Action / Sci-Fi / Fantasy
Cast:  Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage,
Director: Bryan Singer

The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-Men: Days of Future Past. The characters from the original X-Men film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from X-Men: First Class in an epic battle that must change the past to save our future. A confusing concept but the film does have the curiosity value plus a ready-made loyal fan base. All your favourites are back plus the addition of Peter Dinklage, who broke the typecast mould by making a dwarf the most likable protagonist in Game of Thrones. Good to see Bryan Singer back in the director’s chair.

5. Edge of Tomorrow (UK cinema release June 30)
Action / Sci-Fi
Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton and Jeremy Piven
Director: Doug Liman

A soldier fighting in a war with aliens finds himself caught in a time loop of his last day in the battle, though he becomes better skilled along the way. Tom Cruise is always great value for money and always gives 100% to every role plus he’s looking good at 51. Emily Blunt shows that she can hold her own as an action hero and the trailer looks promising. Cruise is becoming king of the sci-fi movies with the likes of Minority Report (2002), War of the Worlds (2005) and last year’s Oblivion (2013).

6. Transformers: The Age of Extinction (UK cinema release July 10)
Action / Sci-Fi / Adventure
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Jack Reynor, Nicola Peltz, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Sophia Myles and Peter Cullen (voice)
Director: Michael Bay

Cade Teager (Mark Wahlberg) an automobile mechanic and his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz) make a discovery that accidentally activates alien machinery which arouses the suspicion of the government as well as a hoard of alien bounty hunters.
Director Michael Bay who worked on the first Transformers (2007) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon is back at the helm. I wasn’t a huge fan of the third movie but apparently this fourth outing is the first in the franchise to feature an entirely new cast of characters and also the first to introduce the Dinobots.
I am pleased that Canadian actor Peter Cullen is back to voice everybody’s favourite Transformer Optimus Prime. Cullen was the original Optimus Prime voice at the start the TV series in 1984 and then in the animated movie in 1986.

7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (UK cinema release July 17)
Action / Sci-Fi / Drama
Cast: Jason Clarke, Andy Serkis, Terry Notary, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell and Judy Greer.
Director: Matt Reeves (Cloverfield 2008 and Let Me In 2010)

Set several years after Rise of the Planet of the Apes the human survivors of a deadly virus that wiped out most of mankind have make a truce with the growing band of Apes led by Caesar (Andy Serkis).  But there is friction between both groups and all-out war is on the horizon and there can be only one dominant species.
Many people are looking forward to this sequel especially with the advancement of the motion capture techniques. Check out a behind the scenes look featured in Empire this month. It shows fellow Ape actor Toby Kebbell in full mo-cap suit as dominant Ape Koba.

8. Guardians of the Galaxy (UK cinema release August 1

Action / Sci-Fi / Adventure

Cast: Zoe Saldana, John C. Reilly, Chris Pratt, Michael Rooker, Glenn Close, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Benicio Del Toro, Lee Pace, Djimon Hounsou, Vin Diesel (voice), Bradley Cooper (voice) and Peter Serafinowicz.
Director: James Gunn

In the far reaches of space, an American pilot named Peter Quill or Star Lord as he likes to be known (Chris Pratt), finds himself the object of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan (Lee Pace). Quill forms an uneasy alliance with a group of misfits who together with Star Lord become the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Gamora a blue warrior alien played by Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Star Trek), Drax the Destroyer, David Bautista (Ex-WWE wrestler), Groot a large tree-like humanoid voiced by Vin Diesel and Rocket Raccoon, yes an actual tiny but genetically engineered fighting machine voiced by Bradley Cooper. Sorry girls! It’s only the voice.
Some people are calling this a bit of a risk from Marvel as they are all relatively new characters to most of the public. It’s also more of a comedy adventure. The film also features Britain’s own Karen Gillan as Nebula (Doctor Who’s Amy Pond) who should be used to flying around the Galaxy.

9. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 (UK cinema release November 21)
Action / Sci-Fi / Drama / Thriller
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Natalie Dormer, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Cusack, Robert Knepper, Sam Claflin, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones and Woody Harrelson
Director: Francis Lawrence

Katniss Everdeen reluctantly becomes the symbol of a mass rebellion against the autocratic Capitol. The sad untimely death of Philip Seymour Hoffman may add some curiosity viewers to this third instalment. Hoffman played Plutarch Heavensbee but he tragically died with one week of filming left. Due to the fact that the majority of his scenes for the final two movies were already filmed. With the consent of his family the role was not re-cast but finished with a combination of re-writes, camera tricks and digital special effects.

10. The Hobbit: There and Back Again (UK cinema

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Martin Freeman, Luke Evans, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, Billy Connolly, Ian Holm, James Nesbitt and Mikael Persbrandt
Director: Peter Jackson

The Company of Thorin has reached Smaug's lair; but can Bilbo and the Dwarves reclaim Erebor and the treasure? And, if so, can they hold on to it. Meanwhile the Dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) was last seen heading towards Lake Town and he wasn’t very happy. This film is the third and final instalment of the Hobbit trilogy. I for one really enjoyed the first two movies, I think we all need a bit of fantasy escapism now and then.

Let me know your most eagerly awaited movie of 2014!