Preparing for some upcoming cinematic epics at The Movie Trailer Park

We've got a whole new year of movies to look forward to as well as look out for, with just about everyone having their own favorite genre to narrow their focus on. Yet, there is one category that spans across genres and that is the one known as "epic."

An epic film doesn't necessarily mean a long running time or big name stars or even serious dramatic content. Epic is more about the tone of the story and the importance of the plot to the characters, who may have true consequences at stake that won't be easily resolved by the time the end credits arrive. It's more about feeling that seeing,although a true epic delivers on both fronts.

While all of these trailers for future release in 2017 may not live up to that promise, they certainly are serious contenders for that cinematic spotlight. First up is Blade Runner 2049, a long in the tooth follow-up to the 1982 sci-fi cult classic. Here, a new replicant hunter(Ryan Gosling) is searching for his predecessor Rick Deckard(Harrison Ford) to unravel a mystery that threatens to shake up things for the worse.

There's a new director at the helm(Denis Villeneuve, who directed the recently acclaimed science fiction drama The Arrival) as Ridley Scott prefers to just take a producer's credit this time around. A lot will be riding on this sequel, as the original film itself stirred up a ton of movie debut but if it works, this could be a game changer,folks:

Speaking of Ridley Scott, he is willing to take the director's chair for Alien: Covenant, the sequel to Prometheus, which is the prequel to the original Alien that Scott directed back in the day. Yeah, that's quite the loopy turn to get back to where you started, huh, Ridley?

Anyhow, Covenant is the name of the space explorer vessel that comes across android David(Michael Fassbinder,who was in the prior film) while searching for a fresh new planet to call home. Turns out this stop is not the ideal one as the locals are pretty vicious to newcomers indeed.

As the situation goes from bad to worse to doomed, it's up to crew member Daniels(Katherine Waterson) to take charge and kick serious ass. While the jury still seems to be out regarding Prometheus, the verdict for Alien: Covenant could be a solid win, especially if the leading lady of this piece lives up to the legacy of  Lt. Ellen Ripley:

Historical epics are usually the one to come to mind with this category and those that take place during times of war are instant go-tos for certain audiences. Christopher Nolan is no stranger to epic tales and as he turns his considerable talents to Dunkirk, chances are that more than the regular WWII buff will in in line for this movie.

The major focus of the story is the evacuation of Allied Forces during a strong siege on the beaches of Dunkirk in May and June of 1940. Quite the stellar cast is on deck here, with Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance and Cillian Murphy, just to name a few.

This is set for a summer release but I won't be surprised if Dunkirk becomes an Oscar contender before Labor Day arrives:

You can argue over whether or not a comic book superhero movie can be considered an epic but clearly the upcoming Wolverine film is intended to take a more somber look at the genre.

For one thing, it's called Logan(the actual name of the iconic X-Men character) and while it may or may not be Hugh Jackman's last onscreen depiction of that role which made him famous, this take on him certainly feels like a final chapter.

Set in a time that follows Days of Future Past, Logan is tending to an ailing Professor X(Patrick Stewart, also back on board) and called upon to help a young girl on the run from a sinister project known as Transigen. Echoes of the Western classic True Grit can be heard here(that Johnny Cash song selected for the trailer is not a random choice,to be sure) and perhaps this X-Men saga can be the ultimate setting off into the sunset for Wolverine, a real steel cowboy if there ever was one:

 More epics are sure to come but this batch at least looks interesting. A good epic should be fun as well as meaningful, with the audience finding them shocked to see it end so soon, even if it took up several hours of their lives.

I hope that we get a few epic musicals along the way, not just the animated ones or the live action based on animated ones. Don't get me wrong, cartoon musicals are among my favorite films and I'm even curious to see how well the new Disney version of Beauty and The Beast turns out.

 I know that La La Land is a critical darling at the moment and that's great but it would be nice to have the likes of Hamilton or The Book of Mormon be on the big screen,too. Give us some song and dance,Hollywood! We certainly could some of that right now: