JOPLIN, Mo. — Who cares about the plotline? With a movie like “Cowboys & Aliens,” the title is all you really need.

The trailer for the upcoming 2011 blockbuster has inspired laughter and applause in the theater. The premise and title, while awesome, do seem at first glance fit for ludicrous cinematic disaster in the vein of “Snakes on a Plane” or even the Z-grade fare of “Samurai Vampire Bikers From Hell.”

But given the talent surrounding the project, including Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and underdog director Jon Favreau, “Cowboys & Aliens” could rise above its bargain-bin home video status and become one of 2011’s great theater experiences.

This anticipation is practically selling tickets before the movie even opens, and in big-budget movies it’s all about the anticipation. Sequels and remakes receive priority on the producers’ desks, while some more obscure films do not make their way into the local theaters until they are qualified with Oscar nods.

As we look ahead to 2011, some of the biggest films are sequels and remakes, but there are some movies such as “Cowboys & Aliens” that establish some preliminary hype on their own grounds and, as hoped by the studio heads, make way for next year’s sequels and remakes.

Other movies to catch in 2010 include:

~ “The Tree of Life”: Terrence Malick is one of those reclusive and estranged filmmakers who has no public image and speaks entirely through his work. Unfortunately, we rarely get to see any of it.

Since his 1973 debut “Badlands,” which gave an interesting, strangely apathetic look on the “Bonnie and Clyde” lovers-on-the-run myth, he has released only four films. 2011 will see his fifth with “The Tree of Life.”

Film enthusiasts have been waiting for years and will flock to theaters to see the latest installment in the auteur’s catalogue. Meanwhile, the rest of the world will join in because it just looks so good.

The trailer is beautiful and Brad Pitt and Sean Penn appear to bring their dramatic A-games. With segments shot on 65mm film, “The Tree of Life” looks epic enough to be better on the big screen than on any home theater system.

~ “Your Highness”: It’s hard to follow “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and “Princess Bride,” but 2011 seems to hold in store the next hilarious medieval comedy (with apologies to Martin Lawrence and the entire cast and crew of “Black Knight”).

Pairing a good mix of comedic and dramatic actors in Danny McBride, Natalie Portman, James Franco and Zooey Deschanel, and with the versatile David Gordon Green in the director’s chair (this is the man who gave us “George Washington”), this goofy comedy is expected also to have a high level of quality.

~ “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”: Because it is the final installment in the long running Harry Potter series, this will likely be the biggest film of the year in terms of box office receipts.

The J.K. Rowling book upon which it is based was determined to be so epic that rather than attempting to condense it into one film, it would be broken into two (and conveniently, you pay extra!). Very little happened in 2010’s installment, which felt like one drawn-out and depressing second act (was it just us, or was Emma Watson’s controversial “half-nude” scene played as the headlining moment?).

It’s important for the cast and crew to bring the film franchise to a close with the same grandeur as Rowling’s sprawling book. You’re not busy on that Thursday at midnight are you?

~ “The Mechanic”: This remake of the classic Charles Bronson B-movie stars Jason Statham as the aging hit man and Ben Foster as the young apprentice who would like to learn the trade.

Like the original, it is expected to be a revenge movie with some twists, and if the action is up to the level of its predecessor (particularly its “explosive” ending, if you know what I mean) it’s sure to be a thrill.

~ “Fast Five:” From the imdb.com plot summary: “Dominic and his crew find themselves on the wrong side of the law once again as they try to switch lanes between a ruthless drug lord and a relentless federal agent.”

In a nutshell: Fast cars, hot women and lots of violence. Overmasculated guys nodding ominously at each other as provocatively posed women surround them. To quote Crow T. Robot, chase sequences that make “Bullitt” look like “Driving Miss Daisy.”

This is what “Fast Five” is going to be all about, and if you like cars, action flicks, or just being a dude, it’s not likely to disappoint.

~ “Thor”: It’s kind of cool to see Kenneth Branagh direct a movie like this. The Shakespearean actor/director will likely employ his classically trained dramatic style to the Marvel myth epic.

Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins star in a film that looks like it will be blending the old methods with new technology.

~ “Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides”: Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush are back as Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbossa, but this time with some different friends. Penelope Cruz fills the role of Keira Knightley as stunning female lead.

Without Knightley and Orlando Bloom, however, there’s no telling how this fourth film in the “Pirates” series will turn out. Disney has done a terrific job with the saga, but when it comes to sequels, less is more.

Think of the dignity that could have been saved by just removing one more “Godfather,” one more “Beverly Hills Cop,” three more “Rockys,” 7 more “Police Academys,” and especially, one more “Caddyshack.”  Regardless, it will be fun to see Keith Richards return for some screen time with Depp.

~ “Cars 2”: “Cars” was a very special Pixar movie for the Four-state area. Tow Mater, after all, resides in Galena, Kan.

The Route 66 mythology gave the movie a vibrant American color. For “Cars 2” Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy return as Lightning McQueen and Mater, respectively, this time on an international level, going against the world’s fastest cars.