Summer Movie Preview
Ok, so I know summer doesn’t officially begin until June 21st, but according to Hollywood it begins in May and runs through August.
Last year’s summer season was pretty much a washout, made tolerable only by a small handful of films (namely Inception and Toy Story 3). This year hasn’t had a great start, but here’s hoping for a better summer!
Below is a brief rundown of some of the coming season’s approaching films, in order by release date with cast lists and trailers.
May 6:
Hobo with a Shotgun – Starring Rutger Hauer. Directed by Jason Eisener (The Teeth Beneath).
If you’re looking for a movie this summer chock-full of gory, one-man-army mayhem this appears to be it. Hauer stars as a slightly deranged homeless man who decides to clean up a depraved city. This film is based on a fan-made trailer from 2007’s Tarantino/Rodriguez Grindhouse project. In a way, it’s incredible that we’re still talking about that project, even if tangentially. However, Hobo has so far received better reviews than the three other Grindhouse films (Planet Terror, Death Proof, Machete). Plus, the film was already released On-Demand, so it may turn out to be the most profitable yet. Not bad for a bum with a temper.
Thor – Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, and Rene Russo. Directed by Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet).
The God of Thunder finally hits the big screen. Thor is the fourth film in Marvel’s Avengers cross-over film series, which will include Captain America (see below) and culminate in next year’s Avengers. Marvel is reaching for a first in film history and time will tell how well the experiment will work as a whole. In the meantime, it remains to be seen how much general audiences are interested in the second-string Avenger from Asgard. So far, advance buzz has been overwhelmingly positive, which bodes well for comic fans and audiences looking for a fun time at the movies.
May 13:
Bridesmaids – Starring Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, and Melissa McCarthy. Directed by Paul Feig (The Office).
A woman pushes to be the maid of honor for her best friend’s wedding, of whom she’s jealous. A comedy with all that comedic talent – and Judd Apatow as producer – is sure to be worth a few laughs. Early buzz suggests this may give The Hangover Part II a run for its money as the hit comedy of the summer.
May 20:
The Beaver (expands wide) – Starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence, and Cherry Jones. Directed by Jodie Foster (Little Man Tate).
Finally, Jodie Foster’s first directorial effort since 1995’s Home for the Holidays will be released. Mel Gibson stars as a family man who is emotionally broken. He finds a beaver puppet in the trash and begins projecting a personality through it, demanding those in his life to interact only with the beaver. In a way, three careers are riding on the success of this film: Jodie Foster, who hasn’t had a hit since 2006’s Inside Man; screen-writer Kyle Killen, whose TV series Lone Star was cancelled last fall; and, of course, Mel Gibson, who fell out of the public’s favor in recent years due to some ugly behavior. Advance reviews are praising Gibson’s performance, so perhaps The Beaver will be the breakthrough these careers needed.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Penelope Cruz, Keith Richards, and Judi Dench. Directed by Rob Marshall (Nine).
Jack Sparrow is back in the first of a new trilogy of cash-cows from Disney. The title of this entry comes from a novel about pirates searching for the fountain of youth. It’s no coincidence that the film follows Captain Jack on a similar quest. Are audiences tired of the series or will it be another summer hit? We’ll know soon enough and Disney executives certainly have their hands hovering over the green light for the rest of another trilogy.
May 26:
The Hangover Part II – Starring Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, Mike Tyson, and Todd Phillips. Directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover).
Who knew the 2009 hit was only one part of a greater saga? The executives at 20th Century Fox apparently did once they saw that film’s box office returns. It seems everybody is back for some misadventures in Thailand. Instead of pulled teeth, Ed Helms sports a tattoo on his face, while the trio encounters a monkey instead of a tiger. Will this be a retread or capture the fun of the original?
Kung Fu Panda 2 – Starring Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Gary Oldman, Seth Rogen, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dustin Hoffman, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Michelle Yeoh, Victor Garber, Dennis Haysbert, and James Hong. Directed by Jennifer Yuh (Spawn animated series).
Po must take on an old enemy. This sequel is a bit interesting because, while the 2008 original was a hit, there has been zero hype or anticipation for the sequel from what I’ve seen. Animated films have been lacking so far this year, so here’s hoping Kung Fu Panda 2 changes that.
June 3:
X-Men: First Class – Starring Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Nicholas Hoult, Oliver Platt, and Ray Wise. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass).
The second prequel to 2000’s X-Men (2009’s Wolverine was a spin-off prequel) tells the story of the friendship and fall-out of legendary mutant activists Professor X and Magneto. Judging from the trailer, fans of the comics and other films can kiss continuity goodbye. Beast, who appeared pre-fur in X-Men, turns as fuzzy as the Cookie Monster here and Emma Frost, who popped up in Wolverine, is now part of an underground club. Considering that and the fact that fans had a lot to complain about the past two X-Men films, First Class has more than just ‘60s-era prejudice to overcome. Will this be another The Last Stand? Or has producer Bryan Singer (X-Men) and director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) brought the franchise back to the days of X-Men United?
June 10:
Super 8 – Starring Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, and Noah Emmerich. Directed by J. J. Abrams (Star Trek).
A group of filmmaking kids witness the derailing of a train that just so happens to be carrying cargo from Area 51. A film directed by Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg that speaks both to their childhoods and their interest in sci-fi spectacle?! How can this not be awesome?! This is a project sure to please both film buffs and average moviegoers.
June 17:
Green Lantern – Starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Starsgaard, Mark Strong, Michael Clarke Duncan, Geoffrey Rush, Tim Robbins, and Angela Bassett. Directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale).
DC comics is finally releasing a superhero film that isn’t about Batman or Superman (DC is owned by Warner Bros.). Green Lantern, about a pilot who is chosen to be Earth’s representative in an intergalactic police corp, is one of comics’ longest-lasting superheroes. Ryan Reynolds, a fanboy who has also been in talks to play The Flash and Marvel’s mercenary Deadpool, seems like the right guy to provide excitement and wonder to our galaxy’s defender. DC Comics could use the star power; if Green Lantern succeeds expect to see more of their heavy-hitters to finally reach the big screen in coming years.
June 24:
Cars 2 – Starring Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Bruce Campbell, Jason Isaacs, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturro, John Ratzenberger, Bonnie Hunt, Tony Shalhoub, Joe Mantegna, Eddie Izzard, and Cheech Marin. Directed by John Lasseter (Cars) and Brad Lewis (debut).
Maybe it was inevitable, but it seems Pixar, the animated studio known for being a house of endless ideas, has caught the sequelitis bug. Last year, Pixar released the second sequel to Toy Story, this year sees the release of this sequel to Cars, and a sequel to Monsters Inc. is coming down the pike next year. Will Cars 2 match the genius of the Toy Story sequels or will this giant of animation stumble? It’s tough to judge by the trailer, but for now, In Pixar I Trust.
July 1:
Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Starring Shia LeBouf, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Hugo Weaving, Patrick Dempsey, Leonard Nimoy, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong, Frances McDormand, John Turturro, Alan Tudyk, Frank Welker, and Peter Cullen. Directed by Michael Bay (Transformers).
When we last saw these robots in disguise they engaged in a very chaotic and incoherent war. While widely considered one of the worst films of 2009, the film still became the summer’s biggest success. This time, Shia LeBeouf is in the middle of more mechanical madness, sans Megan Fox. It seems it may not matter if Bay learned from his last film’s mistakes and controversies (the film was accused of featuring racist and sexist content), these tin titans are positioned to rock your summer.
July 15:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II – Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Felton, Bonnie Wright, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, John Hurt, and Emma Thompson. Directed by David Yates (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince).
This may be the most anticipated film of the summer, if not the year. Harry and his friends must finish finding and destroying the horcruxes, those objects that hold parts of Voldemort’s soul. Meanwhile, everything is quite literally crashing down around them. Anybody looking for a good fantasy, a good family film, or just good entertainment will not want to miss this. Just be sure you’ve seen the rest of the series first.
Winnie the Pooh – Starring Jim Cummings, John Cleese, and Craig Ferguson. Directed by Stephen J. Anderson (Meet the Robinsons) and Don Hall (debut).
After years of disposable films, peppered with occasional hits like Bolt, Disney returns with a film that could take audiences back to the style of the classic Disney films. Details are vague, but the trailer would indicate Pooh and his friends are on an adventure close in feeling to the original A. A. Milne stories and told with a lot of warmth and basic 2D animation, with a few CG touches.
July 22:
Captain America: The First Avenger – Starring Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell, Toby Jones, and Neal McDonough. Directed by Joe Johnston (The Rocketeer).
Fingers are crossed for the second Marvel superhero film and the fourth superhero film of the summer. Being directed by a hit-and-miss filmmaker like Johnston – who has directed an early superhero hit (The Rocketeer) and a franchise-killer (Jurassic Park III) – leaves fans on wait-and-see status. Some relief came last month with the release of a new trailer, which seems to lean more toward The Rocketeer than the camp of the 1990 direct-to-video Captain America.
July 29:
Cowboys & Aliens – Starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, Clancy Brown and Keith Carradine. Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man).
Gunslingers have a close encounter with extraterrestrials in this adaptation of an obscure comic book. When you consider the concept of beings from another planet weren’t even grasped until the 20th century, the reaction these cowboys could have upon seeing an alien spacecraft could be very interesting. Having Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford as those cowboys can’t hurt either.
August 5:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes – Starring James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, and John Lithgow. Directed by Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist).
Here is a curious film: a movie that serves as a prequel to a film that is over forty years old – not the 2001 remake of said film. Who is the audience for this film? Fans of the original film series may recall that Conquest of the Planet of the Apes told the story of how the planet came to be ruled by those damn dirty apes. So, is this a remake of that film? Who was clamoring for a Planet of the Apes prequel anyway? Rise has its work cut out for it. We’ll find out soon if it can be considered a legitimate entry or another embarrassing cash-in.
August 12:
The Help – Starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, and Cicely Tyson. Directed by Tate Taylor (Pretty Ugly People).
This adaptation of the Kathryn Stockett best-selling novel about the conduct between blacks and whites in a 1960s southern town has become one of the most anticipated films of the summer (man, there are a lot of highly-anticipated films this season!). These sorts of movies are either simplified crowd-pleasers with paper-thin characters or truthful and nuanced performance-driven narratives punctuated by levity. Check out the trailer below and see if you can determine which side of the fence The Help will fall into.
August 19:
Fright Night – Starring Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Toni Collette, and Imogen Poots. Directed by Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock).
Colin Farrell steps into Chris Sarandon’s shoes as the vampire that moves next door to a suspicious teen who discovers his secret in this remake of the 1985 original. There’s been a glut of remakes of ‘80s films lately, especially in the horror genre. Usually the rule of thumb that Hollywood ignores is to only remake the bad movies. Fright Night was a modest hit, earning more than double its budget and still earns a 6.8/10 on IMDB. Yet most people who aren’t horror buffs may not remember it. I, myself, am only now catching up to it on DVD. Is this another example of a classic being needlessly exhumed? Or is this a film with room for improvement? We’ll see if Farrell, Yelchin, and the director of Lars and the Real Girl can offer a superior version.
August 26:
Our Idiot Brother – Starring Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Steve Coogan, Hugh Dancy, Rashida Jones, and Adam Scott. Directed by Jesse Peretz (The Ex).
An aloof idealist barges into the lives of his three sisters. Our Idiot Brother debuted at the Sundance Film Festival to decent – not glowing – reviews. The acting talent would indicate a lot of promise. Perhaps the writing and directing talent is what kept the critics from rolling in the aisles: screenwriters Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall have never written a script (Schisgall has directed two documentaries while Peretz makes her debut here) and director Jesse Peretz’s last film, The Ex, was an all-around failure. Will there be enough laughs and draw in the cast to close out the summer season with a hit?
Other releases:
5/6 – Last Night (Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington)
5/6 – Passion Play (Mickey Rourke, Megan Fox)
5/13 – Everything Must Go (Will Ferrell)
5/13 – Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)
5/13 – The High Cost of Living (Zach Braff)
5/13 – Priest (Paul Bettany)
5/20 – Midnight in Paris (Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams)
5/27 – The Tree of Life (Brad Pitt, Sean Penn)
6/3 – Beginners (Christopher Plummer, Ewan McGregor)
6/3 – Love, Wedding, Marriage (Mandy Moore)
6/10 – Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (Heather Graham, Jaleel White)
6/17 – The Art of Getting By (Emma Roberts, Freddie Highmore)
6/17 – Mr. Popper’s Penguins (Jim Carrey)
6/24 – Bad Teacher – (Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake)
7/1 – Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts)
7/8 – Horrible Bosses (Jason Bateman, Kevin Spacey)
7/8 – One Day (Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess)
7/8 – Zookeeper (Kevin James, Rosario Dawson)
7/22 – Friends with Benefits (Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis)
7/29 – Crazy, Stupid, Love (Emma Stone, Steve Carell)
7/29 – The Smurfs (Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria)
8/5 – The Change-Up (Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds)
8/12 – 30 Minutes or Less (Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari)
8/12 – Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce)
8/19 – Conan the Barbarian (Jason Momoa, Rose McGowan)
8/19 – Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (Jessica Alba, Jeremy Piven)
8/31 – The Debt (Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington)
Wow, there’s a lot to look forward to this summer, especially if you’re a fan of superhero films or comedies! While not all of these movies are going to be great, I think it is safe to say we’re heading into a much more promising summer this year than last year.
What are you looking forward to most? Don’t forget to take the poll to the right or leave a comment either here, Facebook, or email to thegibsonreview@gmail.com
Last year’s summer season was pretty much a washout, made tolerable only by a small handful of films (namely Inception and Toy Story 3). This year hasn’t had a great start, but here’s hoping for a better summer!
Below is a brief rundown of some of the coming season’s approaching films, in order by release date with cast lists and trailers.
May 6:
Hobo with a Shotgun – Starring Rutger Hauer. Directed by Jason Eisener (The Teeth Beneath).
If you’re looking for a movie this summer chock-full of gory, one-man-army mayhem this appears to be it. Hauer stars as a slightly deranged homeless man who decides to clean up a depraved city. This film is based on a fan-made trailer from 2007’s Tarantino/Rodriguez Grindhouse project. In a way, it’s incredible that we’re still talking about that project, even if tangentially. However, Hobo has so far received better reviews than the three other Grindhouse films (Planet Terror, Death Proof, Machete). Plus, the film was already released On-Demand, so it may turn out to be the most profitable yet. Not bad for a bum with a temper.
Thor – Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, and Rene Russo. Directed by Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet).
The God of Thunder finally hits the big screen. Thor is the fourth film in Marvel’s Avengers cross-over film series, which will include Captain America (see below) and culminate in next year’s Avengers. Marvel is reaching for a first in film history and time will tell how well the experiment will work as a whole. In the meantime, it remains to be seen how much general audiences are interested in the second-string Avenger from Asgard. So far, advance buzz has been overwhelmingly positive, which bodes well for comic fans and audiences looking for a fun time at the movies.
May 13:
Bridesmaids – Starring Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, and Melissa McCarthy. Directed by Paul Feig (The Office).
A woman pushes to be the maid of honor for her best friend’s wedding, of whom she’s jealous. A comedy with all that comedic talent – and Judd Apatow as producer – is sure to be worth a few laughs. Early buzz suggests this may give The Hangover Part II a run for its money as the hit comedy of the summer.
May 20:
The Beaver (expands wide) – Starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence, and Cherry Jones. Directed by Jodie Foster (Little Man Tate).
Finally, Jodie Foster’s first directorial effort since 1995’s Home for the Holidays will be released. Mel Gibson stars as a family man who is emotionally broken. He finds a beaver puppet in the trash and begins projecting a personality through it, demanding those in his life to interact only with the beaver. In a way, three careers are riding on the success of this film: Jodie Foster, who hasn’t had a hit since 2006’s Inside Man; screen-writer Kyle Killen, whose TV series Lone Star was cancelled last fall; and, of course, Mel Gibson, who fell out of the public’s favor in recent years due to some ugly behavior. Advance reviews are praising Gibson’s performance, so perhaps The Beaver will be the breakthrough these careers needed.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Penelope Cruz, Keith Richards, and Judi Dench. Directed by Rob Marshall (Nine).
Jack Sparrow is back in the first of a new trilogy of cash-cows from Disney. The title of this entry comes from a novel about pirates searching for the fountain of youth. It’s no coincidence that the film follows Captain Jack on a similar quest. Are audiences tired of the series or will it be another summer hit? We’ll know soon enough and Disney executives certainly have their hands hovering over the green light for the rest of another trilogy.
May 26:
The Hangover Part II – Starring Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, Mike Tyson, and Todd Phillips. Directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover).
Who knew the 2009 hit was only one part of a greater saga? The executives at 20th Century Fox apparently did once they saw that film’s box office returns. It seems everybody is back for some misadventures in Thailand. Instead of pulled teeth, Ed Helms sports a tattoo on his face, while the trio encounters a monkey instead of a tiger. Will this be a retread or capture the fun of the original?
Kung Fu Panda 2 – Starring Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Gary Oldman, Seth Rogen, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dustin Hoffman, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Michelle Yeoh, Victor Garber, Dennis Haysbert, and James Hong. Directed by Jennifer Yuh (Spawn animated series).
Po must take on an old enemy. This sequel is a bit interesting because, while the 2008 original was a hit, there has been zero hype or anticipation for the sequel from what I’ve seen. Animated films have been lacking so far this year, so here’s hoping Kung Fu Panda 2 changes that.
June 3:
X-Men: First Class – Starring Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Nicholas Hoult, Oliver Platt, and Ray Wise. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass).
The second prequel to 2000’s X-Men (2009’s Wolverine was a spin-off prequel) tells the story of the friendship and fall-out of legendary mutant activists Professor X and Magneto. Judging from the trailer, fans of the comics and other films can kiss continuity goodbye. Beast, who appeared pre-fur in X-Men, turns as fuzzy as the Cookie Monster here and Emma Frost, who popped up in Wolverine, is now part of an underground club. Considering that and the fact that fans had a lot to complain about the past two X-Men films, First Class has more than just ‘60s-era prejudice to overcome. Will this be another The Last Stand? Or has producer Bryan Singer (X-Men) and director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) brought the franchise back to the days of X-Men United?
June 10:
Super 8 – Starring Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, and Noah Emmerich. Directed by J. J. Abrams (Star Trek).
A group of filmmaking kids witness the derailing of a train that just so happens to be carrying cargo from Area 51. A film directed by Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg that speaks both to their childhoods and their interest in sci-fi spectacle?! How can this not be awesome?! This is a project sure to please both film buffs and average moviegoers.
June 17:
Green Lantern – Starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Starsgaard, Mark Strong, Michael Clarke Duncan, Geoffrey Rush, Tim Robbins, and Angela Bassett. Directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale).
DC comics is finally releasing a superhero film that isn’t about Batman or Superman (DC is owned by Warner Bros.). Green Lantern, about a pilot who is chosen to be Earth’s representative in an intergalactic police corp, is one of comics’ longest-lasting superheroes. Ryan Reynolds, a fanboy who has also been in talks to play The Flash and Marvel’s mercenary Deadpool, seems like the right guy to provide excitement and wonder to our galaxy’s defender. DC Comics could use the star power; if Green Lantern succeeds expect to see more of their heavy-hitters to finally reach the big screen in coming years.
June 24:
Cars 2 – Starring Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Bruce Campbell, Jason Isaacs, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturro, John Ratzenberger, Bonnie Hunt, Tony Shalhoub, Joe Mantegna, Eddie Izzard, and Cheech Marin. Directed by John Lasseter (Cars) and Brad Lewis (debut).
Maybe it was inevitable, but it seems Pixar, the animated studio known for being a house of endless ideas, has caught the sequelitis bug. Last year, Pixar released the second sequel to Toy Story, this year sees the release of this sequel to Cars, and a sequel to Monsters Inc. is coming down the pike next year. Will Cars 2 match the genius of the Toy Story sequels or will this giant of animation stumble? It’s tough to judge by the trailer, but for now, In Pixar I Trust.
July 1:
Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Starring Shia LeBouf, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Hugo Weaving, Patrick Dempsey, Leonard Nimoy, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong, Frances McDormand, John Turturro, Alan Tudyk, Frank Welker, and Peter Cullen. Directed by Michael Bay (Transformers).
When we last saw these robots in disguise they engaged in a very chaotic and incoherent war. While widely considered one of the worst films of 2009, the film still became the summer’s biggest success. This time, Shia LeBeouf is in the middle of more mechanical madness, sans Megan Fox. It seems it may not matter if Bay learned from his last film’s mistakes and controversies (the film was accused of featuring racist and sexist content), these tin titans are positioned to rock your summer.
July 15:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II – Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Felton, Bonnie Wright, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, John Hurt, and Emma Thompson. Directed by David Yates (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince).
This may be the most anticipated film of the summer, if not the year. Harry and his friends must finish finding and destroying the horcruxes, those objects that hold parts of Voldemort’s soul. Meanwhile, everything is quite literally crashing down around them. Anybody looking for a good fantasy, a good family film, or just good entertainment will not want to miss this. Just be sure you’ve seen the rest of the series first.
Winnie the Pooh – Starring Jim Cummings, John Cleese, and Craig Ferguson. Directed by Stephen J. Anderson (Meet the Robinsons) and Don Hall (debut).
After years of disposable films, peppered with occasional hits like Bolt, Disney returns with a film that could take audiences back to the style of the classic Disney films. Details are vague, but the trailer would indicate Pooh and his friends are on an adventure close in feeling to the original A. A. Milne stories and told with a lot of warmth and basic 2D animation, with a few CG touches.
July 22:
Captain America: The First Avenger – Starring Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell, Toby Jones, and Neal McDonough. Directed by Joe Johnston (The Rocketeer).
Fingers are crossed for the second Marvel superhero film and the fourth superhero film of the summer. Being directed by a hit-and-miss filmmaker like Johnston – who has directed an early superhero hit (The Rocketeer) and a franchise-killer (Jurassic Park III) – leaves fans on wait-and-see status. Some relief came last month with the release of a new trailer, which seems to lean more toward The Rocketeer than the camp of the 1990 direct-to-video Captain America.
July 29:
Cowboys & Aliens – Starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, Clancy Brown and Keith Carradine. Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man).
Gunslingers have a close encounter with extraterrestrials in this adaptation of an obscure comic book. When you consider the concept of beings from another planet weren’t even grasped until the 20th century, the reaction these cowboys could have upon seeing an alien spacecraft could be very interesting. Having Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford as those cowboys can’t hurt either.
August 5:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes – Starring James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, and John Lithgow. Directed by Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist).
Here is a curious film: a movie that serves as a prequel to a film that is over forty years old – not the 2001 remake of said film. Who is the audience for this film? Fans of the original film series may recall that Conquest of the Planet of the Apes told the story of how the planet came to be ruled by those damn dirty apes. So, is this a remake of that film? Who was clamoring for a Planet of the Apes prequel anyway? Rise has its work cut out for it. We’ll find out soon if it can be considered a legitimate entry or another embarrassing cash-in.
August 12:
The Help – Starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, and Cicely Tyson. Directed by Tate Taylor (Pretty Ugly People).
This adaptation of the Kathryn Stockett best-selling novel about the conduct between blacks and whites in a 1960s southern town has become one of the most anticipated films of the summer (man, there are a lot of highly-anticipated films this season!). These sorts of movies are either simplified crowd-pleasers with paper-thin characters or truthful and nuanced performance-driven narratives punctuated by levity. Check out the trailer below and see if you can determine which side of the fence The Help will fall into.
August 19:
Fright Night – Starring Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Toni Collette, and Imogen Poots. Directed by Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock).
Colin Farrell steps into Chris Sarandon’s shoes as the vampire that moves next door to a suspicious teen who discovers his secret in this remake of the 1985 original. There’s been a glut of remakes of ‘80s films lately, especially in the horror genre. Usually the rule of thumb that Hollywood ignores is to only remake the bad movies. Fright Night was a modest hit, earning more than double its budget and still earns a 6.8/10 on IMDB. Yet most people who aren’t horror buffs may not remember it. I, myself, am only now catching up to it on DVD. Is this another example of a classic being needlessly exhumed? Or is this a film with room for improvement? We’ll see if Farrell, Yelchin, and the director of Lars and the Real Girl can offer a superior version.
NO TRAILER AVAILABLE
August 26:
Our Idiot Brother – Starring Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Steve Coogan, Hugh Dancy, Rashida Jones, and Adam Scott. Directed by Jesse Peretz (The Ex).
An aloof idealist barges into the lives of his three sisters. Our Idiot Brother debuted at the Sundance Film Festival to decent – not glowing – reviews. The acting talent would indicate a lot of promise. Perhaps the writing and directing talent is what kept the critics from rolling in the aisles: screenwriters Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall have never written a script (Schisgall has directed two documentaries while Peretz makes her debut here) and director Jesse Peretz’s last film, The Ex, was an all-around failure. Will there be enough laughs and draw in the cast to close out the summer season with a hit?
Other releases:
5/6 – Last Night (Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington)
5/6 – Passion Play (Mickey Rourke, Megan Fox)
5/13 – Everything Must Go (Will Ferrell)
5/13 – Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)
5/13 – The High Cost of Living (Zach Braff)
5/13 – Priest (Paul Bettany)
5/20 – Midnight in Paris (Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams)
5/27 – The Tree of Life (Brad Pitt, Sean Penn)
6/3 – Beginners (Christopher Plummer, Ewan McGregor)
6/3 – Love, Wedding, Marriage (Mandy Moore)
6/10 – Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (Heather Graham, Jaleel White)
6/17 – The Art of Getting By (Emma Roberts, Freddie Highmore)
6/17 – Mr. Popper’s Penguins (Jim Carrey)
6/24 – Bad Teacher – (Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake)
7/1 – Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts)
7/8 – Horrible Bosses (Jason Bateman, Kevin Spacey)
7/8 – One Day (Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess)
7/8 – Zookeeper (Kevin James, Rosario Dawson)
7/22 – Friends with Benefits (Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis)
7/29 – Crazy, Stupid, Love (Emma Stone, Steve Carell)
7/29 – The Smurfs (Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria)
8/5 – The Change-Up (Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds)
8/12 – 30 Minutes or Less (Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari)
8/12 – Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce)
8/19 – Conan the Barbarian (Jason Momoa, Rose McGowan)
8/19 – Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (Jessica Alba, Jeremy Piven)
8/31 – The Debt (Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington)
Wow, there’s a lot to look forward to this summer, especially if you’re a fan of superhero films or comedies! While not all of these movies are going to be great, I think it is safe to say we’re heading into a much more promising summer this year than last year.
What are you looking forward to most? Don’t forget to take the poll to the right or leave a comment either here, Facebook, or email to thegibsonreview@gmail.com