The Sunday paper had their attempt at a Summer Movie Preview today. I go to a ton of movies in the summer. I’ve got the time on my hands, and summer is always the time when the movies with the biggest spectacle show up. And with theater prices what they are now, I have second thoughts about going to see something on a big screen unless something about it gives me a good reason to. Since I’m getting back into the habit of writing my 10-Word movie reviews on Facebook (I’ve probably done at least a hundred of these over the years; go back to my notes section if you’re curious) and I needed a new topic for today, I thought I’d go over some thoughts I have about ten of the bigger coming attractions heading our way:
Man of Steel: Another shot at a Superman movie. The guy who directed it has made some really strong visual movies, which is important to me, and Christopher Nolan who did the latest Batman trilogy is producing. Promising. I like superhero movies overall, and Superman is pretty much the apex guy so it’s got a shot. I just hope they don’t get too creative with the overall story and stay true to the origin I know.
The Hangover Part III: I laughed my head off at the first one, and I think it will eventually go down as a classic. The second one was dark, really kind of disturbing, and not even that funny. I’m hoping this will be a case where the third movie earns back some of the funny that the second one lost.
After Earth: My summer standards are lower, but I do still have standards. Generally I like Will Smith the movies Will Smith does usually turn out pretty well, and I like good science fiction. But ever since I saw that obnoxious kid of his unsuccessfully try to act his way out of a paper bag in “The Day the Earth Stood Still” I’ve been on a boycott. That kid is the poster child for why nepotism is bad. Pass.
This is the End: I have an odd draw toward apocalypse movies, and since this one is populated by a bunch of big comedy stars who came up together through TV shows like “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared,” both of which were great shows, I’m pulling for this one to be good. But since they’re all playing “fictional” versions of themselves, I’m afraid it’s going to be the kind of movie that they’ll think is really funny but few other people will.
World War Z: A global zombie movie. The book it came from is one of the most unique books I’ve read in recent years -- what comes across as a journalistic account of a zombie apocalypse that treats it all like it actually happened. It will never live up to the book, but I’m still hopeful.
Pacific Rim: This sounds like an ocean filled with Godzilla-sized creatures fighting off humans piloting giant robots. Nothing says summer at the movies like that. And since the writer and director is Guillermo Del Toro, who is very original and imaginative, I’m expecting this one to be a lot of fun for my inner fifteen-year-old.
Grown Ups 2: Same kind of thing about this cast as was the case for “This is the End,” except with a bunch of guys who came up through Saturday Night Live together. I know it will be stupid and a lot of it will be awful, but I also know I’m going to laugh at it all the same.
R.I.P.D.: Have you seen trailers for this? Off the top of my head I can’t think of any movie that rips off another movie so blatantly as this looks like it will rip off “Men in Black.” Change the aliens to people and monsters from beyond the grave, hire a different young hot head and a different grizzly old partner and there you go.
Elysium: A Matt Damon sci-fi movie from the guy who directed “District 9.” All of this sounds good, because Matt Damon has a pretty good track record and I don’t see him getting involved in a sci-fi movie unless it had a certain level of quality to it. And since “District 9” was one of the most thought-provoking and original sci-fi movies of probably the past five or ten years I’m kind of psyched about this one.
Star Trek Into Darkness: I wasn’t a fan of the original show but I loved ”The Next Generation.” I couldn’t care less about “Deep Space Nine,” I sort of watched “Voyager,” and I have to remind myself that a fifth series even existed. The movies, both with the original cast and the next generation cast batted about .500. However, I loved the most recent movie with the original characters reimagined as younger versions of themselves so I’m definitely seeing it. I’m planning on skipping it when it opens in two weekends so I can go see it on a school night for my birthday -- something I like to do if sometimes if I don’t have any other plans on my actual birthday, and as of right now I don’t. Anyone want to come along?
As the summer goes on, watch on Facebook for the 10-Word Movie Reviews of these and so many others to see how my predictions pan out. Except for After Earth. Because there's just no chance....
