As always, there are a lot of new summer movies this year. And as the trend seems to be going, the summer is for the over-the-top, fun and exciting, kick-ass action and comedy movies, while late fall and winter is time for the more emotional and dramatic movies (trying to stay as fresh in the minds of Oscar voters as possible). And while I get frustrated with Hollywood's endless sequels and re-makes (I think last summer had at least 10 sequels/series/remakes) there are still some movies I am excited to see.
So here is my list of must-see summer movies in order of release (clearly not a preview of all movies, just the ones I am looking forward to):
Iron Man | Release Date: May 2Yes, I know, it has already been released and been in theaters and has done well. Partially because I think people love the Iron Man character, partially because they hear Robert Downey Jr. does a great job playing Stark, but in my opinion, mostly because people (like me) were looking forward to this and wanted a blockbuster action movie. Still haven't seen it, but really want to. So... anyone wanna go?
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian | Release Date: May 16As I have said before, as much as I loved C.S. Lewis' books, I was disappointed by the first Narnia movie. I know some people loved it, and that is their opinion, but I was disappointed. Regardless, Prince Caspian was a great book... dare I say my favorite of the series, so I think I'm gonna try to see it. Right now, I feel like it falls in the wait-for-Netflix category, except for the large epic nature of it, which means you have to see it on the big screen.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | Release Date: May 22Despite the questions and controversy, despite the uneasy feeling in my stomach telling me that they shouldn't have done this re-make, I still want to see this movie and hope that it isn't embarrassingly horrible. Harrison Ford is old... and Indiana Jones may be asking too much of his frail self. If this film falls flat on its face, I think Spielberg should take the blame for trying to resurrect a popular character and series almost two decades later with an aging actor. It just doesn't sound like a recipe for success, but I have to see for myself.
Honorable Mention Mid-Summer Comedies
Kung Fu Panda and You Don't Mess With The Zohan | Release Date: June 6
They are both coming out on the same day. They both have a ridiculous premise. As much as I love Jack Black (and attempt to remain a loyal supporter of all his movies... except for The Holiday. I mean, come on Jack) and want desperately for Adam Sandler to make another great comedy (it's been ten years since The Waterboy, with only Big Daddy and Anger Management worth mentioning afterwards)... I don't see the need to pay for a theater ticket to see either of these this summer. Am I curious? Some. Will I rent these? Maybe. If I am bored. And in the mood for mindless comedy. That I might regret afterwards. Then yes.
The Incredible Hulk | Release Date: June 13I'm interested to see Edward Norton's try at this. Yes I think it is stupid that they are making ANOTHER Hulk movie so soon after the last one, and no, unlike the original plan, this is not a sequel. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a big, action-packed thriller, this time possibly including a deeper psychological and emotional aspect, this is a good one. Not the top of my list for the summer, but one that I would like to see on the big screen instead of rent.
The Love Guru | Release Date: June 20Probably not worth it, but this comes out during a summer movie lull. So who knows. Maybe I will watch it. More likely, it will be rented later. Kinda like Adam Sandler, I am pulling for Mike Myers on this one. I am really hoping he can come up with a funny comedy to match his Austin Powers greatness. Or maybe I should just go back and watch Austin Powers.
The Dark Knight | Release Date: July 18Finally. July 18th. The wait is over. By far, the newest Batman movie is the one I am looking forward to the most this summer. Ever since seeing the super short, super teaser last year with the eerie, chilling laugh of the Joker, I have been counting the days. Yes that was before I knew Heath Ledger was playing the Joker, yes that was before he died. No, I am not going to watch this movie as some sort of act of sympathy because of Heath's death. I have always respected him as an actor and was looking forward to this movie after seeing sneak peeks of his performance in the trailers. And yes it is sad, but honestly if his death did stem from the passion and heart he put into this performance, then it sounds like he died doing what he loved and I want to see him at his best. And yes, initially, before seeing Batman Begins, I was very skeptical about Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader... but now, I like it and I am stoked to see him again, this time darker and more menacing than before. This one is a definite must for the big screen. If possible, the biggest screen, IMAX. Can't wait.
Step Brothers | Release Date: July 25Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly team up again for what could be a funny and silly comedy. Probably not worth seeing on the big screen, but from the trailer I saw, it does look funny. And I am sure it is stuffed with one-liners like all their other movies. Verdict: wait for Netflix or a rainy day in late summer.
The X Files: I Want To Believe | Release Date: July 25An unexpected sequel. I just found out recently that there is a new X Files movie coming out later in the summer. Now, it has been a long time since I was really into The X Files, but I loved the first movie and used to follow the TV show... when I was allowed to watch it. So, I am really excited about this and definitely want to see it on the big screen. Flying mostly under the radar, but still could be really awesome!
And really, that's it. At least as far as I know. There may be a couple other ones that sneak out this summer that I might want to see, but really, after the X Files sequel, the rest of the summer kinda runs out of steam.
So to rank them by priority and importance, not by release date:
- The Dark Knight
- The X Files
- Iron Man
- The Incredible Hulk
- Indiana Jones
- Chronicles of Narnia
- The comedies.... I guess Step Brothers, Love Guru, Zohan, and then Panda
Should be a good summer...
A couple interesting articles on Hillary Clinton's manipulative playing of the "gender card" instead of being a true leader that Americans would vote for, regardless of sex.
