Friday, May 3, 2013

Summer Movie Preview

by Ryan Cazalet

As of midnight May 3rd the summer movie season is officially under way. Although nowadays the official start can be debated. It used to be Memorial Day weekend was the first big summer blockbuster. However studios have started to roll out big budget movies in April so I guess the anarchists are winning.

Iron Man 3 hits theaters this weekend and its expected to be big. A popular theme this summer is sequels or recurring characters. It seems like Hollywood is running out of original ideas. Another big trend is IMAX and IMAX 3D. I love IMAX and I enjoy IMAX 3D. IMAX is absolutely worth the four extra dollars for some films. I will advise you on which films are worth going to IMAX and which to just see. I am listing the movies by the date of their release, not in the order that I want to see them. THIS IS A LONG READ, BUT IF YOU ENJOY MOVIES IT'S TOTALLY WORTH IT. It's also Friday and you probably want to kill time at work, and what better way than to read about summer movies.

So without further adieu I give you Double Down Trent's inaugural summer movie preview (click on the movie title for trailer of the film).

*I'm going to put the youtube views of the trailer after my review to give you an idea of how well the movie will open*

Iron Man 3  (May 3) - I'm expecting big things from IM3. The Marvel universe is piping hot right now 
and Iron Man is their golden goose. It seems highly unlikely that they would allow their first follow up, starring their biggest character, to be a let down. And let's be honest, that trailer is filthy good. The only thing that we can hope is that this movie isn't just a sick trailer and that there will be some depth to Iron Man and Tony Stark that usually isn't seen in super hero movies. Robert Downey Jr. seems to be born to play Tony Stark to the point where actor and character become the same man ( I'm strictly talking about Tony Stark, not Iron Man. Big difference. Robert Downey Jr. can't fly, at least to my knowledge). This one will most likely be worth an IMAX 3D and since its playing more like a sequel to the massive hit The Avengers IM3 should be in the running for the highest grossing movie of the summer. (16.2 million views)

The Great Gatsby (May 10) - If you did your reading in high school then you should know what happens. There's a certain intrigue about movies in which you know how they end. It's a testament to the quality of the movie if you leave the movie saying "that was really good". I have great expectations for this movie, and it might be my most highly anticipated movie of the year. Leo is the perfect choice for Gatsby just as Robert Redford was a generation ago. Leo, like Redford, is more than just a pretty face. He has become the best actor of his generation. He has chosen his roles with expert precision since the post Titanic explosion. Since The Man in the Iron Mask until Gangs of New York his career kind of floundered. But since Gangs he hasn't missed and each performance has been better than the next (with the exception of J. Edgar). Casual fans should understand something very important before going to see Gatsby; it's directed by Baz Luhrman the man who gave us Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge. Baz then directed the flop Australia then disappeared into the world of short films. So there's going to be over-the-top musical numbers, strange yet captivating cinematography and a soundtrack that plays more like a supporting character than a background item. However, Baz's unique take is what was needed to remake Gatsby, a timeless story that has already been made into a movie. This is not a blockbuster per say, but I can't wait to see it. (1.1 million views)

Star Trek: Into Darkness (May 17) - The follow up to J.J. Abrams' reboot is highly anticipated by fanboys and geeks but it has crossover appeal due to the stars (Zoe Saldana and Chris Pine) as well as the insane looking action. It's interesting that Abrams has chosen to take on another famous space franchise as he will be directing the much hyped Star Wars sequels. I wonder if Abrams did that knowing the Star Trek franchise has reached its peak. I think this movie will be so good that the next installments will suffer, this happens to every movie franchise. Eventually they burn out, go into hibernation for a period of time and then are re-born with a reboot (Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Star Trek, Star Wars to name a few). I'll admit I am a full fledged movie geek and I'm into Abrams' Trekkie universe. I never watched the previous television shows or movies, but I gave his reboot a shot and was pleasantly surprised. And the bad guy in this movie, his real name is Benedict Cumberbatch, and its rumored, yet not confirmed that he will be playing the notorious Khan. I will absolutely be seeing this movie in IMAX 3D and this will certainly be among the highest grossing. (5.6 million views)

Fast & Furious 6 (May 24) - It's amazing that this franchise is around for its 6th installment but more than most franchises, these movies know exactly what they are. Fast cars, hot chicks, the contractually obligated scene with girls in short skirts dancing next to muscle cars and now we not only have Vin Diesel but also The Rock. This franchise is almost like 3 separate entities. The first one was a very fun, cool and exciting action movie (although its basically a remake of Point Break except they substituted cars for surfboards). Then you had two really bad movies in F&F 2 and 3. Then 4-6 came out and went back to formula of the first movie. Bring back the stars, stop trying to be something its' not and just make a big budget action movie. This movie will open HUGE which almost GUARANTEES a Fast & Furious 7. This too is worth an IMAX. (10.8 million views)

Hangover III (May 24) - Memorial Day weekend gives us two major openings and we could see record breaking box office numbers for this weekend that usually only offers one massive opening. This is a perplexing situation due to how unoriginal and bad the second movie was. It was the exact same movie, just different location with the exact same jokes; same build-up, different delivery, same punchline. Despite that, the second movie opened to over $100 million in the first weekend. Does this franchise still have enough momentum to be a hit? I think it does. It won't be as big as the previous two installments, partially due to how bad the sequel was but also due to competition with F&F 6. But the trailer seems like they have gone back to the roots and have delivered a fresh story to the conclusion of this movie franchise. An interesting sidebar, in the trailer you will notice a funeral scene in which the outrageous character is singing. Eerily similar to the scene in Old School in which the outrageous character sings a song at a funeral. What do they have in common (besides being the exact same scene)? Both movies are directed by Todd Phillips. Is Todd running out of ideas just like the rest of Hollywood? We will just have to wait and see. Not worth IMAX. (6.3 million views)

After Earth (May 31) - This is the biggest wildcard of the summer in my opinion. Is it a bad movie built on an incredible idea/quote ("danger is real, but fear is a choice") or does this have a chance to be an original blockbuster, something Hollywood is desperate for in my opinion. I can't help but think Will Smith has lost his swagger recently. Seven Pounds and Men in Black 3 have finally put a dent in Smith's seemingly untouchable ability to open a movie. I also can't help but think about how Django could have instantly returned him to that "untouchable" level. If you don't know the story you can read it here, but I'm not buying what Smith is selling. I think Smith felt Django was too controversial for his squeaky clean image and was afraid to take a risk. Tarantino has a long history of reviving people's careers and I am positive this would have happened with Smith as well. However he chose M. Night Shyamalan's apocalypse movie. Shyamalan is the other wildcard in this scenario. I think he's a one-hit wonder (The Six Sense) and everything else he's made has been total and utter garbage. Is this movie good enough to revive their careers, or is it just another dud in a downward plunge for Smith and Shyamalan? If you do decide to see it I recommend IMAX 3D. (7.5 million views)

Before we continue lets take a short break to regroup, drink some water and reflect. I've covered 6 movies and its not even June yet. What does that tell you about the summer blockbusters? 

The Internship (June 7) - Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson return to try and do what they do best. The Wedding Crashers reunion could be a "doing what they do best" movie or a major disappointment. I'm going to see this movie because I love Vince Vaughn too much and I think the chemistry with Wilson will produce a Pryor/Wilder effect (I know that's a serious comparison but I think its legit). There's a few interesting things to know about this movie. It's directed by Shawn Levy who doesn't have any hits to his name (or any good movies for that matter). The other thing is that this movie does not yet have a rating, meaning the actors/director are fighting for a funnier, R-rating like Wedding Crashers was and the studio is probably pushing for a watered down, less funny PG-13 rating in an attempt to cash in at the box-office. If it gets the R rating then I will see this, if it gets the PG-13 tag, I may wait to hear some feedback from friends before going. ( 0.4 million views)

 This is the End (June 12) - Generally speaking, big premise idea comedies fail (Your Highness, Land of the Lost etc). Having said that, I believe there are just too many funny people in this movie for it not to be funny. There's so many that I don't even want to list them all, you can check out the IMDB page to see for yourself. The premise is that James Franco is having a huge party and practically the entire "Apatow Tree" of comedians is there. And then an alien/apocalypse situation happens, killing most of the comedians. All that remain are Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Jay Baruchel and Craig Robinson. The Milky Way sequence in the trailer is funny enough that it convinced me to see it. If you haven't seen the trailer you really should, its quite good. I hope the movie will be as well and not just put all the funny parts in the trailer. (3.3 million views)

Man of Steel  (June 14) - I was initially down on this one. Its only been a few years since the last Superman reboot, and I wasn't impressed with that one. However this movie has what all other movies in Hollywood desperately crave. Christopher Nolan. Everyone wants Nolan, and not just for superhero movies. Nolan is not directing (thats Zach Snyder of 300 fame) but rather he is a producer. I think its that influence that sends this movie into the stratosphere. I think it will be THE highest grossing movie of the summer. The trailer utilizes the Gladiator/Man on Fire music that is chilling and captivating and its got excellent actors in supporting roles (Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner). I think if Nolan isn't involved, this movie is just decent, but his influence is the difference maker. Despite being the biggest opening (most likely) I'm still not sure if I want to see it. Something about Superman just doesn't interest me. Perhaps its because he's so perfect, therefore how can he be defeated? What's great about Batman, and specifically Nolan's Batman, is that he was a flawed human being. Superman has no flaws, he's faster than a speeding bullet, he can fly. Based on my knowledge, the only thing that can stop Superman is that there a SIGNIFICANTLY less phone booths than there were when he first came to Earth. IMAX 3D worthy. (32.6 million views, 60 million + between 3 different trailers)

Lone Ranger (July 3) - I think this movie will end up being the biggest flop of the summer. Disney and director Gore Verbinski are hoping to dupe audiences into seeing this big-budget remake. They have re-teamed with Johnny Depp, playing an outrageous, yet famous character Tonto. The trailers make it well know that this team was responsible for the first Pirates of the Caribbean, which was an excellent adventure movie. This however, looks terrible. I'm sorry but Armie Hammer is just not ready to have been given the lead in what the studio hopes would be a massive franchise. I think this movie bombs, I think any hopes for sequels will be instantly thrown out and that this movie will fall flat on its face. I will NOT be seeing this, in IMAX or regular format. Sorry Johnny. (3.0 million views)

Didn't Quite Make The Cut : 

World War Z, Pacific Rim, Elysium, 2 Guns, Red 2, White House Down, Now You See Me (although I am intruiged by this one) 

Avoid At All Costs : 

R.I.P.D. - I literally can't believe they wrote this movie, someone bought the rights to this movie, a studio financed this movie, Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges agreed to act in this movie, they shot this movie, they edited this movie and have it scheduled to be released in theaters. You would think with that many steps somebody would have said "hold on, have you actually seen this movie. Its AWFUL." I hope Reynolds and Bridges got A LOT of money because this is just a rip off (and a BAD one at that) of Men in Black 

Not a Summer Movie But I Can't Wait For : 

The Wolf of Wall Street - (Nov 15) This movie doesn't even have a trailer yet but I can't wait to see it. Any movie with this kind of talent has to be good. I hate having enormous expectations because they so rarely live up to reality but in this case I think talent will not disappoint. Scorsese directing Leo, Jonah Hill, McConaughey (who's in the midst of a nice career revival) and Jon Favreau amongst others about a corrupt Wall Street broker with Mafia connections. When can I buy my tickets? 

Looks Funny But Won't Be Seeing Because of Tyler Perry :

Tyler Perry Presents Peeples (May 10) - Can Tyler Perry's ego be any bigger? Does he ha ve to put his name in huge letters above every single thing he is involved in? It doesn't matter if his involvement is so immense that he wrote, directed and starred in a movie or so minuscule that he was just an extra. If Tyler Perry is involved he's going to make sure you know it. It's for that reason and that reason alone that I don't want to see this movie because it actually looks very funny. It stars Craig Robinson and a 90s comedy legend David Allen Grier. I think it will be entertaining and do well but until Tyler Perry can release something without shoving his name down my throat I will not watch any of his movies, tv shows or commecials. Sorry Craig and David. 

If you've made it this long, I thank you very much. I hope there are some cinephiles out there who love movies as much as I do and this article was insightful. Double Down Trent will be providing reviews of these movies so keep an eye for those. Based on youtube numbers of the trailers I'm going to crown Man of Steel the winner, Iron Man 3 takes the silver and Fast & Furious 6 medals with the bronze. 

No comments:

Post a Comment