The Summer Movie Season doesn’t always bring out the best Hollywood has to offer, but it surely offers the biggest. I do not remember a summer at least in the previous decade that featured as many anticipated films as the Summer of 2012. Many are featured on my list of summer films and I will discuss them later.
Summer is a time for bad movies to be released and hopefully no one would notice or care if they are bad. I’m not sure if I could stomach another “Piranha” film even though it promises to be with David Hasselhof, Gary Busey, and in 3-DoubleD. And speaking of 3-DoubleD, Katy Perry will release a 3D concert documentary which should do as well as her music, which I cannot stand.
Summer is a good time for counter programming and the season offers some good alternatives. I have already seen the British senior citizen dramedy Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, the Latino Catholic historical war epic For Greater Glory, and the quirky family comedy Peace, Love & Misunderstanding. All promise to be strong counter program alternatives to the multiplex. And ‘Exotic’ will more than likely be the indie sleeper hit of Summer 2012.
Finally, no summer will be complete without Michael Bay. Even though he couldn’t make it to the Summer of 2012, Peter Berg looks to fill the void of his absence for the loud, robotic action picture Battleship. How bad could that really be?
Here are some of the movies I am looking forward to watch followed by some I want to avoid.
The Oceans 11 of comic book movies is a perfect way to kick off summer. With the superhero collaboration and emerging Film Director Joss Whedon, how can any movie fan, especially geek boys, not be interested? Will fans be satisfied or will the hype crush all hopes? I have avoided trailers and reading advanced reviews as I am understandably cautiously optimistic.
As someone who loves all Wes Anderson movies, this one looks to be his most promising in a long time. The story focuses on two pre-teens who run away from home and camp to meet up for a rendezvous. Combined with the all-star cast, the French new wave style, and the very dry sarcastic sense of humor, it should keep art house cinemas full and indie film fans relatively satisfied.
Snow White and Huntsman (June 1st)
Despite my disdain for the pale, lip biting Kristen Stewart, the adaptation looks epic and better than Tarsem’s Mirror, Mirror. Chris Hemsworth is a rising star who looks to command the film and Charlize Theron seems to eat up the diabolical roll. Besides, it looks more like the action packed Game of Thrones than a lame Twilight movie.
Hopefully, Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Aliens) is back to his old form! Seeing less feeds my cravings to want more. Cinephiles eagerly anticipate this sci-fi thriller has an impressive cast while looking suspenseful and creepy. And the marketing campaign with the rating speculation has added fuel to the fire. As Michael Fassbender declares in the trailer, “big things have small beginnings.”
In my eyes, Pixar has no faults. I even enjoyed Cars 2. Though the protagonist with her huge curly red hair bares a striking resemblance to disgraced British journalist Rebecca Brooks, the Scottish setting and magical enchantment really has me intrigued.
Seeking A Friend For the End of World (June 22nd)
Focus Features is taking a gamble with releasing a film in the summer where the world ends that doesn’t show the grand special effect of the disaster. The title isn’t palatable and the casting seems awkward, if not dated. However, I’m looking forward to the refreshing aspect of watching a quirky comedy with drastic human applications. I only hope the general public follows suit.
Woody Allen’s follow up to Midnight in Paris will likely not strike lightning twice for the filmmaker. I am looking forward watching this cast from Woody Allen himself to Alec Baldwin, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Girwig and even Ellen Page sharpen their acting chops with the Woody Allen brand of narcissism and cynicism.
Oliver Stone’s marijuana dealer ‘gone-bad’ looks like a spastic, action adventure caper. Taylor Kitsch seems as the actor and his character look out of league and over his head. Summer has few action crime thrillers targeted to adults, but this one could appeal to a younger crowd. Hopefully this hot mess of a film is as entertaining as it promises to be!
The Dark Knight Rises (July 20th)
Christopher Nolan is one of the most talented directors working today. His combination of blockbuster scale with grand wizardry is a filmmaker the industry (as well as the Academy) takes for granted. And this should be at least a good comic book adaptation. The implosion of the football field in the trailer drew an intense reaction I rarely experience with trailers.
Out of all the indie films with a limited release, Ruby Sparks has grabbed my attention with curiosity. The story about an author who hopes to create a character, only to have a manifestation of her become real. From the directors of Little Miss Sunshine, writer and co-star Zoe Kazan (granddaughter of Eli Kazan) might have her breakout role which is long overdue.
Jeremy Renner plays the other Bourne and we promise that Jason was “just the tip of the iceberg” for Treadstone. This will be the summer film most older adults plan to see and should be a hit for the underserved market. I am looking forward to see the direction of this franchise.
My guilty pleasure of 2010 has a sequel that promises more badass testosterone…Chuck Norris included! Mark my words, this is the Sex and the City equivalent for men. Likely men will make up a majority of the audience. Like the TV series, some of the actors are past their prime…especially to behave this way.
The Meh… List:
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton are overdone and I’ve grown very tired of them. Never mind the one-liners about once being stoned and confusing Alice Cooper for a woman seem so stale, delivered with a whimper.
Even typing this title brings to me the realization of this unnecessary and pandering sequel to a non-sustainable franchise. Will Smith is a box office draw, but what I want to know is why is he not singing the movie’s theme song?
Musicals are my least favorite genre so I’m dreading this movie. Maybe the campy musical that looks so bad it might be good. Women and gay men will probably make this a hit. And Catherine Zeta Jones seems to be channeling a Michele Bachmann impression.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
How many clichés can one movie feature, yet still look awful? From the overdone vampires to the slow-motion action sequences, this horror action picture might be a guilty pleasure for some, but looks painful to me.
Really Sony? Reboot a series that ended five years ago and have Marc Webb who only has made music videos and “500 Days of Summer” to direct it. Get ready for the emo-hipster super hero. The trailer left me feeling much more under-whelmed than amazed.
Inexcusably unnecessary! I enjoyed the original one staring Arnold. This shows how bad Hollywood suffered with ideas. The special effects look terrible. Colin Farrell tried to remake the 1980’s campy classic Fright Night and he will probably fail again with a reboot.
