By Brett Blake The Summer Movie Season is mere days away from being officially kicked-off. For film buffs, it’s a fun time of year, though not without perils and pitfalls. The number of good-to-great movies that come out from May through August tend to be outweighed by movies of, well, lesser quality. The key is to try to sniff out the good from the bad ahead of time to save yourself the unnecessary pain of sitting through a bomb. It’s a prognostication game, but that part of the fun of the season. To that end, I’ve compiled what I think is a pretty comprehensive, exhaustive list of the summer’s most notable releases (though I’m sure I missed one or two here and there), and I’ve presented them in a “Pro/Con” format, which allows me to talk about their potential good qualities as well as potential problems they might have. Let’s dive in. MAY The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - May 2nd Trailer! Pro - Picking up the pieces where part one left off two years ago, this latest Spidey adventure promises to showcase a trio of the character’s more colorful comic book villains (Electro, Green Goblin, and Rhino); early word is that the action is mostly great, and that the focus on the Peter Parker/Gwen Stacy relationship is the strongest element of the film (and packs a real punch). Con - The film has already been released in Europe, and critical and fan reception have been mixed, with many singling out the screenplay as being messy and containing more than a few holes. Neighbors - May 9th Trailer! Pro - Seth Rogen’s a bankable, reliable comedy star, the premise is relatable for anybody who’s ever had any kind of interaction with a fraternity, and advance word from test screenings is that the movie delivers the raunchy, crude goods in a big way for fans of that sort of thing. Con - This con has nothing to do with the potential quality of the film (personal mileage with always vary with this type of comedy), but that second weekend in May release slot has been deadly for films in the past in terms of box office success. It remains to be seen if a crowd-pleasing comedy can overcome that weekend’s traditional stigma. Chef - May 9th Trailer! Pro - Director/star Jon Favreau (the man who helmed ELF and the first two IRON MAN movies, among other things) returns to his smaller-budget roots, which should be nice after his recent special-effects-heavy movies, and based on the trailer, the film looks like a must-see for foodies. Con - Also based on the trailer, the movie looks to like it might be telling a story that we’ve seen dozens-upon-dozens of times. It seems like the old “work-obsessed father tries to reconnect to his kid” plot is buried in here somewhere, so it remains to be seen if Favreau can do something really special with it. Godzilla - May 16th Trailer! Pro - The decision to produce a new Godzilla movie with the tone of a straight-faced, grounded disaster flick is a brilliant move, and one that harkens back to the very first Godzilla film from 1954, which is not at all like the childish romps many of his later films are; the original is a pretty grim story, and if this new version can tap into some of that flavor, we could have a special film on our hands. Plus, the quality of actors in the cast heavily implies the script offers more to chew on than just mass destruction and chaos. Con - Well, the last time an American studio tried to make a Godzilla film, the results weren’t very good, and there’s always a chance the movie will be unable to make a giant monster like Godzilla relevant to modern audiences. Million Dollar Arm - May 16th Trailer! Pro - Disney’s recent track record with live action sports-themed films is solid enough, and it seems there’s a possibility to tell a unique fish-out-of-water story. Plus, MAD MEN’s Jon Hamm takes on the leading role, and he’s back-up by solid supporting talent (Alan Arkin, Bill Paxton), so the acting should be reliably good. Con - The movie’s got the potential to be pretty slight. I mean, sure, the basic storyline is an interesting one, but if the execution is merely average, it could be a total bore. And that's even setting aside the potential for this to be a cliche-fest. X-Men: Days of Future Past - May 23rd Trailer! Pro - This appears to be the most ambitious X-Men film thus far, as it will attempt to fuse together two different timelines and two different sets of actors (some playing younger/older versions of the same characters). Word on the street is that this is the most expensive film 20th Century Fox has ever produced (save for AVATAR), and the trailers certainly promise a spectacle. Con - How much gas is left in the X-Men tank, creatively speaking? There’s a chance that the time travel antics that are integral to the plot might come across as simply a gimmick, and there’s also the possibility that, with a cast as vast as this one, some characters are going to get the short end of the stick. A Million Ways to Die in the West - May 30th Trailer! Pro - Director/star Seth MacFarlane’s previous film, TED, was a monster hit, and this new one (a western spoof) certainly has the potential to be something akin to BLAZING SADDLES for a new generation… Con - … and therein lies the problem. You can just feel how much this movie is trying to be the next BLAZING SADDLES, from the satire of the time period’s values and customs, to the anachronistic dialogue. Plus, there’s the issue of whether or not MacFarlane himself (in human - not animated - form) can carry a film as the leading man. Maleficent - May 30th Trailer! Pro - Angelina Jolie is a bonafide megastar, and the SLEEPING BEAUTY story is a classic, well-loved tale. The design of this fantasy realm looks suitably impressive, and the promise of adding some complexity to one of Disney’s most iconic villains is certainly enticing. Con - Setting aside the rumors of behind-the-scenes conflict, the film runs the risk of being too reminiscent of films that already exist, such as ALICE IN WONDERLAND, OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, and SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, all of which - at least visually - seem to have influenced (intentionally or not) the look of MALEFICENT. There could be a heavy “more of the same” vibe to this. JUNE Edge of Tomorrow - June 6th Trailer! Pro - Tom Cruise is usually reliable at delivering a fun action romp, and EDGE OF TOMORROW looks like it will probably satisfy on a basic, visceral level, with large-scale war/combat sequences that have a technological edge to them. Con - The plot, however, really does seem to be a science fiction version of GROUNDHOG DAY, with Cruise reliving a set period of time over and over again. Will the movie have anything truly original to offer, or will it be just a mish-mash of old ideas? The Fault in Our Stars - June 6th Trailer! Pro - Shailene Woodley is on the verge of becoming a big star, and this teen angst love story will surely appeal to a certain section of the movie-going population. The novel upon which the film is based is said to have quite a following, as well, so the possibility’s there for the movie to be a breakout sleeper hit. Con - Will the film have anything to offer audience members who aren’t teenage girls? And haven’t we seen scores of movies that deal with a relationship where one of the pair is sick/dying? Tragic, doomed romances have been done to death (pun intended), and this one will need to have something truly special to say to set it apart from its predecessors. How to Train Your Dragon 2 - June 13th Trailer! Pro - The first HTTYD was an exhilarating experience, particularly in 3D, and the filmmakers seem to have taken their time to get the sequel’s story just right (read: they didn’t rush into it), which bodes well for its quality, and the trailer heavily implies that this tale will expand the scope and won’t simply be a re-hash of what we already saw in the first film. Con - Despite how interesting the trailer looks, there’s still the possibility that it’s a kind of smokescreen, and that the movie itself will just be a lazy cash-in, as most non-Pixar animated sequels tend to be. Unlikely, but possible. Some of the humor looks sketchy, too. 22 Jump Street - June 13th Trailer! Pro - The first film was surprisingly successful, and the team-up of Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill proved to be really effectively funny. Theoretically, a sequel should be a good thing, right? Con - Well, the trailer honestly doesn’t inspire confidence; it looks like just a lot more of the same sort of stuff we saw in the first film, and while there’s always the chance they’re holding back the best gags for the actual film, the trailers haven’t been all that funny, save for a couple small moments. Jersey Boys - June 20th Trailer! Pro - It’s a Clint Eastwood film based on a hugely successful Broadway show telling the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, so we know the movie’s probably going to look great and have some terrific music. The trailer’s got a real GOODFELLAS: THE MUSICAL vibe to it, which could be fun. Con - Is this actually a story worth telling, though? Obviously the success of the stage show would indicate it probably is, but it’s never an easy thing to translate something that works on Broadway to something that works in the cinema. Transformers: Age of Extinction - June 27th Trailer! Pro - The presence of Mark Wahlberg in the lead role inspires just a little hope that the human story might actually be interesting this time around, and Michael Bay sitting in the director’s chair guarantees there will be some spectacular mayhem. Con - Let’s be honest, here. The last two TRANSFORMERS films were god-awful, headache-inducing, intelligence-insulting cinematic monstrosities, and there’s no reason to believe this one will be any different. JULY Deliver Us From Evil - July 2nd Trailer! Pro - Summer horror films tend to be mixed bags, but director Scott Derrickson has a very solid track record, and the cast is interesting (Eric Bana is always dependable, but Olivia Munn and Joel McHale in serious supporting roles? What’s that gonna be like?). Con - Horror is an easy genre to screw up, and there are no guarantees that this will be anything other than a supernatural potboiler of that kind we’ve seen dozens of times before. Tammy - July 2nd Trailer! Pro - Melissa McCarthy is a certified comedic force, and while not all of the movies in which she’s starred have been great, they’ve all been financially successful. Con - Is anybody starting to get tired of seeing McCarthy do the same schtick in every movie? She plays, basically, the same person in all of her films, and it looks like TAMMY is not going to be any different. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - July 11th Trailer! Pro - RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES was a critical and commercial success, and this film looks to build on where that story left off in a compelling way, and the fact that Andy Serkis’ ape leader, Caesar, remains front-and-center is a very good thing. Also a very good thing is the presence of Gary Oldman, who - even in bad movies - always delivers a quality performance. Con - The concern here is a simple one: will DAWN live up to the promise of its premise? If it does, it’ll be one of the best films of the summer; if it doesn’t, it’ll be one of the most disappointing. Jupiter Ascending - July 18th Trailer! Pro - The Wachowskis (the directors of the film) are some of the most visually-inventive filmmakers working in the medium, and while not all of their films have been perfect, they’ve all had admirable and interesting qualities. The level of ambition on display in this movie’s trailer is truly compelling. Con - It also looks REALLY weird, and it would be very easy for the sprawling scope of the story to turn into a jumbled mess of bizarre characters, strange locations, and perfunctory action. Is there going to be a reason for us to care about the human story supporting the strangeness? The Purge: Anarchy - July 18th Trailer! Pro - Last year’s THE PURGE was a surprise hit, though the film itself took an interesting, TWILIGHT ZONE-ian concept and did very little with it. This sequel may have a chance to better explore that concept. Indeed, the trailer makes it look more like an ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK-type thriller than the home invasion horror of the first film. Con - Was anybody really asking for a sequel? And does anybody really care that we’re getting one? Hercules - July 25th Trailer! Pro - Dwayne Johnson is always fun in his movies (even if, as a whole, the movie’s aren’t very good), and the mythical character of Hercules has never really gotten his live action due. Con - The old sword and sandal genre has been dead for a while, and the presence of Brett Ratner as the director does not inspire confidence that we’re going to see anything innovative in this one. It also looks strangely bland and cheap, budget-wise. Sex Tape - July 25th Trailer! Pro - The basic concept certainly has comedic potential, and Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz seem like the sort of performers who’ll commit 100% to the absurdity. Con - Based on the trailer, the movie really should be called PRODUCT PLACEMENT: THE MOTION PICTURE! And that trailer is painfully unfunny, to boot; again, personal enjoyment will vary. AUGUST Guardians of the Galaxy - August 1st Trailer! Pro - Marvel expands their cinematic universe into cosmic space fantasy territory, and the trailer makes the movie look like a complete blast, offering a colorful, rag-tag bunch of characters and a wise-ass sense of humor. Early rumors also indicate the plot will involve elements which will eventually come into play in future AVENGERS films, so this movie could be a key lynchpin in Marvel’s universe going forward. Con - Much like JUPITER ASCENDING, this film seems like it could be pretty darn weird, and the strangeness has the possibility to overwhelm/detract-from the story. Will audiences be able to buy into a movie that has a talking, machine-gun-toting raccoon? Into the Storm - August 8th Trailer! Pro - The idea of doing a found footage-ish film about a destructive storm seems like a pretty solid fit (any video we see from storm chasers in the real world are - essentially - found footage), and tornadoes have always been a primal, fascinating part of nature that have the potential to be both majestic and terrifying. Con - We’ve already got a pretty definitive tornado film in 1996’s TWISTER, so will INTO THE STORM be able to show us anything we haven’t already seen? And will the characters be of any worth, or is the movie just going to be a special effects showcase? Lucy - August 8th Trailer! Pro - The concept could make for a fun action flick, and Scarlett Johansson seems convincing in the lead role. Plus, having Morgan Freeman pop up is never a bad thing. Con - The potential is here for this film to be really, really silly. There’ll probably be some pseudo-plausible explanation for the powers Lucy receives, but this is going to be science fiction all the way, which might put some people off. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - August 8th Trailer! Pro - The property has a devoted following, and there’s a lack of action movies aimed at kids coming out this summer, so this one could fill a void quite nicely. Con - Man, based on the trailer, the whole movie looks ugly from a design and color palette standpoint. The presence of Megan Fox as our human lead is not a good sign, either, nor is the heavily-felt hand of producer Michael Bay, which probably heralds a film that will play to the lowest common denominator. The Giver - August 15th Trailer! Pro - The movie is based on an acclaimed and beloved young adult novel, and its story (if done right) has the potential to be truly thought-provoking. The cast (Meryl Streep! Jeff Bridges!) looks pretty great, too. Con - The trailer implies the filmmakers are trying to fuse the novel’s story with the action-type aesthetic of recent teen-lit adaptations, like THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT, which may or may not turn out to be a good choice given the story’s more thoughtful and intellectual (rather than action-y) concerns. The Expendables 3 - August 22nd Trailer! Pro - By this point, people are probably either on-board with the concept of these EXPENDABLES movies, or they’re not. Aging actions stars get together to kick ass, and that's about it. This time, the roster expands to include the likes of Mel Gibson, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Kelsey Grammer, and Harrison Ford. So, at the very least, it should be fun to watch all the cast members bounce off each other. Con - This is another movie that’s potentially a “been there/done that” sort of situation. The new blood in the cast is welcome, but will the story be worthy of the incredible talent that’s been assembled, or will it be reheated leftovers from action films of the past? Sin City: A Dame to Kill For - August 22nd Trailer! Pro - The first SIN CITY was a visually-inventive noir mash-up, and this sequel looks to be right in that vein again. Another phenomenal cast has been put together for this, and hearing them tear into some hard-boiled dialogue should be a treat. Con - Sequels that come along a decade (or more) after the first film tend not to be all that great, and there’s the possibility that a film like SIN CITY came out just too long ago for today’s audiences to care about a follow-up, regardless of what its quality turns out to be. So there you have it! Be on the lookout in the coming days for a new episode of “The Cinematic Confab” podcast, where Brenton Thom, Breanne Brennan, and I will talk at length about some of the bigger movies on the summer slate!
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