By Brett Blake On May 3rd, the Summer Movie Season™ will descend upon us once again. I thought I might share some insight (or incoherent ramblings, one or the other) on what this year has to offer. I think the summer is going to be one of the most entertaining in years… OR it’s going to be filled with some big-time disappointments. Either way, it’s fun to speculate. There are plenty of movies coming out in the next four months, but I’m limiting this preview to 15. My goal here is to highlight some (but not all) of the big movies, a couple potential sleepers, and some potential bombs. Here goes. May 3 - IRON MAN 3 Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue43ALt_s-Y The Upside - It’s already opened overseas, and the word has been very positive, with many people saying it’s the best stand-alone Iron Man adventure so far. The fact that ace action writer Shane Black is at the helm feels like a nice change of pace for the franchise, too. The Downside - Have people started to become burned out on Iron Man? He’s now had a movie come out in three of the past four summers. If the character were ever going to wear thin, this movie is where it would start. May 10 - THE GREAT GATSBY Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN183rJltNM The Upside - You’ve got Leonardo DiCaprio leading a good cast in an adaptation of one of the great classics of American literature. The Downside - For good or bad, director Baz Luhrmann is not exactly well known for his restraint. The movie will almost certainly look fabulous (filmed in 3D, no less), but will it be able to mine the ample psychological complexity of the novel in a satisfying way? This was an expensive production, so there’s a lot on the line. May 17 - STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAEkuVgt6Aw The Upside - Generally, people really liked the first one, the same creative team is in place, and the trailers make it look like the stakes have really been raised. Adding an acclaimed actor like Benedict Cumberbatch to play the villain can’t hurt, either. The Downside - Early rumblings are that the script is highly… well, let’s say influenced… by certain previous entries in this series. If true, that smacks of a "taking the easy way out" mindset on the part of the writers, but we’ll have to see how it shakes down. May 24 - FAST & FURIOUS 6 Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7zl_t48CMc The Upside - It’s rare that a franchise begins to peak on its 4th and 5th installments, but that’s what has happened with this one, and 6 appears poised to continue that. If the trailers are any indication, there’ll be enough vehicular mayhem to satisfy action fans. The Downside - The previous few movies opened in the spring, with no big competition. Will the prime May release slot help or hurt this one’s chances to rake in the dollars? I’m unsure. May 31 - AFTER EARTH Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exq0jyvpSg8 The Upside - When Will Smith stars in science fiction blockbusters, they tend to do well (INDEPENDENCE DAY, MEN IN BLACK, HANCOCK, etc.), and the father/son storyline that the trailers are pushing could strike a chord with audiences if done well, and perhaps turn this into a surprise hit. The Downside - The downside’s name is M. Night Shyamalan, the director. His last hit was 11 years ago (SIGNS), and since then he’s been cinema’s reigning purveyor of big budget schlock. Will the trend continue? I certainly have an opinion on the matter… June 14 - MAN OF STEEL Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6DJcgm3wNY The Upside - It’s a Superman reboot for the modern age, it’s got a hell of a cast, and it has Christopher Nolan overseeing the production behind the scenes. The trailers are selling a movie that has both spectacle and a strong emotional throughline, which could be a very special combination. The Downside - There hasn’t been a Superman film that lit up the box office since 1981’s SUPERMAN II. 2006’s SUPERMAN RETURNS did okay, but most people didn’t seem to be very enthusiastic about it. Can MAN OF STEEL break through? If it’s as good as it looks, I expect the answer will be "Yes," but it’s somewhat up in the air (pun intended). June 21 - WORLD WAR Z Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EC7P5WdUko The Upside - It’s Brad Pitt headlining a major blockbuster and the subject matter is zombies, a subject that remains very popular with people, as evidenced by the number of movies and TV shows featuring the undead. The Downside - The film’s production troubles (which include the ending having to be completely re-shot) have been well publicized, and the CGI zombies don’t look too hot, either. June 21 - MONSTERS UNIVERSITY Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fb1IzsOAHs The Upside - Pixar expands one of their more beloved films, and the idea of doing what looks to be, basically, an animated ANIMAL HOUSE for all ages could turn out to be hilarious and heartwarming all at once. The Downside - Are people getting tired of Pixar continuing to go to the sequel/prequel well instead of offering more stand-alone stories? July 3 - THE LONE RANGER Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lpSbT5INws The Upside - Johnny Depp re-teaming with his PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN director, Gore Verbinski, whose flair for inventive action certainly seems to be on display in the trailers, which showcase all kinds of wild, train-centric setpieces. The Downside - It’s Johnny Depp (apparently) playing another weird-ish character, and big budget action westerns don’t have a great box office track record (i.e. WILD WILD WEST and COWBOYS & ALIENS). July 12 - PACIFIC RIM Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A85EtOalcsM The Upside - Action on a massive scale appears to be the order of the day, and it’s clear that the movie is going to deliver spectacular visuals. Giant sea monsters vs. giant robots, on paper, sounds silly, but if Guillermo del Toro can pull it off without being goofy, this could be big. The Downside - Can Guillermo del Toro pull it off without being goofy? That's in no way a given. We know it’s going to look great, but will there be a story and characters we can invest in? If this doesn’t hit, and hit big, the studio could be looking at having to swallow a lot of money. July 19 - THE CONJURING Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb-jRz7HWqs The Upside - My pick for sleeper of the summer. Why? Because the studio moved its release date from April to right smack dab in the middle of July, based on the reactions they’ve been getting from test audiences. Supposedly, this movie has tested better than any "horror" film that Warner Bros. has ever released. The Downside - Scary movies don’t tend to do well in the summertime. Spring and fall are their usual domain. Is THE CONJURING going to stand out enough to draw people in? July 26 - THE WOLVERINE Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh1LdTFkm7I The Upside - Hugh Jackman as Wolverine has been extremely popular, and the movie appears to be drawing from one of the more highly thought-of storylines from the comic books. The Downside - Have people had enough of Wolverine? And what is the movie going to show us about him - his emotions or abilities - that we haven’t already seen? August 9 - ELYSIUM Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvqjwTQ1Kqk The Upside - Director Neill Blomkamp is following up his 2009 hit, DISTRICT 9, with another science fiction film that looks to combine big, high concept ideas with big action. Having a bonafide star like Matt Damon in the lead role can only help, too. The Downside - We’ve only seen a teaser trailer of sorts, so we don’t yet know specifically what the plot is going to entail, or how big the scope will really be. If either of those underwhelm, this might not repeat DISTRICT 9’s success. August 23 - YOU’RE NEXT Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufUQWpEkbf0 The Upside - Another horror film whose word of mouth has been off-the-charts. It’s been screening at festivals since 2011 to tremendous response. The trailer implies this is your standard home invasion flick, but I’ve heard there’s much more to it than that. The Downside - Will there be enough of a marketing push to let people know this movie is out there? And if there is, will the movie end up getting hyped out of proportion? August 23 - THE WORLD’S END Trailer - Not Yet Released! The Upside - Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost return to finish their Cornetto Trilogy, the previous two films being SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ. Fans of those two films, for good reason, anticipate this one will be of similarly high quality. The Downside - I have no doubt this will be a great movie. Whether it catches on at the box office is an entirely different matter. So there it is. Feel free to share your thoughts. Anything big I overlooked? What do you think could be the bomb of the summer? Most importantly, what are you folks looking forward to?
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