For me at least Summer Movie Season starts in May. The summer of 2012 will be a good one of us nerdy folk as there’s a lot of sci-fi and comic book based flicks coming out. Today I decided to compile a list of some films coming out that appeal to my dorky sense and what exactly I think about them at this point. This is just for fun I’m not seriously reviewing these movies right now and I may have missed something. For the most part these are the films that have been on my radar. Notice of all these films the Fantastic Four reboot is missing. Back some time ago a new movie starring the First Family of Marvel was announced around the same time as the Spider-Man reboot and I was actually pretty excited to hear that. I guess while Amazing Spider-Man was fast tracked Fox kind of dropped the ball with the FF.
Click below for more.
Avengers
(Release Date: 5/4/12)
What’s Up: The culmination of years of set-up by Marvel Studios Avengers is basically a sequel to both Iron Man movies, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger and probably The Incredible Hulk where the main characters, and a few side ones, team up to fight a threat none could stop alone. Unless something unforeseen happens money will be printed when this comes out.
Pros: It will be written and directed by Joss Whedon and I don’t care what certain figures in my life might say about him I will continue to give him the benefit of the doubt until he lets me down. Seeing most of the actors from the previous films reprising their roles and standing together is a damn treat.
Cons: Edward Norton is still fired and while Mark Ruffalo will probably be fine as a stand-in but can’t replace the Ed in my heart. It bums me out that Black Widow is the only female Avenger here. The number of heroes included could easily crowd up the narrative. Marvel Studios has a history with getting waaaaay too involved with their film’s production and causing various problems (Which may be the real reason various directors have chosen not to direct sequels), such as with Iron Man 2 where their involvement basically ruined the film.
Beta’s Interest Level: High. This is probably my most anticipated movie this summer as I, like all of you, having been waiting so long for it to finally come to fruition.
The Amazing Spider-Man
(Release Date: 7/3/12)
What’s Up: After Sam Raimi left the project due to Sony’s unrealistic schedule expectations the job was handed to Marc Webb (Ha!) and it was decided that instead of a sequel to Spider-Man 3 it would be a flat-out reboot. A reboot just ten year after the original? That’s not a redundant notion at all!
Pros: In the months leading the film’s release star Andrew Garfield has brought a shocking amount enthusiasm to his role, citing it as his lifelong dream, and though he’s too old to be playing a newly minted Peter Parker I feel inclined to trust him. Likewise Emma Stone will probably be very good as Gwen Stacy. Speaking of Gwen Stacy I have to give props the creators going with her over the more well-known Mary Jane Watson as the love interest (But I’m still a MJ fan 4 Life).
Cons: Marc Webb doesn’t have a lot of experience with action films as his only film (Aside form music videos) has been (500) Days of Summer. All the trailers have come off as being somewhat melodramatic and certainly lacking the “fun” I associate with Spider-Man. It appears that the film will once again revisit Spidey’s origin meaning the producers have no idea that the origin is the worst, most boring part of a superheroes movie. Disturbingly Spidey’s real archenemy, J. Jonah Jameson, won’t be in this movie at all which makes me more than a little worried about the direction and tone of this film.
Beta’s Interest Level: Moderate. I’ve not seen anything to convince me that this will be a fun movie but at the end of the day it’s Spider-Man; how can I not be first in line to see it?
The Dark Knight Rises
(Release Date: 7/20/12)
What’s Up: Long anticipated sequel to critical darling The Dark Knight, which had to be built from scratch after the death of Heath Ledger. This will be the final film of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films.
Pros: Go watch Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Then go watch The Prestige and Inception. Those are all the Pros I need.
Cons: The biggest issue with this film is that there’s a lot of pressure to be better than The Dark Knight, which is an uphill battle considering that it was The Godfather Part II of superhero movies. There’s a good chance we’ll all be disappointed by it.
Beta’s Interest Level: High. Even though it may not be as good as its predecessor at the end of the day it’s a Christopher Nolan film and that’s really all I need to know.
Prometheus
(Release Date: 6/18/12)
What’s Up: Ripley Scott’s enigmatic science fiction epic that may or may not be a prequel to Alien.
Pros: It looks like it has a great cast, including Noomi Rapace and Micheal Fassbender, which if nothing else means it should be a pretty well acted movie.
Cons: The mysterious nature of the film’s trailers and ad campaign pretty much means I have no idea what this movie is actually about. Ripley Scott lost a lot of good will with me with his Robin Hood movie from a few years ago.
Beta’s Interest Level: Low. I haven’t seen any of the Alien movies so I’m not really an eager fan or anything. Plus it seems like it’s a sci-fi horror film and I’m not a big fan of that genre (I didn’t like Event Horizon either).
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
(Release Date: 6/22/12)
What’s Up: Abraham Lincoln was apparently a vampire hunter. Also based on a book of the same name.
Pros: Abraham Lincoln fights vampires.
Cons: Abraham Lincoln fights vampires.
Beta’s Interest Level: Moderate. Let’s face it; this film is goddamn ridiculous…but that’s exactly why it might be kind of cool.
Brave
(Release Date: 6/22/12)
What’s Up: Pixar’s latest film, this time tackling a more fantasy approach than they had previously done. Also in Scotland.
Pros: Well, it’s a Pixar movie that isn’t about talking cars so it’ll probably one of the top five best films of the year by default. It will feature a female lead character that looks to be pretty badass.
Cons: It changed its name from “The Bear & The Bow” to the much more generic sounding “Brave”.
Beta’s Interest Level: High. I love Pixar movies and I’ve been looking forward to this film since I first heard it was in production. And since next year’s film is a f**king prequel to Monster Inc. I’m guessing this will be the last really good Pixar movie for a few years.
Dark Shadows
(Release Date: 5/11/12)
What’s Up: Johnny Depp’s lifelong dream project (That he basically begged his friend Tim Burton to direct for years) this is a film based on the cult-classic supernatural soap opera.
Pros: Good question.
Cons: It’s a bit weird that this film seems to be a comedy when the original TV show was a melodrama. As I’ve said in the past I find Burton to be a Hit or Miss director.
Beta’s Interest Level: Low. I just don’t really care. It seems like it’s something of a self-indulgent project on the part of Depp but my only real problem is that it just doesn’t look all that interesting. I may go see it simply because Tim Burton also did Big Fish and I keep giving him the benefit of the doubt as a result.
GI Joe: Retaliation
(Release Date: 6/29/12)
What’s Up: A sequel to the shitty 2009 film GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra featuring almost none of the main characters from the first movie
Pros: They seem to have fired everyone in the film who couldn’t act and replaced them with a mostly new cast of characters. Ray Park returns as Snake-Eyes. A lot of the silliness in the first film, including the futuristic weaponry, have seemingly be replaced by a more action oriented approach. The finally brought in Roadblock, played here by Dwayne Johnson.
Cons: Director John M. Chu is known for directing two of the Step Up movies and the Justin Bieber movie so I’m not sure why he was tagged to direct an action film. Though we trimmed the fat as far as the crap characters go Christopher Eccleston and Joseph Gordon-Levitt will not be reprising their roles meaning that the best part of the first movie will not be present in this film.
Beta’s Interest Level: High. Despite the fact the original was terrible, that the director is dubiously qualified and that JGL apparently isn’t involved the trailers for this film have been awesome, to the point where I’m looking forward to this film almost more than I am for the Avengers. I might be disappointed but for now I’m excited.
Is there a movie you’re excited for this summer? Let me know in the comment section.
No comments:
Post a Comment