Summer Movie Guide
Find Out What’s Hot And What’s Not On This season’s Silver Screen.
By: Daniel Albert
Summer— home of sweltering heat waves, ice cold drinks by the pool and of course the blockbuster film. “Blockbuster” was a term that was coined when a summer movie would be so anticipated that patrons would line up around the block just to get a seat. Jaws was the one that started it all and three Star Wars have achieved blockbuster status. More recently films like Iron Man and the Harry Potter franchise have strategically set up summer release dates to drive them to the top of the box office success charts. The only problem is sometimes picking a winner at the movies isn’t so easy. Often times studios sneak in an abomination under the guise of a summer blockbuster (I’m looking at you Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), leaving viewers with no more than a dent in their wallets and buyer’s remorse. So without further ado here is the list of LIVE’s certified picks for this summer’s hottest films.
X-Men: First Class
Release Date: June 3rd
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Caleb Landry Jones
The first of many in the super hero genre (excluding Thor which debuted to great reviews in May) X-Men: First Class is set to blow the blockbuster season wide open. The cast is extremely solid with James McAvoy playing a young Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Michael Fassbender playing a young Erik Lensherr (Magneto) as we get a glimpse at how the X-Men came to be. Expect stunning visuals, awesome action and an extremely interesting back story for both fans and non-fans of the franchise.
Super 8
Release Date: June 10th
Starring: Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Amanda Michalka, Noah Emmerich
Super 8 is the brainchild of J.J. Abrams and has been a more closely guarded secret than Area 51. The story involves a series of unexplained events following a terrible train crash. A group of young amateur filmmakers accidentally witness the crash and begin to piece together what they believe was not an accident. The anticipation alone is enough to make this film a blockbuster and add to that Abrams pedigree with previous endeavors ( Lost_, Fringe, Star Trek and many more) and you get a sure fire recipe for success.
The Green Lantern
Release Date: June 17th
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins
The second of this summer’s super hero line up Green Lantern is definitely not going to be average super hero fare. First, Green Lantern is a much lesser known super hero in the DC comic universe than say Batman but don’t let that discourage you. The backstory for Green Lantern is an intriguing one, involving a mystical green ring that bestows otherworldly powers, a membership into an intergalactic squadron tasked with keeping peace within the universe, and lots and lots of special effects. This one is sure to dazzle the eyeballs at the very least.
Cars 2
Release Date: June 24th
Starring: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, John Turturro, Eddie Izzard
This highly anticipated sequel to one of Pixar’s highest rated franchises is the first family friendly film of the summer. The story sees the return of favorites, Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), as they travel overseas for the World Grand Prix. I don’t think I’ve seen a Pixar film that I didn’t enjoy and Cars 2 will certainly not be the one to disappoint.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Release Date: July 1st
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand
I put this one on the list with some trepidation. Anyone who saw the second installment of the Transformers franchise knows how horrible that film was and if you think it was great, well then I’m sure you’ll love the third installment even more so. However I have a feeling they worked out some of the kinks from Revenge of the Fallen, cough “robot heaven” cough, and with the addition of John Malkovich and Frances McDormand, the cast list is dramatically improved. Let’s just say enter this one at your own risk.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Release Date: July 15th
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson
This isn’t just a blockbuster—this is the end of an era. The hugely anticipated finale of the Harry Potter Franchise will deliver on all facets as most, if not all, of the films have so far. Enough said…
Captain America: The First Avenger
Release Date: July 22nd
Starring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Sebastian Stan
Did I mention this summer is all about super heroes? With that being said this is the one I’m personally most psyched about. Captain America isn’t just a comic book character, he’s an icon, and seeing him brought to life on the silver screen is a dream come true for a lot of film nerds (myself included). Almost as anticipated is seeing Captain America’s nemesis The Red Skull brought to life, making Captain America: The First Avenger one to mark on your calendar.
Friends With Benefits
Release Date: July 22nd
Starring: Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman
Finally something that doesn’t involve explosions and flying super people! This comedy looks to be an updated, and much better, version of Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman’s No Strings Attached. With a title like that, is a plot synopsis even necessary? Any movie that makes fun of Katherine Heigl romcom’s is all right in my book.
Cowboys and Aliens
Release Date: July 29th
Starring: Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell
Yes, you read that correctly, Cowboys and Aliens not Cowboys and Indians. The movie centers around an amnesiac gunslinger who becomes a frontier town’s only hope against an extraterrestrial invasion. If you’re like me you may have immediately though of Wild, Wild, West but I assure you that this will be nothing like that. With Iron Man director Jon Favreau in charge this film is in more than capable hands to insure it doesn’t turn into some cheesy John Wayne E.T. mash up.
Also here are two more films that were released previous to this guide but are still in theaters (for those of you who haven’t already seen them.
The Hangover Part II
Release Date: May 26th
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha
The verdict is still out on whether this will be just another retread of the first but either way it should provide some great laughs. The boys are back, this time in Thailand, and for some reason (we’re not complaining) there’s a monkey. Touche Todd Phillips
Tree of Life
Release Date: May 27th
Starring:Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Sean Penn, Fiona Shaw
Perhaps the most polarized film at Cannes, Tree of Life is Terrance Malick’s latest and depending on how it’s received by American critics, could generate some Oscar Buzz. It tells the story of a man that tries to reconcile his complicated relationship with his father. Perhaps the most interesting part— Sean Penn is the son of Brad Pitt. If I hadn’t known about this film, I’d think that was some rag mag headline not an Oscar contender. Keep your eyes on this one…
