In retrospect last year’s summer wasn’t too bad, sure there were some clunkers (“Robin Hood”, “The Karate Kid” and “Jonah Hex” were notable offenders), but on the whole it wasn’t a terrible season at the cinema.
We got great films like “Inception”, “Toy Story 3” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”, along with a few solidly entertaining blockbusters such as “Predators”, “Knight and Day”, “Piranha 3D” and “Iron Man 2”. So how does the upcoming 2011 summers stack up? We’ve already had “Thor” which was reasonably okay, and “Fast Five” which I haven’t seen, but am informed is a franchise highlight (faint praise alert). So what’s on the agenda for the next few months? Let’s have a look.
Priest (May 6th) – A review of this will be available shortly, but as of the moment hopes aren’t high. It’s an apocalyptic action movie from the director of “Legion” (a guilty pleasure), but despite a solid cast (Paul Bettany, Karl Urban, Christopher Plummer) early word hasn’t been good. Excite-o-Meter – 3/10
Attack the Block (May 11th) – Alien invasion flick set in a council estate, from the very talented and comically gifted Joe Cornish. The trailer was admittedly cool and early buzz was promising, but some of that has fallen off with a second wave of slightly more mixed reviews. It’s out next weekend, and despite the uncertain critical consensus, I’m game. Excite-o-Meter – 7/10
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 18th) – Johnny Depp is back onboard for another spin at the Jack Sparrow shtick, under the new management of filmmaker Rob Marshall. It’s apparently in 3D (groan), but the early trailers were actually quite effective. Of course it could be every bit as convoluted and underwhelming as the initial sequels, but hopefully Marshall has streamlined the formula into something more digestible. Penelope Cruz’s participation also slightly improves its chances of being memorable, in my book at least. Excite-O-Meter – 7/10
The Hangover: Part 2 (May 26th) – I adored 2009’s “The Hangover”; it was a brilliantly acted, deftly penned and regularly uproarious comedy. So why am I so skeptical about this follow-up? The likely reason is the dodgy theatrical trailer, which simply seemed to be tweaking jokes from the initial movie. Todd Phillips was last seen helming the forgettable but occasionally quite fun “Due Date”, and in all honesty I’d take that level entertainment value here, because everything I’ve seen so far has looked lazy. Adding to my woes is the absence of the original film’s screenwriters, replaced instead by the respective geniuses behind “Semi-Pro” and “Superhero Movie”. I desperately want to be proven wrong, but so far, it’s not looking hopeful. Excite-O-Meter – 4/10
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (May 27th) – I missed “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” last year, and this year I’ll probably bypass its sequel in similar fashion. However, “Rodrick Rules” did beat “Sucker Punch” at the box-office during its opening weekend in the US, and reviews haven’t been totally abhorrent. It’s likely a safe bet for those who enjoyed the first production and it might just do some sneaky financial damage. Excite-O-Meter – 5/10
X-Men: First Class (May 30th) – Matthew Vaughn (“Kick-Ass”) is behind the camera for this prequel, and for those reasons alone I’m excited. Chronicling the early years of Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender), the film looks tremendously poised, something conveyed superbly in its atmospheric trailers. Apparently production was somewhat rushed (a mild concern for sure), but I’m confident it will deliver. Excite-O-Meter – 9/10
Prom (June 3rd) – Disney produced tween picture that did poorly in the US, and was the recipient of less than charitable reviews. Its family friendly rating also ensures that drunken antics or bedroom based debauchery will not feature. Iffy. Excite-O-Meter -2/10
Kung Fu Panda 2 (June 10th) – I wasn’t massively impressed by the 2008 original, and I don’t expect to be massively impressed here either. I’ll watch it, but only because it’ll probably be one of the most financially successful movies of the year. Excite-O-Meter – 3/10
The Beaver (June 17th) – Jodie Foster directs Mel Gibson in this tale of redemption (hardly a coincidence), in which a man finds salvation through a plush puppet. Sounds stupid, but the script was the subject of high praise during its early days, and the movie has enjoyed some warm reviews on the festival circuit. I’m sure it’ll be divisive, but I’m oddly intrigued. Excite-O-Meter – 6/10
The Green Lantern (June 17th) – Ryan Reynolds gets in on the superhero trend with this adaptation of the famed DC icon, overseen by two-time Bond director Martin Campbell. I thought the trailers looked okay, but outside of his admittedly excellent Bond adventures Campbell has been an erratic filmmaker, and the lack of hardened marketing at this point makes me slightly apprehensive. Still, In Reynolds I trust. Excite-O-Meter – 6/10
Bridesmaids (June 24th) – Apatow produced comedy, which will apparently finally provide a hard R laughfest for women. I like the cast, and the promotional material has worked so far. Consider me moderately interested. Excite-O-Meter – 6/10
Bad Teacher (June 24th) – Cameron Diaz goes foul mouthed for this one, everything from the tone to the title echoing “Bad Santa”. Able support in the form of Lucy Punch and Jason Segel is encouraging, whilst the trailer generated a welcome aura of no holds barred tastelessness. My tip to be the comedy of the summer, assuming “The Hangover: Part 2” falls in line with the low expectations. Excite-O-Meter – 8/10
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (July 1st) – A Third 21st Century outing for the robots in disguise benefits from low expectations (the 2nd film was pretty woeful), but that doesn’t mean it’s a sure thing. Megan Fox is out (a pity in my opinion), but Shia LaBeouf and the rest of the gang look set to continue their franchise tenure. Trailers looked fine (if not a little familiar), so hopefully we can back to what made the first 2007 movie such a surprisingly entertaining affair. Excite-O-Meter – 6/10
Larry Crowne (July 1st) – Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts team-up in what appears to be obvious “Transformers” counterprogramming, but hey, the early stuff we’ve seen looks kind of charming. Assuming it doesn’t devolve into utter schmaltz, this could actually be a neat little package. Excite-O-Meter – 7/10
Jack Goes Boating (July 8th) – Phillip Seymour Hoffman is an awesome actor, but when left to his own creative devices he can get a little irritating. He makes his directorial debut with “Jack Goes Boating”, which is finally getting a UK release after first appearing in the USA the guts of a year ago. The critical reaction was predictably mixed, and to be honest this love story’s premise hasn’t got me particularly amused. If the opportunity to see it arises I probably will, but on the whole it all looks a bit mediocre. Excite-O-Meter – 4/10
Part 2 to follow shortly……
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