Sun’s out, shorts on, jacket ditched, finals looming and summer vacation with lots of time for movies is just around the corner. New releases coming out this summer thankfully seem interesting and filled with huge explosions and a few laughs. Here’s a brief list of the movies that have caught my eye to see this summer.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY: With the premiere of “Iron Man 3” this week and the “Star Trek” sequel coming out over Camp Whitman (and I CANNOT WAIT to see both), I am not seeing much in the way of originality at the start of summer. Some of the biggest upcoming summer blockbusters include “Fast and Furious 6” (guilty pleasure; I loved the fifth installment), “The Hangover Part III” (really, aren’t they all married yet?), “Man of Steel,” “Monsters University” (I’m a sucker for animated movies), “Despicable Me 2,” “Grown Ups 2” (REALLY???), “Red 2,” “The Wolverine,” “The Lone Ranger,” “Smurfs 2” (not going to happen), “300: Rise of an Empire” and “Kick Ass 2.” With the exception of “Smurfs” and “Grown Ups,” I’m excited to see all of these movies. That being said, the sheer number of these sequels, prequels or reboots raises a question: Has Hollywood become unoriginal? Sadly, the answer is obvious.
Mystery: Leaving the retreads, a more innovative movie coming out is “Now You See Me,” which is about a group of the world’s best magicians who pull off impossible heists and give the money to the audiences of their show. The movie sports an intriguing cast with Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, just to name a few. And of course, who doesn’t love magic?
Eclectic and not totally made for money: For those who like movies that are offbeat and a bit out of the box, Joss Whedon’s (“The Avengers,” “Firefly” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) new movie “Much Ado About Nothing” looks promising. Apparently a contemporary take on Shakespeare’s play, the movie is shot in black and white and looks to be smart comedy. The question is whether Whedon can pull off Shakespeare without his superhero gadgets and without any visual effects––I vote a hopeful yes! Another eclectic movie that shows promise is “The Way, Way Back,” a movie along the same lines as “Juno” and “Little Miss Sunshine.” “The Way, Way Back” is about the spring break trip of a 14-year-old and his unusual family. I think the movie looked cute, but I also enjoyed Chevy Chase in his vacation movies!
Although this summer’s flicks are not original or groundbreaking, they promise to be very entertaining. While I’ve only highlighted my personal favorites, there are many, MANY more action movies and comedies such as “World War Z,” “The Internship,” “Elysium” and several more indie movies coming out. Looks like I’ll be a mole for many hours this summer. Enjoy the movies!
