2009 Summer Movie Preview - May

About 10 years ago, the summer movie season, which had, until that point, traditionally begun on Memorial Day weekend, was kicked into high gear in early May with the release of The Mummy. And thus, thanks to Universal not having complete faith in Stephen Sommers (who could blame them, really) and wanting to get out of the way of The Phantom Menace, the supreme early star to the summer movie season was born. It's with that in mind that I submit the first monthly installment of my 2009 Summer Movie Preview. I hope this will become an annual tradition on this site. I will try to make note of films I'm especially looking forward to, or have already made plans to see.

Please note: all plot summaries have been aped from IMDB.

May 1

Battle for Terra (PG)
Director: Aristomenis Tsirbas
Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, James Garner, Chris Evans, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, David Cross, Justin Long, Dennis Quaid and Luke Wilson

Plot: A peaceful alien planet faces annihilation, as the homeless remainder of the human race sets its eyes on Terra. Mala, a rebellious Terrian teenager, will do everything she can to stop it.

It looks like something custom designed for 3-D, with lasers and spaceships flying at you constantly – at least from the trailer on their website. To be honest, I had not heard of this film prior to last week, and for something going up against Wolverine, that's not great news. It supposedly has a strong environmental message, but it also envisions a race where free thinkers are outcasts, and didn't we put up with enough of that during the Bush administration?

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Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (PG-13)
Director: Mark Waters (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Mean Girls, Just Like Heaven)
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas, Breckin Meyer, Emma Stone, Lacey Chabert, Robert Forster, Anne Archer

Plot: A bachelor is haunted by the ghosts of his past girlfriends at his younger brother's wedding.

I'm a sucker for a good romantic comedy, and I have a serious crush on Jennifer Garner that dates back to Alias, but nothing I have seen for this film gives me hope that this will be anything more that another cliché counter-programming idea thrown out into theaters to pander to women. What the studio executives don't seem to understand is that not all women want to be pandered to. We're perfectly content watching Hugh Jackman.

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X- Men Origins: Wolverine (PG-13)
Director: Gavin Hood (Tsotsi)
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schrieber, Ryan Reynolds, Danny Huston, Dominic Monaghan

Plot: Wolverine lives a mutant life, seeks revenge against Victor Creed (who will later become Sabertooth) for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately ends up going through the mutant Weapon X program.

A “work print” copy was leaked online a few weeks ago, but despite the protest of Fox executives, it's unlikely to upset the box office. This should be the clear winner of the first weekend of the summer season. I am particularly looking forward to this based on the previous work of director Gavin Hood. Talent-wise, he's a a huge step up from Brett Ratner, which should hopefully make this a better movie than Last Stand. The heightened acting talent is also encouraging, especially Liev Schrieber as Sabertooth. With all this increased talent, the weak spot could be the script, which is co-scripted by the author of Hitman and Swordfish.

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May 8

Star Trek (PG-13)
Director: J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana

Plot: A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk (Pine) and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members.

I probably decided last year that I was going to see this as soon as it came out, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. This looks to be the event film of the summer. Positive early buzz from fans and critics can only help what is sure to be a killer box office. Early highlights in the cast include Zachary Quinto (Spock) who has a very Vulcan look about him and Eric Bana as the villain. Should prevent Wolverine from enjoying a second week at number one.

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Next Day Air (R)
Director: Benny Boom
Cast: Donald Faison, Mike Epps, Omari Hardwick, Emilio Rivera, Cisco Reyes, Mos Def, Debbie Allen, Yasmin Deliz, Sundy Carter

Plot: Two inept criminals are mistakenly delivered a package of cocaine and think they've hit the jackpot, triggering a series of events that changes ten people's lives forever

Sounds like Shallow Grave meets Pineapple Express meets Robert Altman, in a weird way. Also comes across as another lame counter-programming move. Do studio execs think that black people don't like sci-fi? Faison is reliably funny in just about anything, and Def is a talented actor, but I have yet to see a trailer for this or any online buzz, and its release is just two weeks away. I have a hard time believing that enough people go to the movies without caring what they see to make this a hit. The days of just going to see anything because the movie you wanted to see is sold out are all but over. Studio execs should wake up and realize this.

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May 15

Angels & Demons (PG-13)
Director: Ron Howard (Cinderella Man, Apollo 13,Splash)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Armin Mueller-Stahl

Plot: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) works to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican.

It's only fair that I admit now that I hated reading The Davinci Code and avoided the film at all costs. That being said, I find myself wanting to see this "sequel" (based on the first book in what Brown is now referring to as a trilogy). For one thing, I enjoyed reading this one much more and felt it was a better written piece of fiction. Also helping matters, I have been missing Ewan McGregor on my movie screen as of late. If done right, this could be a nice summer surprise.

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May 21

Terminator Salvation (Rating TBA)
Director: McG (Charlie's Angels, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, We Are Marshall
Cast: Christian Bale, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anton Yelchin, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Common, Helena Bonham Carter, Jane Alexander, Michale Ironside

Plot: After Skynet has destroyed much of humanity in a nuclear holocaust, a group of survivors led by John Connor (Bale) struggles to keep the machines from finishing the job.

When this film was first announced, I was disheartened that someone was going back to the Terminator well. I felt the second movie was superb and tied things up nicely, and it seemed James Cameron agreed with me. I didn't even bother seeing the third film. I vowed that the only thing they could do to get me to see this would be to set it in the post-Skynet apocalyptic future - which is exactly what they did. The choice of setting, and the casting of Christian Bale (one of my favorites) in the lead role will get me in the seat. It's up to McG and his team of writers to keep me engaged. Should make boat-loads of money.

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May 22

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (PG)
Director: Shawn Levy (Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), The Pink Panther (2006), Night at the Museum)
Cast: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Thomas Lennon, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, Bill Hader, Dick Van Dyke, Hank Azaria, Ricky Gervais, Eugene Levy, Christopher Guest, Steve Coogan, Craig Robinson

Plot: Security guard Larry Daley (Stiller) infiltrates the Smithsonian Institute in order to rescue Jedediah (Wilson) and Octavius (Coogan), who have been shipped to the museum by mistake.

The comedic talent in this film is off the charts, as almost all of my favorites (with the notable exception of Mr. Eddie Izzard) on board. I didn't see the first film, and I probably won't see this one in theaters, but this is the first smart counter-programming choice I've seen this summer. It might be one of the smartest decisions a studio exec has made this year. Honestly, if you are a family with young children who want to see a movie this weekend, are you really going to drag the tykes to Terminator Salvation? I would seriously hope not. Should do well against the sci-fi behemoth.

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Dance Flick (PG-13)
Director: Damien Wayans
Cast: Marlon Wayans, Amy Sedaris, Shawn Wayans, Chris Elliott, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Essence Atkins, David Alan Grier, Kim Wayans, Shoshana Bush, Damon Wayans Jr.

Plot: Street Dancer Thomas Uncles (Wayans Jr.) is from the wrong side of the tracks, but his bond with the beautiful Megan White (Bush) might help the duo realize their dreams as they enter in the mother of all dance battles.

Does anyone remember when the Wayans brothers were funny and smart? I still contend that Keenan's I'm Gonna Git You Sucka is an underrated 80s classic. However, nothing they have done in the past decade has made me sit up and take notice. The proliferation of spoof movies has gone overboard, and while they may be quick and cheap to make, the audience for them seems to be dwindling. It seems like the death knell to release this film on this weekend as it's sure to get buried by both other major releases and forgotten by next week.

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May 29

Up (PG)
Directors: Pete Docter (Monsters Inc.) and Bob Peterson
Cast: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Delroy Lindo, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, John Ratzenberger, Paul Eiding

Plot: By tying thousands of balloons to is home, 78-year old Carl Fredricksen (Asner) sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey, since Russell (Nagai), a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on his trip.

I have absolute faith in Pixar and will continue to do so until they disappoint me. Although this film didn't particularly excite me when I saw the teaser trailer the way that Wall-E did, the more I see, the more interested I am. Although, I don't want to see too much; I like to be surprised. I will definitely check this out, although not in 3-D.

Side note: Why does it seem that every animated adventure this year is in 3-D???

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Drag Me to Hell (PG-13)
Director: Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead and Spider-Man series)
Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, David Paymer, Reggie Lee, Dileep Rao

Plot: A loan officer (Lohman) ordered to evict an old woman (Raver) from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse, which turns her life into a living hell. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to the breaking point.

Sam Raimi desperately needed to do something to restore his credibility after the shlock-fest that was Spider-Man 3, and it seems he found the perfect solution - a return to his roots. The only thing that could make this a better idea is a cameo by Bruce Campbell (which probably goes without saying). Another smart choice as the audience for this and Up probably doesn't have a lot of carry-over, and those that would be excited for both would probably see both anyway.

Side Note #2: The following actors make any scene of any film awesome: Bruce Campbell, Michael Ironside, Bill Paxton and Billy Zane. (Does not count if they are the lead.)

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See you next month for a closer look at the June releases, which includes, but is not limited to the following films:
Land of the Lost
Imagine That
Year One
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Monsters vs. Aliens

Directors: Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Keifer Sutherland, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, Paul Rudd, Julie White, Jeffrey Tambor

Unfortunately, pleasant surprises at the movies are few and far between. Generally, I end up surprised that I've been duped into watching something horrible either by the advertising or the talent involved. However, every once in a while, I walk out of a film I fully expected to disappoint feeling like it was the perfect drug for what was ailing me. It happened two Thanksgivings ago, when I wen to see Enchanted, and it happened again today when I saw Monsters vs. Aliens.

The characters in Monsters vs. Aliens are an amalgamation of 1950's sci-fi B-movie stock characters, but they are utilized in such a way as to maximize the comedy without completely parodying the genre. It's a simple story, which is pretty mych laid out in the title, but unlike 2006's Snakes on a Plane, the writers actually took the time to think past the cleverly direct title and add a story worth watching, if slightly overly familiar in places.

The voice talent was impressive for a film that relied on famous names. Paul Rudd (Derek) sounds so much like Conan O'Brien in scenes, I was convinced that it was the new Tonight Show host in the part. Keifer Sutherland is equally delightful as a general with a name so awesome it would be criminal for me to reveal it here. Earning the largest laughs were Hugh Laurie as Dr. Cockroach and Seth Rogen as B.O.B. In fact, Rogen's character is one of those lovable dolts that you want to take home once the film is over.

The biggest and best vocal surprise, however, was nerd-extraordinaire Rainn Wilson as the villain. While Wilson usually annoys me when he tries to be the funniest thing in a movie (see: Juno), I find that I appreciate him in smaller, less visual roles, such as the ones he played in Galaxy Quest and Almost Famous. In this film, he is the perfect fit, both for the part portrayed, and for the collection of talent.

The animation is beautiful and detailed; I especially liked Susan/Ginormica's suit later in the film and the multi-dimensionality of B.O.B., and, lest I forget, Insectosaurus is the most unlikely adorable cinematic insect since the cockroach in Wall-E. This film was made for the 3-D format. I did not see a screening utilizing that technology, but I could see where it would work best in the film. Thankfully, unlike next week's Battle for Terra, it does not look like they decided to make a 3-D movie and forgot to build a plot around the WOW moments.

I would strongly recommend this film for children over 6 and anyone who appreciates animation and sci-fi B-movies. While Monsters vs. Aliens is not the best or most original animated film that I've seen, it did make me laugh out loud and put a smile on my face that has lasted all day.