One of the most common phrases circulating around campus in the last month has been, “…after the AP tests.” With these gruesome exams now over and graduation soon approaching, everyone can prepare for a summer filled with beach runs and big blockbuster hits. This summer there will be numerous movies released that are sure to fill the local theatres, including a record number of sequels, a staggering 23 series returns this year (moviefone.com). Of course, there is bound to be one Nicholas Cage flop where he attempts to return to his former glory associated with Rain Man, as well as a star-crammed romantic comedy with little character development, but many films being released show promise for old fans and are sure to attract new ones.
Tree of Life: For the indie at heart, Brad Pitt’s latest role in this independent flick is considered a stunning performance. The story focuses on a family with three boys in the 1950s, with a common motif of loss of innocence. The film released on May 27 and will be shown at local theatres such as the Landmark La Jolla (imdb.com). The film chronicles the life of a Midwestern youth played by Sean Penn, with Brad Pitt playing his father. For the director, Terrence Malick, who boasts of his latest accomplishment with a daring vocabulary, Tree of Life will be his fifth film in 40 years (timesunion.com),
The Hangover Part II: The star-filled and incredibly hilarious cast of Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, and Ken Jeong surely sent many eager fans back to the theatres on May 27. The wolf pack travel to Bangkok for Stu’s wedding and find themselves in yet another situation where tattoos, small animals, and Mike Tyson are not uncommon (imdb.com). This film, while also contributing to the large number of sequels, has what seems like a record number of cameos included as well. Paul Giamatti has a part, and Liam Neeson was a tattoo artist before the final cut, admitting on the Conan O’Brian show on May 7 that he received a text from Bradley Cooper encouraging him to show up at shooting (inside movies.ew.com).
Bad Teacher: This comedic film, to be released June 17, stars a variety of well-known names, including Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Jason Segel, and Phyllis Smith. This all-star cast is sure to produce laughs, but the plot line itself seems almost too flimsy to be an hour and a half movie. Diaz no longer has her sugar daddy to provide for her so she seeks to woo her rich coworker, Timberlake, and raises money for her own boob job to help her quest (warnerbros.com).
Green Lantern: Ryan Reynolds stars in this otherworldly film where a test pilot is given a magical green ring that, while giving him a myriad of sci-fi powers, also tasks him with peace keeping for the universe. The name “Green Lantern” was first coined by comic book writer Bill Finger and illustrated by his accompanying artist Martin Nodell (imdb.com). Although the movie is not a sequel, like 23 other releases this year, its release indicates the movie industry’s increasing reliance on comic books as plots for movies. While the movie is sure to gross millions at the box office, it is still an indication of the lack of original plot line in cinemas.
Larry Crowne: For those reminiscing about the iconic scenes of Forest Gump and Castaway, here is your Tom Hanks fix. Tom Hanks, director and star of this upcoming movie, works alongside Julia Roberts and Bryan Cranston in this middle-aged comedy being released July 1. A man, after losing his job, reinvents himself by returning to college in this mid-life crisis style flick. The hardships of today’s recession inspire Larry Crowne to start over at a community college with uninterested students. His public speaking class includes the teacher, played by Roberts, that has fallen out of love with teaching as much as she has with her husband (larrycrowne.com).
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two: After eight movies and a full decade, the much anticipated and bittersweet finale to the Harry Potter film franchise will be released on July 15. Since the initial slogan “let the magic begin” released in 2001, viewers have been in awe of the Warner Brothers series and fallen in love with the characters as much as the actors. J.K. Rowling’s classic and iconic story will finally reach its conclusion in the second portion of its two-part finale this July. There is no doubt that midnight lines will be graced with hundreds of Harry Potter fans adorning Gryffindor and Slytherin robes. These movies are also the top grossing series in Warner Brothers’ history, the company admitted. The first 5 movies themselves made over 4.47 billion dollars, a total that surpasses all 22 James Bond movies and 6 Star Wars films (hpana.com).
Many movies will grace the box offices this summer. Some will flop and others will rise to stardom on opening weekend. Sequels like Pirates of the Caribbean, Cars, Harry Potter, Transformers, the Hangover, Kung Fu Panda and the X-Men prequel will all bring previously allied fans to the theatre. Some movies, including Friends with Benefits, a film to be released July 22, that follows a sexual relationship between friends that gets complicated when romance is involved, demonstrates the cinema’s use of recycled plots (warnerbros.com) (pretty sure Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman played these roles in No Strings Attached). Nonetheless, big blockbusters this summer are bound to compel side-splitting laughter or otherworldly magic in their compelling productions.