Saturday, March 30, 2013

MY 10 MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIES OF SUMMER 2013



Summer is around the corner, and with it comes the blockbuster season....here we go!
So a friend asked me what my 5 most anticipated movies of this summer and I answered thinking he asked for the most anticipated movies of the year.  So now looking back on my answers to him, I made some changes after thinking about it and analyzing the movies that are coming out strictly between May and August and I have my official (and longer) list below!

So here goes in order of my (I repeat, MY) anticipation:




Quick synopsis:
Brad Pitt works in the United Nations and is sent to interview zombie apocalypse survivors in order to backtrack and find how the global pandemic started.


Why I wanna see it:
Please don't eat my brains over the fact that this one of my most anticipated movies!  People seem to love to hate on this bestselling novel-based movie.  Although I didn't read the book, I know the movie will probably not compare to it (which is why I plan on reading the book after I see the movie).  First off, I like the stampeding zombies idea....I know many zombie enthusiasts don't like that concept because, supposedly, zombies are supposed to only be slow walkers, but guys, ZOMBIES AREN'T REAL!  I like the new type of zombies in this because they remind me of the non zombies from the 28 Days/Weeks Later movies.

Also, I love how it's acknowledged that this is a GLOBAL happening and not just an isolated incident (whether it's isolated to a town, state or just one country).  I'm hoping this is just the first installment of a couple or a trilogy because I can't see how the details of a world war can be squeezed only into 2 hours worth of film.




Quick synopsis:
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are salesmen who are realizing their livelihood isn't as effective with the explosion of technology.  In order to show that dinosaurs like them can still survive in the digital age, they manage to talk their way into an internship at Google.  Upon getting into the multi-billion dollar company, they find they may be in over their heads as they go toe to toe with younger, smarter and more innovative tech savvy hopefuls.


Why I wanna see it:
If you've seen Wedding Crashers, you know Vaughn and Wilson equal a huge comedic win!!  I've been waiting for another movie starring the two of them as the lead duo (unlike the 2004 Starsky and Hutch film where they were just in the same movie) as they have a great chemistry.

Was I the only one who initially thought this was Wedding Crashers part 2 when I first saw the trailer?




Quick synopsis:
The escapades of Kick-Ass and Hit Girl inspire more Average Joes to step up and don masks to fight crime as a group called Justice Forever led by Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey).  While Kick-Ass and Hit Girl have gone somewhat into retirement, Red Mist returns as the first official super villain renamed to The Mother F***er.  Hellbent on getting revenge for the death of his father, The Mother F***er creates his own crew of villains to get to Kick-Ass and Hit Girl.


Why I wanna see it:
I really loved the first movie and this appears to pick up where it left off.  Yes, it may seem over the top, but how over the top was a Gatling gun equipped jet pack, a 10 year old ninja assassin girl and a dude being shot in the stomach with a rocket launcher?

Take this movie for what it is: real people trying to emulate super humans as best as they know how.  I also love the direction Jim Carrey's character goes in here....it's almost like seeing how his character from the movie The Cable Guy would've turned out later on in life (if you didn't see The Cable Guy, get off your butt and see it NOW!  It's one of Carrey's most underrated movies of all time, and one of his best!)




Quick Synopsis:
*This movie is inspired by actual events

Richard Kuklinski is a contract killer known as "The Iceman".  He was given that name because of his ruthlessness in murdering people and calm demeanor before, during and after each kill.  While living the life of a devoted husband and father, none of his loved ones could have imagined he'd killed over 100 men by 1986; and neither his wife nor his daughters had any indication whatsoever as to what he had done when he was arrested.


Why I wanna see it:
This will not be the typical summer action flick, but a look at the life of a true serial killer.  I've watched the real life interviews and documentaries of this man and even in those interviews when he was older and already in jail, you could see the nonchalant attitude he had toward killing as he described many in detail (sometimes while smiling).  If they include some of these killings he described, this will make one heck of a sleeper movie!

How about this for a kill: Kuklinski states that he once shot a man in the face with a brand new small crossbow he had just acquired just because he "wanted to see how it worked".  The man just walked up to a random guy and killed him to see how his new toy worked!!  THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED!  This is gonna be a crazy movie!

Click here to see an interview with the real life Iceman and hear the chill in his voice as he recounts his murder sprees.




Quick synopsis:
Huge Godzilla-like monsters come up from the sea and start destroying the world.  With all human life on the brink of extinction, civilization invents giant robotic suits that are controlled simultaneously by two pilots to fight off the monsters.  When this plan seems to not work as well as all hoped, two men take occupy an early model of a robotic suit to jump into the fray and help save humanity.


Why I wanna see it:
Simply put: while this film doesn't look like something I'd really like, Guillermo Del Toro is at the helm of this movie and he hasn't done me wrong in ANY of his films or books yet.  That's it.  I'm putting my faith in this movie on the shoulders of Del Toro because I love his imagination, storytelling and visualization.

This movie may surprise people.  A word of advice for those who are not too familiar with Del Toro's work: give this movie a shot because his movies are never as simple as what's on the surface.  His films are like icebergs, there's more substance to them than what you initially see.



Quick synopsis:
During the epic war between King Leonidas' battalion and Xerxes' legions, an epic battle raged on the sea between Greek general Themistokles and Persian navy commander Artemesia.  This film based on Frank Miller's latest graphic novel will be done in the same spectacular style as the original 300 movie!

Why I wanna see it:
If you've seen the original 300 starring Gerard Butler, you'd know exactly why I want to see this sequel!  Totally awesome cinematography, bloody action and great fun!  This time we see the battle taken to the turbulent waters of the sea as the Spartans and Greeks try to stop Xerxes' advance.  Because of the epicness of the first film, I'm willing to take a chance on the sequel even though the fight is on a very limited and unpredictable field.  Hopefully we'll have more than just 2 hours of boat crashing and get some hand to hand combat.

We'll have to wait and see as there aren't any trailers out for it yet.




Quick Synopsis:
Vin Diesel, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Michelle Rodriguez all return to this street racing/heist saga which now moves to Europe.  The crew discovers Letty is still alive and Hobbs has to make an unholy alliance with the very people he's sworn to hunt down.


Why I wanna see it:
Let's face it, these movies (other than Tokyo Drift) have been pretty awesome so far!  They always find a way to incorporate different spectacular stunts and great plots, especially with finding a way to bring Letty back after killing her off a couple of movies ago.  Vin Diesel is usually a staple for money in these movies and The Rock just adds more star power like he did in the last film; not sure if we'll get to see Dom vs Hobbs part 2, but it would be nice!




Quick synopsis:
Tony Stark's life as Iron Man is torn apart by a new and very influential enemy.  When everything in his personal life is destroyed, he must rely on his genius and wit to protect himself and those closest to him.  In the midst of his turmoil, Stark will discover whether the man makes the suit or if the suit makes the man.


Why I wanna see it:
While I wasn't a fan of the second movie as much as the first, this installment in the Iron Man series seems to have taken a satisfyingly dark turn ala the Dark Knight trilogy.  It appears that we will see a more humanized Tony Stark...one who may discover that Captain America may have been right in The Avengers when he said he was nothing without his suit.

I'm a big fan of the dark and gritty superhero movies where the hero actually appears weak and humanized and not an unstoppable force whose enemy is nonexistent.  Ben Kingsley looks like he's going to deliver a great performance as The Mandarin!




Quick synopsis:
We rejoin our friends aboard the Enterprise as they run into more problems in the final frontier.  Their fleet is detonated and their world is left in a state of crisis.  Personal scores are sought to be settled as Captain Kirk stages a manhunt in a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.  Love is challenged, friendships are torn asunder and sacrifices will have to be made for the only family in Kirk's life: his crew.


Why I wanna see it:
I was never a Trekkie, but I was always a J.J. Abrams fan....so naturally I went into the 2009 Star Trek movie with mediocre expectations.  Thankfully, I left IMMENSELY satisfied with what I got.  Fast forward to 2013 and the next movie looks to be even better than the first!   I had to do a little research to find out who the villain is and was very interested as I was lead on a manhunt of my own.  I don't want to go into detail as it will take too long, but let's just say that if the villain is who I think it is, this will make for one extremely awesome ride!

So far, my research has brought me to two top candidates, look into them yourself and compare them to what you can see of the villain in the trailer: Khan and Gary Mitchell.

My hunch is Gary Mitchell.  On movie sites, the actor Benedict Cumberbatch is simply listed in the cast as either "villain" or "Khan (rumored)".  Kudos to J.J. Abrams for really keeping this on the wraps!  He's got a talent for doing this (remember all the speculation about the monsters in Cloverfield and Super 8 before they hit theaters?)




Quick Synopsis:
It's Superman.  If you don't already know this story from watching Smallville, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, any of the Superman movies, cartoons or comics....well then I'll need the address to the rock you've been living under.


Why I wanna see it:
For the same reason everyone else wants to see it: IT'S SUPERMAN!  Nolan worked wonders for Batman, now he's got his hand in the cookie jar for the Man of Steel; rebooting, re-imagining and reconstruction of the story of Clark Kent seems that it may be done right this time after decades of getting movie after movie wrong.

Oh yea, let's not forget who else will be in this: GENERAL ZOD!!!



Honorable Mentions (that didn't quite make my cut):

Wasn't a fan of the first movie and this one isn't doing much for me yet either.


The great grandparents of the Expendables are back!  I liked the first Red, and this one looks to be good, but I'll wait for the DVD.


The Lone Ranger was before my time so I'll have to see some old footage before deciding on it.  But honestly, Johnny Depp playing Tonto isn't helping.  It may be theater-worthy though.


I'm a HUGE fan of Will Smith....not so much Jaden.  I'll watch this when it comes out on Netflix.


The first movie was a classic....the second was trash.....the first was so good that I'll take my chances on the third installment regardless of how the second was, but it's going to be on Netflix.  



It's the summer of love dudes!!



Jay

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