Summer Film Preview

Super 8:

Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Kyle Chandler, Ella Fanning, AJ Michalka

Taking place in 1979, the film follows a group of teenagers as they are shooting a film on a super 8 camera, when they unwittingly film a train crash that they suspect is not accident. The investigations lead to ominous discoveries.

Who would’ve known that telling you absolutely nothing about a film would turn out to be a brilliant marketing strategy? Coming from legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg and film (and TV) juggernaut J. J. Abrams, we couldn’t help but get excited about the film, thanks in part to its secretive marketing campaign. Besides, nobody does sci fi conspiracy theories like J.J. Abrams, and this looks like it is going to be his crowning achievement in that mini subgenre.

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The Green Lantern:

Directed by: Martin Campbell
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard

Starring an ensemble cast headed by Ryan Reynolds, the film tells the story of Hal Jordan, a test pilot for the American Air Force who becomes the first ever human inducted into the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps, a brotherhood of warriors who seek to maintain peace and stability in the universe. When Hal Jordan becomes the first human Green Lantern, he finds the fate of not only the Green Lantern Corps, but also of Earth itself, lying in his hands, when a new force of evil, Parallax, emerges.

While not as well known as his fellow DC Superheroes; Superman and Batman, The Green Lantern has a vibrant fan base within the comic book readership, and could make successful transition from a niche comic book character to a mainstream film franchise. Ryan Reynolds seems to be charismatic enough to carry such a film, and director Martin Campbell directed everybody’s favorite blond Bond film, Casino Royale.

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Mr. Popper’s Penguins:

Directed by: Mark Waters

Starring: Jim Carrey, Carla Cugino

Mr. Popper’s Penguins is an adaptation of a children’s book about Tom Popper, a clueless businessman who inherits six penguins. As he tries to accommodate them, his life turns upside down, resulting the inevitable conclusion where he learns about *insert Hollywood life lesson here*

Aside from a few mishaps, Jim Carrey has proven himself a leading comedic actor of modern times, as well a formidable dramatic actor. While it has been a while since he had a great comedy film in the caliber of Dumb and Dumber and Me, Myself and Irene, Carrey’s return to comedy is always worth looking forward to

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Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Directed by: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington Whitely, Josh Duhamel

In the latest installment in the Transformers franchise, the Autobots and Decepticons learn about the existence of a Cybertonian spacecraft on the moon, and must get to the spacecraft before the other, as it could determine the outcome of their war.

While Michael Bay won’t be winning any Oscars soon, but his Transformers film are crowd pleasers, evident by the fact that their collective box office gross reach up to 1.5 billion dollars. Despite the scathing reviews he usually gets, people flock to his movies. Why? giant nine meter robot fighting action, thats why.

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Cars 2

Directed: John Lasseter, Brad Lewis
Starring: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine

Abiding  by Pixar’s trademark simplicity in storytelling, the film follows race car Lightning McQueen, the star from the first film, and his friend Mater, as they take part in International Grand Prix, which takes them to the streets of Europe and Japan. Throughout the story, Mater gets caught in the world of international espionage when he is confused for an American spy, and is torn between supporting his friend, and carrying top secret spy missions.

Pixar seems to understand how much the world is in need for a new Pixar movie every summer. The animation stuido’s entry for this summer is Cars 2, the sequel to the 2006 hit. The first Cars may not be as highly regarded as the rest of the Pixar filmography, but after film’s like Toy Story 3 and Up, we can’t imagine a Pixar film being anything but sublime.