July Summer Preview
Written
on 7/7/08
Let’s take a look at some of July’s bigger releases!!
Hancock (July 2nd)
Plot Synopsis: An apathetic, hard-luck superhero has fallen out of favor with the public. His agent seeks to repair his client’s image.
Starring: Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron
Director: Peter Berg
Jon’s Take: This film has got my curiosity. It seems really fun and dark, but with recent re-shoots, I’m a little worried. I really want this to be awesome and I feel like this could be a sleeper hit of the summer. I mean at the start of this year, nobody was talking about “Hancock” and now everyone is. It’s got the hype, it’s got a good date, and it’s got Mr. 4th of July, Will Smith, and so here’s hoping. Only real downfall I see is people might be tired of superheroes and Hancock is not apart of the Marvel or DC universe, so will anyone care? I suspect so. Interesting that no mention that the beautiful Charlize Theron is in this. Hmmm.
Donny’s Take: I really dig the trailer for this flick, and with that said I'm hoping that this one is good. I disagree with Jon when he says that people might be tired of superheroes, I don't think people will ever get tired of superheroes (I know I won't). "Hancock" is the black sheep of the superhero genre because it isn't a title from the two big comic companies, but I actually take that as a positive. Not that I don't like Marvel or DC, I just think that a foul mouth, drunken superhero needs room to breathe. Lets hope the actual film lives up to the hype.
Killer Film’s Box Office Prediction? $275mil
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (July 11th)
Plot Synopsis: U.S. government seek out Hellboy and the rest of the BPR to stop a mythical dictator from carrying out his evil plans on Earth.
Starring: Ron Pearlman, Doug Jones, and Selma Blair
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Jon’s Take: I love “Hellboy” and Ron Pearlman is perfectly chosen to play the character, so why did this new film’s trailer fail to excite me? Maybe I’m tired of del Toro’s creatures (I hope not) or maybe because the trailer was edited badly? I don’t know, but despite those reactions, I’ll see it regardless. The first film was entertaining enough; balancing the right amount of humor, character development and action, so I suspect that given a bigger budget, del Toro, who loves the comic, will push the concept and action further. His recent animated cartoon, while being pretty good, have kept the character in the minds of fans, and I expect this sequel to out do the predecessor’s box office total, which shouldn’t be hard, given it was domestically under $100 million. I just hope that del Toro adds more to the story, since that plot outline mirrors the first film.
Donny’s Take: I love del Toro's creatures, and I LOVE Hellboy, so I'm going to park my ass in the theater seat armed with a large pop-corn and Coke on opening night for this one. del Toro is one of my favorite directors and Hellboy is one of my favorite characters, and I've been looking forward to this one even more than I was "Iron Man."
Killer Film’s Box Office Prediction? $198mil
Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D (July 11th)
Plot Synopsis: While on a geological mission, a scientist with his son, enter an unseen world.
Starring: Brendan Fraser
Director: Eric Brevig
Jon’s Take: I have not heard or seen much about this yet but I am dying to try out my area’s new IMAX theater, so this could be the one that gets me there. I’m a sucker for fodder like this sometimes. I don’t think it’ll be a big blockbuster, although it’s aimed at family entertainment, so families who aren’t spent on “Wall-E” and can’t have their kids see “Hellboy” or “Hancock” might go to this out of curiosity. This film could be all gimmick than story, as it is the umpteenth time the classic story has been filmed. I do suspect negative reviews, but fun is fun, and 3-D is fun.
Donny’s Take: Bring on the 3-D baby! I don't really care if this flick is great or not, I just want to peep some 3-D goodness. I miss that short time during the 80s' when 3-D was popular. I figure at the very least this flick will be a fun ride that is low on plot and big on action.
Killer Film’s Box Office Prediction? $110mil
The Dark Knight (July18th)
Plot Synopsis: While Batman and DA Harvey Dent, team to rid Gotham of his criminal underworld, a new violent force emerges to terrorize the city.
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, and Maggie Gyllenhaal
Director: Christopher Nolan
Jon’s Take: Here it is-the film of 2008. No film has generated a cooler marketing campaign (all the cool viral marketing on the internet), more hype (they’ve been showing posters and trailers forever now), and more expectations since “Episode I”, at least in recent years. With the tragic death of Heath Ledger, that incredible first trailer, the hype, this film will be the biggest box office champ of the year. Now I think to the uninformed, “Batman Begins” was approached with trepidation, until they sat in the theater seats and witness an amazing telling of Batman’s origins (without neon lighting, Bat-Visa, and nipples). By the end, when Gordon revealed a joker’s card to Batman, evidence he found at a crime scene, well, from that point on, this film was anticipated. Could it fail based on expectations? I actually think not. Nolan has probably composed the best middle act in a trilogy since “The Empire Strikes Back”, and at a 153 minute running time, we could be in a rare bliss of entertainment. Capitalizing off of a re-invigorating approach to the Batman myth, early indication provides that has snowballed into this film. With a new look and attitude for Batman’s greatest foe, The Joker, he is no longer comical, but a darkly comic variation of a serial killer. Early buzz has Ledger an Oscar nom for this. Now, now, let’s see him in action, but I bet it’s damn good. All current marketing attention has been focused on the Joker, but I’m even more curious to see what Nolan has done to Harvey Dent/Two-Face. I bet it’s no Tommy Lee Jones. Now the only thing to derail this mammoth film will be the film’s ability at handling all of the subplots the film has going in it. We’ve seen how too many subplots can ruin a promising film (I’m looking at you “X-Men 3”). But seriously, do we expect this to be anything less than extraordinary? No. Just get to the theater early, long lines this will have.
Donny Take: I have to say that I'm ready to see this flick. I loved the first installment in this series and I'm sure that Christopher Nolan is going to top that one with this time around. With that said I'm going to keep this short and sweet, bring on the Batman!
Killer Film’s Box Office Prediction? $405mil
Step Brothers (July 25th)
Plot Synopsis: Two spoiled adult men start a sibling rivalry after their respective parents get married.
Starring: Will Farrell and John C. Reilly
Director: Adam McKay
Jon’s Take: Well, at least it’s not another sports comedy. Trying to recapture the huge success of “Anchorman” and Talladega Nights”, the real question is can that premise stretch beyond its skit level synopsis? I suspect one of these comedies this summer has to fail, it just depends on which has the better word-of-mouth. Will Farrell is still a draw, even though “Semi-Pro” opened decent and then fell away. For once this summer, a comedy that doesn’t feature Judd Apatow anywhere and the trailer sure appears to be funny, we’ll see..
Donny’s Take: I dig the trailer, but the premise is kinda silly. I have a few questions; are the brothers mentally retarded, are they just stupid uber-slackers, or am I supposed to suspend belief for the duration of the flick? Besides those questions that pop up every time I see the trailer it looks like a funny movie. Farrell is a funny guy so I'm going to hold my judgements until after I see it. Good luck Will.
Killer Film’s Box Office Prediction? $75mil
X-Files 2 (July 25th)
Plot Synopsis: Cris Carter has left this pretty much unknown, although it’s said that it’s a self contained story, ignoring much of the vas “X-Files” mythology, and something with Scully’s kid.
Starring: David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson
Director: Cris Carter
Jon’s Take: Out of all the sequels this year, this has to be the one people have been scratching their head over. It’s been 10 years since the first film and a handful of years since the series ended, 20th Century Fox and Cris Cater are hoping people haven’t forgot this once great series. I know the die-hard “X-Files” fans have been clamoring for this sequel, but will the average movie go-er care? By creating a self-contained story for this film that should enhance its appeal. Everything’s been top secret, but if marketed right and in a summer light of science fiction, this could be a sleeper hit, although the first trailer was unspectacular.
Donny’s Take: The fact that this is actually coming to the big screen after all this time is pretty amazing. Count me in, I loved the series as well as the movie, plus the red head is hot. I'm pretty sure the truth is out there, and I'm hoping to find it on opening night.
Killer Film’s Box Office Prediction? $135mil
As always, keep it here for all of these summer movies reviewed, with other reviews of limited releases, documentaries, and other cool films!
Hancock (July 2nd)
Plot Synopsis: An apathetic, hard-luck superhero has fallen out of favor with the public. His agent seeks to repair his client’s image.
Starring: Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron
Director: Peter Berg
Jon’s Take: This film has got my curiosity. It seems really fun and dark, but with recent re-shoots, I’m a little worried. I really want this to be awesome and I feel like this could be a sleeper hit of the summer. I mean at the start of this year, nobody was talking about “Hancock” and now everyone is. It’s got the hype, it’s got a good date, and it’s got Mr. 4th of July, Will Smith, and so here’s hoping. Only real downfall I see is people might be tired of superheroes and Hancock is not apart of the Marvel or DC universe, so will anyone care? I suspect so. Interesting that no mention that the beautiful Charlize Theron is in this. Hmmm.
Donny’s Take: I really dig the trailer for this flick, and with that said I'm hoping that this one is good. I disagree with Jon when he says that people might be tired of superheroes, I don't think people will ever get tired of superheroes (I know I won't). "Hancock" is the black sheep of the superhero genre because it isn't a title from the two big comic companies, but I actually take that as a positive. Not that I don't like Marvel or DC, I just think that a foul mouth, drunken superhero needs room to breathe. Lets hope the actual film lives up to the hype.
Killer Film’s Box Office Prediction? $275mil
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (July 11th)
Plot Synopsis: U.S. government seek out Hellboy and the rest of the BPR to stop a mythical dictator from carrying out his evil plans on Earth.
Starring: Ron Pearlman, Doug Jones, and Selma Blair
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Jon’s Take: I love “Hellboy” and Ron Pearlman is perfectly chosen to play the character, so why did this new film’s trailer fail to excite me? Maybe I’m tired of del Toro’s creatures (I hope not) or maybe because the trailer was edited badly? I don’t know, but despite those reactions, I’ll see it regardless. The first film was entertaining enough; balancing the right amount of humor, character development and action, so I suspect that given a bigger budget, del Toro, who loves the comic, will push the concept and action further. His recent animated cartoon, while being pretty good, have kept the character in the minds of fans, and I expect this sequel to out do the predecessor’s box office total, which shouldn’t be hard, given it was domestically under $100 million. I just hope that del Toro adds more to the story, since that plot outline mirrors the first film.
Donny’s Take: I love del Toro's creatures, and I LOVE Hellboy, so I'm going to park my ass in the theater seat armed with a large pop-corn and Coke on opening night for this one. del Toro is one of my favorite directors and Hellboy is one of my favorite characters, and I've been looking forward to this one even more than I was "Iron Man."
Killer Film’s Box Office Prediction? $198mil
Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D (July 11th)
Plot Synopsis: While on a geological mission, a scientist with his son, enter an unseen world.
Starring: Brendan Fraser
Director: Eric Brevig
Jon’s Take: I have not heard or seen much about this yet but I am dying to try out my area’s new IMAX theater, so this could be the one that gets me there. I’m a sucker for fodder like this sometimes. I don’t think it’ll be a big blockbuster, although it’s aimed at family entertainment, so families who aren’t spent on “Wall-E” and can’t have their kids see “Hellboy” or “Hancock” might go to this out of curiosity. This film could be all gimmick than story, as it is the umpteenth time the classic story has been filmed. I do suspect negative reviews, but fun is fun, and 3-D is fun.
Donny’s Take: Bring on the 3-D baby! I don't really care if this flick is great or not, I just want to peep some 3-D goodness. I miss that short time during the 80s' when 3-D was popular. I figure at the very least this flick will be a fun ride that is low on plot and big on action.
Killer Film’s Box Office Prediction? $110mil
The Dark Knight (July18th)
Plot Synopsis: While Batman and DA Harvey Dent, team to rid Gotham of his criminal underworld, a new violent force emerges to terrorize the city.
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, and Maggie Gyllenhaal
Director: Christopher Nolan
Jon’s Take: Here it is-the film of 2008. No film has generated a cooler marketing campaign (all the cool viral marketing on the internet), more hype (they’ve been showing posters and trailers forever now), and more expectations since “Episode I”, at least in recent years. With the tragic death of Heath Ledger, that incredible first trailer, the hype, this film will be the biggest box office champ of the year. Now I think to the uninformed, “Batman Begins” was approached with trepidation, until they sat in the theater seats and witness an amazing telling of Batman’s origins (without neon lighting, Bat-Visa, and nipples). By the end, when Gordon revealed a joker’s card to Batman, evidence he found at a crime scene, well, from that point on, this film was anticipated. Could it fail based on expectations? I actually think not. Nolan has probably composed the best middle act in a trilogy since “The Empire Strikes Back”, and at a 153 minute running time, we could be in a rare bliss of entertainment. Capitalizing off of a re-invigorating approach to the Batman myth, early indication provides that has snowballed into this film. With a new look and attitude for Batman’s greatest foe, The Joker, he is no longer comical, but a darkly comic variation of a serial killer. Early buzz has Ledger an Oscar nom for this. Now, now, let’s see him in action, but I bet it’s damn good. All current marketing attention has been focused on the Joker, but I’m even more curious to see what Nolan has done to Harvey Dent/Two-Face. I bet it’s no Tommy Lee Jones. Now the only thing to derail this mammoth film will be the film’s ability at handling all of the subplots the film has going in it. We’ve seen how too many subplots can ruin a promising film (I’m looking at you “X-Men 3”). But seriously, do we expect this to be anything less than extraordinary? No. Just get to the theater early, long lines this will have.
Donny Take: I have to say that I'm ready to see this flick. I loved the first installment in this series and I'm sure that Christopher Nolan is going to top that one with this time around. With that said I'm going to keep this short and sweet, bring on the Batman!
Killer Film’s Box Office Prediction? $405mil
Step Brothers (July 25th)
Plot Synopsis: Two spoiled adult men start a sibling rivalry after their respective parents get married.
Starring: Will Farrell and John C. Reilly
Director: Adam McKay
Jon’s Take: Well, at least it’s not another sports comedy. Trying to recapture the huge success of “Anchorman” and Talladega Nights”, the real question is can that premise stretch beyond its skit level synopsis? I suspect one of these comedies this summer has to fail, it just depends on which has the better word-of-mouth. Will Farrell is still a draw, even though “Semi-Pro” opened decent and then fell away. For once this summer, a comedy that doesn’t feature Judd Apatow anywhere and the trailer sure appears to be funny, we’ll see..
Donny’s Take: I dig the trailer, but the premise is kinda silly. I have a few questions; are the brothers mentally retarded, are they just stupid uber-slackers, or am I supposed to suspend belief for the duration of the flick? Besides those questions that pop up every time I see the trailer it looks like a funny movie. Farrell is a funny guy so I'm going to hold my judgements until after I see it. Good luck Will.
Killer Film’s Box Office Prediction? $75mil
X-Files 2 (July 25th)
Plot Synopsis: Cris Carter has left this pretty much unknown, although it’s said that it’s a self contained story, ignoring much of the vas “X-Files” mythology, and something with Scully’s kid.
Starring: David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson
Director: Cris Carter
Jon’s Take: Out of all the sequels this year, this has to be the one people have been scratching their head over. It’s been 10 years since the first film and a handful of years since the series ended, 20th Century Fox and Cris Cater are hoping people haven’t forgot this once great series. I know the die-hard “X-Files” fans have been clamoring for this sequel, but will the average movie go-er care? By creating a self-contained story for this film that should enhance its appeal. Everything’s been top secret, but if marketed right and in a summer light of science fiction, this could be a sleeper hit, although the first trailer was unspectacular.
Donny’s Take: The fact that this is actually coming to the big screen after all this time is pretty amazing. Count me in, I loved the series as well as the movie, plus the red head is hot. I'm pretty sure the truth is out there, and I'm hoping to find it on opening night.
Killer Film’s Box Office Prediction? $135mil
As always, keep it here for all of these summer movies reviewed, with other reviews of limited releases, documentaries, and other cool films!
