Summer Movie Guide: July

Hey guys, it's a brand new month and I thought I would share a little rundown of some of the big summer movies coming out this month!

JULY 1ST

THE LAST AIRBENDER

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Cliff Curtis
Synopsis: Aang (Ringer), a young successor to a long line of Avatars, learns that he possesses the power to engage the Fire Nation and hopefully end their century-long war against the Water, Earth, and Air nations (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: While some marvel at the flashy special effects and fight scenes in the trailer and fans of the popular Nickelodeon TV show may be giddy with excitement, I take a more cynical approach and wonder, "Why did the studio waste so much money to produce this film?" and "Why did they put M. Night Shyamalan (who hasn't made a good movie since Signs in 2002) in charge??"

JULY 9TH

DESPICABLE ME

Directors: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, Sergio Pablos
Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Jason Segal
Synopsis: A trio of orphan girls cause the normally deplorable Gru to rethink his plan to steal the moon (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: Backed by a voice cast of comedy all-stars (i.e. Steve Carell, Will Arnet, Russell Brand, etc.) and a rather unique plot, this film seems very promising. However without a previous franchise or the brand of Dreamworks or Pixar to back it up, there is a large chance that a film like this will be overlooked by all the big summer blockbusters.

PREDATORS

Director: Nimrod Antal
Starring: Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Laurence Fishburne
Synopsis: A group of elite warriors are hunted by members of a merciless alien race known as Predators (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: While I am not really convinced that it was a good idea to try to revive the Predator franchise, having Robert Rodriguez on board as a producer gives me a bit of hope that it can be pulled off.

JULY 14TH

THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE

Director: Jon Turteltaub
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Nicolas Cage, Monica Bellucci
Synopsis: A sorcerer leaves his workshop in the hands of his apprentice, who gets into trouble when the broomstick he's tasked to do his chores for him somehow develops a mind of its own (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: I still can't decide which summer movie is going to be a bigger flop, this or The Last Airbender. Or how about a better debate: When was the last time Nicholas Cage was a relevant actor / starred in a good movie?

JULY 16TH

INCEPTION

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe
Synopsis: A sci-fi/thriller set within the "architecture of the mind," and centered on a group of business people who can construct a dream world for an individual and then infiltrate that world to steal their subconscious (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: I can't even begin to stress how excited I am for this film. Let's just hope it lives up to the hype and that Nolan can temporarily satisfy the millions of people who are jonesing for the next Batman film.

JULY 23RD

SALT

Director: Phillip Noyce
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Synopsis: As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: Though the screenplay originally featured a male protagonist, I think the gender change was a great decision and Angelina is the perfect leading lady to pull it off. I mean, what can possibly be more entertaining than an action/thriller with a hot chick kicking ass and taking names?

JULY 30TH

DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS

Director: Jay Roach
Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement
Synopsis: A rising executive "succeeds" in finding the perfect guest for his boss's monthly event, a so-called "dinner for idiots," which offers certain advantages to the exec who shows up with the biggest buffoon (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: With Carell & Rudd teaming up again and a hilarious supporting cast that includes Zach Galifianakis and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords, this movie sounded great to me on paper. But after viewing the trailer featuring an array of unfunny physical gags and unoriginal humor, I am beginning to have some serious doubts. Let's hope this movie has more than meets the eye!

SOUND OFF!

What movies have you guys seen this summer so far? What movies are you most looking forward to? Feel free to share your thoughts!