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!

Movie Review: Toy Story 3

TOY STORY 3 (2010)

Director: Lee Unkrich

Screenwriter: Michael Arndt

Woody... Tom Hanks

Buzz...Tim Allen

Jessie...Joan Cusack

Rex...Wallace Shawn

Hamm...John Ratzenberger

Ken...Michael Keaton

Lotso...Ned Beatty

MPAA Rating: G

Running Time: 102 minutes

Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang return for the third installment of Disney / Pixar's beloved 'Toy Story' series. After 15 years since the release of the first film, Toy Story 3 picks up with Andy, now 17 years old, preparing to leave for college. He has seemingly outgrown his favorite toys and must decide what to do with them before he leaves. After a series of misunderstandings, the toys end up at Sunnyside Daycare. After some serious conflict with the toys of the daycare, led by Lotso the strawberry scented Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear, the toys embark on a series of crazy adventures as they attempt to escape the daycare and return to Andy before he goes away to college.

As per usual, Pixar delivers yet another fantastic film that perfectly blends elements of witty comedy, edge-of-your-seat adventure, and genuine, heartfelt emotion. Much like Pixar's previous films, Toy Story 3 is not your typical family / children's film. With mature themes about adolescence, detachment, love, and friendship, people of all age groups will find themselves both laughing and crying throughout this film.

The introduction of some new characters adds something new and exciting to the story, while the original characters maintain their signature traits we've grown to know and love from the two previous films. In addition to the film's brilliant screenplay (by Lilttle Miss Sunshine screenwriter, Michael Arndt), the visual detail and art direction is absolutely stunning, and the use of 3-D successfully enhances the experience without going over-the-top.

At a time when Hollywood seems to be spewing out endless amounts unwanted and unnecessary remakes / sequels, Toy Story 3 provides us with a giant breath of fresh air and proves that it is possible to make a trilogy that really works. Toy Story 3 is hands down the best movie I have seen this year so far.

Rating: 4 out of 4 stars

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What did you guys think of Toy Story 3? Did it live up to the hype of the first two movies? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments!

Best Movies of Summer 2009

So with the summer season coming to a close, I thought I would share some of my favorite movies of the summer. Please keep in mind that there are a few great films I haven't gotten around to seeing yet (such as Inglourious Basterds and The Hurt Locker). With that being said, here are my picks for the 'Best Movies of Summer 2009'...feel free to share your own personal favorites!

Up

Much like last year's WALL-E, Pixar delivered yet another fantastic piece of art that includes the perfect blend of comedy, excitement and powerful emotional themes. Up succeeds at turning a rather simple story into one incredibly heartfelt adventure.

The Hangover

This summer's biggest surprise hit. Even without a cast of well-known actors or a previously existing franchise for support, The Hangover proved that an original R-rated comedy film can still appeal to mass audiences.

Star Trek

This is what an summer action flick SHOULD be. J.J. Abrams's reboot of this classic sci-fi franchise successfully appealed to the hardcore 'Trekkies' while still being able to draw in new fans. Star Trek features outstanding acting performances from it's young, rather unknown cast and breath-taking action sequences that don't solely rely on massive explosions and CGI.

500 Days of Summer

I hate to over-sell this movie, but it could possibly be one of the best films I've seen in the past 5 years. Unlike the typical 'rom-com', 500 Days of Summer separates itself from the genre through it's honest, sometimes painful, depiction of real-life relationships and its intelligently unique story structure. It strives at being both charming and witty as well as emotionally powerful thanks to the brilliant performances from its two young stars, Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This fantastic indie gem is easily one of the best films of this summer.

The 500 Days Reunion Bank Dance

Yes, Star Trek was wildly entertaining. Sure, The Hangover was laugh-out-loud funny. And Up was indeed a truly heart-warming story...but 500 Days of Summer was all of the above and more. Those of you fortunate enough to have seen the film will hopefully agree, and those of you who haven't...well, what are you waiting for?? Anyway, whether or not you have seen 500 Days of Summer, I think you will enjoy this sweet short video that was put together by the director of the film, Marc Webb and it's two stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. (Also note that the video features a song by Zooey's band, She & Him)



Also in case you missed it, here's my short review of 500 Days of Summer:

"As stated in the opening lines of this film, "this is not a love story." 500 Days of Summer is an unconventional romantic comedy that separates itself from the genre through it's honest, sometimes painful, depiction of real-life relationships as well as it's intelligently unique story structure. It strives at being both laugh-at-loud funny with it's clever and playful writing and emotionally powerful as you become deeply invested in the relationship of the two stars, thanks to the outstanding performances by Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Much credit must also be given to first-time director Marc Webb for presenting this incredible story in such a beautiful and artistic manner. 500 Days of Summer is undoubtedly one of the best films of the year so far and I highly suggest you go check it out."