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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
July’s Summer Movies: Will Smith and Batman, etc.
As temperatures rise in July, so do the number of summer movies. July’s list brings us not one, not two, but three superhero movies, a musical not being sold as such, and the return of a TV show turned movie that might be too little, too late.
Looking back: May movies and June movies.
JULY 2 (Wednesday)
The lowdown: Will Smith plays a superhero that’s neither very super, nor much of a hero - until a PR man tries to make him over.
The box office: $225-$250 million
The forecast: By now, putting Will Smith in a summer movie is like shooting fish in a barrel. Even Wild Wild West pulled down $113 million. So Smith deserves credit for taking on a project as challenging as this one. It will be tough to maintain the tone between heroics and comedy , but I think Smith and his very inventive director, Peter Berg (The Kingdom), will pull it off.
The prospect: A
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
The lowdown: After being relegated to the small screen for years, the beloved doll line and book series gets its first feature film.
The box office: $30 million
The forecast: Some may roll their eyes at more dolls being turned into movies, but trust me - this isn’t BRATZ all over again. Sure, it skews young, but the movie has a surprisingly good cast, including Abigail Breslin, Joan Cusack and Stanley Tucci. And its Cincinnati setting is an added bonus for us locals. Why look, you can even see Middletown on a map at 1:20 in the trailer!
The prospect: B
JULY 11
The lowdown: Everybody’s favorite red-skinned, horned hero and his buddies try to stop an evil dictator.
The box office: $75 million
The forecast: Guillermo del Toro is a genius; his last film, Pan’s Labyrinth was a masterpiece. However, Hellboy was not one of his best films, and I’m a little puzzled as to why a sequel to a movie that made only $60 million as a spring release is suddenly considered big enough to compete in the summer and open a week before Batman. I’ll see it, but I’m afraid the geek appeal is being grossly overestimated here.
The prospect: B
Journey to the Center of the Earth
The lowdown: The Jules Verne classic gets a digital 3D makeover.
The box office: $50 million
The forecast: Might be good, clean fun, but this feels more like a gimmick than a full-on movie. If it had a more experienced director than a VFX supervisor (Eric Brevig), I might feel more confident. But …
The prospect: C
The lowdown: Eddie Murphy plays multiple roles yet again, where has character is actually a starship populated by a tiny version of him. It’s a bit like Innerspace crossed with the best scene of Woody Allen’s Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask.)
The box office: $100 million
The forecast: The idea has potential, but when was the last time Eddie Murphy delivered a truly inspired live action comedy? By my count, it was Bowfinger, way back in 1999. Two things are especially discouraging: the title was neutered from the much cleverer Starship Dave (such futzing is often a bad sign) and the director is the same guy who made Norbit. Still, if that … thing made $95 million, I suppose this can do a little better in summer.
The prospect: C
JULY 18
The lowdown: The Batman+The Joker+Chistopher Nolan+curiosity seekers = wow.
The box office: $270 million
The forecast: Even before Heath Ledger’s sudden death, the buzz was that his performance as the Joker would be iconic. Now that he’s gone, the movie’s going to attract crowds it might not have - plus I have this sneaking suspicion that the movie just might be one of the best superhero films ever made. The long trailer that played in front of IMAX screenings of I Am Legend was stunning. IMAX screenings will only boost the gross, especially considering this is the first Hollywood feature to shoot sequences using IMAX cameras. The rumored running time seems a bit long at 152 minutes, but I trust director Christopher Nolan will justify it.
The prospect: A
The lowdown: The ABBA-inspired musical comes to the big screen, with Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan in tow. A young girl (Amanda Seyfried of Mean Girls) is trying to figure out who her real dad is, so she invites all three candidates to her wedding.
The box office: $60 million
The forecast: Lots of people like ABBA and the musical was a big hit, so why is Universal trying to hide the fact their movie is a musical, just like Paramount did with Sweeney Todd? I don’t think it’s smart counter-programming to put it against Batman; I would have waited until fall.
The prospect: B
The lowdown: An animated movie about, well, chimps in space.
The box office: $20 million
The forecast: From the team that brought you Valiant. And Valiant is SUCH a well-loved treasure. I’d like to buy a “u” for the title, Pat.
The prospect: D
JULY 25
The lowdown: Fred Durst (yes, that guy) directs Ice Cube in a family comedy.
The box office: $30 million
The forecast: I say again, Fred Durst (yes, that guy) directs Ice Cube in a family comedy.
The prospect: D
The lowdown: Two men (Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly) become sibling rivals after their respective single parents marry.
The box office: $100 million
The forecast: The film doesn’t have an easy hook like Talladega Nights or Anchorman, and maybe that’s a good thing. At least Ferrell and company aren’t taking the obvious road. Still, I’ve long given up hope of being entertained by Ferrell, who has simply annoyed me about 2,386 times too many.
The prospect: C
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The lowdown: Shh! It’s a seeeeecret!
The box office: $65 million
The forecast: This smells like Serenity all over again, only with a bigger gross, because the X-Files TV series, unlike Firefly, was a bona-fide hit. Still, I’m thinking only the geeks care. And aren’t the filmmakers kind of asking for it with that title?
The prospect: C
Chime in, readers- what’s worth checking out, or skipping? Am I over- or underestimating anything?
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