June 5 - Three-way Comedy showdown
The family comedy: “Land of the Lost” - A theatrical retelling of the ‘80s Saturday morning adventure series, where a scientist and his family accidentally wander into a hidden world of dinosaurs and reptilian men. Will Ferrell stars as the quack scientist who discovers the hidden land, accompanied by two of his colleagues. The trailer gives the movie a goofy-adventure feeling similar to last summer’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” Can this new film recreate “Journey’s” success? Ferrell has not been struck by cinematic lightning for a few years. It will be interesting to see if he can prove himself to families as a funny action star. Danny McBride co-stars.
The romantic comedy: “My Life in Ruins” - Nia Vardalos returns to the romantic comedy after much too long a break. The unexpected success of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” happened so many years ago, does anyone really remember it? It is unlikely that this tale of an American tour guide in Greece who falls in love will draw the same interest from audiences that “Wedding” did. Director Donald Petrie has as many successful comedies (“How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days”) to his name as he has bombs (“Just My Luck”). Vardalos will be a refreshing change from the vacuous twenty-something actress who would normally fill such a role, but will that be enough to make this a success? Richard Dreyfuss co-stars.
The mature comedy: “The Hangover” - A group of male buddies including Bradley Cooper (“He’s Just Not That Into You”) and Ed Helms (formerly of TV’s “The Daily Show”) head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. After one hell of a night, the men wake-up in a trashed apartment, having completely forgotten what transpired the night before, with a baby in the closet and one of their crew missing. The movie trailer looks indecently funny as the men try to piece together the events of the prior evening. There appears to be plenty of sophomoric humor within the story, compliments of a solid party-comedy filmmaker (Todd Phillips; “Old School” and “Road Trip”). This could be a sleeper hit, especially if it receives enough positive word of mouth.
The winner: “The Hangover” will likely be a critical success and a memorable film but “Land of the Lost” will make most of the money.
June 12/July 1 - Big movie stars Collide
Gritty action-thriller: “Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” - Two major movie stars face-off, Denzel Washington and John Travolta, in this re-make about the hijacking of a subway car and the passengers inside. This will be the fourth film director Tony Scott has made with Washington, all of which are solid action fare. Both actors look as though they bring strong performances and personalities to the table. With a veteran filmmaker there to assist, I expect this movie to be both intelligent and entertaining.
Historical drama “Public Enemies” - The two hottest and most capable actors of their generation, Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, compete as cop and robber in this 1930s setting. Depp has the juicier role, as the infamous John Dillinger, with Bale portraying the cop hot on his tale. Director Michael Mann is one of the best directors at portraying this conflict macho conflict, giving audiences the gritty head-to-head crime dramas “Heat” and “Collaterel.” These two actors should feed off each other’s energy, while carrying their respective portions of the film. Co-starring Oscar winner Maria Cotillard.
The winner: While both films will likely be quality productions, audiences will flock to see the current gen’s hottest actors, Depp and Bale, in a movie together.
June 19 - Comedy showdown part 2
The Romantic comedy: “The Proposal” - Sandra Bullock returns to the rom-com as a domineering business woman who will be deported when her Visa expires. Searching for a quick way to beat the system, she cajoles corporate underling Ryan Reynolds to agree to marry her. While the set-up feels like its been done before (“Green Card” anyone?) both Bullock and Reynolds are funny people and in the right cinematic situations they can really shine. It will ultimately depend if the movie can manage not to make Bullock too unlikeable and if the pair have some natural chemistry. Director Anne Reynolds (“27 Dresses”) is too untested to shade the film in a positive or negative light.
Comedy satire: “Year One” - Jack Black and Michael Cera play characters from ancient history with modern sensibilities, including a sly wit, a touch of sarcasm and some biting social commentary. Director Harold Ramis knows how to do comedy. Ramis’s overriding influence in “Year One” seems to be from satiric mastermind Mel Brooks, as he portrays two guys traveling the ancient world meeting historical figures. Ramis also appears to have given Black and Cera plenty of room to improvise and do what they do best. I think this could be a winner.
The winner: Critical kudos and financial success will reign down upon “Year One.”
June 24/July 10 - It’s the end of the world as we know it
Robots attack: “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” - Director Michael Bay created a dynamic and enjoyable experience two years ago with the release of the first live action “Transformers.” The mix of humor and accessible human characters like Sam Whitwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and his family amongst the giant robot battles, proved the perfect balance for a summer blockbuster. Can Bay strike the right tone the second time around, in a possibly darker story of the evil Decepticons striking back against humanity? The breathtaking action is still there but will audiences reconnect with the characters and find something new this time around?
Prophesied environmental destruction: “2012” - Roland Emmerich returns to world ending storytelling with the Mayan prophesied end of days. John Cusack stars with an eclectic mix of actors like Amanda Peet and Woody Harrelson. The special effects and large scale destruction receive the primary focus in Emmerich’s films, overshadowing the actors. Sometimes Emmerich gets it very right (“The Day After Tomorrow”) and sometimes he gets it very wrong (“10,000 BC”). Will he reclaim his former glory?
Winner: Critics will hate it but audiences will come in droves to the fun-loving “Transformers.” Emmerich’s flick may get the better reviews but will likely be financially overshadowed.
June 12/ June 26/July 1 - Family film showdown
Fantasy film: “Imagine That” - Eddie Murphy continues, with the co-financing of Nickelodeon movies, down the family film road he has travelled so many times before. Murphy is another workaholic father before he learns his young daughter can tell the future with her magic blanket, if he can translate the messages. Sound far-fetched? Need I remind you of Eddie’s filmography? Maybe this will be a sweet and touching story about a father and daughter bonding, but Murphy has made so much garbage he doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt here.
Heartbreaking drama: “My Sister’s Keeper” - Based on a thoughtful novel about two sisters, one with cancer and the other a potential donor. The younger sister wants control over her own body, to make the ultimate decision on whether to go through the hardship of donating for her sister’s health. Nick Cassavetes, the visionary who brought “The Notebook to the screen so successfully, is more than capable of creating an impassioned tear-jerker. Solid actors like Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin, as the mother and healthy daughter, give life to these characters. The only real heartbreaker of the summer, for those interested in seeing it, I expect this to be a faithful and touching adaptation.
3D animation: “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” - The third film in this prehistoric series following the adventures of the unlikely pairing of a woolly mammoth (Ray Romano), sabretooth tiger (Denis Leary), and giant sloth (John Leguizamo). A touching and amusing first film lead to a less engaging second movie. Will the third time around, in 3D where available, bring back the magic and camaraderie of number one? A girl Scrat is introduced in this new movie and Queen Latifah returns as the voice of the lady mammoth.
Winner: “My Sister’s Keeper” will receive the critical praise but audiences want spectacle during the summer, therefore “Ice Age 3D” will bring in the big bucks.
July 10 - Comedy showdown part 3
Coming-of-age comedy: “I Love You, Beth Cooper” - A formulaic high school graduation comedy, reminiscent of John Cusack’s “Say Anything,” directed by long-time filmmaker Chris Columbus (“Harry Potter 1 & 2”, “Home Alone 1 & 2”). Hayden Panattiere stars as Beth Cooper alongside a relatively unknown actor playing the geeky valedictorian infatuated with her. Columbus is used to writing and directing these coming-of-age tales but does he have anything fresh to breathe into the genre he helped create?
Shock reality comedy: “Bruno” - Sacha Baron Cohen re-teams with director Larry Charles (“Borat”) in another reality-based documentary, where Cohen uses another of his characters to expose America’s prejudices. Pushing the limits of appropriate humor (an NC-17 rating is likely), Cohen performs his flamboyantly gay character Bruno in the unlikeliest places. Making real people uncomfortable is an art form for Cohen and audiences without sensitive sensibilities will likely reap the comedic benefits.
Winner: Cohen is held in high esteem or openly reviled by critics and audiences alike; ultimately any kind of press is good press for “Bruno.”
July 15 - The Boy Wizard part 6
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” - Director David Yates takes the reigns of the sixth “Harry Potter” screen adaptation after his success in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” I expect the quality of the series to continue with this next installment, as the characters and their actors continue to grow up in the shadow of Lord Voldemort’s take over of the wizard world. Expect romance, tension, and heartbreak by the end of this fantasy film.
Winner: There is no real competition for this film, no other studios are even going to try to open against this film on the July 15th weekend. A wise move.