Summer 2014 Preview!

The heat of summer arrived last week (here in Texas at least...) but the summer box office season doesn't officially begin until May 2nd. The past few weeks have been pretty busy at the box office, as the pre-summer period usually is, thanks to 300: Rise of an Empire, Divergent, Noah, and massive hit Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This summer offers plenty of the usual action, superhero, giant robot, and animated fare that the season is known for, as well as fair amount of options for the more discerning movie-goers. Personally, I am quite comfortable atop the fence on which I sit.

Rather than posting monthly lists of the movies I plan to see, here is my master list for the whole summer. Which of these are you most interested in seeing?

The Amazing Spider-Man #2 (5/2/14)
"Peter Parker runs the gauntlet as the mysterious company Oscorp sends up a slew of supervillains against him, impacting on his life." x
Directed by Marc Webb, written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinkner, starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, and Paul Giamatti.

Chef (5/9/14)
"A chef who loses his restaurant job starts up a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family." x
Written and directed by Jon Favreau, starring Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, and Robert Downey Jr.

The Double (5/9/14)
"A clerk in a government agency finds his unenviable life takes a turn for the horrific with the arrival of a new co-worker who is both his exact physical double and his opposite - confident, charismatic and seductive with women." x
Written and directed by Richard Ayoade, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska.

Godzilla (5/16/14)
"The world's most famous monster is pitted against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence." x
Directed by Gareth Edwards, written by Max Borenstein and Dave Callaham, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, and Ken Watanbe.

The Immigrant (5/16/14)
"On the mean streets of Manhattan, Ewa falls prey to Bruno, a charming but wicked man who takes her in and forces her into prostitution." x
Directed by James Gray, written by James Gray and Ric Menello, starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jeremy Renner.

X-Men: Days of Future Past (5/23/14)
"The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants." x
Directed by Bryan Singer, written by Simon Kinberg, starring Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Peter Dinklage, Evan Peters, Ellen Page, Nicholas Hoult, Anna Paquin, and Halle Berry.

A Million Ways to Die in the West (5/30/14)
"As a cowardly farmer begins to fall for the mysterious new woman in town, he must put his new-found courage to the test when her husband, a notorious gun-slinger, announces his arrival." x
Directed by Seth MacFarlane, written by Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesly Wild, staring Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Neil Patrick Harris, Amanda Seyfried, and Christopher Lloyd.

Filth (5/30/14)
"A bipolar, bigoted junkie cop manipulates and hallucinates his way through the festive season in a bid to secure promotion and win back his wife and daughter." x
Written and directed by Jon S. Baird, starring James McAvoy, Jamie Bell, Eddie Marsan, and Imogen Poots.

Edge of Tomorrow (6/6/14)
"A soldier fighting in a war with aliens finds himself caught in a time loop of his last day in the battle, though he becomes better skilled along the way." x
Directed by Doug Liman, written by Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.

The Fault in Our Stars (6/6/14)
"Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel's other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and they met and fell in love at a cancer support group." x
Directed by Josh Boone, written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, staring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Willem Dafoe, and Laura Dern.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (6/13/14)
"When one of [Hiccup and Toothless's] adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons." x
Written and directed by Dean DeBlois, starring Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, Gerard Butler, and Cate Blanchett.

Transformers: Age of Extinction (6/27/14)
"An automobile mechanic and his daughter make a discovery that brings down the Autobots and Decepticons - and a paranoid government official - on them." x
Directed by Michael Bay, written by Ehren Kruger, starring Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Nicola Peltz, Kelsey Grammer, and Titus Welliver.

Snowpiercer (6/27/14)
"In a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off all life on the planet except for a lucky few that boarded the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe, where a class system evolves." x
Directed by Joon-ho Bong, written by Joon-ho Bong and Kelly Masterson, starring Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Ed Harris, Allison Pill, and Octavia Spencer.

Begin Again (7/4/14)
"A dejected music business executive forms a bond with a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan." x
Written and directed by John Carney, starring Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley, and Hailee Steinfeld.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (7/11/14)
"Survivors of the simian plague trigger an all-out war between humanity and Caesar's growing forces." x
Directed by Matt Reeves, written by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Mark Bomback, starring Gary Oldman, Judy Greer, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Boyhood (7/11/14)
"The life of a young man, Mason, from age 5 to age 18." x
Written and Directed by Richard Linklater, starring Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, and Lorelei Linklater.

Jupiter Ascending (7/18/14)
"In the future, a young destitute human woman gets targeted for assassination by the Queen of the Universe, and begins her destiny to finish the Queen's reign." x
Written and directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski, starring Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Sean Bean, Douglas Booth, Eddie Redmayne, and Terry Gilliam.

Wish I Was Here (7/18/14)
"Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor, father and husband, who at 35 is still trying to find his identity; a purpose for his life. He winds up trying to home school his two children when his father can no longer afford to pay for private education and the only available public school is on its last legs. Through teaching them about life his way, Aidan gradually discovers some of the parts of himself he couldn't find." x
Directed by Zach Braff, written by Zach and Adam J. Braff, starring Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, Joey King, and Jim Parsons.

Magic in the Moonlight (7/25/14)
"A romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue." x
Written and Directed by Woody Allen, starring Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Marcia Gay Harden, and Jacki Weaver.

A Most Wanted Man (7/25/14)
"A Chechen Muslim illegally immigrates to Hamburg, where he gets caugh t in the international war on terror." x
Directed by Anton Corbijn, written by Andrew Bovell, starring Robin Wright, Rachel McAdams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Willem Dafoe, and Daniel Bruhl.

Guardians of the Galaxy (8/1/14)
"In the far reaches of space, an American pilot named Peter Quill finds himself the object of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan." x
Written and directed by James Gunn, starring Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Lee Pace, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Benicio Del Toro, John C. Reilly, and Glen Close.

Into the Storm (8/8/14)
"A group of high school students document the events and aftermath of a devastating tornado." x
Directed by Steven Quale, written by John Swetnam, starring Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies, and Jeremy Sumpter.

Lucy (8/8/14)
"A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic." x
Written and Directed by Luc Besson, starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (8/22/14)
"The town's most hard-boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more reviled inhabitants." x
Directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, written by Frank Miller, starring Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis, Eva Green, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Juno Temple, Josh Brolin, Jamie Chung, Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson, Christopher Meloni, Lady Gaga, and Ray Liotta.

The Congress (8/29/14)
"An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider." x
Written and directed by Ari Folman, starring Robin Wright, Harvey Keitel, Jon Hamm, Paul Giamatti, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

March 2014 Preview!

Here is a quick look at the films I plan to see in March:

300: Rise of an Empire (3/7/14)
The sequel to one of the most hyper-stylized action epics, but with only one of the original cast members. Zack Snyder's popularity is debatable right now, so I don't expect this to make as much as the first one.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman (3/7/14)
I mostly lost interest in this one after RDJ dropped out (he was going to voice Mr. Peabody), but the trailer looks like it will be funny. And history!

The Grand Budapest Hotel (3/7/14)
Wes Anderson is a brilliant man. If you haven't seen the trailer for this yet please please watch it now. This is the film I'm most excited for this month.

Divergent (3/21/14)
I haven't read the books, but I'll give the movie a shot. Hopefully this will join the more successful YA film adaptations.

Muppets Most Wanted (3/21/14)
I love the Muppets, but I actually didn't see their most recent movie. Jason Segel just doesn't do much for me. But with Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, scores of cameos, and an evil Kermit the frog look-alike, this one should be hilarious.

Nymphomaniac: Part 1 (3/21/14)
As a filmmaker and critic it is important to study a wide variety of films. That's all I'm going to say about this one.

Noah (3/28/14)
Darren Aronofsky's not-your-Sunday-School-version-of-the-story take on the biblical account of Noah and the great flood, starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins, and Emma Watson.

Which of this month's releases are you most excited about?

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Just saw Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit…

It definitely had potential. The acting was good enough for an action popcorn flick and it had some nice set-pieces.

What disappointed me the the most was the writing. As an origin story, the prologue felt rushed, jumping from one event to the next. I understand the importance of showing how Ryan went from being a PhD student in Economics to joining the Marines to being recruited by the CIA, but I feel it all could have been done in a more cohesive way.

I was also very disappointed by Keira Knightly’s character. She performed it well enough, but what should have been a complex, intellectual, independent female role devolved into a typical action film damsel in distress. Her character had good moments, such as pushing Ryan to be more than his injury and debating Russian poetry with Kenneth Branaugh, but the rest seemed like a totally different character. The scene where Ryan reveals to her that he is in the CIA, which was probably meant to be a touching scene where she finally believes that he isn’t cheating, actually brought laughter from the audience — including myself — because of how ridiculous her reaction was.

I would like to see more of Pine’s Jack Ryan, but any sequels would have to do a much better job of honoring Tom Clancy’s work.

3 out of 5 stars.

Viewed February 8, 2014 at LOOK Cinemas Prestonwood in Dallas, Texas.

February 2014 Preview!

Here is a quick look at the films I plan to see in February:

The Lego Movie (2/7/14)
An ordinary guy gets caught up in a plan to stop an evil tyrant from destroying the world. IN LEGO. With Morgan Freeman and Batman. Yeah, I'm excited.

The Monuments Men (2/7/14)
George Clooney leads a group of art buffs into the front lines of World War Two to rescue priceless works of art from being destroyed by the Nazis. Hopefully the two extra months of post production will make up for this having to sit out of the Oscar race.

Robocop (2/12/14)
It won't be as good as the original, but it's the best option of the weekend...

3 Days to Kill (2/21/14)
Kevin Costner must go on a dangerous mission in exchange for an experimental treatment that could save his life, but can he repair his relationship with his daughter so that his life will be worth living? Sounds a little cheesy, but I'll give it a chance.

The Wind Rises (2/21/14)
Hayao Miyazaki, one of the founders of Studio Ghibli and probably the greatest director of animated films since Walt Disney, takes one last bow before retiring from making feature length animated films. The English dub features the voices of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Mae Whitman, Stanley Tucci, Elijah Wood, John Krasinski, and Martin Short.

Welcome to Yesterday (2/28/14)
Things always go bad when a group of teenagers have control of a time machine. Will this be a time travel mindfuck or a mindless Michael Bay teen flick? I don't need a time machine to see that it may lean towards the latter.

There's never much to choose from in February, but which films are you looking forward to the most?

Weekend Preview: Desolation

The smoke is settling from the fire that caught the nation three weeks ago, but this weekend a dragon will rise from the ashes to add to his gold hoard. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will unleash dragonfire in 3,903 theaters this weekend. Tyler Perry seems to be the only person brave (or dumb) enough to stand up to Smaug the Stupendous, with his latest crossdressing outing Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas opening in 2,194 theaters. Two of the years biggest Oscar contenders are also starting their domestic runs this weekend, but in few enough theaters to sneak under the dragon's radar, like a thief with a magic ring. American Hustle opens in six theaters, and Saving Mr. Banks opens in fifteen.

The Hobbit is going to rule the weekend. With the first movie in the trilogy not as universally loved as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, it's a little unclear if Desolation will suffer a little in its opening weekend. The will probably be some people that wait to see if this one is better than the first, and of course there will be those who were so put off by the 3D high frame rate that they're going to wait until the movie hits Netflix. But I think they are going to be in the minority. I already have my tickets for the double feature in IMAX 3D, and I know that I'm not the only one. An Unexpected Journey set a Middle Earth record when it opened to $84.6 million domestically, but its $303 million final gross fell short of all three LOTR films. If Desolation sees a typical sequel decline, it should open no higher than $80 million. I'm still holding onto the hope that it has a shot at $90 million.

As for Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas, my expectations are much lower. Madea has made a lot of money for Perry (she stars in his three highest grossing films), but her last two films both opened to $25 million, much lower than her best outing: Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail which opened to $41 million. Perry's name also seems to be faltering, as evidenced by Tyler Perry Presents Peeples' $9 million total domestic gross. He merely "produced" that film though, so it shouldn't do too much damage to his return as his most popular character. The film definitely won't break any records, but it should be able to match Madea's last two $25 million outings.

Mary Poppins is one of the most beloved films of all time. The story of its journey from book to screen, starring Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as P. L. Travers seems to be a match made in Oscar heaven. It may even get close to being as heartwarming and beloved as Mary Poppins. The film has been getting a little early awards recognition (though not as much as this weekend's other awards contender), with Thompson receiving nominations for the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes. I think the film should have a shot at reaching $1 million from its fifteen theaters this weekend before expanding nationwide.

American Hustle on the other hand scored seven Golden Globe nominations, for best picture, director, screenplay, and all four acting categories. If Hustle continues the trend set by director David O. Russell's last two films, Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter, then it may steal close to half a million this weekend on its way to over $100 million domestically and Oscar gold.

Also opening this weekend:
Afternoon of a Faun - one theater;
Here Comes the Devil;
Liv & Ingmar;
Nuclear Nation.

Tune in next week for new releases Anchorman: The Legend Continues, Walking with Dinosaurs, and in limited release Her, plus expansions for American Hustle, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Saving Mr. Banks.