Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, June 21 Michael Bay delivers the most anticipated sequel of the summer with ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’. Returning a large portion of the cast, including Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox among others, the film appears to be on track to at least match the previous installment. With the already massive budget of the first movie injected with another fifty million, Bay may set a new record for explosions per minute. Expect CGI robots fighting for a long time, Shia Lebeouf being snarky and possibly annoying, and Megan Fox being as seductive as PG-13 will allow. Eye candy will be plentiful, actual substance will be rare and it will still be fun movie.
Public Enemies, July 1 Johnny Depp and Christian Bale team up in a 1930’s era gangland film about an FBI agent (Bale) tangling with John Dillinger (Depp). Crime drama films have been few and far apart recently, making this a breath of fresh air. Depp seems a solid choice as the legendary gangster, while Bale could be impressive as long as he doesn’t channel gruff-voice Batman or humorless John Connor.
Br’uuml;no, July’ 10 The spiritual successor to ‘Borat’, ‘Br’uuml;no’ looks to be every bit as funny. The film follows Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno character, an extremely flamboyant Austrian fashion reporter, as he ambushes unsuspecting celebrities and ordinary people. The authenticity of some scenes may be questionable, but that didn’t detract from ‘Borat’ and it looks to be a non-issue in this film as well.’ In a poor summer for comedies, this has a chance to be the best all year.
District 9, Aug. 14 ‘District 9’ may be the most bizarre premise of the summer. The film tells the story of a South African community thrown into turmoil when aliens land there as refugees. Instead of the traditional violent and thick headed approach to aliens most summer blockbusters take, the trailers make this seem more like a thoughtful examination of a really far-fetched concept, which has roots in real world problems. Peter Jackson is involved, so it has a bit of credibility to balance the risk of a complex approach. This may be the most original movie this summer.
Inglourious Basterds, Aug. 21 Quentin Tarantino’s addition to the summer season will be reserved for the end of August, and it looks to be worth the wait. ‘Inglourious Basterds’ will showcase the worst of Tarantino’s brutality, as showcased by an American-led killing squad hunting Nazis in World War II. ‘The Basterds’ are headed by Brad Pitt, who looks to have the perfect combination of humor and violence for this style of film.’ The film seems like it will be a return to Tarantino’s comfort zone, hopefully echoing ‘Resevoir Dogs’ instead of ‘Grindhouse.’
