The summer movie season is just around the corner, promising epic blockbusters chock-full of special effects and intense action. Whether they turn out to be epic or just flashy, these flicks will serve as a way to get you out of the heat and into the air-conditioned comfort of a theater for a couple hours this summer.
But, which will fare well and which will flop this season? Binghamton University students shared the summer movies that they are excited about, and made some of their own box office predictions.
‘I am looking forward to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 3,’ said junior psychology major Kelly Masterson. ‘I loved the first two and how they are action-packed movies, yet there is still an element of humor in them.’
She predicted ‘Shrek the Third,’ ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 3,’ ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ and ‘The Simpsons Movie’ will do well.
‘The Simpsons Movie’ might fare well due to heavy popularity of the television show, and the die-hard fans who will be out watching it,’ she said.
Eric Dea, a senior marketing major, is excited for ‘Spider-Man 3’ and the ‘Fantastic Four’ sequel. ‘Marvel teases us every summer with new superhero movies,’ he said. ‘Pretty much big action flicks and ‘Lord of the Ring’-style movies in the summer lineup will do well.’
Dea described everything else out there as either ‘some typical horror flick or slapstick comedy.’
This is the summer of big blockbuster sequels, specifically thirds; in May alone we’re going to see the third ‘Shrek,’ ‘Spider-man’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ released. Later on in the summer, ‘The Bourne Ultimatum,’ and ‘Ocean’s 13’ will hit theaters, both thirds in a series.
‘I always look forward to the big blockbusters,’ said junior Amy Jericiau. She especially looks forward to ‘Spider-Man 3,’ the first big movie of the summer.
Here’s a look at the big movies hitting theaters this summer.
May 4
‘Spider-Man 3’
(Hit)
While comic books have always had a strong following, bringing them to life on the big screen has taken them to new heights, and none have been more popular than ‘Spider-Man.’The first two movies in the series have made a combined $676 million. This time around Peter Parker has to fight a more challenging nemesis, his inner demons, along with the Sand Man and Venom, and deal with threatening his relationship with M.J. and of course putting everyone he loves in danger.
This movie has something for everyone. It’s a definite hit.
May 11
‘Delta Farce’
(Miss)
Larry the Cable Guy stars in this comedy about a guy and his buddies just looking to relax, but in a strange twist of events they end up getting mistaken for Army Reservists and loaded onto a plane headed for Iraq. Instead of getting off in Iraq, they mistakenly get dumped in Mexico. Convinced they’re in Iraq, they save a village from bandits and become local heroes, proving themselves as real soldiers.
The premise behind the movie sounds completely far-fetched, even for a comedy. With so many great movies to see this summer, this one seems to be a big miss.
’28 Weeks Later’
(Miss)
The sequel to the zombie flick, ’28 Days Later,’ throws us back into England after the first devastation caused by the Rage virus. The army is carefully repopulating London after the virus has been considered extinct, but a returning refugee has a more deadly form of the virus ‘ a form with no visible symptoms.
While the first movie didn’t make too much at the box office, it was rated fairly well by critics and considered by many to be a good film in the genre. This movie might be worth seeing, but will probably be overlooked, and therefore a miss.
May 18
‘Shrek the Third’
(Hit)
Back in the land of Far Far Away, Fiona’s father passes away, leaving the crown to Shrek, which is the last thing he wanted. This leaves Shrek on a journey to find a replacement. The first two ‘Shrek’ movies were hilarious and entertaining family films, and this one is sure to be as well. Not to mention the all-star cast, and big box office earnings. The first film was just shy of $300 million and the second made a whopping $467 million.
While the latter may be hard to top, it stands a good chance. Shrek is a big hit.
‘Captivity’
(Miss)
Elisha Cuthbert stars in a thriller about a fashion model and a chauffeur who are kidnapped and held hostage by a psycho who enjoys terrorizing them. Sounds like a very familiar concept. With the influx of similar movies lately, such as ‘Hostel,’ the ‘Saw’ trilogy and ‘Touristas,’ it seems to be a little too much of the same. The only difference seems to be the addition of a love story.
This movie seems like a pretty sure miss.
May 25
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’
(Hit)
This time around, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are joined by Captain Barbossa on a quest to save the infamous Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones’ locker. Each then must choose sides in a final, epic battle that will determine the pirate’s very way of life.
This trilogy was designed for success, getting fans hooked on the first movie and finishing the second with a cliffhanger, leaving viewers with little choice but to tune in for the conclusion. Just as ‘Lord of the Rings’ cashed in big time when the third movie came out, this one is almost sure to be a success.
Further Out:
June 1: ‘Knocked Up’ ‘ A follow up to the popular film, ’40 Year Old Virgin.’ Hit.
June 8: ‘Ocean’s 13’ ‘ The third ‘Ocean’s’ movie. Hit.
June 15: ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’ ‘ ‘Fantastic Four’ sequel featuring an intergalactic visitor, the Silver Surfer, who is bent on total destruction of the Earth. Hit.
July 27: ‘The Simpsons Movie’ ‘ The longest running cartoon series is brought to the big screen. Hit.
July 4: ‘Transformers’ ‘ The ’80s cartoon series becomes a live-action film. Despite a large and devoted ‘Transformers’ following and teasers that were released over a year in advance, no film can overcome being directed by Michael Bay. Miss.
July 13: ‘Harry Potter 5’ ‘ Lord Voldemort is back leaving Harry and the wizarding world on edge. One of the darker Harry books comes to theaters on Friday the 13th. Hit.
August 3: ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ ‘ Jason Bourne will finally unravel the mysteries behind his past. Hit.
The summer luckily looks to be filled with more hits than misses and these are only some of the many movies opening this summer. For more, check out moviefone.com, movies.yahoo.com or imdb.com.