I’ve spent the last week on holidays and competing in the Queensland Men’s Amateur Championship (aka the Queensland golf titles). I was asked a couple of times about what movies would be worth seeing over the next few months. I couldn’t run through a list off the top of my head and so in this week’s blog, I thought I’d preview the summer blockbuster season.
It effectively kicked off last weekend in the US with the release of Fast Five (which raked in a huge $83.6m in its first 3 days) and continues this week with Thor. Over the next three months, all the major studios will be working overtime to promote their big budget films. Their goal is simple – to pull in as much money as they can from the American public.
As has become the norm in recent years, these studios have become very conservative with their offerings. They’re sticking to remakes and sequels because they know an audience already exists. It’s nice to see something original (like Inception last year) but these seem to be the exception rather than the rule.
On that note, here’s the list of the major releases over the next few months. I’ve included the current Australian release date and a brief plot overview as per the wonderful IMDB. You’ll be bombarded with advertising about these movies in the coming weeks but this list might help put a few of them on your radar…
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 19)
Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too.
The Hangover: Part II (May 26)
Phil, Stu, and Alan travel to Bangkok for Stu's wedding only to find themselves in another post-blackout misadventure.
X-Men: First Class (June 2)
In 1963, Charles Xavier starts up a school and later a team, for humans with superhuman abilities. Among them is Erik Lensherr, his best friend... and future archenemy.
Super 8 (June 9)
After witnessing a mysterious train crash, a group of friends in the summer of 1979 begin noticing strange happenings going around in their small town, and begin to investigate into the strange phenomenon.
Green Lantern (June 16)
A test pilot is granted a mystical green ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers, as well as membership into an intergalactic squadron tasked with keeping peace within the universe.
Bridesmaids (June 16)
Picked as her best friend's maid of honor, lovelorn and broke Annie looks to bluff her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals with an oddball group of bridesmaids.
Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom Of Doom (June 23)
Po joins forces with a group of new kung-fu masters to take on an old enemy with a deadly new weapon.
Cars 2 (June 23)
Racing star Lightning McQueen teams up with his best friend Mater for an international adventure as they go up against the world's fastest cars.
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (June 30)
The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers' final battle.
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (July 13)
The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort's final horcruxes.
Bad Teacher (July 21)
A comedy centered around a foul-mouthed, junior high teacher who, after being dumped by her sugar daddy, begins to woo a colleague -- a move that pits her against a well-loved teacher.
The Beaver (July 21)
A troubled husband and executive adopts a beaver hand-puppet as his sole means of communicating.
Captain America: The First Avenger (July 28)
After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals.
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (August 4)
An story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.
Cowboys & Aliens (August 11)
A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way.