Summer Films

Summer Films

This Summer’s Top Ten Films

Summer is finally here, and some big movie titles are missing. A-list brands like Harry Potter, Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean are done — at least for now — and Twilight‘s next chapter won’t come out until Halloween. With such big shoes to fill, which movies will be the blockbusters this summer? As usual, a couple of reboots and sequels will be entertaining you, but there’s also a few new titles that could be massive hits. We’ve rounded up some of the most promising movies of the summertime.

Men In Black III

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back in black in another time-travel adventure . And if that team didn’t sound good enough already, original director Barry Sonnenfeld is back behind the camera for Men in Black III. Expect aliens, time travel, assassination attempts, and giant guns – all in the Mad Men style swinging sixties. Oh and Nicole Scherzinger is in it too.

Prometheus

An Alien prequel with its original director Ridley Scott? How could that go wrong? It has a fantastic cast – Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron and Idris Elba – so we’re hoping this production lives up to the hype. Cool space suits, barren alien landscapes and shots with Red Epic cameras fitted the latest 3D rigs should make it a 3D marvel too.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Spider-Man has been rebooted once again, but this time it’s carrying the full Marvel comic title from the original Amazing Spider-Man. It’s also got a convincing leading actor in the science-nerd looking English actor Andrew Garfield. Love interest Gwen Stacey will be played by Emma Stone and Doctor Connors/The Lizard will be played by Rhys Ifans. And thanks to the Red Epic camera, the world’s highest resolution camera (this was the first major film that has used it) the film was shot in 5K, so the special effects should feel stunning as Spidey web-slings his way around New York in first-person perspective 3D.

The Dark Knight Rises

The finale to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy could be the best of all – despite the absence of the late Heath Ledger. Ledger’s Joker has a worthy successor in Bane, played by Tom Hardy. Bane’s always been one of Batman’s greatest foes in the comics, once breaking Batman’s back and nearly killing him – and for the first time in the Nolan trilogy, we have a villain who looks like he actually poses a physical threat to Batman. Most interestingly of all, early publicity posters suggest this particular contest won’t necessarily be a case of good defeating evil.

The Bourne Legacy

Matt Damon is out and The Hurt Locker’s Jeremy Renner is in for The Bourne Legacy’s lead role of Aaron Cross/Kenneth Kitson. Yes, it’s based on the original novel but Jason Bourne has been written out along with Damon. Fear not though, with Ed Norton taking up the role of bad guy (hopefully with some American History X style intensity), it should be a winner.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

The world is about to end. Dodge (Steve Carell) is alone after his wife left him, so he sets out with his neighbour Penny (Keira Knightley) to find his childhood sweetheart. But his road trip friend puts a wrench in the works. Directed by Lorene Scafaria, the author of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, you can expect plenty of dark humour and heart touching moments.

The Expendables 2

It’s all about the action, and the action stars, for this Sylvester Stallone starring sequel. Arnold Schwarzenegger has come out of acting retirement to repeat his role as Trench – this time with some actual screen time instead of a cameo. Add this list of action heroes and it becomes a must-see: Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews and Randy Couture. If there’s an action star missing here then we don’t know who he is.

Brave

Disney and Pixar’s summer blockbuster comes in the form of a red-headed Princess. Merida has to be brave, and fight her kingdom’s traditions using her wit and archery skills so as to avoid chaos and stop a terrible curse. With Skyrim and Game of Thrones peaking in popularity this Celtic-looking cartoon could be another winner for Pixar.

Premium Rush

The renowned director of Indie film, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, has made – following G.I. JOE and The Dark Knight Rises – another action film. Premium Rush follows a bike courier who is chased around New York by a dirty cop who’s after the envelope he is trying to deliver. Cool fixie bikes will attract the slacker crowds while lots of action should get in the extreme sports fans.<

Looper

After The Dark Knight and Premium Rush, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has managed yet another film this summer. Looper is a sci-fi movie set in a 2042 gangland where Levitt plays a mafia hit man who kills people sent back from 2072. When he recognises one of the victims (played by Bruce Willis) as his future self he hesitates.The story alone sounds great – that and the fact that we’re fans of director Rian Johnson, means we can’t wait for its release.