Here are 10 movies I wouldn’t mind seeing this summer (especially if they’re playing in the cheap theater), in order of release date:
“Neighbors” (May 9) – Entertainment Weekly says it’s one of the funniest frat comedies ever, so we can assume the film goes beyond the repeated air-bag gags of the trailer. Seth Rogen is always great, and it sounds like Rose Byrne – so often cast as the bland girlfriend — gets to stretch her acting wings for a change.
“Godzilla” (May 16) – It turned out that, despite its tagline, 1998 was not “The Year of Godzilla.” (To me, it’ll always be the year of “Armageddon.”) 2014 probably won’t be remembered for the big Japanese brute either, if only because there are so many more polished blockbusters being made nowadays. But certainly, this version looks a lot better than the ’98 one.
“X-Men: Days of Future Past” (May 23) – “X-Men: First Class” was kind of confusing, but I’m game to find out how that movie’s past and the present of the other five “X-Men” films meld together. It’s unlikely that Anna Paquin’s Rogue will get the screen time she deserves, but Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is always entertaining and Jennifer Lawrence makes a sexy Mystique.
“A Million Ways to Die in the West” (May 30) – Already 1 for 1 on the big screen with the teddy-bear-come-to-life comedy “Ted,” writer/director/actor Seth MacFarlane seems to have another good premise on his hands as he puts a comedic spin on the dangers of the Wild West.
“The Fault in Our Stars” (June 6) – OK, EW’s obsession with this YA-novel-turned-movie is a bit obnoxious, and it does look an awful lot like ” ‘The Spectacular Now’ Plus Cancer.” But Shailene Woodley is magnetically watchable, and – like “Spectacular Now” – it’s from the screenwriters behind “(500) Days of Summer.”
“22 Jump Street” (June 13) – The first installment of this Jonah Hill/Channing Tatum franchise, “21 Jump Street,” was hilarious thanks to the chemistry of the leads and a funny script, so I’m game for another go-around.
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (July 11) – “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” intriguingly showed us the apes’ perspective for this first time via Caesar, wonderfully played in motion capture by Andy Serkis. It’ll be interesting to see the next step in their evolution in this prequel-sequel.
“A Long Way Down” (July 11) – Nick Hornby’s novels have a good track record when adapted to the big screen (“High Fidelity,” “About a Boy”), and it looks like this one — about four people who meet on a rooftop that they intended to jump off of – will continue the winning streak.
“Wish I Was Here” (pictured above, July 18) – Writer/director/actor Zach Braff’s latest had my attention when I heard it’s a spiritual sequel to “Garden State.” Then I saw the trailer – which features a delectable Kate Hudson and shows Braff hasn’t lost his magical touch as a soundtrack producer – and it got bumped to the top of my “must see” list for the summer.
“Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” (Aug. 15) – The 2006 original is arguably the most stylistically perfect film ever made, and this long-overdue sequel looks to recapture the magic with a mix of returning and new actors chewing on the over-the-top noir material.