Summer 2009 Movie Preview

After Star Trek kicked off the summer with a bang (more of a laser blast I suppose), I was not expecting much from the rest of school’s-out cinema. Much to my surprise this summer is packed with solid offerings.

Up

It is no surprise that Up is a must-see film for me this summer. Sometimes my love for Pixar can be misunderstood, but I think everyone can agree that they create amazing movies. Up may not be as cinematic as Wall-E or as hilarious as Monsters, Inc., but I am confident that it will be another quality offering from the masters of 3D animation.

(view trailer)

Moon

I am not sure when Moon will actually be available for the general public to watch, but even with its limited release this summer I had to include it. Moon right now is my most anticipated movie of the year. It has a sci-fi feel that reminds me of Sunshine because of its somber mood and intellectual plot. It looks absolutely fantastic and I cannot wait to see if it lives up to my expectations.

(view trailer)

Angels and Demons

The book Angels & Demons is an addicting page-turner that had me hooked from the beginning. I am somewhat hesitant about the adaptation to the silver screen, because it is hard to imagine the same energy of the book being condensed into “movie time”. Reviews have been shaky, but I am curious to see how the film turned out.

(view trailer)

Away We Go

Here is the token quirky, indie flick that all of your hipster friends will love far beyond its worth. Through its Juno vibe it still looks like Away We Go could be an enjoyable love tale. I am most interested to see if Jim Halpert can act (as opposed to just giving half-smiles to the camera).

(view trailer)

Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

You have to respect that ’stache. The trailer reminds me a lot of Die Hard with a Vengeance. I am not sure if that is good or bad. TP123 also reminds me of Swordfish, Inside Man and Deja Vu…in fact I think Travolta and Denzel have both already made this movie. Regardless it could be worth a look as a summer popcorn flick.

(view trailer)

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

The first Transformers was a decent summer action movie. Not too much story, decent action (though I wish they would zoom out and show more of the robots). To me Revenge of the Fallen looks exactly the same as the original, so those who enjoyed Transformers will definitely enjoy the sequel. One thing Michael Bay is good for is plenty of explosions, so I think Revenge of the Fallen will provide some summer excitement for a rainy day.

(view trailer)

Public Enemies

Michael Mann is one of my favorite directors, and even though Public Enemies is set in a different era it seems poised to be another classic crime film. Mann has delivered previous gems such as Heat, Collateral, and Miami Vice. All have generally the same theme in which Mann takes a criminal and presents him from a different perspective. The same holds in the trailer for Public Enemies, where Johnny Depp plays a criminal on the run that the audience will root for. It looks excellent and I hope can it deliver, even though Mann will never top Heat.

(view trailer)

G.I. Joe

Hear me out. G.I. Joe is not going to be an epic masterpiece. Technically speaking it might end up being horrendous. And yet, I cannot help myself from wanting to see this movie as soon as humanly possible. It has the makings of a celebration in ineptitude (with guns and stuff!), and I think many of its failures will become successes. The action seems to be a rare hybrid of awesome and absurd. Just watch the trailer. You will want to see it too.

(view trailer)

District 9

Along with Moon and Up this is among my most anticipated films. District 9 is a science-fiction movie produced by Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings. The trailer in itself is so creative that I have to see it. My only question: is the alien blurred to hide its look from moviegoers, or is his identity being protected within the film? I am leaning toward the former, though I believe the latter would be more interesting.

(view trailer)

Closing Thoughts

These movies stood out to me and I will keep my eye on them as the summer progresses. You can expect reviews of any as I view them. Did I miss any that you are looking forward to? Which films on this list are you anticipating?