14 DAY TRIAL // Hollywood is painfully unoriginal when it comes to summer releases, but that’s not to say we’re not in for a fun and very entertaining ride in 2014. This is the season to be jolly for huge action blockbusters, which means no expense will be spared on part of the studios in delivering (occasionally mindless) popcorn entertainment and a good laugh on the side.
On May 1, the summer season at the movies officially kicks off and, by the looks of things, we will witness superheroes, robots, and soldiers rule the box office again. This year, we also have R-rated comedies and some dramas thrown in for good measure but, even so, as it happens every summer, in 2014, movies will all be about explosions, special effects, and insane action sequences. In other words, we’re on Michael Bay’s turf.
On the topic of the unoriginality of Hollywood, the summer of 2014 will also be packed to the maximum with sequels, reboots, and remakes. It might not be original, but you can never blame Hollywood for not being dependable like that.
On May 2, the sequel to the rebooted “Spider-Man” opens the blockbuster season: “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” comes out, bringing Spidey in the spotlight once more, two years after the first installment, which rebooted the franchise. Andrew Garfield wasn’t as warmly received as Tobey Maguire was in the original trilogy, but the first film still had a solid start to warrant a new one.
Myself, I prefer this new take on the beloved superhero and that’s mostly because I’m partial to Mr. Garfield and I find this darker version of the story more to my liking.
Speaking of darker stories, on May 16, “Godzilla” will be unleashed in theaters. Based on the popular Japanese myth, this is a film that’s been done countless times throughout the years from various angles. It will be interesting to see what director Gareth Edwards can bring new to the story of the world’s most famous monster, especially since he’s managed to round up some of the most talented actors of today – Mr. Bryan Cranston, I’m talking to you.
However, if giant monsters are not your cup of tea, perhaps you’d be interested in another mutant story, this time with an even more impressive cast than we’ve seen in many years on the big screen: “X-Men: Days of Future Past” bows on May 23 and will bring together all the beloved X-Men mutants, both their young and their old versions.
Do save some money for the month of June though. On June 6, we have a new Tom Cruise action movie coming out, also starring Emily Blunt: “Edge of Tomorrow.” Based on an interesting idea, of a soldier caught in a time loop on his death day and struggling to defeat the aliens that are attacking and will destroy Earth, this movie was initially called “All You Need Is Kill.” They changed the title because it was too confusing.
“The Fault in Our Stars” stands good chances of becoming the best-selling romantic movie of the summer. It’s based on a young adult novel by John Green and it’s bound to make you cry your eyes out, as it tells the love story of two teens struggling with cancer. Have your hankies at the ready because this will be very emotional.
June 13 is reserved for two sequels that will do just the opposite of that, my favorite kind of feel-good films. However, only one of them I would watch with my kid(s), assuming I had any to take to the movies: “How to Train Your Dragon 2.” The other is the R-rated comedy “22 Jump Street” with the ever-so-charming Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, which promises to be a hoot.
June wraps up with the release of the latest installment in what Mark Wahlberg deemed “the most iconic franchise in movie history,” “Transformers.” “Age of Extinction” sees Michael Bay return in the director’s chair, which means all hell will break loose on the 27th, because he’s bringing his trademark explosions and the Autobots to a theater near you.
July is usually the “quiet” month at the box office in terms of programming, but 2014 still has some aces up its sleeve. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” comes out on July 11 and, while there hasn’t been as much buzz around it as it was with the original movie, it will probably surprise us all and surpass estimates in terms of gross.
“The Purge: Anarchy” drops on July 18, the same day as “Jupiter Ascending.” While the former is a sequel around a very novel idea (that of a national “purge” once a year, when all crime is legal and the horrors that occur on this day), the latter is an original film from the Wachowski siblings. Trailers for both were met with mixed reactions, but they do stand great chances at delivering at the box office.
On July 25, we will be taking a look back, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his “Hercules: The Thracian Wars.” I have been waiting for this one for some time, so I will probably see it on premiere night. This is the second “Hercules” film this year: the other one starred “Twilight” hunk Kellan Lutz and bombed spectacularly.
And this brings us to August, the busiest and final month of the summer blockbuster season. “Guardians of Galaxy” opens on the 1st of the month, aiming to expand the Marvel cinematic universe even farther than the “Avengers,” albeit in a somewhat more light-hearted direction. If you’re not familiar with said universe, I have four words for you: more superheroes, more laughs.
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” which lists Michael Bay as producer and has already upset so many fans of the original cartoons, is scheduled for release on August 8. The first trailer for it became the laughing stock of fans online because it showed the Turtles with human lips and noses, which made of them a very eerie appearance, so its chances of success are at 50/50 right now. We’ll know more when a new preview comes out.
On August 15, “The Expendables 3” hits theaters bringing the large cast of ‘90s action movie stars together once more – only that, this time, they’re in an even large number, but also angrier, more dangerous and, last but not least, older.
The blockbuster season ends on August 22, when Robert Rodriguez’s much-delayed “Sin City” sequel “A Dame to Kill For” finally bows. On that same day, we have another young adult drama coming out, this time with Chloe Moretz as lead, “If I Stay,” which I’d probably favor over “The Fault in Our Stars,” but that’s only because I think Chloe is amazing.
So there you have it: these are some of the movies to look forward to in the coming months, most likely bound to become blockbusters. Which are you most excited about, and which do you plan on skipping? Let me know in the comments section below – and here’s to not leaving a screening feeling disappointed this summer!