Things look to get mighty interesting at the Cineplex this July, when sentient robots invade the planet, Adam Sandler returns to comedy, Harry Potter takes on puberty and John Travolta dons a dress.
(If you missed it, check out Part II of our Summer Movie Preview here.)
Transformers
July 4th
The Plot: Humanity's fate rests in the hands of a youth (Shia LaBeouf) when two alien races of warring robots make Earth their final battleground.
The Story: The dreams of millions of children of the '80s will finally be realized this July, when the Autobots and Decepticons face off in all their live-action, CGI glory. Those of you unfamiliar with the original Reagan-era cartoon can expect something similar to the 1994 blockbuster humans vs. aliens epic Independence Day -- a big-budget spectacle with boffo visual fx, lots of explosions and hugely elaborate action set pieces. The high-profile project has put the fanboy community through an emotional ringer seemingly since its inception, inspiring fevered debate on fansites like JoBlo and Ain't it Cool News: It's produced by Spielberg! Yeah, but it's directed by Michael Bay, the man who gave us Pearl Harbor. The trailers look awesome! But they turned the beloved Bumblebee into a freakin' Camaro. They brought back Peter Cullen, the original voice of Optimus Prime! But they also gave Prime lips. As an ardent fan of both the Transformers TV series and the line of toys upon which it was based, I remain cautiously optimistic that Bay and co. will deliver the goods.
License to Wed
July 4th
The Plot: A newly engaged couple (Mandy Moore, John Krasinski) find out if they are truly compatible when a clergyman (Robin Williams) puts them through a rigorous marriage-prep class.
The Story: Let's hope this isn't one of those instances where the poster says pretty much everything you need to know about the film. The sight of a smiling Robin Williams sandwiched between the unhappy couple leads me to worry that this might be just another vehicle for Williams's manic brand of comedy hijinks. Williams proved he can still make us laugh in Man of the Year, even if his trademark shtick appears to be getting a little tired. And while it's great to see Office star Krasinski getting film work, it'll be a bit disheartening if he's forced to do time as Williams's comedic whipping boy.
From the looks of the trailer, License to Wed appears to be aiming for a romantic comedy vibe in the vein of Meet the Parents.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
July 11th
The Plot: Fifteen-year-old Harry faces a new menace when toadlike bureaucrat Dolores Umbridge begins teaching at Hogwarts. Haunted by vivid nightmares and tormented by the challenges of adolescence, Harry faces his most difficult year yet.
The Story: When the fifth book in J.K. Rowling's wildly successful Harry Potter series was released in 2003, many fans were shocked by its dark tone and epic length. At a whopping 870 pages, it's by far the longest Potter book yet. Condensing all of that text into a coherent film and keeping the story kid-friendly could pose quite a challenge for new Potter director David Yates.
The quality of the first four Potter films has been remarkably consistent, scoring high marks from both critics and audiences, children and adults. Expect more of the same from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
July 20th
The Plot: When bureaucratic red tape prevents him from naming his children as life insurance beneficiaries, a firefighter (Kevin James) asks his buddy (Adam Sandler) to pose as his domestic partner.
The Story: It's the highest of high-concept comedies, featuring a premise that would have seemed dated a decade ago. Of course, the very same formula worked wonders for the critically panned Wild Hogs, which made over $160 million at the box office.
Sandler's poised to remind all of us that he can still bring the funny after drawing raves for his dramatic work in Reign Over Me and Click. While his serious work has been hit-and-miss at the box office, his comedies have always been critic-proof (with the exception of the dreadful Little Nicky). And nobody's better at milking a mediocre premise for quality laughs than Sandler.
Hairspray
July 20th
The Plot: In 1960s Baltimore a plump teen (Nikki Blonsky) becomes an overnight celebrity after she wins a spot on a local dance program called ``The Corny Collins Show.''
The Story: Hairspray is one of the more interesting remakes to come along in recent years. The quirky 1988 original brought cult director and self-styled "King of Bad Taste" John Waters his first glimpse of mainstream success. Waters is listed simply as an "executive producer" on the remake, so it's difficult to ascertain his actual level of involvement with the film.
The remake boasts an impressive ensemble cast that includes John Travolta, Christopher Walken and Michelle Pfeiffer. The film's teaser trailer, featuring Travolta wearing a dress in the role of Edna Turnblad, proved hugely popular when it surfaced on the net a few months ago.
The Simpsons Movie
July 27th
The Plot: Homer (Dan Castellaneta) must save the world from a catastrophe he created.
The Story: After 400+ episodes, is there really anything left to say? When the movie was first announced, some cynical observers saw it as a brazen attempt by Fox to exploit its venerable cash cow before the lucrative series is inevitably put out to pasture.
All signs indicate that the movie will be the real deal. Simpsons deities Matt Groening and James L. Brooks have been heavily involved in the project from the outset, with longtime scribes John Swartzwelder and Jon Vitti among those contributing to the script. Fox has been extraordinarily quiet about the film thus far, and trailers for the film have revealed frustratingly few plot details. Reviews from a few test screenings that have surfaced on the net have been overwhelmingly positive thus far.
Skinwalkers
July 27th
The Plot: As a half-lycanthrope boy approaches his 13th birthday, two factions of werewolves prepare for battle; one group believes the boy will lead the race into the future, but the other wants to kill him.
The Story: With all of the vampire flicks released in recent years, it's great to see werewolves finally getting some quality screen time. I always felt like they were given short thrift in the vampire vs. werewolf Underworld movies. And don't even get me started on those Teen Wolf films.
Fans of the Blade and Underworld franchises will likely dig Skinwalkers. Horror director James Isaac (Jason X) is directing, so expect lots of cool werewolf-on-werewolf violence. This is definitely not one for the kiddies. Especially if said kiddies also happen to be werewolves.
Other notable July releases include Joshua, Introducing the Dwights, Strangers and No Reservations.
Tune in next week for Part IVof ReelzChannel.com's 2007 Summer Movie Preview, as we look at August releases The Bourne Ultimatum, Rush Hour 3, Superbad and more.
Missed June? Check out Part II of our Summer Movie Preview here.
What summer movie are you most excited about? Let me know at tleupp@reelzchannel.com.