The Advocate explores the hottest movies coming out this summer
Free time! Friends! Food! Fun! All these things and more await you this summer, accompanied by an awesome array of Hollywood’s best productions yet. Here’s a look at some of the most electrifying movies set to light up Albuquerque’s silver screens this summer.
Toy Story 3-D
June 18 Not yet rated
This summer Pixar seeks to top its last performance and gain an 11th straight number one hit with “Toy Story 3-D.” The original animated film was a touchstone for many of our preschool days. Most can remember cheering Woody on in his desperate attempts to find Andy and laughing at the mishaps of the now-famous toys.
On June 18, Toy Story 3-D is set to bring us back to Pixar’s heartwarming messages and timeless humor. The film will reunite stars Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, as well as introduce a great new voice cast, including Whoopi Goldberg as Stretch the octopus and Michael Keaton as a smooth-talking Ken doll. The movie follows the adventures of the original group of Andy’s toys after they have been donated to Sunnyside Daycare, where viewers will also meet many new personalities of the toy world.
Robin Hood
May 14 PG13
With director Ridley Scott of “Gladiator” fame at the helm of “Robin Hood,” the eagerly-awaited movie promises to be this summer’s big action movie. As he did in “Gladiator,” Scott teams up with Russell Crowe – playing the title role – to create a film full of intense battle scenes and an exhilarating tale of medieval heroism.
The Film centers on Sir Robin Longstride’s return from the Third Crusade and his ensuing fight against the oppression that had struck England since the absence of King Richard the Lionheart. Mark Strong (Lord Blackwood in the 2009 version of “Sherlock Holmes”) plays the power-hungry Godfrey, right-hand man of the new king and enemy of Robin Hood. Oscar award winning Cate Blanchett also joins the cast as the sophisticated damsel in distress, Maid Marian. This movie has the potential to have plenty of fast-paced battles for the action lovers and to tell the powerful story of an unlikely hero.
Letters to Juliet
May 14 PG
Amanda Seyfried stars in a yet another heartwarming romantic drama, “Letters to Juliet.” Seyfried has a long list of both hilarious and touching love stories that she has been a part of, including “Mean Girls,” “Mamma Mia,” and most recently, “Dear John.” This newest addition to the list promises all the delights of her previous productions, as well as a few new twists.
The film follows Sophie, a seemingly happily engaged American, who travels to Verona, Italy-the site of the most famous love story of all time, Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” There she meets a group of volunteers who answer letters requesting the advice of the famed lover, Juliet. She finds a letter that has remained unanswered for more than 50 years and, in answering it, is amazed to find that the author of the letter, Clair (Vanessa Redgrave), along with her overprotective grandson Charlie (Chris Egan), have returned to Italy in search of her long lost Romeo.
Salt
July 23 Not yet rated
Who is Salt? This seems to be the question on many Hollywood critics’ lips, as the movie world gears itself up for Angelina Jolie’s latest, the action thriller movie “Salt.” This picture follows CIA agent Evelyn Salt as she flees US authorities after being accused of being a modern Russian spy. Audiences will follow her through a high-speed, explosion-packed production where she must use all of her knowledge as a covert operative to escape both gunfire and the threat of those she trusted most.
Originally written for Tom Cruise, the role of Salt was revised for Jolie when Cruise backed out due to commitments to other projects. Liev Shreiber and Chiewtel Ejoifor will star as Salt’s coworkers and eventual pursuers. Together, this trio of fantastic actors has the capability of producing a great spy-thriller.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
July 2 Not yet rated
From the desk of Nickelodeon’s animators and through the hands of director M. Night Shyamalan comes live-action film “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” based on the popular anime TV series of the same name. The movie is based on the plot of the first season, following 12-year-old Aang (Noah Ringer) on his adventures as the Avatar, which is a physical embodiment of the world with the ability to control all four “elements.”
Aang is technically 112 years old, having reappeared after many years of his absence. As the last reincarnation of the Avatar, it is his duty to use his supernatural powers to save his world from the constant warfare inflicted by Fire Lord Ozaia, who seeks to control all other element nations. For both anime-lovers and those unfamiliar with the popular Asian art form, this movie goers spell-binding special effects (in 3-D no less), awe-inspiring stunts that pay homage to various martial arts styles and a plot that stays close to the original show.
Movies to skip
Shrek Forever After
Here it comes: the fourth, and hopefully final addition to the ailing series. With a catchphrase that goes, “It ain’t ogre ‘til it’s ogre,” audiences are sure to agree that the Shrek movies should have been “ogre” a long time ago.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Sorry to the fangirls out there, but the Twilight series is a no-go. That is, unless you’d like to pay the $10 ticket price to spend two hours in the theatre laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson choking out grave lines such as, “Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night.”
MacGruber
You guessed it. An entire movie based on the Saturday Night Live sketch. The skit had some funny renditions, but two hours based on the already over-repeated one liner? Pass.
The Karate Kid
How one could improve upon the 80’s original is beyond me, but I was willing to give it a chance until I realized main actor Jaden Smith likely got the role because father Will Smith is the producer. The movie seems only to be a star vehicle for the young actor and a redundant remake of an awesome classic.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
I honestly can no longer take lead actor Nicholas Cage seriously. Nor can I accept this movie’s weak and overdone plot involving a teenage kid with unimaginable powers trying to save the world.
