Top 10 Summer Box Office Contenders
With the summer rolling around fast, and the cold winter days depleting, the summer movie season has a full arsenal of new films to battle the box office. But who will come out on top? Will it be the mutant turtles or the mutants of Marvel? The revolting apes or the roaring nuclear...monster thing? The dragon-trainers or the Dino-Bots? While I may have already drowned you with my most anticipated summer flicks, here are my top 10 contenders for the box office money-makers:
1. X-Men: Days of Future Past- With the return of almost everyone's favorite mutant team of youngsters, May's X-Men: Days of Future Past enters a new millennium of the Bryan Singer X-Men series, bringing in a few guys from First Class into the mix. Tackling a subject as confusing and awesome as time-travel, Singer hopes to bring the X-Men back to the top where they belong, among the ranks of The Avengers and such. With that in mind, Singer brings together an amazing cast with some incredible abilities, going up against an enemy that sounds quite formidable. I put this as my top contender mainly because I love the X-Men, and also because Singer is what made the X-Men good on-screen in the first place, which will definitely matter if he wants to keep the franchise afloat, and later pit the team against even more in X-Men: Apocalypse.
2. Transformers: Age of Extinction- Scraping the Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox act, director Micheal Bay returns from the slow-moving rehash of Transformers: Dark of the Moon with another installment in the transforming robot franchise. This time enlisting in the likes of Mark Wahlberg and adding even more explosions, Bay hopes to bring back the bots for more explosive action, and hopefully better plots. While this may not be my favorite contender on the list, I believe the return of Optimus Prime and the arrival of the famous Dino-Bots will still fill the theater seats with fanboy adults and action-loving teens.
3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes- Probably one of my most anticipated films of the summer, Dawn brings back the revolting apes led by Caesar to reek havoc on the last surviving humans of Earth. Killing off its first film's star, James Franco, Dawn introduces us to new stars Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, and Keri Russell, who are among the lasting survivors of a deadly outbreak. Already a fan of the Planet of the Apes series, including the past films, I am totally hyped for the return of this series, bringing new characters and even more stunning special effects with the help of Mr. Andy Serkis.
4. The Amazing Spider-Man 2- Kicking off the summer next week when it premieres May 2nd, Spider-Man returns in yet another of the sequels of this summer, this sequel actually looking quite good. After rebooting the Sam Raimi Spider-Man series, director Mark Webb (no pun intended) delivered a decent 2012 reboot with a horrid Spidey-suit, this time around improving both the suit and the characters. In the new film, Spidey (played by Andrew Garfield) faces a multitude of enemies from Electro to yet another Green Goblin. While at first I was skeptical about if this film would be a repeat of the horrid Spider-Man 3, with its jumble of villains and plot holes, now I am a bit more confident that with a new upgraded suit and more explosive action, Amazing Spider-Man 2 could fill the seats and possibly get a high box office spot.
5. Godzilla- You know the story, you know the beast, but did you know Bryan Cranston was in this movie? Booming back into theaters May 16th, the rebooted Godzilla revisits the cataclysmic beast that is known to decimate cities with its thundering roar, already sending chills up your spine with its tantalizing previews. With a cast ranging from the badass of Bryan Cranston to the future Maximoff twins (Avengers 2) Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Godzilla may be a bore to some people now, but to antsy teens and fanboys, it's monster-movie galore.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy- Another anticipated film of late summer is the Star Wars-esque intergalactic superhero film from Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy. With its ambitious theme and broad range of characters, Guardians travels to a place never before explored in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it may appear as if it's made for kids, I know any Marvel fan will see this film, whether you read the comics or not. The film is a far-reaching jump for Marvel Studios, and maybe even a huge risk, but I think that if you loved Iron Man, The Avengers, and Thor, you will love this movie.
7. How to Train Your Dragon 2- Seemingly the only animated film on my list, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is definitely one of the contenders, upping the ante with older characters and even more dragon-riding fun. While it may be a kids movie, the first film was pretty good, and so far, this is the only animated film to be excited about. From the trailer, it looks like the plot and the characters have definitely matured a bit since the first film, and the stakes have risen pretty high too. I wouldn't be surprised if this film gained a lot in the box office, as kids (and some adults) pile in for some good high-flying fun.
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- From producer Micheal Bay comes the newest envisioning of the mutant turtles we know and love, this time being transformed from comical cartoons into creepy live-action...things. While the idea may be interesting, to return to the famous pizza-eating amphibians with a new live-action treatment, the trailer spills bland and odd themes, and also shows us everything we've already seen before, except the turtles' rat sensai Splinter (who may look as creepy as the turtles do). With Megan Fox and discount villain William Fichtner rounding out the human cast, August's TMNT doesn't offer much, except for maybe some cool effects and definitely some turtle-themed nightmares in the future.
9. Edge of Tomorrow- I'm not really sure why I put this at the bottom, this being one of the only sci-fi flicks that interests me this summer so far. However, while it may be an aspiring sci-fi film based on a popular graphic novel, this Tom Cruise-led flick really only offers explosive action and time-twisting plots to the table, which may not draw as big a crowd as you'd think. Last year, Cruise's other sci-fi epic Oblivion did decent in the box office, delivering a sleek look at a dystopian future. Now, with a violent Groundhog Day on the way, Cruise may gain my theater seat, but may not be able to compete with the bigger films of the summer.
10. The Fault in Our Stars- In order to maintain an equilibrium in my Top 10, I had to put a romantic film in the list, the only one that seemed worthy being the heartfelt story of The Fault in Our Stars. Based on the John Green book (which I've never read), this love story captivated a number of teens and adults with its heartfelt tale of two ill-struck teenagers falling in love and putting aside their struggles with cancer. While I have never read the novel, the story sounds interesting, and with its strong fan-base, it should definitely sit somewhere high among the future box office champions.
And thus ends another post about this year's summer movies, which I may be too excited for now. What did you guys think of my list? Did you like it, hate it, or completely ignore it? Whether you agreed or disagreed, what summer flicks are you most excited for, and how would you rank them? Let me know in the comments below, and don't forget to share and follow my blog for more movie reviews and other cool stuff!
1. X-Men: Days of Future Past- With the return of almost everyone's favorite mutant team of youngsters, May's X-Men: Days of Future Past enters a new millennium of the Bryan Singer X-Men series, bringing in a few guys from First Class into the mix. Tackling a subject as confusing and awesome as time-travel, Singer hopes to bring the X-Men back to the top where they belong, among the ranks of The Avengers and such. With that in mind, Singer brings together an amazing cast with some incredible abilities, going up against an enemy that sounds quite formidable. I put this as my top contender mainly because I love the X-Men, and also because Singer is what made the X-Men good on-screen in the first place, which will definitely matter if he wants to keep the franchise afloat, and later pit the team against even more in X-Men: Apocalypse.
3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes- Probably one of my most anticipated films of the summer, Dawn brings back the revolting apes led by Caesar to reek havoc on the last surviving humans of Earth. Killing off its first film's star, James Franco, Dawn introduces us to new stars Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, and Keri Russell, who are among the lasting survivors of a deadly outbreak. Already a fan of the Planet of the Apes series, including the past films, I am totally hyped for the return of this series, bringing new characters and even more stunning special effects with the help of Mr. Andy Serkis.
4. The Amazing Spider-Man 2- Kicking off the summer next week when it premieres May 2nd, Spider-Man returns in yet another of the sequels of this summer, this sequel actually looking quite good. After rebooting the Sam Raimi Spider-Man series, director Mark Webb (no pun intended) delivered a decent 2012 reboot with a horrid Spidey-suit, this time around improving both the suit and the characters. In the new film, Spidey (played by Andrew Garfield) faces a multitude of enemies from Electro to yet another Green Goblin. While at first I was skeptical about if this film would be a repeat of the horrid Spider-Man 3, with its jumble of villains and plot holes, now I am a bit more confident that with a new upgraded suit and more explosive action, Amazing Spider-Man 2 could fill the seats and possibly get a high box office spot.
5. Godzilla- You know the story, you know the beast, but did you know Bryan Cranston was in this movie? Booming back into theaters May 16th, the rebooted Godzilla revisits the cataclysmic beast that is known to decimate cities with its thundering roar, already sending chills up your spine with its tantalizing previews. With a cast ranging from the badass of Bryan Cranston to the future Maximoff twins (Avengers 2) Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Godzilla may be a bore to some people now, but to antsy teens and fanboys, it's monster-movie galore.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy- Another anticipated film of late summer is the Star Wars-esque intergalactic superhero film from Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy. With its ambitious theme and broad range of characters, Guardians travels to a place never before explored in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it may appear as if it's made for kids, I know any Marvel fan will see this film, whether you read the comics or not. The film is a far-reaching jump for Marvel Studios, and maybe even a huge risk, but I think that if you loved Iron Man, The Avengers, and Thor, you will love this movie.
7. How to Train Your Dragon 2- Seemingly the only animated film on my list, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is definitely one of the contenders, upping the ante with older characters and even more dragon-riding fun. While it may be a kids movie, the first film was pretty good, and so far, this is the only animated film to be excited about. From the trailer, it looks like the plot and the characters have definitely matured a bit since the first film, and the stakes have risen pretty high too. I wouldn't be surprised if this film gained a lot in the box office, as kids (and some adults) pile in for some good high-flying fun.
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- From producer Micheal Bay comes the newest envisioning of the mutant turtles we know and love, this time being transformed from comical cartoons into creepy live-action...things. While the idea may be interesting, to return to the famous pizza-eating amphibians with a new live-action treatment, the trailer spills bland and odd themes, and also shows us everything we've already seen before, except the turtles' rat sensai Splinter (who may look as creepy as the turtles do). With Megan Fox and discount villain William Fichtner rounding out the human cast, August's TMNT doesn't offer much, except for maybe some cool effects and definitely some turtle-themed nightmares in the future.
9. Edge of Tomorrow- I'm not really sure why I put this at the bottom, this being one of the only sci-fi flicks that interests me this summer so far. However, while it may be an aspiring sci-fi film based on a popular graphic novel, this Tom Cruise-led flick really only offers explosive action and time-twisting plots to the table, which may not draw as big a crowd as you'd think. Last year, Cruise's other sci-fi epic Oblivion did decent in the box office, delivering a sleek look at a dystopian future. Now, with a violent Groundhog Day on the way, Cruise may gain my theater seat, but may not be able to compete with the bigger films of the summer.
10. The Fault in Our Stars- In order to maintain an equilibrium in my Top 10, I had to put a romantic film in the list, the only one that seemed worthy being the heartfelt story of The Fault in Our Stars. Based on the John Green book (which I've never read), this love story captivated a number of teens and adults with its heartfelt tale of two ill-struck teenagers falling in love and putting aside their struggles with cancer. While I have never read the novel, the story sounds interesting, and with its strong fan-base, it should definitely sit somewhere high among the future box office champions.
And thus ends another post about this year's summer movies, which I may be too excited for now. What did you guys think of my list? Did you like it, hate it, or completely ignore it? Whether you agreed or disagreed, what summer flicks are you most excited for, and how would you rank them? Let me know in the comments below, and don't forget to share and follow my blog for more movie reviews and other cool stuff!
Comments
Post a Comment