By Gary Dowell
Job Woes
The Internship: Eight years after The Wedding Crashers (yeesh, has it been that long?) became a sleeper hit, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn re-unite to play two salesmen struggling to work in the digital age, who bluff their way into internships at Google, where they have to compete with tech-proficient young geniuses. Most under 35 are likely to find it a hoot; the rest of us will likely find it depressing. Release Date: June 7
Obligatory Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Action
After Earth: Post-apocalyptic sci-fi is par for the course this summer and M. Night Shyamalan hasn’t made a decent movie in years, but the trailers for this science fiction drama look promising, and the director is working from someone else’s script for a change. Will Smith and his son Jaden star as father and son stranded on Earth 1,000 years after humanity has abandoned it; since then, the flora and fauna have mutated to new levels of dangerous. It just might make Avatar look like a Boy Scout camping trip. Release Date: June 7
Date Night for English Lit. Majors
Much Ado About Nothing: For what it’s worth, this is Avengers writer-director Joss Whedon doing Shakespeare. Granted, there won’t be any spandex, aliens, superheroes, or explosions added to it, but Whedon has always had a knack for ensemble stories and light comedy, which makes this low-budget project an inspired choice for him and a great way for newbies to experience the Bard. Whedon shot it in gorgeous black and white and changed the setting to suburban California for a twist, and the cast includes Whedon-verse regulars Nathan Fillion, Amy Acker, and Clark Gregg. Release Date: June 7
For a Night of Heavy Drinking
This Is the End: In one of the wildest premises for a movie since Inception (well, sorta), James Franco, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, and a slew of other celebrities play offbeat — and often unflattering — versions of themselves as they are faced with the apocalypse during a night of heavy partying. It sounds alarmingly close to this summer’s The World’s End, but the recent red band trailer looks promising — and hilarious. Release Date: June 12
Geek is the New Cool, Embrace It
Man of Steel: Zack Snyder (300) and Christopher Nolan (the Dark Knight movies) attempt to re-invent Superman for the modern age, with Henry Cavill donning the cape as the last son of Krypton, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Russell Crowe as Jor-El, and Michael Shannon as General Zod. It’s been a while since a decent Superman movie was in theaters, and a lot is riding on the success of this one. Initial skepticism is giving way to healthy buzz, and Lord knows we’re just happy to see Supes on the big screen again. Release Date: June 14
So Far, Zombies are Still Cool
World War Z: We figure the zombie subgenre will jump the proverbial shark any day now, and can’t help but wonder if this troubled adaptation of Max Brooks’ cult-favorite novel could be the turning point. Its curious choice of director (Marc Forster, Finding Neverland), out-of-control budget, massive mid-shoot script rewrites, and delayed release date are bad signs; but, if it’s as intense as the trailer makes it out to be, then we’re in for a treat. Release Date: June 21
If You Have to see a Chick Flick…
The Heat: Yep, it’s another buddy-cop action comedy, but the fact that this one stars Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) as an uptight FBI agent and Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) as a cranky Boston cop, and is directed by Bridesmaids helmer Paul Feig, suggests potential. McCarthy is hot right now, and Bullock is poised to have a good year between this and the upcoming sci-fi drama Gravity.
Release Date: June 28
Political Theater
White House Down: If Olympus Has Fallen didn’t quench your thirst for D.C. action follies, consider this similarly themed flick from Roland Emmerich (Independence Day). Channing Tatum stars as a Washington, D.C. cop who has to save his daughter and the POTUS (Jamie Foxx) from homegrown terrorists. (It’s like real life, but with fewer gun nuts.) Unlike the self-serious Olympus, White House Down seems aware of its own silly premise and willing to run wild with it, injecting some much-needed humor that Olympus sorely lacked. Release Date: June 28
