2010 Summer Movie Preview: June
05/04/2010
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Get Him to the Greek (June 4)
Russell Brand ran away with a disproportionately large number of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall's" funny lines, so it only stands to reason that his character from the movie, rock star Aldous Snow, would get his own spinoff. Paired here with Jonah Hill -- who also appeared in "Marshall," but who will apparently play someone else in "Get Him to the Greek" -- Brand will do what's made him a star: act like a taller, leaner version of Dudley Moore. Can't wait to see you in that upcoming "Arthur" remake, Russ!
Splice (June 4)
"Cube" director Vincenzo Natali teams up with producer Guillermo del Toro for a trippy creature feature about a pair of scientists (Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley) whose experimental research splices human and animal DNA. The result is Dren, a freaky-looking hybrid whose rapidly evolving capabilities could prove deadly. Brody's battles with "Predators" will probably make more money this summer, but with Del Toro involved, we wouldn't be surprised if "Splice" ends up providing more edge-of-your-seat thrills.
The A-Team (June 11)
Bringing one of the most ridiculous television hits of the '80s to the big screen sounds like a patently foolish idea, but give "The A-Team" credit for sauntering into theaters the right way -- namely, with a wink and a crackerjack cast that includes Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Patrick Wilson, and Jessica Biel. We know director Joe Carnahan is a wiz with action; it's with stuff like, you know, dialogue and plot where he usually stumbles. Fortunately, as you might remember from the original series, plot and dialogue don't matter one whit in the "A-Team" universe. Light 'em if you got 'em!
The Karate Kid (June 11)
Nobody asked for a remake of the '80s classic that gave us Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-san, but if Hollywood really has to sweep the leg again, we can at least be thankful that it's keeping Jackie Chan from making another family comedy as inept as "The Spy Next Door" in the process. Chan is our rebooted Miyagi here, a kindly teacher named Mr. Han who gives a martial arts education to a bullied kid (Jaden Smith) whose mom moves the family from Detroit to Beijing. Will floors be waxed? Fences painted? Cranes kicked? Eh, probably not. But at least they used the Joe "Bean" Esposito classic "You're the Best" in the trailer, right?
Jonah Hex (June 18)
Even if you've never read (or heard of) the comic books "Jonah Hex" is based on, we can sum up everything you need to know about this movie in just a few words: a melty-faced Josh Brolin in the Wild West, and Megan Fox in a corset. Game, set, match, right? Seriously, there is some cause for alarm -- this action bonanza marks the live-action debut of the guy who directed 2008's "Horton Hears a Who" -- but we have a feeling that at the very least, "Hex" will be good for some perfectly brain-free bullets 'n' boobs popcorn fun. Summertime!
Toy Story 3 (June 18)
Buzz and Woody are back for another round of CG mayhem, and this time, they're getting as close to "infinity and beyond" as you can go on the big screen -- into 3-D. It's been awhile since we've seen the gang that turned computer animation from a silly gimmick into a powerful filmmaking tool, and a lot has changed -- in fact, little Andy is all grown up now, and the toys have a new place to live. Third installments in franchises tend not to be the best, but this is Pixar; if anyone can make us wish for a "Toy Story 4," it's these guys. Besides, anything that keeps Tim Allen from making more "Santa Clause" movies is all right in our book.
Grown-Ups (June 25)
"Saturday Night Live" vets Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Maya Rudolph, and Rob Schneider team up with former "King of Queens" Kevin James -- and, um, Salma Hayek? -- for a comedy whose cast list reads like one of those all-star TV movies that used to send Michael J. Fox and Nancy McKeon to summer camp for wacky hijinx. Sandler has shown a propensity for (ahem) grown-up drama in recent years, though, and the plot does involve a death that reunites childhood friends; perhaps the stars of "Billy Madison," "Joe Dirt," "Paul Blart," and "Big Stan" have something more than a big doody joke payday in mind.
Knight and Day (June 25)
Judging from the trailer, Tom Cruise is back in "rakish charmer" mode for this action thriller, which pairs him with Cameron Diaz in the tale of a lonely single woman (Diaz -- yeah, whatever) whose life is turned upside down when a spy (Cruise) takes her on the run to protect a battery which contains an infinite energy source. It all sounds a little silly, frankly, but Cruise and Diaz have shown an ability to carry inferior films simply by virtue of their personalities before. Without a "Mission: Impossible" on the schedule for the summer, "Knight and Day" could be the next best thing.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30)
The very definition of "critic-proof," the "Twilight" books and movies have earned millions upon millions while being dismissed by critics and mocked by anyone who finds it hard to take glittery vampires and angsty teen werewolves seriously. Love 'em or hate 'em, there's a huge audience for this stuff, and you won't be able to set foot in a theater on June 30 without being overrun by legions of Twi-hards hungry to watch the third installment of the franchise unfold.
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