Coming Soon: July 2013

Today I would like to introduce another guest author my virtual friend and fellow film critic Jordan at RATH'S REVIEWS. After reading his July movie guide, I highly recommend following his blog RATH'S REVIEWS for some of the latest and best film reviews around. 

 

So here we are. Halfway done with the year and with the summer blockbuster season. We have seen a man learn that he is more than an iron suit, how people partied in the 1920's, what a warp speed space battle looks like, how cars, planes, and runways can defy logic and physics, how movie stars act when its the end of the world, what happens when Superman really fights, and how Brad Pitt keeps his hair looking great despite a zombie apocalypse. All in all it has been an entertaining year, although I'm not sure it has reached the dizzying heights that last summer achieved. In this series of posts, I will look at the movies coming out that you should know about and what you should know about them. Click the titles of the movies for their trailer!

Despicable Me 2 -- July 3

Why it's Worth Seeing: Don't hate me, but I have yet to see the first Despicable Me. With that being said, I have never heard a bad thing about it and it sounds like the minions are funny enough to carry a movie by themselves. The movie should focus on Steve Carell and the minions in order to achieve maximum laughs.

What Could Go Wrong: What always goes wrong with animation sequels? Hardly any of them are better than the original and it's usually because of a lack of effort and inspiration. Some examples are more drastic than others, but they are usually significantly less magical. (*begins praying that this doesn't happen to Wreck-it Ralph 2*)

The Lone Ranger -- July 3

Why it's Worth Seeing: Despite my prediction that this will be the flop of the summer, there is always a chance that Disney and Bruckheimer will capture the same awesomeness that they did with the first two Pirates movies. Remember last year's John Carter? Yeah, not many people do. But it was actually a pretty entertaining movie. The Lone Ranger doesn't suffer a terrible release date so it will most likely fare a lot better than JC did.

What Could Go Wrong: If you've seen the last couple of Pirate movies you know exactly what could go wrong. Fun? Sure. Inspired? Not in the slightest. They are forgettable movies and lack the imagination that the first couple did. With this being a new franchise, Bruckheimer could falter even more and deliver a stinker.

Grown Ups 2 -- July 12

Why it's Worth Seeing: Sandler films often get a lot of flack from "professional" critics, but there is no denying the fact that he certainly has some classic comedies on his acting resume. Despite the universal panning of Grown Ups, I heard that it was actually pretty fun and not half bad (again, I did not see the first one). Critics hate on Sandler because they can, but that doesn't always mean they are right.

What Could Go Wrong: Most of the time the critics are right. It's been a while since Sandler gave us hits like The Waterboy and Big Daddy. I think that Don't Mess with the Zohan was the last film of his that I saw in theaters. There is a reason I haven't been back since; he just isn't that funny sometimes.

Pacific Rim -- July 12

Why it's Worth Seeing: Giant monsters. Giant robots. Guillermo Del Toro directing. IMAX. Need I say more? Count this as one of my most anticipated, especially after some of the good buzz it has been getting.

What Could Go Wrong: Hopefully not much with Del Toro at the helm, but then again remember how cool cowboys fighting aliens sounded? Let's hope that Del Toro can surpass Michael Bay in the "fighting robots" movie genre but sometimes the coolest sounding movie premises fall the hardest.

Turbo -- July 17

Why it's Worth Seeing: Early previews have some strong jokes and the voice cast is pretty impressive including Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, and Samuel L. Jackson. 

What Could Go Wrong: Like most of the other animated films so far this year (with maybe the exception of Monsters University), it could be very uninspired. Kids will drag their parents to anything and parents will sit through most anything to get their kids to be quiet. Nothing about Turbo looks particularly fantastic. Call me jaded, but after how superb Wreck-it Ralph was late last year, I am pretty picky with my animated movies. 

The Conjuring -- July 19

Why it's Worth Seeing: I am not a horror fan in the slightest. I only go to a horror movie if it's getting fantastic buzz unanimously. Two of those movies were Saw and Insidious, both of which were pretty engrossing/terrifying. The director of both of those films is back with this one and he knows how to get the scares. The Conjuring could end up being the sleeper horror hit of the year.

What Could Go Wrong: Well, it's a horror movie so a whole lot. It could be funnier than it is scary, it could tell a stupid story, it could have shockingly idiotic characters...take your pick really. Messing up a horror movie is one of the easiest things to do in Hollywood. Making a classic horror movie is one of the hardest. 

R.I.P.D. -- July 19

Why it's Worth Seeing: The fact that it has Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds is certainly a strong case in and of itself. Not to mention, the trailer is pretty funny. This could be a comedy duo that no one saw coming and if the action is equally as strong audiences could be in for a real treat. 

What Could Go Wrong: I can't shake the familiar feeling of Men in Black with the trailer. Even though they come from different source material, the trailer makes it feel incredibly like that other movie series with an unexpected comedy duo. This could be a movie that you don't want to pay for, but you will enjoy it a lot once it's on TV. 

RED 2 -- July 19

Why it's Worth Seeing: The first RED was an unexpected treasure. I only saw it once, but it was a delightful viewing. It was funny, told a decent enough story, and had some cool action. Mostly everyone is back for the sequel and that makes for one really impressive cast. As long as the spirit of the first one is recaptured then RED 2 should be a fun time. 

What Could Go Wrong: They have taken their time between sequels, so hopefully not too much. That being said, it could just be a bunch of old -person jokes and no story or inventive action. 

Only God Forgives -- July 19

Why it's Worth Seeing: Rounding out the very busy July 19th weekend is Only God Forgives. The last time Ryan Gosling and director Nicolas Winding Refn got together they made one of my favorite movies of all time: Drive. It was quiet, took it's time, featured an absolutely fantastic soundtrack, and was shockingly violent. If you've never been seduced by a movie, watch Drive. If Gosling and Refn can recapture that vibe again, we could be looking at a new personal favorite.

What Could Go Wrong: Drive was mostly universally praised. Reviews for Only God Forgives are coming in fairly mixed at this point claiming that Refn essentially tried to repackage Drive and the results are less than compelling. Hopefully we avoid copycat syndrome and the critics turn out to be wrong. 

The Wolverine -- July 26

Why it's Worth Seeing: The trailer and buzz is indicating that the creators are actually getting serious with the character this time unlike X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Based on the comic book's mythology, the story being told in The Wolverine is one of the most important in the tough guy's history so hopes are high. 

What Could Go Wrong: Sometimes the X-Men are just better as a group. Between the DC and Marvel super battle going on right now, it seems like the X-Men get left in the dust recently (other than X-Men First Class). Hopefully The Wolverine changes that and makes them relevant again, but if the plot doesn't serve a higher purpose to the universe it could come across as a pointless cash grab.

So there you have it! That's what is coming to a theater near you in the month of July. Now allow me to introduce myself: I am Jordan from Rath's Reviews! On my site I review new movies, movies that have released a few years ago, and I just recently began to review videogames. James and I have become virtual friends over the last few months and like many of you, I absolutely love the content that he is putting out on a consistent basis. Another thing about his site that I have noticed is how devoted his followers (you guys!) are. It's awesome to see everyone interacting and communicating all about our love for movies. If you want to, feel free to visit my site! If you like what you see, I would be honored for you to follow me (its the very top blue tile on the right side of the site) and like the Facebook Page (linked at the top of the site). I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope you enjoy my site (click below to get there!)

RATH'S REVIEWS

 

Thanks Jordan for an awesome post, and this is only the beginning. Jordan will be writing more movie guides for each month here on J and J Productions, and seriously, go check out his blog. Also please check back tomorrow for the first part of my Firefly review.