It time to say goodbye to UWG for the summer and hello to your local movie theatre. The summer always seems to have the best, most anticipated movies of the year. Last summer, it was The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. The year before, the final installment in the Harry Potter series. And from the look of it, this summer won’t disappoint either. With so many good movies coming out this summer, we couldn’t even fit them all in one article. So here’s five to get you started!
1. The Great Gatsby (May 10) We all had to read it in high school, and you either loved it or hated it (or pretended to love it or hate it so your teacher wouldn’t know you just read the Spark Notes). There have been half a dozen adaptations of this film, but none have been as highly anticipated as this. “The Great Gatsby”, directed by Baz Luhrmann (director of Moulin Rouge! and Australia), is based on the book by F. Scott Fitzgerald that defines and challenges “The American Dream”. Though I was unsure about the decision to cast Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, the idea is growing on me and I believe this movie, like the book, will become an instant classic.
2. Star Trek: Into Darkness (May 17) This long-awaited sequel to a superb movie adaptation of the Star Trek series is sure to make waves this summer. Nerds have been stoked about “Star Trek: Into Darkness” since the first rumors of a sequel back in 2010. If this sequel is anything like the first Star Trek movie, it’s sure to be nothing short of fantastic. In the film, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction, John Harrison (rumored to reveal himself as Khan during the film, for all you trekkies out there), played by Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock). You can also look forward to witty Spock quips.
3. The Wolverine (July 26) Let’s be honest, anything has to be better than “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) ventures to modern-day Japan where an old enemy offers to make him mortal. He’s pushed to his physical and emotional limits, struggling to fight his immortality and finding strength in his vulnerability. Mostly, it’s just Hugh Jackman fighting samurais without a shirt on…and I’m okay with that.
4. 300: Rise of an Empire (Aug. 2) It’s been seven years since “300” and, yet, “THIS IS SPARTA!” is still a common (although tired) phrase. This film takes place after Leonidas’ defeat in the first film, as Xerxes, the leader of the Persian army, tries to gain control of major Greek city-states. Classic rival cities Athens and Sparta must work together to defeat the Persian army and take back their control. Like the first film, “300: Rise of an Empire” promises to be 2 hours of testosterone-packed greatness.
5. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (Aug. 23) Based on the young adult fantasy series by Cassandra Clare, this film centers on Clary Fray (Lily Collins), a seemingly ordinary teenager who finds out that she is actually a descendant of a line of “Shadowhunters”, half-angel warriors with the purpose of defending the world from demons. When her mother (played by “Game of Thrones’” Lena Headey) is abducted, Clary joins the battle against evil in a world filled with not only demons, but warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures as well. Okay, so it sounds super lame when I say it like that. So it’s another supernatural teen movie. Who cares? We’re all entitled to guilty pleasures. Let “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” be yours this summer. At least it’s not “Twilight”.
