At this point in the semester, the summer movie schedule is probably a distant afterthought. In order to get you thinking about what's really important, we’ve put our trailer-watching procrastination to good use, pointing out the best and worst prospects for the season ahead.
Babies (5/7) C+
In case you were wondering, babies are, like, the cutest things ever. They also come from a lot of different places, as director Thomas Balmes shows in his documentary, which follows the first year of four newborns from across the globe. While the obvious multiculturalism would make Angelina happy, there’s little more than cooing and crying on display here.
Toy Story 3 (6/18) B+
Damn, Andy’s gotten old! As Woody and Buzz’s owner heads to college, his toys move to a daycare center and make some new friends (Oh hey, Barbie). The Pixar visuals are stunning, as usual, and it’s great to see the entire gang finally back. Let’s just hope they’re saving the Woody and Buzz bromance stuff for the big screen.
Salt (7/23) A-
Angelina is back from maternity leave with a vengeance as a spy on the run. Is she American? Is she Russian? Who cares, as long as she’s jumping off overpasses and headbutting windows as only she knows how. The film clearly rests on her shoulders, and if the trailer is any indication, Salt might be the taste of summer.
Knight and Day (6/25) D
Neither Tom Cruise nor Cameron Diaz is a stranger to solid summer blockbusters, so a combination should be the perfect match, right? Wrong, if this jumbled trailer is any indication. Why are they on an empty plane? Why is Tom killing everyone? And why is Cameron screaming so much? Also, where are the knights?
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (5/28) D-
This trailer in a nut-shell: skeletons, bad guys with scars, poisonous snakes, crumbling buildings, a sexy woman, bushy beards, a magical dagger and two quick shots of an evil-looking Ben Kingsley. If that’s not bad enough, we even have to watch our beloved Jake degrade himself by failing at a British accent and making painfully-awkward sexual puns.
Dinner for Schmucks (7/23) B
Under the eye of Austin Powers and Meet the Parents, auteur Jay Roach, Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell finally get the buddy comedy they deserve. Well, kind of. Businessman Rudd recruits IRS employee Carrell as his date for his company’s “dumbest guest” dinner. Considering poor Steve spends his days making mouse dioramas, he just might be a shoe-in for the win.
Piranha 3-D (8/27) A-
This summer’s equivalent to Snakes on a Plane looks wonderfully campy. With music that Tarantino would approve of, the preview tells us all we need to know: teens on spring break are about to be eaten by giant, prehistoric piranhas … in 3-D! Of course, we have no idea why the people just don’t stay out of the water. But, on second thought, then there would be no movie.
The Kids Are All Right (7/7) A
This Sundance fave’s trailer alone is an emotional powerhouse. Centering around a lesbian couple whose children contact their biological father, the film blends comedy and drama, capturing the dynamics of an untraditional family. And with stars like Julianne Moore and Annette Bening, how can this go wrong?
