This is one of those weeks where what happened last week doesn’t matter, what the Top 5 will do doesn’t matter, and Michael Bay gets to count all his money. Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen is going to storm in, kill everything, and destroy all competition. If this topples what The Dark Knight did last year, all hope for quality blockbusters will be lost.

If I had my way….this would happen:

1. The Hurt Locker $224M
2. Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen $142M
3. The Proposal $19M
4. The Hangover $15M
5. Up $12M

Instead, we’re likely going to get this:

1. Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen $121M (weekend. Total = $210M)
2. The Proposal $17M
3. The Hangover $14M
4. Up $11M
5. My Sister’s Keeper $9M

The Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock romantic comedy (I don’t care what you say about the genre Sandra) The Proposal topples over its competition during its opening weekend marking its territory in first place. Raking in an estimated 33.6 million, this film caught the right audience, despite the mixed reviews, and still shows that people will never get tired of watching movies from this genre. Tapping into Philip’s weekly piece, The Wrong Guess, he underestimated what The Proposal would end up doing in the box office.

Poor Ryan Reynolds, two big time openings in one summer, boo hoo.

Regarding The Hangover, the comedy behemoth finally resided in second place, still taking a great amount of bank within the realms of 26.7 million. Sorry there Philip, you were really close with your numbers (29 million) but not on the spot. The overall intake now makes it a whopping 152 million, making sure that this Todd Phillips 35 million budget film has plenty of extra cash to spread around.

What’s that you say? There still was another film that was released along with The Proposal? Why yes there was, the Harold Ramis directed comedy called Year One, starring Michael Cera and Jack Black. Making a modest amount around the lines of 19 million (so close!), this film better get more people into it fast if they plan to make back their 60 million dollar budget. Right now it’s not looking too good.

Speaking of not looking good, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (almost there Philip) ended up still flailing about still well below the budget margin possibly deeming it as a flop (money wise). Land of the Lost and Imagine That join the crowd of just-not-enough not showing any sign in sight of any sort of bumps up in sales, especially with one of the summer’s most anticipated movies rolling out into theaters this Wednesday. The rest of the weekend list is below:

Weekend Box Office (June 19-21)

1. The Proposal  ($33.6 Million)
2. The Hangover  ($26.7 Million)
3. Disney/Pixar’s Up  ($23.4 Million)
4. Year One  ($19.6 Million)
5. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3  ($12 Million)
6. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian  ($7.8 Million)
7. Star Trek  ($5.5 Million)
8. Land of the Lost  ($4.3 Million)
9. Imagine That  ($3.29 Million)
10. Terminator: Salvation  ($3.28 Million)

Keep yourself pinned here on Atomic Popcorn for the latest wave of releases with the likes of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, Cheri, Il Divo, The Hurt Locker among many others.

Greaaat day in the morning was I off or what last week? I figured the quartet in Vegas would still pound strong but bland do-gooder Ben Stiller is proving to be a bigger juggernaut than originally thought. As far as Eddie Murphy is concerned, he better start seriously moving the ball on Beverly Hills Cop IV as that looks to be the only thing that’ll revive him now. Tony Scott’s latest fiasco was a different story and probably is underperforming. No matter, it’s not like Scott won’t find work somewhere, same goes for Denzel and Travolta. If I’d my own way, everyone would have seen Moon and the world would have been a better place.

This week is the calm before the storm, and that storm is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen which will undoubtedly destroy everything in it’s path. Getting back to the films of the week, the headliner is some Sandra Bullock film called The Proposal. It is what it is, and certainly you could do worse but it’s going to play to it’s audience well enough. It faces competition (if any) from Jack Black and Michael Cera’s new romp Year One which should play well with anyone eight and under. Sadly, it’s not marketed toward them and word of mouth is terrible so this is going to do less than Land of the Lost numbers. The Proposal is surprisingly receiving decent-to-good reviews and since it’s the only date movie out right now, should be a strong opening all things considered.

Yet, I still see The Hangover winning out. It hasn’t dropped off too terribly from last week and it’s sill on everyone’s lips as the comedy to beat, even if most couples will head into The Proposal. Up‘s drop shouldn’t be anything major and will probably round up the last of it’s “big bucks”. Pelham 1 2 3 was overshadowed by Vegas and could possibly have a bigger drop than expected. Night at the Museum 2 MIGHT have this week left in it but with Up playing so well it should finally peter out. Land of the Lost? Yeah, at this point it’s a miracle that film was still in the top five. It’s going to fall, and hard this week. Bring on Optimus!

Predictions below:

BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS FOR JUNE 19-21, 2009

1. The Hangover $29M
2. The Proposal $28M
3. Up $21M
4. Year One $17M
5. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 $14M

ERIK BUCKMAN: Romantic comedies, like nearly every film in the horror genre, have a small playing field and a list of guidelines in which to play from. Here’s a list of some of those guidelines:

1. You must have an “airport scene.” You know, where the guy sprints to the airport to declare his love before it’s too late? If you can’t have an airport scene, you must have some kind of a chase with the guy (it’s always a dude) chasing the gal on foot while she is in a fast-moving 40-ton vehicle.
2. The story must focus on a guy who must either be a hardcore philanderer that is afraid of real love/commitment, or on a nasty woman who fills the large void where her personal life should be, with her career. The two are interchangeable…but not usually.
3. The kiss that changes everything.
4. The female lead must leave the friendly confines of home and visit an environment outside of her comfort zone with hilarious consequences.

PHILIP BARRETT: I’m doing to add guideline number five, which is solid chemistry between it’s leads. All of the above cliches are ultimately forgivable if the man and the woman come off as two people who at first wouldn’t like each other, but could conceivably get along and have some form of romance. The most recent Ghosts of Girlfriends Past worked largely in part because Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner played off of the other well. There are flaws in that film, yes, but the leads go hand in hand which wipes away most of the blemishes. One could say, romantic comedies live or die by chemistry. The Proposal, while not completely terrible, dies horribly by this cree.

BUCKMAN: Ah! But Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds worked well in The Proposal simply because they didn’t play well off each other. The duo are trapped within circumstances which are largely awkward. They captured this exquisitely. Showing that while they learn each other’s foibles, sweet, sweet movie love can happen anywhere and to anyone. In Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner’s characters knew each other since childhood. It makes sense that they matched up so well. Here, it makes sense that they do not.

Speaking of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, I’m glad to see we don’t have an ancient and decrypted figure hitting on a tween in The Proposal. Now that’s awkward.

PBAR: But think about this; this is your boss, who has crapped all over you for so long and kept you from seeing your folks for three years solid and you complain about her. It’s a stretch to begin with to given the plot, I understand that, but I honestly doubt Ryan Reynolds would have gone along with it  The film gives nothing remotely likable about Bullock’s Margaret Tate and it’s not helped by the fact Bullock doesn’t drop “witch” mode the entire film. Reynolds on the other hand is one of the best things in the film. Even if I feel his character would have told “Maggie” ‘go screw your hamster’ when the proposal was given, he did a perfect job as Andrew and really sold the anger towards his father.

BUCKMAN: I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a rom-com that wasn’t a stretch. Some are stories work better than others but the film managed to suspend my disbelief for that hour and a half. I’m with you on Reynolds. Dude was outstanding. Another highlight was Betty White. She was a scene-stealer from start to finish. As for the lovely Mrs. Jesse James, I actually had the opposite problem. I never saw her as a fire-breathing dragon-lady. Sure all the signs were there: pulled back hair, tight pencil skirt and stiletto heels, but beyond that, I wasn’t buying that she was such a jerk.

PBAR: Oh I agree Bullock is still outright gorgeous for her age, no argument there. For some reason, and it’s not a knock on her, she’s always given me this “dominating bitch” vibe BUT in things like Demolition Man or Speed she doesn’t appear as such so she’s capable of not doing it. Opposite of Mr. Buckman, I felt that she was trying to be nice rather than she was coming off as nice.

I know rom-com’s are supposed to be taken with a grain of salt, but that to me sort of felt out of character for Reynolds’ Andrew. We’re told he wanted to run away to New York with high school love Gertrude (played by Malin Akerman, who sadly doesn’t break out the Silk Spectre outfit) which told me the character had this type of devil may care attitude and wouldn’t think twice about telling his boss where to go and stick it. Maybe it’s just my view on him, but I didn’t think he’d sit there and take it from her particularly when we see his rage in a few scenes with his father.

BUCKMAN: The film could have gone in different directions with further development of the Andrew/Gertrude and Andrew/Family storylines. Those stories, if made larger, would take away from the main focus which is Andrew and Margaret. Just having those mere tidbits of back-story was fine.

"I'd rather be here than Wolverine."

Nobody plays Ryan Reynolds better than Ryan Reynolds. Charming, witty and entertaining without making his characters a vexing experience, Reynolds easily makes this film a fun time for both parties of your date. Sandra Bullock is everything you’ve come to expect from her performances in this genre and does not disappoint, that is, if you are a fan of this genre. But for all the romanticism and predictability of this movie, the most memorable performance is that of Betty White as the slightly bizarre grandmother. She is hilarious and most of the film’s funniest moments are the result of her stealing scenes. Though, that’s what grandmas in comedies are supposed to do.

PBAR: Agreed on White as well, she’s always a delight to see. Even scenes that had me scratching my head like the scene in the woods where she’s chanting she makes work. The woman gracefully doesn’t come off as a stereotype, even though the script calls for her to do so at every turn.

At the end of the day, you could do a lot worse than The Proposal. It’s likable enough and will play well to it’s audience. It’s nowhere near as terrible as the ads will make you believe but that still doesn’t mean it’s any good. The script is problematic and only one half of it’s leads brings it to the table. It’s just another summer rom-com that will be forgotten as the years wear on. Outside of White and Reynolds, it does nothing too different than what’s already been seen and is completely predictable. However, this movie wasn’t catered for people like Buckman and I and should be something of a success.

BUCKMAN: Oh, I’d say the movie was catered to Buckman.

It’s no surprise that The Proposal has not only read the holy book of Rom-Com, but has put its teachings into practice. As it reads in Sandra 6:2, “…and Hugh Grant said to thee, ‘The mirth of feel-goodery and wacky setups shall bring the audience together, united in laughter with guffaws for even the most ardent cynic.’ ”

Amen.

Buckman’s Grade –

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

Well we decided to chunk these articles up into two portions so your eyes don’t hurt after reading through all of my recaps. I hope you are all still here with us. Make sure to check out the first one if you arrived here by some twist of internet fate!

We will start back on track with July.

JULY

JULY 1

PUBLIC ENEMIES

I’ve said it before and I will again; cancel the 2009 Oscars as we can give every single award to this masterpiece. Michael Mann is my favorite filmmaker and his style has influenced my own direction and I’ll defend most of the guy’s work (my least favorite being The Keep.) This is going to be the film I see eleven times in theaters and will obliterate every other film that comes out this year. Yes, I’m predestined to love this film because everything I’ve seen leads me to believe Michael Mann has not only invaded our dreams perfectly with Bale and Depp, but is giving us a true work of cinematic greatness that will have it’s poster featured in the hall of the Academy of Science and Motion Pictures. The only movie that needs release after this is The Expendables, then cinema can end.

ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS

Public Enemies. Fox decides to revive a franchise that has been lukewarmly received from audiences and critics alike. Public Enemies. The franchise has always had the cute characters, but it’s lacked what made the Pixar movies special with the heart behind the cuddly li’l guys. Public Enemies. I do have to admit, the trailer did make me laugh but so did the ones for the first two, and I left with the same feelings; decent for kids, meh for adults. Public Enemies. It looks like it’s opening take won’t be strong and it’ll still do battle with Optimus Prime. Public Enemies.

JULY 10

THE HURT LOCKER

I need this movie like rain needs water. Kathryn Bigelow is one of my favorite talents and it’s a shame she’s been forgotten since K-19: The Widowmaker. Word on this has been nothing short of great as it’s tearing up festivals and awards alike. There’s not alot to dislike here as it looks like we’ll have an Iraq war drama finally worth a squirrel fart. If anything, I’m hoping it relaunches Bigelow’s career again like the perfectly awesome Point Break did.

I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER

I’m of the belief you can show an IMAX film on Hayden Panettiere’s forehead. She’s not bad looking, it’s just she has a giant forehead which I assume is her super power on that X-Men ripoff “Heroes”. This looks like it could either way, but it does have original writer Larry Doyle working on the screenplay of his own novel. Really unsure about the timing of this one though as it’s going to be facing competition from Sacha Baron Cohen.

BRUNO

It’s going to be interesting to see how Sacha Baron Cohen replicates the shock reactions he generated with Borat. The sightings have been great and apparently this killed at SXSW. The trailer looks like more of the same, but doesn’t since we’re dealing with a more flamboyant character.

JULY 17

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOODED PRINCE

Just call it Harry Potter and The Biggest Money Maker of the Summer. The Potter films have a wide fanbase and the movies haven’t sucked hard at all. Sure, it took them a while before they finally became good but that’s largely due to the improvements of it’s leading stars. The trailer has been the best they’ve given us but does it really matter for this movie? After what they did with the last film, I’ll be there in IMAX 3-D for this.

JULY 24

THE UGLY TRUTH

Like a few other films being released this summer, this has a pretty predictable ending without seeing so much as a trailer. Gerard Butler had such promise after 300 and while he hasn’t fallen off the map, he seems to be stuck in Romcom Hell. Katherine Heigl continues her string of romcoms as none look to eclipse Knocked Up anytime soon. Both could, should do and know better, but until they realize it, we’re going to be fed films like these.

G-FORCE

Sadly, this isn’t an adaptation of the “Gatchaman” anime series, but essentially a reimagining of Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Will Arnett plays agent alongside Nicolas Cage voicingg the leading…animal here and even though Arnett was enjoyable in Monsters Vs. Aliens it’s hard to see how he can elevate the material here. Hopefully the children have wised up since October.

JULY 31 (My Brother’s Birthday)

FUNNY PEOPLE

Apparently, this should be nominated for Oscars as early buzz would suggest. No clue if it’s really that good, but it does have many things going for it. Apatow and Rogen make for a good team, Sandler likes to give solid performances when he’s not making raccooon crap (i.e. -  You Don’t Mess With The Zohan) and Ms. Leslie Mann-Apatow should as always be stupendous. Interesting note is constant Spielberg collaborator Janusz Kaminski is on board for this chances are it’ll be the best looking comedy of the year.

THEY CAME FROM UPSTAIRS

Ashley Tisdale = Minor interest. Trailer = Interest gone.

AUGUST

AUGUST 7

G.I. JOE: RISE OF THE COBRA

I demand Stephen Sommers to be banned from filmmaking as the man has yet to make a film that resembles decency. When he was announced as director of this film the fun was sucked right out of it and the buzz was shot to hell when the toy photos of Cobra Commander where leaked. I know going with the blue hood was too simple and cool for this film, but no one wanted Jimmy Vulmer. It looks like Wanted, but as long as Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow are handled well there shouldn’t be too much whining.

JULIE & JULIA

Amy Adams does her one fun film of the year in May, then comes back to the arthouse with this. Julie Powell steals a page from Diablo Cody and attemps to become a screenwiter. Too bad she couldn’t have found a better director than Nora Ephron (no relation to Zac obviously, although just as talented) who’s last film was the cinematic equivalent of Jack Bauer torture. It does have the presence of two great actresses so it should be ok. Maybe.

SHORTS

Robert Rodriguez returns to working with children in this tale of a boy who finds a multi-colored, wish granting rock. RR’s not a bad filmmaker but his flicks always have the proper amount of cheese that have some form of charm to them. This might be why the Spy Kids films work so well or it’s Rodriguez’s way with child actors. Whatever the case, Shorts should deliver even if it looks borderline Speed Racer.

AUGUST 14

A PERFECT GETAWAY

Riddick creator David Twohy tells this tale of two pairs of lovers who discover they’re being stalked and hunted. Milla Jovovich plays Steve Zahn’s husband in this which isn’t so hard to believe when you consider who she’s really married to (another person who needs to be banned from filmmaking.) Some would say Twohy needs to hang it up too, but he’s better at ideas and not the actual construction of a script.

DISTRICT 9

Rumored Halo director Neil Blomkamp takes on this sci-fi action romp. I’m interested if only because I’ve never seen Neil’s work and he made quite a bit of noise when he was rumored for Halo all those years ago. It also has an interesting premise with the aliens being the hunted and not the hunters. Peter Jackson is behind this as well. Do I smell an exercise for Halo?

FINAL DESTINATION: DEATH TRIP 3-D

Race cars. Horror. 3D. Sounds like a grindhouse film right? No, but that’s what were getting from David R. Ellis in this forth installment of the Final Destination saga. I remember a time when 3-D used to be unique. Now it feels like a gimmick to put asses in seats and along with IMAX specific scenes, seems to be where cinema is headed. In fact, I HAVE HAD IT WITH THESE MONKEY FIGHTING STUDIOS AND THEIR MONDAY TO FRIDAY GIMMICKS!

THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE

Eric Bana will hopefully revive his career this year with this, Funny People, and some science fiction nonsense being released in May. Rachel McAdams is looking to do the same after her great turn in State of Play with this science fiction romance. The premise is intriguing enough and certainly the leads have enough talent to make it work, but will it be more Fountain or more Notebook? Time will tell.

PAPER HEART

No documentary and some narratives look to eclipse Anvil: The Story of Anvil this year but this small feature from Charlyne Yi has been garnered both kinds of good and bad buzz. Michael Cera is in this experiemental documentary that I hope isn’t what some say: lots of vision, very little substance.

AUGUST 21

INGLORIOUS BASTERDS

I may be the only guy in the universe, but I find Quentin Tarantino to be overrated. He’s not bad, but he is not the end-all be-all of crime and cinema like everyone made him out to be (on a side note, what really annoys me is when people say my own work is derivative of his when none of my inspiration comes from him.) Because of my feelings, it made me feel good when Death Proof showed his greatest weakness in it’s true form and everyone came off his high horse. But now we get his “dream” project and while it’s not the case he wants, it still looks deliciously great. Nazi’s for sure will be destroyed gloriously, and Brad Pitt embodies Lee Marvin. If there’s one movie to end the summer, why not this one?

THE POST GRAD SURVIVAL GUIDE

Erm…did we really need this film? It’s relatable for sure, but it appears way too cute for it’s own good and even stars Sara Paxton’s non-sister Alexis Bledel. I just hope this isn’t some post-Juno nonsense that will sniff it’s own ass and pretend to have a lesson. If anything, the casting of Michael Keaton and Carol Burnett gives me some (if very little) hope.

AUGUST 28

H2: HALLOWEEN 2

So the summer ends with Rob Zombie poisoning us to an unwanted sequel to an pointless remake of a classic horror flick. I really, really don’t see the point in this picture much like I don’t think Zombie should let near a camera for a Halloween movie. Sure, rebooting all the horror franchises is necessary because of the continuity errors they all have but let’s at least pay the respects to what came beforehand. These don’t even feel like Halloween films but more like The Devil’s Rejects Feat. Michael Myers. Maybe this will bomb so we’re no longer plagued with Zombie’s Halloween.

And with that, this preview is over. This summer has way too many films that can go either way which means it could be as good as last year, or as hit or miss as 2007.  With that said, here’s the Ten Most Anticipated For Summer 2009:

1. Public Enemies
2. The Hurt Locker
3. Up
4. Moon
5. Terminator Salvation
6. Bruno
7. Funny People
8. Star Trek
9. District 9
10. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

See you at the movies!

Well, it’s that time of year again when school’s going to be out, people will dive into their local pools or if you’re lucky beach, and baseball takes the sports limelight (GO ST. LOUIS GO!!!). But what really makes the summer so special are the mindless explosions, riveting car chases, and occasional psycho clowns who terrorize our cineplexes to provide us a fun escape from just plain regular psychos. It’s time for Atomic Popcorn’s 2009 Summer Movie Preview sponsored by PBar.

MAY

MAY 1

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE

Wolverine gets a third stand alone movie (first time credited) which will detail where he came from and how young James Howlett becomes the killing machine known as “Wolverine”. I see the reason to center around Wolverine and Fox is certainly hoping this will have some Batman Begins/The Dark Knight effect. However, there was really no clamoring for an X4 after Bret Ratner all but killed the franchise. Early buzz is not of the good variety but the pseudo-genius Tim Rothman has decided that this flick needs “secret” endings that will be exclusive to each screening. Yep, I sure smell a true award winner here.

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST

Neo had Renée Zellweger, Tony Stark was paired with Michelle Monaghan, and Wolverine gets double with Jennifer Garner and Lacey Chabert, the latter of whom is the only reason I’ll even step foot in this film. Point is, it’s becoming obligatory for the summer blockbusters to be paired with a movie the girlfriends can venture to while their fellas get their dicks back. Headlining this is Matthew McConaughey as a man haunted by the girlfriends of his past at his brother’s wedding. Pretty sure the ending won’t be haunted by The Ghosts of Romantic Comedies Past though, but it does have the angelic Lacey.

TERRA

Also known as The Battle of Terra, this animation flick from Canadian based Snoot Entertainment has already been making it’s rounds at the festivals and garnering some really positive reviews. It features the voice of Luke Wilson as a space explorer who crash lands on Terra only to find the human race is planning on invading the planet. It also features Danny Glover, Brian Cox, and notably Justin Long and Evan Rachel Wood as the two alien teens who befriend Luke Wilson. Hopefully (and based on reports is) more like Pixar’s work than DreamWorks.

MAY 8

STAR TREK

Trekkies around the universes soiled themselves much like I did with Watchmen when the news of J.J. Abrams Star Trek started making it’s rounds. Was it a reboot? Sequel? Prequel? Apparently it’s all of those things and Trekkies are still in a panic even with the various reports around the interweb that it’s phenomenal. To be fair, this looks more Star Wars than Star Trek which makes me think Abrams misses the point. Yet, that will attract new fans who will want more of this action-packed Trek than the more strategic one of old. If it does get more fans on board, how will they take the less action packed entries? I’m just awaiting some half-witted critic to call the film “better than Wrath of Khan.”

NEXT DAY AIR

The trailer was decent, but the only reason I’m even remotely interested in this is because of Wood Harris who cemented his legacy as Avon Barksdale on “The Wire: The Greatest Television Show That Happened to Humanity”. It actually does have a decent cast including Donald Faison, Mike Epps, Mos Def and the aforementioned Harris even if the plot borrows a wee bit from Pineapple Express. This however looks to be more loud and even slightly more over-the-top. This comes to us from Summit Entertainment, who’s still busy counting their money teenage girl’s parents poisoned them with.

MAY 15

ANGELS & DEMONS

Robert Langdon returns in a race against time versus the Illuminati who threaten a terrorist act against the Vatican and destroy them. The principles are back including Ron Howard and everyone’s favorite to hate screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, who made this a victim of the writer’s strike. I didn’t check out The Da Vinci Code but apparently I didn’t miss much, if anything at all. This entry looks more engaging, thrilling, and should be a better flick. Also, Ewan McGregor headlines a supporting cast that should at the very least make this decent. Wonder if Ron Howard will get an obligatory Oscar for this one.

MAY 22

TERMINATOR SALVATION (5/21)

I love both Terminator films equally (no, that’s not a typo) to the point in third grade I told this girl I’d crushed on I was a T-800 sent through time to kill her. With that said, there’s no other movie I’m scared of more this summer than this one. I’ve been very vocal about the supposed ending and should it come to pass, I’m walking out. The other thing that worries me is McG, who has yet to show me he can make anything remotely decent. But the rumored (yet changed, allegedly) ending is what I’m having trouble with. If I’m making a big deal about it then fine, but it needs to be understood this is going to make or break the film both critically and box-office wise. It might not suck as the trailers make it seem, but we’ll know the truth once that final reel comes up. Oh and PG-13? Fuck that.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN

Ben Stiller is reunited with Owen Wilson and is surrounded by some new faces for this sequel to one of the surprise hits of 2006. Robin Williams comes back as Teddy Roosevelt and Amy Adams continues to cash in her success by playing Amelia Earheart. As a film it could go either way as the first was fairly well-received but nothing spectacular. What I don’t get is the timing for this. It’s going up against one of the biggest films of the summer, then is followed next week by an animated film from a small company called Pixar. Unless this sequel captivates audiences like Dark Knight, this could be a big blunder.

DANCE FLICK

There was a time when the Wayans were loved by everyone when they graced us with Homey D. Clown, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, and The Wrath of Farrakhan. Now, their shtick is tired and unfunny and even with the scarce details, Dance Flick looks no different. The Wayans have turned into that family member who you hope, and want them to do well because of their past, but recently they’ve constantly screwed up so much you can’t expect anything less. And given what it’s opening against, this is most likely going quietly.

MAY 29

UP

Pixar jumps on the 3D bandwagon to give us the story of a man frustrated with life and ties a thousand balloons to his house to go see the mountains of South America. However, he finds he has an unwelcome guest in a boy scout named Russell. Pixar’s track record speaks for itself so there should be no doubt this will at least be good. As big a gimmick as it will become, the 3D has impressed me with this flick so far. None of it has seemed as a “3D Effect” but rather you’re in the experience. All buzz thus far is tremendous but truthfully, I don’t see how they can top WALL*E.

DRAG ME TO HELL

Sam Raimi Returns! Well, at least to the genre he perfected with the Evil Dead films about a loan officer who has to evict an elderly woman who then puts a curse on her. Things start going tits up and Allison Lohman learns the title of this film is going to happen to her. After the dismal Spider-Man 3, Raimi needed to make this film to get his mojo back. This seems to be pure vintage Raimi and might even comment on the housing crisis going on. Maybe once Raimi gets back in our good graces, he can move forward with Spider-Man 4-D.

JUNE

JUNE 5

LAND OF THE LOST

Will Ferrell is 0-1 when it comes to TV adaptations and also working against him are the very few that happen to be good. Rick Marshall is now joined by his assistant (Anna Friel) and a survivalist (Danny McBride) instead of his children as he’s now sucked into a vortex that takes him to an alternate universe where dinosaurs still roam. I’ve never seen the 70′s version but I sure as hell can’t get that 90′s theme out of my head. As a film, this looks comedic, fun, and harmless and it does have the original creators behind it.

JUNE 12

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3

Tony Scott, while not as prestigious as his elder brother, knows how to construct entertainment. He’s very hit or miss, but when paired with Denzel he’s 3 for 3 which makes me believe we’ll get a good flick out of this remake of the 1974 film I hear is tremendous. The trailer was pretty slick (as expected for T. Scott) and I’m digging John Travolta’s digs so far. Even though Denzel Scott is a good hybrid, let’s hope this is more Man on Fire than their 2006 escapade.

MOON

David Bowe’s son Duncan Jones takes his father’s song quite literally to create a story about an astronaut (Sam Rockwell) sends back parcels along with his computer GERTY, of a resource that will help out planet’s power problems. The trailer wow’ed the lot of us and put this on our radar as a must see. Some have panned it, but it remains to be seen if this is going to be considered science fiction gold.

IMAGINE THAT

Eddie Murphy, please go back to doing rated-R films and stand up.

JUNE 19

YEAR ONE

Harold Ramis teams with two comedy stars of today in Jack Black and Michael Cera to take us back to the first year of planet earth. The trailer left much to be desired but this features a solid 80s comedy director (Ramis) and a man who has the comedy world by the palm of his hand (Apatow) so there’s no reason this shouldn’t be bad. Plus, it’s almost a Superbad reunion with Jack Black playing Jonah Hill. If it delivers the laughs, it should be well received and that’s all it’s aiming for.

THE PROPOSAL

Somewhere, someone said “Sandra Bullock quit The Expendables: The Movie to End Cinema to make films no one cares about and they are right. Much like a film released to start the summer, I already see where this one is headed and how it’s going to end but my gripe comes with whatever office Sandra Bullock works for that would deport her. She’s still got her looks even if the age is slowly creeping in and is probably still fun. It does have Ryan Reynolds though so that has some interest, at least. I just wish he’d pick better projects.

JUNE 26

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

As much as I don’t like this decision now, I saw the original Transformers ten times in theaters (once on IMAX) but now have barely watched it since owning the DVD. What captivated me were the visual effects which really set the benchmark and is a true Oscar crime it didn’t win the Oscar for it. Here we’re getting more robot kickassery, goofier robot scenes, and Megan Fox in a white dress. Amidst all this is Michael “Explodo” Bay promising more destruction and shot three scenes specifically in IMAX. I’m wondering if a certain fedora wearing star is going to show up and help his son as they climb up the pyramids looking for artifacts. If anything, should The Matrix make it’s appearance I better hear “YOU GOT THE TOUCH! YOU GOT THE POWER!”

Onto PART TWO