What caught my eye was not the usual amount of summer cinema bloat we’re accustomed to (sequels, reboots, animated features, superhero epics), but rather the creative quality behind these films and the potential for blockbuster overload between May 6th (“Thor”) and Labor Day weekend.
Simply put: I haven’t seen a summer this jam packed with possible cinematic legends since the 1980’s. While nothing can top that decade for Hollywood’s creative risk taking, there’s been a noble attempt put forth by this summer’s crop of entries.
Take for instance the WonderCon trailer for June’s “Green Lantern,” which took the bad press received from the previous teasers and turned it into one of the summers must see films:
Even better is the newest trailer for Michael Bay’s upcoming “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” I’ve been rather vocal in the past regarding Bay’s treatment of this series (HERE), but I have to give him credit for his ability to lure an audience back into the theater with such eye popping footage of robots beating each other senseless amongst the streets of Chicago:
If you need further evidence that the cinematic ca-ca is about to hit the fan, go check out this past weekend’s $83.6 million opening for “Fast Five,” an outstanding high octane action flick that unofficially kicks off summer with one of the best chase sequences ever captured on film (my review HERE).
When the path has been revealed, one has little choice but to make the journey. The time has come to dust off the Film Warrior armor, suit up, and ready oneself for the gauntlet. It’s time to return to the place I was forged as a man of cinema: the darkened theater. There are no excuses.
We bleed celluloid for summers such as this one, and I don’t foresee too many more of this nature in my lifetime (save for next summer, which also could be epic in its own right).
This means a review for every major summer release, regardless of genre. This means popcorn, double features, and eschewing sunlight in favor of darkness and projected screenlight. This means re-embracing the ‘child of the blockbuster’ that dwells within my soul.
Welcome to the Summer Movie Gauntlet.
“Deeds, not words…”
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