Pacific Rim (2013) review

‘Pacific Rim’ is a film that combines two genres into one. It’s a Kaiju movie and a mecha movie all rolled into one film. Kaiju, which means ‘strange creature’ in English, have been represented on film by creatures such as Godzilla, Gamera, and King Ghidorah. As for the mecha (in other words, giant robots), they have been in not just films (from ‘Star Wars’ to James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’) but also other forms of media as well; perhaps most notably the Gundam video game series. A movie like that definitely sounds interesting, but even more so when considering that the man behind the camera is director Guillermo Del Toro, responsible for films like the ‘Hellboy’ series and ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’. His latest film does not disappoint. Sure, when you look at it, ‘Pacific Rim’ is a film that technically is more style over substance, but it is still very entertaining, delivering on exactly what it promises; giant robots fighting giant monsters.

In the future, giant monsters known as ‘Kaiju’ emerge from a portal in a crevice located beneath the Pacific Ocean and begin to attack, causing massive damage all over the world. In response to this, the governments of Earth unite and create giant robots called Jaegers to fight the Kaiju menace. At first, they apparently succeed but the Kaiju keep on coming and as more and more emerge from the portal, the governments ultimately decide to terminate the Jaeger program while still keeping a few of the Jaegers running in Hong Kong. While this is going on, former Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), whose co-pilot brother was killed during a fight with a Kaiju, is recruited back into the program by his former commanding officer Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), where he is partnered with rookie pilot Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) as the two of them and the other Jaeger pilots look to put an end to the Kaiju before the Kaiju destroy them.

If you’re coming into this movie expecting giant robot/monster action, then you will not be disappointed. There is plenty of that in this movie and it is pretty sweet. Del Toro is known for his great visuals in the films he makes, and that is once again the case here, even though all of the action scenes are pretty much 100% CGI. Del Toro is mainly known for doing a lot of practical creature effects, but the CGI here is really good. Both the Jaegers and the Kaiju creatures look really convincing and the fight scenes are well-done. They’re shot really well so you can see what’s going on. Also, while I don’t necessarily recommend it, this film is worth seeing in 3-D because it’s some pretty good 3-D. This movie was post-converted into 3-D, making it one of the better post-converted 3-D films in the years since 3-D became main-stream.

Admittedly, despite the great action, this movie does suffer a little from style over substance, but that’s not to say the human characters in the film are totally bland. Hunnam and Kikuchi are solid leads on their own, but they are overshadowed by some of their costars, namely two. The first is Idris Elba, who has undeniable presence as the commander of the Jaeger pilots. In fact, in a movie like this, there is actually a lot of depth to his character; namely from his relationship to Mako, as he’s pretty much a father figure to her. The other actor who steals the show is Del Toro regular Ron Perlman in a scene-stealing performance as an black market salesman that one of the Jaeger scientists (played by Charlie Day, in a role that some might find rather annoying but in the end, he does grow on you) goes to in order to find a Kaiju brain. Like Elba, he has a great screen presence and without giving anything else away, this results in a little post-credits scene that is both funny and quite unexpected.

So, with a film like ‘Pacific Rim’, this is a film where if you go in expecting giant robots and giant monsters fighting one another, than you will not be disappointed. From a visual standpoint, the film looks fantastic and Del Toro’s visual flair is certainly present in this movie. However, this does mean that the film is a little bit style over substance but the cast still does a good job (especially Idris Elba and Ron Perlman) despite the fact that the action and visuals clearly overshadow the story and character development. But, for this film, it’s not that big of a problem because it delivers when it comes to exciting giant robot versus giant monster action. This is a very fun and entertaining summer blockbuster that I certainly recommend to anyone who’s just looking for a fun time at the movies. I say this especially when considering that this ‘original’ film got out-grossed at the box office in its first weekend by an unnecessary comedy sequel.

Rating: 4/5

The Feature Presentation

Recently, I’ve been participating in some audio podcasts with a few of my fellow ‘film buffs’. I’m a part of the podcast group known as ‘The Feature Presentation’ (formerly known as ‘Gateway614’). Some of the other members of this group include Matthew Goudreau, Augie King (who, like me, also has his own blog (licensetoreview.blogspot.com)), Kevin Montes, and Alex McDevitt. We have done podcasts for many films, including some of the recent blockbusters (Star Trek Into Darkness, Iron Man 3, and Man of Steel) and a few series retrospectives (including the Superman franchise and Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe). You can find us on Twitter (@Gateway614) and on YouTube (type in our old podcast name, Gateway614, and you’ll find our channel). I hope you enjoy them, and that you’ll stay tuned for future podcasts from the men of ‘The Feature Presentation’.

To get you started, here’s a link to one of our podcasts…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr4l-gHyN4U

The Lone Ranger (2013) review

When ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ was released in 2003, no one really expected a film based off of a Disney ride to be that much of a hit. But, to everyone’s surprise, it was, and it soon led the way to three more sequels (two of which have passed the billion dollar mark at the box office). This year, the main crew behind the ‘Pirates’ series (star Johnny Depp, director Gore Verbinski, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio) reunite for a modern adaptation of ‘The Lone Ranger’, a series that got its start as a radio program back in the 30’s, which later spawned a TV show and a couple of movies. It seems like the filmmakers are hoping that this film will start up a new film franchise the same way ‘Pirates’ did a decade ago. However, with most critics giving the film negative reviews and a less than stellar performance at the box office so far, it’s probably unlikely. However, this film is actually better than what critics have been saying right now. Sure, it’s not perfect, mainly because of length and script issues, but it’s a fun movie that manages to get by despite its flaws.

The story, as told by an elderly Indian named Tonto (Johnny Depp) to a kid in 1930’s San Francisco, takes place in Texas in 1869 and follows John Reid (Armie Hammer), a lawyer who ends up being recruited to the Texas Rangers by his older brother Dan (James Badge Dale). John joins his brother and their fellow Rangers on a mission to find and capture notorious outlaw Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner). The Rangers end up getting ambushed by Cavendish’s men and are all killed, including Dan. John, however, survives and after meeting with the younger Tonto, learns that he is a ‘Spirit Walker’, a man who has ‘been to the other side’ and cannot be killed in battle. Looking to enact revenge on Cavendish for the death of his brother, John teams up with Tonto (who is also looking to find Cavendish for his own reasons) and takes up the persona of the masked vigilante, ‘The Lone Ranger’.

The biggest problem this movie has is that it’s too long. The movie is about 149 minutes long and that’s just too much for a film with a script that is just not strong enough for a film of that length. This movie would have worked much better had it been trimmed by about half an hour because the main plot is a fairly simple story when you think about it. The main character seeks revenge on the villain for the death of his brother; that’s pretty much it. But it seems like the writers ended up adding in more besides that, which is why the movie is this long. There are two other villains beside Cavendish; a railroad tycoon (Tom Wilkinson) and a corrupt Calvary captain (Barry Pepper). The inclusion of Wilkinson’s character actually does work in regard to the story, but Pepper’s character is really just… there to be a villain. The way the whole narrative is set up is also rather awkward too, because there are certain points where the kid who the elderly Tonto is telling the story to interrupts him, and the Tonto from back then even looks to the camera acknowledging this as well, which really makes no sense. I’m not saying it’s bad, but it could have been handled a bit better.

But the main thing that keeps this movie together is its two leads. Depp and Hammer work off each other very well and they have really good camaraderie, resulting in a good amount of humor. As Tonto, Depp is pretty much channeling his ‘Jack Sparrow’ persona again here, but it still works very well and he is responsible for the majority of the humor in this film because of how ‘eccentric’ he can be. As the Lone Ranger, Hammer is perfectly cast in the role, displaying the right level of charm and wit, especially when working alongside Depp. Finally, there’s a nice supporting cast to back them up, including William Fichtner (properly menacing as Butch Cavendish), James Badge Dale (who’s having quite a year so far, appearing in 3 blockbuster movies; Iron Man 3, World War Z, and this), Ruth Wilson as Dan’s wife Rebecca (who has a bit of romantic connection to John as well), and Helena Botham Carter as the owner of a brothel who also has a connection to Cavendish.

Right now, ‘The Lone Ranger’ stands at 23% on Rotten Tomatoes and to that I say this… this movie is not as bad as that rating may seem. For the record, I’m not saying the movie’s perfect. It does suffer mainly from a length problem because for a movie that is about two and a half hours long, the script just doesn’t have enough in it to justify that length. But the movie still manages to work mainly for one main reason; it’s fun. If you’re able to go into this movie and not take it too seriously, then I guarantee that you’ll have a good time. This can also serve as a nice introduction for a new audience to this character, namely because there hasn’t been anything related to the Lone Ranger for at least three decades. Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer do work together quite nicely, and I would look forward to seeing them do another film in this series; just make sure that, if they do another ‘Lone Ranger’ film (which may not happen if the movie bombs at the box office), don’t make it two and a half hours long.

(On a side note, this movie does have a bit of a ‘post-credits’ stinger, but believe me… there’s not much to it.)

Rating: 3.5/5

2013 MIDYEAR RECAP

We are now halfway through the year of 2013, and while there are still a lot of films coming out in the next few months, it’s time to take a look back at the year so far. All in all, 2013 has been a pretty solid year for movies. I can’t really say that it’s been as good of a year as last year (which saw so many good movies come out that I had to do a ‘Top 12’ instead of a ‘Top 10’) but there have been some very good movies that have come out this year. I say that even though a lot of films this year have actually gotten rather mixed reviews from critics and some have even received a mixed reception from audiences. In fact, my Top 3 films of the year right now have all received a rather mixed reception from not only critics, but most likely audiences as well. What three films are they? I’ll get into those later, but for now I’ll be looking back at all of the films that I have seen so far. I’m not really looking at these films in any specific order, but more in terms of overall ‘quality’ from worst to best. With that said, let’s start with the lowest of lows in 2013.  

WORST FILM OF THE YEAR (SO FAR):

A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD

Wow, this was a straight-up insult to a once great franchise and it’s very sad that a generic action film has to be a part of the Die Hard franchise. None of the things that made this series great are present in this film; the villains are horrible, John McClane is no longer the ‘everyman’ that he was in the past, and worst of all there’s absolutely no tension. John and his son Jack (no chemistry between them, by the way) are pretty much superheroes that go through so much and yet come out with barely any scratches. Actually, ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ does have two of the biggest villains in franchise history; director John Moore and writer Skip Woods, who are responsible for this piece of s***. There are plans for a sixth Die Hard film, but if you ask me, they should just end the series now; just to prevent any further embarrassments.

SOME OTHER FORGETTABLE FILMS:

I’m not saying these films are the worst of the year, but they’re not films I’ve remembered fondly of since seeing them.

G.I. JOE RETALIATION

My opinion of this film has changed quite a bit since I saw it and since I posted my review of it. I’ll admit I don’t think I was able to give my full thoughts on the film at the time because this was one of the worst theater experiences I ever had (there were people behind me who did not shut up throughout the entire film. Heck, I can do a whole post on how annoying things like that have been over the last few months). Still, looking back, this is a film I won’t be remembering down the road. Sure, in a way, ‘Retaliation’ is a better-made film compared to its predecessor but I actually have to admit that, recently, I’ve come to like ‘Rise of Cobra’. It’s a fun little popcorn flick that is entertaining when not taken seriously. As for ‘Retaliation’, I’m not as big on it. It’s not as ridiculously over-the-top but that does not excuse some weak writing and character development. Also, this film has some of the B.S. marketing in recent years due to the whole controversy surrounding supposed reshoots to give more screen time to Channing Tatum. Guess what? They didn’t change a damn thing.

GANGSTER SQUAD

 ‘Gangster Squad’ was the first film I saw this year; a film that was pushed back from a 2012 release because the filmmakers had to do reshoots because of a scene where gangsters shoot up a movie theater in the wake of the Aurora shootings. As for the film itself, it’s okay. It’s a fun little gangster popcorn flick but the major thing that holds this film back from being good is the writing (and I also like to point this out… the writer of this film was hired to pen ‘Justice League’). Character development is there, but only for the two main characters in the film (played by Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling). As for the rest of the cast, including Anthony Mackie, Emma Stone, and Robert Patrick, they’re really not given anything to do. I don’t really want to say anything more about ‘Justice League’ but unless they decide to go for a different writer, I’d be a little worried if I were you, DC fans.

PAIN AND GAIN



Okay, I’m rather surprised that this film ended up in this category because it’s a Michael Bay film and until now, all of his films (good and bad) are always memorable. For the record, like with every Bay film, this film is entertaining but as a film that’s based off of a true, ridiculous, and rather horrific story, the route that Bay takes with this film is an odd one. This is intended to be a comedy and for the first half of the film, which revolves around the main characters kidnapping a rich/spoiled businessman, the film does succeed at doing that. But then the second half of the film starts to change things up, where the ‘protagonists’ (and I use that term loosely because these are murderers we’re talking about here) end up killing two people. This scenario is just too dark for a ‘comedy’, so as a whole, the film is quite uneven. The cast is pretty good (the standout being Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) but if you haven’t seen the film yet, I warn you… this film may not be for everyone.

NOTABLE RECOMMENDATIONS:

Here are a few films that I do recommend…

42



The true-life story of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American baseball player to break the color barrier, is represented pretty well in this film, which can serve as a great introduction to Robinson’s accomplishments. Admittedly though, the film is kind of romanticized. The film is a bit too clean and the struggles that Robinson went through in his first year with the Brooklyn Dodgers weren’t really fully looked into, like the death threats that he received (that’s just mentioned once). But that does not mean that this is a bad film. The acting is solid, especially from newcomer Chadwick Boseman as Robinson, and it’s an entertaining and well-made film even though it could have been a bit more edgy.

WARM BODIES



At first, I wasn’t really that interested in this film because it looked like a zombie version of ‘Twilight’. But once the film started getting good reviews, I decided to give it a chance and thankfully, the movie actually was good because while the story does look like the zombie ‘Twilight’, this is far better written than ‘Twilight’ with much more likable leads. I also have to give kudos to Nicholas Hoult, who does a fantastic job as the male lead ‘R’, who is both charming and likable. Hoult is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors thanks to not just this movie, but another film as well that also came out this year. That other film…

JACK THE GIANT SLAYER



While the box office may say otherwise, I’d say Nicholas Hoult is having quite a year so far. The reason I mention the box office is because right now ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ has been the ‘John Carter’ of the year, having performed poorly at the box office against a rather huge budget. It’s unfortunate because the movie is a fun adventure flick even with a fairly formulaic story. Hoult once again is fantastic in the lead role of Jack, displaying the same charming and likable personality we saw in ‘Warm Bodies’. A solid supporting cast, including Ewan McGregor and Stanley Tucci, also help the film. So, in the end, this is a fun film even if it may have flopped at the box office.

OBLIVION



In the film industry, we see so many sequels, reboots, and remakes all the time that it’s quite refreshing when an original film like this comes out. Director Joseph Kosinski does a fantastic job at setting up a post-apocalyptic universe and the story keeps your interest throughout along with the interesting characters. Also, like with Kosinski’s last film, the music here (done by M83) is terrific and it’s one of the best scores of the year so far. However, the writing falls apart at the end of the film; it doesn’t really tie up all of the film’s loose ends. Still, as a whole, Oblivion is a rock-solid science fiction film and another solid outing from Kosinski (along with 2010’s ‘Tron: Legacy’). I believe this won’t be the last we hear from this director.

NOW YOU SEE ME



As I said in my review of this film, I get the idea that magicians aren’t really as popular as they were back in the 90’s or earlier than that. I myself have always been of a fan of magic which could be as to why I did really like this film. It’s an entertaining thriller with a top notch cast. But aside from that, the movie actually manages to surprise you, which is quite rare in this modern age where the internet can reveal everything about a movie. Even if you aren’t really a fan of magic, this is a film I do recommend.

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY



After back-to-back misfires with ‘Cars 2’ and ‘Brave’, Pixar finally gets back on track with this prequel to Monsters Inc., a film that’s recently become one of my personal favorites from Pixar. It’s a charming and creative look as to how Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan AKA Sulley met while at college after initially being rivals. It’s more appealing to the kids but I’m sure that adults will find it entertaining as well. It’s still not one of Pixar’s best, but after two less than stellar films, it’s good to see the company getting back on track.

THIS IS THE END



Who knew a movie about the end of the world would be so funny, in a good way? That’s exactly what ‘This is the End’ does, thanks in part due to its main cast; each actor/actress playing a fictionalized version of themselves. The six main leads (Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride) work off each other very well, which leads to some very funny, but also really bizarre, moments. It’s easily the best comedy of the year so far.

FAST AND FURIOUS 6



It’s amazing how far the ‘Fast and Furious’ series has come since its beginnings in the early 2000’s. The series has gotten better and better ever since Justin Lin took over as director of the franchise and that’s once again evident with the sixth film. At this point, the filmmakers are aware of how silly this franchise can be and they just roll with it. This film doesn’t try to be something it isn’t. It’s a fun and exciting action film that does defy logic and physics any chance it gets. But still, this is another great entry in a series that has gotten better over the years. Dare I say this is actually the best one yet? Plus, while sadly Justin Lin will not return for the 7^th film, the post-credits scene of this film sets it up pretty darn well.

And now, here are my…

TOP 5 OF THE YEAR (SO FAR)

5. IRON MAN 3

‘Iron Man 3’ is another great comic book film from Marvel, especially as the first post-Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For one thing, this film proves that even after a film like ‘The Avengers’, a solo superhero film can still work. ‘Iron Man 3’ is a quite different take on a superhero film, as evident from the creative choices that director/co-writer Shane Black makes in this film, especially a big twist regarding the supposed main villain. As controversial as it is, it worked enough in the story even if it’s quite a drastic change from the comics. Robert Downey Jr. gives what is arguably his best performance as Tony Stark yet in another great outing from Marvel.

4. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS



I had listed this film as my most anticipated film of the year, so did it live up to my expectations? Well, for the most part, it did not disappoint. Sure, it’s not as good as the previous Star Trek film, which is mostly because there are some elements of the film that aren’t really developed as much as others. Also, while the film also features a terrific performance from Benedict Cumberbatch as the main villain, the reveal that he is one of Star Trek’s most iconic villains, Khan, raises an important question; is this film trying to be the modern version of ‘Wrath of Khan’, because there are many similarities between this film and what is easily the best Star Trek film to date. Still, aside from that, the way Khan is used in the film is a pretty good change from what we saw before, the relationship between Kirk and Spock is a definite highlight of the film, and Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are both fantastic in the roles once again. Even with a third act that is admittedly a bit rushed, ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ is a rock-solid follow-up to the 2009 reboot.

3. MAN OF STEEL

It may not have been my most anticipated film of the year, but this film had the most going for it, as it’s the film that might set up a ‘DC Cinematic Universe’. I’m pleased to say that ‘Man of Steel’ was quite good and is easily the best Superman film since the first two Christopher Reeve films. It is quite a different take on Superman, but it works very well and you can thank director Zack Snyder for that. Sure, Christopher Nolan might be producing the film, but this is clearly Snyder’s film. Nolan’s influence is more in the writing, which is excellent because it’s the first Superman film to really focus on the character of Superman himself and how he struggles to live amongst us humans when he is an alien from another world. This is actually more the story of Clark Kent, but don’t worry Superman is still just as important. Casting is also superb; Henry Cavill is great as Superman, and both Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner are excellent as Superman’s two fathers and you can see the influence that both have on him. This is pretty much the ‘Batman Begins’ of the Superman franchise and yes, I’m eagerly awaiting not just a sequel, but a Zack Snyder directed sequel. Yes, I doubted him at first after ‘Sucker Punch’ but kudos to the guy for making a great Superman film.

2. THE GREAT GATSBY



Director Baz Luhrmann’s take on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel of the same name is easily the most exciting adaptation of the story, thanks in part to Luhrmann’s trademark visual style and very unique soundtrack, which mixes jazz with modern rap and believe it or not, this actually works really well. However, even amidst the visuals, the major themes of the story are still there, including the idea of excess and the decline of the American Dream. The cast is also brilliant, including Leonardo DiCaprio in another Oscar-worthy performance as Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as the narrator Nick Carraway, and Carey Mulligan as Gatsby’s old lover Daisy. The writing is fantastic and Luhrmann’s visuals are not distracting to the point that the story and characters aren’t important anymore. It’s a damn fine film, ‘Old Sport’.

1. OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

It’s hard for a prequel to actually be good, especially when considering that this film is a prequel to one of the most beloved films of all time, 1939’s ‘Wizard of Oz’. I really didn’t go into this film with high expectations but I surprisingly ended up liking this film more than I thought I would. For one thing, it doesn’t suffer from ‘prequelitis’, and the references made towards ‘The Wizard of Oz’ are well-done and are not crammed in there just to be there. Obviously, the visuals are fantastic and this is also one of the few films that I actually recommend seeing in 3-D, as it is well-used here and not distracting. But the writing is also pretty good along with the acting (especially from Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams as the witches Evanora and Glinda, respectively). There is one notable exception in the cast, but that’s more during the second half of the film when that person’s character goes through a change. This is one of the best fantasy films I have seen in a long time and while it may not be as good as the original Wizard of Oz (but come on, that’s a tough act to follow), director Sam Raimi’s take on Oz is certainly the best Oz film since the original classic. Right now, it is my favorite film of 2013 so far.

2013 Preview: July

2013 is now halfway over, but there’s still six months of movies left to go before 2014. Welcome back to Rhode Island Movie Corner’s year-long preview of the films coming out during 2013. This is Part 7 and today we’ll be looking at the films that will hit theaters during the month of July, which include a couple of sequels and some big blockbusters.

JULY 3- A pair of blockbusters hit theaters during Fourth of July Weekend, both of which will be opening early on the Wednesday before July 4^th.

*The first major release of the month is ‘Despicable Me 2’, the sequel to 2010’s surprise hit ‘Despicable Me’, which followed a super-villain named Gru (Steve Carell) who adopted three girls (Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher). These four return for the sequel, which sees Gru recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help deal with a powerful new super-villain. The rest of the voice cast includes Kristen Wiig (in a different role than the one she played in the previous film), Benjamin Bratt (who replaced Al Pacino, who left the project due to creative differences), and Steve Coogan.

*The other release that week is ‘The Lone Ranger’, the newest film from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The project was plagued by budget concerns but is now finally set to come out this week after being pushed back from a 2012 release. Armie Hammer stars in the main role of John Reid, a Texas Ranger who survives an ambush from a bunch of outlaws and takes on the new identity of ‘The Lone Ranger’, fighting crime alongside an Indian warrior named Tonto (Johnny Depp).

JULY 12- This weekend sees an Adam Sandler comedy and a big-budget sci-fi film from Guillermo Del Toro coming out.

*The follow-up to 2010’s ‘Grown-Ups’, ‘Grown-Ups 2’, will hit theaters this weekend. The majority of the main cast from the previous film (save for Rob Schneider) and director Dennis Dugan return for this new film, which sees Adam Sandler’s Lenny move back to his old hometown with his wife and their kids. Some new members of the cast include Andy Samberg, Taylor Lautner, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, and Shaquille O’Neal.



*The latest film from director Guillermo Del Toro, ‘Pacific Rim’, is the other major release of the week. This film takes place in the near future, where giant monsters known as ‘Kaiju’ emerge from a ‘portal’ in the Pacific Ocean and begin to wreak havoc on the planet. Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, and Rinko Kikuchi star as members of a Defense Corporation that builds giant robots called Jaegars to take on the invading Kaiju.

JULY 17- While there are quite a couple of films coming out only 2 days later, one film will hit theaters early on the Wednesday before July 19^th.



*After grossing more than 576 million worldwide with ‘The Croods’, DreamWorks will release their second major release of the year, ‘Turbo’. Ryan Reynolds (who also starred in ‘Croods’) stars as the titular ‘Turbo’, a garden snail who dreams of becoming a famous racer. This dream starts to come true after a freak accident gives him super speed. This movie will soon be followed by a TV series, Turbo F.A.S.T. (Fast Action Stunt Team) that will debut exclusively on Netflix in December.

JULY 19- Not including Turbo, a staggering 4 films will hit theaters this weekend (plus one for those in the U.K.).



*Speaking of Ryan Reynolds, another movie of his, R.I.P.D., will hit theaters two days after ‘Turbo’.  This film, based off of the Dark Horse comic ‘Rest in Peace Department’ by Peter M. Lenkov, follows a cop (Reynolds) who is killed in action and is then ‘enlisted’ in a ‘dead’ police department known as the R.I.P.D. He is then partnered with Roy (Jeff Bridges) and the two officers team up in order to take on evil spirits. The film is directed by Robert Schwentke (‘Red’) and also stars Mary Louise Parker and Kevin Bacon.



*Meanwhile, Schwentke’s 2010 action comedy ‘Red’ will get a sequel in ‘Red 2’, which hits theaters the same weekend. Dean Parisot (Galaxy Quest) takes over for Schwentke behind the camera for this film, which finds ex-CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) on the run from Interpol. John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, and Brian Cox reprise their roles from the previous film alongside newcomers Catherine Zeta Jones, Lee Byung-hun, and Anthony Hopkins.



*For the horror crowd, ‘The Conjuring’ hits theaters this weekend. The film is directed by James Wan (‘Saw’, ‘Insidious’, and the latter’s sequel, which comes out in September) and stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as a pair of paranormal investigators that try to help a family deal with a dark presence that is in their farmhouse.



*Finally, in the U.S. (in a more limited release), there’s ‘Only God Forgives’, which reunites Ryan Gosling with ‘Drive’ director Nicholas Winding Refn. In this film, Gosling plays a drug smuggler in Bangkok, Thailand who is compelled to find out who is responsible for the death of his brother. The film was previously screened at Cannes, where it was actually booed by the Festival audience.



*For those in the U.K., ‘The World’s End’ will be released this weekend. The final film in Edgar Wright’s ‘Cornetto Trilogy’ will be released later in the U.S. in August (more on the film next month).

JULY 26- This weekend, there’s one release in the U.S. and another in the U.K.



*Hugh Jackman will reprise his role as Wolverine in two movies that are set to come out; 2014’s ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ and ‘The Wolverine’; the latter hitting theaters this year. Based off of the 1982 limited series ‘Wolverine’ by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, the film follows Wolverine as he travels to Japan, where he comes across a mysterious figure from his past and ends up losing his immortality. James Mangold (the 2007 remake of ‘3:10 to Yuma’) directs this film, which is set after the events of ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’.



*The latest adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ will be released in the U.K. this weekend. The first since Baz Luhrmann’s modern day remake in 1996, this version is a traditional take on the story (similar to Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film adaptation). Hailee Steinfeld (2010’s ‘True Grit’) and Douglas Booth star as Romeo and Juliet, along with Damian Lewis (Homeland) as Lord Capulet, Paul Giamatti as Friar Laurence, and Kodi Smit-McPhee (‘Let Me In’, ‘Paranorman’) as Benvolio.

JULY 31- The final release of the month is another early Wednesday release, two days before the first releases of August.



*Two years after 2011’s ‘The Smurfs’ grossed over 500 million worldwide, the miniature blue creatures return for a sequel, ‘The Smurfs 2’. The main cast from the previous film returns for this film along with director Raja Gosnell. In this film, the Smurfs’ nemesis Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette after creating two ‘evil’ Smurfs called the Naughties.

And that’s the lineup of films hitting theaters during July. Check back next month for Part 8, where we’ll be looking at the film lineup for August.