Nerd Movie Preview: Summer 2008
It’s Getting Hot Outside, and Movies are Always Air Conditioned
The Dark Knight
June 6th, 2008 - I have made it no secret that I was disappointed by Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But that’s all right – there are still plenty of other movies coming out this summer that I am just itching to see. They might not all live up to the hype, but the optimist in me needs something to believe in. Anyway, below are the remaining Nerd Movies (that’s a compliment, just in case you were wondering) set to grace theaters this summer, starting with my most highly anticipated, and working my way down from there.
The Dark Knight - An absolute no-brainer. I (and every other slobbering fanboy out there) am counting down the days till July 18th. Batman Begins was freaking amazing, and Bale and Nolan clearly set out to top themselves with this sequel. From what we’ve seen so far, the late Heath Ledger’s incarnation of the Joker looks so profoundly disturbing that it’s pretty impossible to imagine this not being a great flick. And if you appreciate Hans Zimmer’s work, check out this article on the movie's soundtrack.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – I have no shame in admitting that as soon as I heard I was going to be able to see Star Wars in a movie theatre again, the geek in me got giddy as a schoolgirl. Sure, it’s not the same as a brand new live-action movie, but the 3-D animation looks amazing, and as good as it will look on your TV at home, it’s only going to look that much cooler on the big screen.
The X-Files: I Want to Believe – All right, the show went out on a pretty shitty note, there is no debate there. But that doesn’t make you “want to believe” that they can redeem the franchise now? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) The opportunity seems ripe for Chris Carter to tie up some of the loose ends of the main mythology arc, but then again, some of the show’s best moments were the stand-alone episodes, so this could be a winner.
Hancock – This is an extremely interesting concept for a superhero movie - what if Superman was a dick? I didn't love I Am Legend, but Will Smith wasn't what it killed it for me, more the fact that I felt like I’d seen the movie a dozen times or so before. I can see this movie going either way, but it has Teen Wolf Too, so it seems worth checking out.
Tropic Thunder – The big question surrounding this flick is, “Can Ben Stiller deliver another movie on par with Zoolander?” This is the first time since Derek Z. learned to turn left that Stiller is starring in a movie that he also produced and directed, so anticipation is high. The fact that Jack Black and a resurgent Robert Downey Jr. costar only adds to this movie’s high hopes.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army – The trailer for this movie looks like good, trippy, Guillermo del Toro-y fun, and that’s always a good thing. And enjoy it now, because the third installment might have to wait for a couple of Hobbit movies to be made first.
Pineapple Express – Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen certainly make for a winning team, and if they can do for the stoner comedy what they’ve done for the romantic comedy, all should be right with the world. That said, the preview of this movie included on the Superbad DVD was less than hysterical, so I’m a little hesitant about this one.
Wall-E – How can a Pixar movie be called a nerd movie? For starters, it’s about robots in the future. Secondly, the animation looks amazing. And finally, these movies typically work on one level for kids and another level for adults.
The Incredible Hulk – Yeah, I know I’m gonna catch flak for having this so low on my list, but I’m just not sold by this one. The trailer looks like it’s a lot of CGI beat-em-up stuff, and I get tired of that very quickly. I could be wrong, but this one just doesn’t grab me like it should.
Wanted – I don’t care how many kids she has or what she’s doing in Africa – Angelina Jolie is super hot. Throw in Green-Lantern- in-training Common, Morgan Freeman, and General Zod himself, and this one has potential.
The Time Traveler's Wife – Time travel movies are notoriously hit or miss. For every Back to the Future, it seems like you have 10 The Jacket’s. Still, this flick looks like it has the goods to be decent. Or at the very least, better than The Fountain.
Disagree with my choices? Or their order? Hit me in the comments.
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