We all love movies, and Ken Glennon has gone out of his way to make sure you know about the biggest movies coming up this summer…
With SIN out of commission until next September here’s a quick rundown of films worth keeping an eye out for until our triumphant return:
The Place beyond the Pines: Out in Galway April 12, Blue Valentine filmmaker Derek Cianfrance reunites with Ryan Gosling for what looks like a sprawling tale of crime and fathers and sons. Featuring Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendez, Rose Byrne and Ray Liotta the promising trailer brings together a strong cast with a director whose last feature was a critical darling. Early reviews suggest its ambitious to a fault with three major interconnected storylines (the last of which allegedly doesn’t feature either leading man) but with the talent involved and Gosling taking a break from acting for the foreseeable future it’s worth a look if and when it makes it to cinemas here in Galway.
Oblivion: Out in Galway April 12. Tom Cruise returns to sci-fi with this intriguing mystery thriller which places him in a near future Earth of the familiar post-apocalyptic variety. Working as drone repair man (echoes of WALL.E) in the ruins of our planet Cruise discovers a mysterious woman (Olga Kurylenko) whose space craft has crash landed on the surface containing secrets pertaining to the war that was said to decimate our planet. Further details are murky but with Morgan Freeman on hand as a revolutionary figure this sounds like a conspiracy thriller with sci-fi DNA. As befitting the man behind the visually spectacular, if thoroughly bland, “TRON” sequel the trailer looks awfully nice.
Pacific Rim: Monsters come up from the sea; the remaining members of humanity build giant robots to fight them. What’s not to love? Bolstered by Pan’s Labyrinth visionary Guillermo Del Toro on writing and directing duties this looks like one of the more enticing big budget epics hitting cinemas this summer with a trailer that’s heavy on monster design and suitably bombastic action. In Irish cinemas on 12 July.
The Great Gatsby: Arriving in Galway May 17, and judging by the trailer (featuring music by Jay Z and an only mildly punchable Tobey Maguire) a lavish affair is in store for fans of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literary classic filmed in 3D by Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann. Leonardo Di Caprio is Gatsby; Carrey Mulligan tackles Daisy Buchanan whilst Tobey Maguire plays Nick Carraway, Joel Edgerton of Warrior fame and Isla Fisher and Jason Clarke round out the impressive cast. Looks like a visual overload which may be in keeping with the tone of Fitzgerald’s epic, but at any rate a 1920s set visual feast for fans of the director and an overdue update on a literary heavyweight.
Heroes Club: Iron Man 3 (April 26), Man of Steel (July 17) and Kick Ass 2 (no Irish release date as at the time of printing) arrive in Irish cinemas to varying degrees of anticipation.
Iron Man 3 comes on the back of the colossal success enjoyed by The Avengers last year and the relative disappointment of Iron Man 2. With the always entertaining Shane Black who made the great Kiss Kiss Bang Bang at the helm and Robert Downey Jnr. being joined by Ben Kingsley on chief bad guy duties with Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall and the returning Don Cheadle and Gwyneth Paltrow, the promising trailer has high hopes for the latest Marvel superhero jaunt.
Likewise producer Christopher Nolan and Watchmen and 300 director Zach Snyder’s take on the eponymous Superman in Man of Steel promises a modern update on the quintessentially kitsch all-American boyscout with the two teaser trailers offering a more nuanced take on the son of krypton. Alternatively any trailer sounds good with Gladiator music playing over it. The film features Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe as Superman’s biological father Jor-El and Michael Shannon as super-villain General Zod.
Finally, casting an eye at the new Kick Ass, the edges of its predecessor look to have been dulled off in the ultra-slick trailer unveiled last month. Aaron Taylor Johnson and Chloe Grace Moretz return feature as Kick Ass and Hit-Girl respectively. The one outstanding highlight previewed is Jim Carrey’s potentially bravura performance as deranged masked vigilante, Colonel Stars and Stripes. For that and more of Chloe Grace Moretz’s Hit-Girl, don’t write Kick Ass 2 off just yet.
Star Trek: Into the Darkness: Release date: 17 May. Following his rejuvenating reboot of the Star Trek franchise JJ Abrahams is back with much of the same cast plus an ace in the hole with English star Benedict Cumberbatch on main bad guy duties. Alice Eve and Peter Weller join the ensemble cast whilst trailers have showcased the revenge themed, typically darker sequel that pits Cumberbatch’s terrorist against Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk. Action previewed is suitably grandiose and Cumberbatch looks the part as the villainous ex-Starfleet cadet.
World War Z: Out the 21 June, the much troubled production history of World War Z may end up being the most interesting aspect of Marc Forester’s (whose last stab at action related material was the ill-fated Bond outing Quantum Of Solace) take on Max Brooks’ same name novel about a Zombie apocalypse. After a string of critical hits, Brad Pitt is back in blockbuster territory with this delayed zombie epic that treats the walking dead as fast moving hordes. Rated PG 13 in the US, think of the threat offered here as a pandemic personified by zombie hordes more than 28 Days Later chills, where genuinely harsh material was depicted onscreen with effectively gruesome results. Shades of 2007’s I Am Legend from the CG monster heavy first trailer (which bears little resemblance to the novel told largely in epistolary form) World War Z may be a perfectly serviceable entertainment in the formers vein.
R.I.P.D: Ryan Reynolds joins a team of dead lawmakers who offer to help him track the man who killed him. It’s tricky and inviting premise, bolstered greatly by the presence of Jeff Bridges and Kevin Bacon from the director of the surprisingly good 2010 action comedy RED. There’s no official release date in Ireland yet but it’s one to look out for given the cast and the director’s last outing.
Elysium: From the director of District 9 comes this class conscious futuristic tale with Matt Damon, Sharlito Copley (seen later as the antagonist in Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake later this year) and Jodie Foster. Set in the year 2159 where rich and poor live respectively in a luxury space station (Elysium) and the ravaged remains of planet Earth (another apocalyptic setting in this recommendations list) this looks like another socially aware action effort from the lauded South African filmmaker. Expect brains and big guns and a bald Matt Damon.
Much Ado about Nothing: Out in the UK on June 14 with an Irish release date likely to follow in select cinemas. Following on from acclaimed feature efforts Serenity and The Avengers, Joss Whedon swaps the theatricality of half a dozen superheroes for some Shakespeare. Shot largely in his own back garden with regular Buffy, Angel and Marvel collaborators thrown into the mix at any rate it’s the follow-up feature from a man who has left not only a major impact on TV in the last decade but also is two for two for feature films.