July 2015 is the cross your fingers month, with plenty of reboots, spinoffs, and bounce back films for hopeful directors:
TERMINATOR GENISYS
The Good: Schwarzenegger back in the role he was born to play, Game of Thrones director and star team up in movie, strong supporting cast
The Bad: Alan Taylor directed the anemic Thor 2, multiple writers, reboot rehashing a similar time travel option
Prediction:
This movie’s reboot is shameless, and will copy Star Trek’s exact path via time travel. The writers are good, but there’s a lot of fan service necessary here that I don’t think Taylor can pull off.
MAGIC MIKE XXL
The Good: Beefy men, Channing Tatum, Steven Soderbergh muse as a director, clever cast additions
The Bad: No Steven Soderbergh, no Matthew McConaughey, where does the story go?
Prediction:
Soderbergh’s and McConaughey’s abandonment will hurt this movie a lot, as well as where the story goes from here. Feels like a fun misfire.
MINIONS
The Good: Minions were the best part of the Despicable Me films, the same director as the Despicable movies, good CGI
The Bad: Unproven writer
Prediction:
Cultural demand forced a Minion centric movie, but with the same animation team onboard, I have great faith that this will be hella fun, and could possibly be something special.
ANT-MAN
The Good: Adam McKay and Paul Rudd rewrote the script, Paul Rudd is charming, the cast is solid, Marvel’s creative team.
The Bad: The director/writer have changed multiple times, and as recently as last year.
Prediction:
This will be lesser Marvel, but that production company knows what it is doing. Paul Rudd will do his damdest, and hopefully this movie is more fun than morose.
PAN
The Good: Joe Wright is a very good dramatic director, Hugh Jackman, Rooney Mara, amazing scenery, good superhero production company
The Bad: First big role for child actor, untested writer
Prediction:
Disney’s animated Pan is a forgotten Disney movie. The Arrow/Flash team’s production company has the property now, and they do wonders with those superheroes. Rooney Mara and Hugh Jackman will help make this movie a summer surprise.
TRAINWRECK
The Good: Judd Apatow, Amy Schumer’s ear for comedy, loopiness of dog walkers, intimidating cast
The Bad: Judd Apatow the director hasn’t been too great recently
Prediction:
I smell comeback for Apatow for this one. The cast is great, including Brie Larson and Daniel Radcliffe, and Amy Schumer has been great leading her series on Comedy Central.
PIXELS
The Good: Chris Columbus is great with kids movies, Peter Dinklage
The Bad: Adam Sandler, the “writer” of Grown Ups 2, multiple writers, Happy Madison Production Company
Prediction:
Adam Sandler’s appeal to his kids and friends at the same time. This movie will ruin older video games for you. Wait till Game of Thrones returns to see Dinklage.
POLTERGEIST
The Good: Sam Raimi producing a horror movie, decent reboot writer, Sam Rockwell
The Bad: Untested director, PG-13 rating
Prediction:
Sam Raimi has a flair for fun takes on the horror genre, and the ok 1982 film could use a modernized reboot. Expect lots of BOO moments.