August and September are a little bit the dregs of the movie world, but there is enough intrigue and chance for surprise to be hopeful:
SUICIDE SQUAD
The Good: Margot Robbie is awesome, and Will Smith is hella charismatic, plus David Ayer is good when he writes and directs his own stuff.
The Bad: This movie has had MASSIVE reshoots.
Prediction:
Should be better than Batman V. Superman, but I’m a little worried.
PETE’S DRAGON
The Good: Disney is a machine usually for a reason.
The Bad: The bad guys look pretty bad, and this might be too glossy for a live action dragon movie, when we already have two great animated ones.
Prediction:
This will be a solid family film, but probably too simple.
SAUSAGE PARTY
The Good: The premise is great, and Rogen/Goldberg know how to write a great funny movie.
The Bad: Will the joke run out too quickly?
Prediction:
This is gonna be funny as hell.
BEN-HUR
The Good: Strong visual director.
The Bad: Remakes of epics are NOT smart, and there are no names in the cast.
Prediction:
This reeks of potential big studio blunder.
WAR DOGS
The Good: Miles Teller and Jonah Hill has the potential to be a comedic fusion of fantastic proportions.
The Bad: Todd Phillips is bipolar as a director, as in Hangover followed by Due Date
Prediction:
Feels like funny with a point. And at worst, Teller and Hill should be awesome together.
DON’T BREATHE
The Good: Nice twist on the trapped in a house premise. And Stephen Lang needs more movie roles.
The Bad: Character justification feels like it could be a big problem.
Prediction:
Should be scary, but not great.
SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU
The Good: This real life love story has a happy ending.
The Bad: Could get too cliched too quickly.
Prediction:
This should be adorable, bordering on oppressively charming.
SULLY
The Good: Clint Eastwood should be awesome directing a plane crash, and Tom Hanks is always good.
The Bad: Much like Flight, is the story after the crash gonna be as captivating as the crash itself?
Prediction:
Replace Zemeckis/Washington with Eastwood/Hanks and you basically have the same film.
BRIDGET JONES’S BABY
The Good: All the British greats are back.
The Bad: There’s a reason there’s zero clamoring for a new Bridget Jones movie
Prediction:
Movie version of cotton candy that is really fiberglass.
SNOWDEN
The Good: A movie about THE biggest question and most fascinating individual of our digital age.
The Bad: A dramatization of an already well documented event.
Prediction:
Oliver Stone’s movies are usually interesting, but hasn’t he learned his lesson about covering real life hot button topics like JFK or George W. Bush?
NERVE
The Good: A talented cast of character actors and streamlined writing team.
The Bad: This premise feels like it is written by old people scared of technology.
Prediction:
The premise will drag any good this movie has into the mud.
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
The Good: Megatalented cast plus a Training Day Reunion.
The Bad: Westerns aren’t in strong demand, and there is already a decent Magnificent Seven.
Prediction:
At worst this should be serviceable, but it has the potential to be great.
QUEEN OF KATWE
The Good: Disney diversifying away from its whiteness, and showcasing life in Africa.
The Bad: Untrusted writer.
Prediction:
A solid family film that could help Disney make more family films about underrepresented cultures in movies.
MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULAIR CHILDREN
The Good: The cast is great and Tim Burton is a smart director for this source material.
The Bad: As Tim Burton has aged, his success rate is all over the place.
Prediction:
At least Johnny Depp is not in this one, as far as I know.
DEEPWATER HORIZON
The Good: Peter Berg is a decent director, and Mark Wahlberg is certainly a credible leading man.
The Bad: Word on the street is that this movie is apolitical, forgetting all the carnage around the explosion.
Prediction:
Should be a solid but forgettable action movie.