Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of the Summer Movie Preview.
Welcome back, movie-goers! After an unexpected week off I’ve returned to deliver the third and final installment of my 2011 Summer Movie Preview. This week I’ll be taking a look at July’s slate of movies, where we’ll see a long-running franchise finally come to a close, some robots doing robot stuff, the birth of an iconic superhero, and cowboys playing with aliens. It’s been a hot summer so far, but can July keep the fire burning? Let’s find out, shall we?
July 1 – Transformers: Dark of the Moon
So here we are at the third installment of the Transformers franchise. Dark of the Moon focuses on the discovery of a Cybertronian ship on the, you guessed it, dark side of the moon. Apparently, as seen in the teaser trailer, it was discovered by the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 and became top-secret government knowledge. Again, the original cast reprises their roles, with the one tiny exception of Megan Fox. Yep, all that awkward romance between Sam and Mikaela from the first two films is history, with a new love interest portrayed by English model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. There’s really not much else to discuss about this film, other than that it has the potential to disappoint fans, but how is that any different than the first two? You can view the newest trailer below…
July 15 – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
After ten years and seven previous films, the wildly-successful Harry Potter movie franchise draws to a close with part two of The Deathly Hallows. For those of you that have read the books I know that there is no need for a synopsis, and for those of you that have only watched the movies, well, don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you (although, unless you’ve been living under a rock since 2007 you know what happens). Most of you have probably grown up with these films, having gone through most of your school age years witnessing Harry and his friends (and enemies) mature, as well as seeing yourself do the same. Lucky for you, graduating high school doesn’t involve dueling to the death with the single-most powerful and evil wizard the world has ever known (and if it does then you have got to let me know so I can send my non-existent kids there someday. That’ll be such a character-building experience!). While we don’t have a trailer yet, there is a featurette, so check it out below…
July 22 – Captain America: The First Avenger
After advertising the Avengers for four feature films now (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, and Thor), Marvel finally rolls out the last of the main characters to be involved in Captain America: The First Avenger. Chris Evans (who has experience portraying a superhero as Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four films) stars as Steve Rogers, a scrawny soldier deemed unfit to serve who volunteers to be part of a top-secret “super soldier” program during World War II. The experiment grants him uncanny fighting skills and enhanced reflexes which he uses to thwart various German plots, including those of the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). Joe Johnston (The Wolfman, Hidalgo) directs the film, which has been described as a cross between Saving Private Ryan and The Rocketeer. Tommy Lee Jones also stars. While there isn’t a full trailer out yet you can check out the latest sneak-peak courtesy of Entertainment Tonight below…
July 29 – Cowboys and Aliens
The end of July brings us the sci-fi western Cowboys and Aliens, directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf). Starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde, Cowboys and Aliens is set in 1873 Arizona. Jake Lonergan (Craig) wakes up with no memory of his past and a strange device attached to his arm. Upon entering the town of Absolution, he finds out that he is a wanted criminal and comes into conflict with Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Ford). Soon, mysterious beings begin attacking the town, and Lonergan must ally himself with Dolarhyde in order to stop them. Check out the trailer below…
Other Films Opening in July
July 8 – Zookeeper
July 15 – Winnie the Pooh
Well folks, that’s it for my 2011 Summer Movie Preview. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them for you. On behalf of myself and the rest of us here at If It’s Movies, may your movie-going experiences be awesome, your popcorn plentiful, and your soda never-ending.