The 2014 Summer Movie Season officially kicks off tomorrow, May 2nd, with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, a move that once again has the lovable web-slinger jump starting the fourth-month-long blockbuster season. As always, the summer is loaded with franchise fare, from long-in-the-running sequels to intriguing new prospects, but fortunately there’s also an abundance of specialty releases that will provide some artful counter-programming to all the CGI-infused razzle-dazzle. Below, our writers Zack Sharf, Mike Murphy, and James Hausman make their picks for the 20Most Anticipated Movies of the 2014 Summer Movie Seasons. Which flicks have you most excited to get to the theater? Take a look below:
.
1. Boyhood (July 11th) – 12 years in the making, Richard Linklater’s potential masterpiece about a young boy’s adolescence from age 6-18 is without question our most anticipated film of the summer. Amidst the blockbusters that usually flood the summer, Linklater returns to theaters only a year after the concluding chapter of his Before trilogy – which took him 18 years to complete, with part of those films’ productions taking place alongside parts of Boyhood simultaneously – with this time lapsing, indie epic where the lead actor, newcomer Ellar Coltrane, literally grows up before our eyes. Linklater thrives in the realm of realism and simplicity, and while as a motion picture Boyhood is nothing short of ambitious, not to mention clocking in just under three hours, it is sure to have the same nostalgic tendencies as Dazed and Confused, the musical prowess of The School of Rock, and the heart of the aforementioned Before trilogy. As we take a dive into the recent past, Linklater’s intimate dissection of parenting and suburban youth is sure to be the most talked about film of the summer, if not the year. – M.M.
.
2. Godzilla (May 16th) – After years in hibernation, cinema’s most renowned monster is finally set to return to theaters this May! While Godzilla’s last attempt to cross the Pacific Ocean left most moviegoers with a bad taste in their mouth, the anticipation for this new interpretation is through the roof thanks a brilliant marketing campaign that’s bucked recent trends, smartly choosing to tease the eponymous beast and its cryptic story rather than spell it all out. The trailers alone would be enough to raise our excitement here at Reel Reactions, but it’s director Gareth Edward’s unique vision that’s really got us frothing at the mouth. Gareth has gone on record stating that he wants to bring Godzilla back to its roots, highlighting the man vs. nature aspect of the original films over the destruction spectacle. Only time will tell if Edward’s can succeed, but it’s a refreshing idea in the age of mindless spectacle. – J.H.
.
3. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (June 13th) – On average, a DreamWorks animated film is never going to reach the creative heights of any Pixar film. Most DreamWorks films are too content to aim squarely at children with persistent pop culture references and bathroom humor. There’s nothing wrong with this per say, but when measured against Pixar you can’t help but wish DreamWorks would try a little harder. That being said, How to Train Your Dragon was the rare DreamWorks film that truly rose to the occasion, showing that when they really try, DreamWorks is just as capable as Pixar. Finally, four long years later, DreamWorks is set to release How to Train Your Dragon 2 and we couldn’t be more excited. The fact that the film is finally coming out would be enough to land a top spot on this list, but the fact that the trailers are just as wonderful and exciting as you’d hope easily makes How to Train Your Dragon 2 oneof the most anticipated films of the summer.– J.H.
.
4. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (July 11th) – I’m almost positive that no one in 2011 was particularly excited for Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The last time someone had tried to reboot the influential Ape franchise we were given the Tim Burton abomination of 2001, so it’s safe to say that expectations were quite low. It’s for these very reasons that Rise was such a surprise smash hit, because it wasn’t just a solid reboot, it was a really great movie, arguably the best of that summer. Now, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes won’t have the same element of surprise, instead it’s one of the most anticipated movies of 2014, and it should have no problem filling its processors big shoes. Matt Reeves is stepping in as director and he’s already proven he knows how to direct big movies with Cloverfield, not to mention a great cast and a jump into the more dystopian future and a couple tantalizing trailers. – J.H
.
5. 22 Jump Street (June 13th) – Before 21 Jump Street hit theaters in March 2008, it seemed all anyone could talk about was Jonah Hill’s dramatic weight loss, but as audiences came out in huge numbers for the R-rated comedy, two way more important things became abundantly clear: 1) Channing Tatum has some serious comedic chops and a fearlessness to parody his own pretty boy image, and 2) directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller and screenwriter Michael Bacall are some kind of comedy meta lords. By turning a TV-to-film adaptation into an explosive, razor sharp send-up of Hollywood’s obsession withsuch reboots, Jump Street was perhaps the most gut-punching non-Apatow R-rated comedy in years. By taking our lovable duo to the logical next step – undercover agents in college – expect 22 to deliver more belly laughs and more wicked satire. – Z.S.
.
6. A Most Wanted Man (July 25th) – British novelist John Le Carre is a master of brooding, atmospheric espionage, and film’s based off his novels – The Constant Gardener, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy – have been gorgeous, twisty mazes that force the viewer to slowly and carefully make his/her way out with all the facts. If the immaculate trailer is any indication, expect A Most Wanted Man, about a half-Chechen, half-Russian, brutally tortured immigrant who turns up in Hamburg’s Islamic community laying claim to his father’s ill-gotten fortune, to deliver a similar knockout of slow-building tension. Director Anton Corbijn’s last feature, 2010’s The American with George Clooney, may have fizzled, but the fact that it came off like a hallow Le Carre tale is promising for a filmmaker now directly tackling one of the famed author’s works. For any serious film lover, the movie also marks one of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final performances, and if ecstatic reviews out of Sundance are to be believed, expect another tour-de-force from the late actor. – Z.S.
.
7. X:Men: Days of Future Past (May 23rd) – Ambition is looking to be a prominent theme this summer, even extending to the monumental blockbusters like X-Men: Days of Future Past, which sees the combination of every X-Men cinematic facet into one epic scale comic book actioner. With original X-Men and X2 director Bryan Singer stepping back behind the camera and the casts of the original trilogy of films – Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, etc. – and the newest X-Men: First Class – James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, etc. – and a screenplay directly adapted from a beloved comic book arc about time traveling and the creation of the futuristic Sentinels, Days of Future Past could either have way too much going on or way more than we could have anticipated. Either way, whether it’s a bold new comic book epic or a sprawling mess, we’re really looking forward to seeing whatever this ambitious blockbuster becomes. – M.M.
.
8. Snowpiercer (June 27th) – After a year or so in release limbo, Joon-ho Bong’s American debut, Snowpiercer, is finally set to hit American theaters this June. Snowpiercer has been the subject of a much covered battle between Bong and producer Harvey Weinstein, who wanted to cut 20 minutes out of the film in order to make it more “palatable” to American tastes. Thankfully Bong won out in the end, so we’re going to be receiving his original two-hour cut, and we couldn’t be more excited. Who doesn’t love a good dystopian piece of sci-fi about a train that travels the world after global warming experiments wiped out all other life? Supposedly the film deals with heavy class issues and other big ideas, so if you’re looking for a break from the traditional blockbuster fare of the summer, give Snowpiercer a shot. – J.H
.
9. Guardians of the Galaxy (August 1st) – Zack Sharf and I were recently discussing the difference between the bastardized Marvel properties, like the Fox owned X-Men and the Sony owned The Amazing Spiderman, and how they are struggling to expand their universes and digging their own graves through the process of extensive world building. They begin with a promising droplet and hope that it will ripple and reverberate enough that the spinoff films – like the upcoming Sinister Six film – will find their place sensibly in the franchise. However, Marvel, conversely, has built independent puzzle pieces and are bringing them together as fully fledged ensembles where no character can be slighted. As we move into the back half of Marvel’s Phase 2, the biggest question mark of Marvel’s still-to-come puzzle pieces hits theaters this August in the form of Guardians of the Galaxy, about an interstellar crime force made of misfits from throughout the cosmos. Where these Guardians fit into the larger Marvel cinematic universe and how they will eventually hold hands with Iron Man and the Hulk might not come to form for many more years, nonetheless director James Gunn’s unique visual style, offbeat sense of humor, and inspired casting choices – everyone from Chris Pratt to Benicio Del Toro and the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, the latter of which is embodying a killer raccoon – will prove for an intriguing blockbuster investment. Whether it too results in a messy interpretation of colorful panels or a successful science fiction extravaganza, no one can say that Marvel hasn’t tried…and we are excited. –M.M
.
10. Jupiter Ascending (July 18th) – For all that the major studios are trying this summer with their blockbusters, none of the comic book properties can hold a candle to the audacity of original thinkers Andy and Lana Wachowski, who are following up their majorly underrated masterpiece, Cloud Atlas, with Jupiter Ascending, a science fiction fairy tale about the rightful heir to the universal throne amidst action set pieces with laser guns, force shields, and a Shakespearean villain that’ll rival the short tempered nature of Michael Shannon’s General Zod. Mila Kunis stars as Jupiter Jones, who finds herself in the protective hands of a man-wolf hybrid named Caine (Channing Tatum) who notifies her that she possesses a genetic signature that marks her as the next in line to rule all of space. As far as the Wachowski’s are concerned, their ideas are always as original as they come, but it’s the execution that either makes or breaks their greatest intentions. The Matrix is a revelation but the sequels are misfires, Speed Racer is a train wreck, V for Vendetta is one of the best comic book adaptations of recent years and Cloud Atlas is just about as bold as they come. Jupiter Ascending could easily fall into either circle, but we’re hopeful it’ll lean more toward the quality of The Matrix and Cloud Atlas. At the very least, it’ll have phenomenal visual effects. – M.M.
.
11. Cold in July (May 24th) – While the summer is mostly the season of blockbusters, many forget that some really great indie movies are released around the same time. One such indie that will probably be lost in the shuffle is Jim Mickle’s Cold in July. The film starts out as a simple family feud story between two fathers before taking a much darker turn. Reviews out of a plethora of festivals have been glowing, particularly singing praise for Michael C. Hall, who supposedly sheds any and all of his Dexter trappings. Likewise, the film is being compared to John Carpenter movies of the 80’s, which says a lot. If that isn’t enough to get you excited than I don’t know what will. – J.H
.
12. Neighbors (May 9th) – After the Apatow alumnus hit a sensational peak last summer with the hilarious and ferociously clever This Is The End, their follow-up could’ve pretty much been anything and anticipation would’ve remained high and mighty. But the fact that Neighbors has Seth Rogen and the luminous Rose Byrne facing off against Zac Efron (ready to send up his own image in full douchebag mode) in an R-rated, over-the-top “Frat vs. Family” battle is just icing on the follow-up cake. The marketing for Neighbors has twisted its simple concept into what looks like one absurdly funny set piece after another, and with barely any R-rated comedy hits in 2014 so far, expect this latest celebration of immature behavior to break out at the box office and be the talk of the town throughout May. Oh, and since it’s the Apatow gang we’re talking about, expect a little heart in there too, it’s what these guys do best. – Z.S.
.
13. The Amazing Spider Man 2 (May 2nd) – As self-proclaimed Spider-Man fanboys, it’s safe to say that any new Spider-Man movie would be high on our list of most-anticipated films. However, compared to the Raimi films we grew up with, Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man reboot was a major disappointment, feeling like a less imaginative rehash of the 2001 classic rather than its own entity. For this reason alone, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 would rank lower than expected, but combined with trailers that show way too much of the final film, and what looks to be another overstuffed Spidey adventure a la Spider-Man 3, anticipation for the film has been significantly quelled. Regardless, it’s a new Spider-Man film, and that alone peaks our interest enough to land a spot on this list. – J.H.
.
14. The Fault In Our Stars (June 6th) – Wherever the beautiful Shailene Woodley goes we will gladly follow, and though Divergent was more or less your run of the mill check-studio-franchise-off-your-to-do-list, Fault In Our Stars looks to be a moving return to form to what Woodley does best: exposing raw, deeply-felt emotions in performances of unshakable naturalism. Her talents, first hinted at in her riveting supporting turn in The Descendants, shined bright last summer in The Spectacular Now, and while Stars’ cancer stricken romance seems ripe for over sentimental melodrama, Woodley is such a seasoned performer that she’s bound to turn any traces of cliché into heartfelt emotional resonance. Based of the hugely popular John Greene novel, Stars could be the sleeper drama turned blockbuster hit of the summer. Keep your eyes on it. – Z.S.
.
15. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (August 22nd) – About 10 years ago, a sixth grade version of the present day Mike Murphy went to go see Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City (with his mom) not knowing at all what to expect. It turned out to be a mind-blowing experience; young Mike was engulfed by the lavish visual style, the stark noir-ish tone, the extensive cast of character actors, and the triptych narrative structure directly adapted from Frank Miller’s original graphic novels. With Miller on hand to oversee the production and a guest directorial appearance made by Rodriguez’s partner in crime, Quentin Tarantino, the original Sin City walked a fine line of mainstream cultdom and has been heralded as such in the decade since. Oh yea…even my mom loved it. Now, after much dillydallying, Rodriguez has refrained from making a fifth Spy Kids film and producing under-seen franchise reboots like Predators in order to finally make the long-awaited Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. Personally, this could be my most anticipated film of the summer, but I’m allowing it to round out the last quarter of our list because I refuse to psych myself out for this one. The first trailers have been a nostalgic joy and it looks that the visual style has held up – despite Miller’s horrendous rehash in his abysmal The Spirit a couple of years back – and the cast is just as widespread, adding Jeremy Piven, Eva Green, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Josh Brolin (as a young version of Clive Owen from the first film). Also, one of the storylines is a totally original one written by Miller for the film. So much seems to be in place for the Sin City sequel, let’s hope it plays out accordingly.
.
16. The Rover (June 20th) – David Michôd’s 2010 debut feature, Animal Kingdom, is an extremely dark and highly compelling Australian crime drama with a few doses of Scorsese-influence thrown into the mix. What stands out most from Kingdom and has us psyched to see his follow-up, The Rover, is how Michôd builds atmospheric dread in a way that forces the viewer to debate how and if his characters should change their existences. The Rover seems to be a continuation of this absorbing theme, focusing on a dystopian future where a man (Guy Pearce) tries to hunt down the gang who has stolen his last possession with the help of the gang’s naïve former member (Robert Pattinson). With its gorgeous cinematography and desolate Australian locations, Rover is channeling some serious neo-Western vibes (the trailer will leave you breathless, trust us), making it a huge gamble in terms of box office appeal but one serious film lovers will absolutely not want to miss. – Z.S.
.
17. Let’s Be Cops (August 13th) – While the big comedy of the summer is obviously 22 Jump Street, that doesn’t mean you should ignore the roster of other comedies coming out, specifically Let’s Be Cops. With a fantastic premise in which two friends pretend to be cops in order to get laid and go crazy inadvertently get caught up in a drug war, Let’s Be Cops is poised to be the sleeper hit of the summer. This film has the right combination of timing, premise, and underdog status that it could really make some waves this summer, particularly for its two stars who have been on the cusp of comedy stardom for sometime. While they’ve been consistently hilarious for years, this could be the film that makes them household names. Who knows if I’m right, but Let’s Be Cops has all the makings of a great summer comedy.– J.H.
.
18. Frank (August 22nd) – What happens when you take Michael Fassbender – one of the most acclaimed and dashingly handsome actors working today – and put a large, rather odd looking paper-mâche head on him for the entirety of the movie? We don’t know the answer yet ourselves, but color us very, very much intrigued. Premiering to great word-of-mouth at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, Frank follows a wannabe musician (Domhnall Gleeson, a new face of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VI) who joins a bad led by the titular oddball. Co-starring the brimming Maggie Gyllenhaal, Frank looks like the hipster-indie darling of the late summer. As for Fassbender, something tells us he’ll still be quite the powerful showman even without his good looks. – Z.S.
.
19. Get On Up (August 1st) – Biopics are boring. Maybe it’s just me, but they all have the same kind of predictable, smoothed out formula where an icon is put on a pedestal and everything that was actually wrong with what he or she did is omitted and all of the things that they are famous for are enshrined as world changing and life-affirming, etc. etc. However, for all of that, it doesn’t mean that amidst the influx of big screen biopics, a couple of Ray’s or Man on the Moon’s or, at the very best, one or two Malcolm X’s might still rise above the rest, and based on the powerhouse talent involved in the upcoming Get On Up, the late James Brown may be getting one of the better biopic treatments out of any recent biopic worthy icons. Directed by The Help’s Tate Taylor and starring Chadwick Boseman, who made a promising debut in an otherwise disappointing biopic, 42, and Viola Davis, Dan Aykroyd, and Octavia Spencer in support, the first trailer showcased a rocking and rollicking presentation for the charismatic life of the Godfather of Soul. While there are still a ton of dependents to consider with Get On Up, it’s got major promise, a prime late summer release date, and the music will surely be a highlight, plus it’s got to be better than Clint Eastwood’s upcoming Jersey Boys. – M.M
.
20. Transformers: Age of Extinction (June 27th) – Are we really excited for the fourth installment of Michael Bay’s bloated Transformers franchise? The answer is the same amount of yes and no. This writer found the concluding chapter of the Shia LaBeouf-fronted Transformers trilogy to be a tasteless, aggravating bore with a couple of cool explosions and an are-you-fucking-serious supporting performance from John Malkovich; however, this writer is also one of the few defenders of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I, like most of the blockbuster-viewing public, thoroughly enjoy and borderline love the 2007 original, but I am also a self-proclaimed Michael Bay supporter. The director has major, major flaws in his form, but he knows how to make a damn good action movie (I also kind of loved Pain and Gain, for the record) and as a result, Transformers: Age of Extinction rounds out the very bottom of our most anticipated summer movie list. No more LaBeouf, no more Turturro, Megan Fox has been gone since the second one, so we’re starting all over with this one. Post Chicago-massacre, which climaxed the previous Transformers film, we find ourselves with a country-set repair man and his daughter, humbly played by Mark Wahlberg and some super attractive young nobody, who inherit a piece of potential scrap metal that ends up being a Transformer in hiding. Before long, the government shows up, some big league character actors like Titus Welliver, Stanley Tucci, and Kelsey Grammer appear, and then Optimus Prime fights some…wait for it…DINOBOTS! It’s going to be big, loud, excessive, angry, insensitive, and I honestly can’t wait. A Michael Bay action film is something to behold, regardless of how “good” Age of Extinction ends up being. – M.M
What summer movies are you most looking forward to seeing?
Reel Reactions 
Reblogged this on SHARF @ THE MOVIES.
Pingback: 2014 "Most Anticipated Film" (or similar) Lists Made by 'The Rover' - COLLECTION & links (last update 5/4/14) - Looking For More Film Blog© & Movie Fan Site
Pingback: “Godzilla”: When “Escalating Suspense” Turns Into “Painful Agony” | Reel Reactions