2008 Summer Blockbuster Season…Mediocre?
Is it me, or does this summer’s upcoming movie season lack some buzz?
Hmmm… (Moment of deep thought.)
After all, isn’t this the time of year that the awesome teaser trailers are supposed to show up on the Internet or television? I have seen a few of these trailers and…eh.
We’ve had the first two official entries already released in the unofficial blockbuster category and I believe we are only 1 for 2 at this point. Or maybe more like ½ for 2. Ironman (do we need to see another comic book superhero movie?) seems to be universally getting the “better than I thought it would be” commentary. That doesn’t say much. Speed Racer on the other hand… Well, let’s just say it ran into the wall exiting turn 2 and burst into flames. This one seems to be a widespread disappointment and will be relegated to the “wait till it comes out on DVD” file for most folks.
So, what’s left to pull us out of the muck and mire? What can extract us from the movie doldrums?
Hmmm… (That deep thought thing again.)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – I don’t see this one breaking any records. It will probably have a good start courtesy of fans from the previous movie and then fizzle at the box office. The first movie was strictly in the OK to Good range.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Could we have shortened the title a bit to something like Indy’s Glass Noggin’..? All humor aside, this stands a chance to be the biggest draw by the end of the year. There is a lot of horsepower behind Kingdom and the franchise has been very good for the most part. We shall see if it lives up to expectations. Only two problems here – it has been a long time between films, and it has after all, been done before.
Kung Fu Panda – This thing seems to have a pretty large advertising budget, but again, a rehash of current formulas.
The Happening – Can M. Night Shyamalan get back into his groove with this one?
The Incredible Hulk – It’s been done before, and the only thing moderately interesting is the fact that Edward Norton is involved. He does run the risk of killing his acting credibility here though.
Get Smart – Again, another movie version of a television show. At least this one stands an excellent chance of generating a few chuckles and guffaws.
Wanted – Nah…
Hancock – Nah…
The Dark Knight – Oh look, another Batman movie! At least the previous Batman Begins was good, so let’s hope this one holds up.
The X-Files 2 – The Connoisseur must admit to being an ardent X-phile in regards to my thoughts on this one. But there is one glaring issue – why did Chris Carter wait so long to do this?
After last year’s success at the theaters, I just don’t see 2008’s crop matching up when looking at this list of films. Maybe a hidden gem will come out of the woodwork and surprise us all…
Hmmm… (Moment of deep thought.)
After all, isn’t this the time of year that the awesome teaser trailers are supposed to show up on the Internet or television? I have seen a few of these trailers and…eh.
We’ve had the first two official entries already released in the unofficial blockbuster category and I believe we are only 1 for 2 at this point. Or maybe more like ½ for 2. Ironman (do we need to see another comic book superhero movie?) seems to be universally getting the “better than I thought it would be” commentary. That doesn’t say much. Speed Racer on the other hand… Well, let’s just say it ran into the wall exiting turn 2 and burst into flames. This one seems to be a widespread disappointment and will be relegated to the “wait till it comes out on DVD” file for most folks.
So, what’s left to pull us out of the muck and mire? What can extract us from the movie doldrums?
Hmmm… (That deep thought thing again.)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – I don’t see this one breaking any records. It will probably have a good start courtesy of fans from the previous movie and then fizzle at the box office. The first movie was strictly in the OK to Good range.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Could we have shortened the title a bit to something like Indy’s Glass Noggin’..? All humor aside, this stands a chance to be the biggest draw by the end of the year. There is a lot of horsepower behind Kingdom and the franchise has been very good for the most part. We shall see if it lives up to expectations. Only two problems here – it has been a long time between films, and it has after all, been done before.
Kung Fu Panda – This thing seems to have a pretty large advertising budget, but again, a rehash of current formulas.
The Happening – Can M. Night Shyamalan get back into his groove with this one?
The Incredible Hulk – It’s been done before, and the only thing moderately interesting is the fact that Edward Norton is involved. He does run the risk of killing his acting credibility here though.
Get Smart – Again, another movie version of a television show. At least this one stands an excellent chance of generating a few chuckles and guffaws.
Wanted – Nah…
Hancock – Nah…
The Dark Knight – Oh look, another Batman movie! At least the previous Batman Begins was good, so let’s hope this one holds up.
The X-Files 2 – The Connoisseur must admit to being an ardent X-phile in regards to my thoughts on this one. But there is one glaring issue – why did Chris Carter wait so long to do this?
After last year’s success at the theaters, I just don’t see 2008’s crop matching up when looking at this list of films. Maybe a hidden gem will come out of the woodwork and surprise us all…