Top 10 Summer Movies 2013
THE BLOCKBUSTERS ARE COMING AND THEY LOOK GLORIOUS!
It’s that time of year! The season where all the Oscar contenders are released, discussed & analyzed. It’s a phenomenal season for film fans. While I attempt to catch up on my enormous ‘must watch’ list, I’m still thinking about next summer. It’s never too early to get excited for the next wave of summer blockbusters.
I chose these 10 films for two reasons. First, they are scheduled to be released between May 1, 2013 & August 31, 2013. Second, they look awesome. Simple enough. Let’s get to it!
Which summer movies are you looking forward to in 2013?
Note: I’ll be updating this page as the official trailers are released.
Let the hype begin!
Honorable Mention: Oblivion (Opens April 2013)
10. KICK ASS 2
June 28, 2013Kick Ass was a ton of fun having gone in with no knowledge of the comic. It was packed with over-the-top violence and the sequel is sure to deliver more of the same. AND They’ve added comedy heavyweight Jim Carrey to the mix.
9. THE LONE RANGER
July 3, 2013I’m a big fan of new franchises and Gore Verbinski has launched several. (I wish he was still bringing Bioshock to the big screen.) There’s no doubt The Lone Ranger will be visually stunning and full of amazing action. It’s just a shame they forgot to REALLY include the titular character in the first trailer. I get the thought process behind the marketing. Johnny Depp is a global star after all and it certainly looks like he has created another memorable character. But Armie Hammer is an after thought here. It’s a minor complaint as I’m sure he has plenty to do in the film. But seriously, Depp does look awesome as Tonto.
[Update] We got a second Lone Ranger trailer that features The Lone Ranger! Much better.
8. ELYSIUM
August 9, 2013District 9 was absolutely incredible. I can’t wait to see what Neill Blomkamp has in store for us next August. Not much is known about the film outside of the people who saw and raved about the comic-con footage so here is a synopsis:
“In the year 2159 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster), a hard line government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn’t stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max (Matt Damon) is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.”
7. FAST & FURIOUS 6
May 24, 2013The original Fast & Furious came along right around the time I got my driver’s license. Now, I never pimped my rusted 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier but I did love the movie. Then 2 Fast came along and ruined everything. I completely skipped Tokyo Drift but something funny happened. The 4th installment came along… And I liked it? It wasn’t anywhere near the level of the first but at least the whole gang was back.
Fast 5 changed the game and took the franchise in a completely different direction. They added The Rock and suddenly, the Fast & Furious series became a heist franchise. I thought Fast 5 was great especially with the revelation in the end credits. Why not? I like the characters. I like the new direction. Bring on Part 6.
6. AFTER EARTH
June 7, 2013A while back, I wrote an article detailing two important streaks on the line when After Earth is released. Will Smith’s hits vs M. Night Shyamalan’s flops. One of them will end. I’m sure many people will bet that Will Smith will be starring in the latest Shyamalan dud… Or maybe he won’t.
Signs is my favorite movie period. I always get perplexed looks when I admit that but it’s true. That movie came along at the right time and stuck with me. I’ve been waiting a long time for another classic to come from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan. (The Last Airbender was certainly not it.)
But I really love the concept behind After Earth:
“In After Earth, one thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind’s new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige (played by Will Smith) returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai (played by Jaden Smith). When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai’s craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance.”
Which streak will end?
5. THE WOLVERINE
June 26, 2013X-Men Origins: Wolverine was awful. In my opinion, it was the worst movie of 2009. So why is Wolverine so high on this list? They are essentially ignoring the first solo movie completely. Nice. I love the character and the idea of a bad ass Wolverine adventure is still exciting. Especially one without plot holes and Deadpool. Can you even call him Deadpool?
4. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS
May 17, 2013I highly enjoy J.J Abrams movies. (Not to mention the excellent TV series he’s created.) Mission Impossible 3 is still my favorite of the four, Super 8 was actually my favorite movie of 2011 and I adored Star Trek. Honestly, I was never a Star Trek fan until the new film came along. It’s not that I didn’t like it, I just never got around to watching it as a kid. At that time, it was Next Generation so I really had no exposure to Captain Kirk & Spock at all.
Star Trek was a blast to watch even with all those lens flares. I can’t wait to see what J.J does with the franchise now that the characters & rules are established. Of course it is a J.J Abrams production so we know nothing about the project yet.
XTRA | Top 5 Moments: Star Trek Into Darkness Trailer #1
3. IRON MAN 3
May 3, 2013The Avengers took the Superhero genre to astonishingly new heights. Marvel pulled it off… Now what? Phase Two!
XTRA | Top 10 Moments: The Avengers
The Marvel Cinematic Universe rolls on with a much darker Iron Man. This trailer may go down as my favorite of 2012 unless another comes along to dethrone it. It’ll be tough to beat. Right off the bat, Tony Stark mentions the devastation left in Loki’s wake after his army was defeated. Now Tony is haunted. It’s the perfect time for one of Iron Man’s deadliest foes to appear on the big screen. The Mandarin. Right off the bat, you can see that Tony Stark is going to get beaten down in this film. I can’t wait to see how he picks himself up.
XTRA | Top 5 Moments: Iron Man 3 Trailer 1
2. MAN OF STEEL
June 14, 2013I didn’t like Superman Returns at all. Where was the action? Why was it so long? Much like Wolverine, I’m glad Zack Snyder is rebooting the Man of Steel from scratch with a more realistic approach. It helps to have Christopher Nolan on board. Will Superman fill the void left now that Nolan’s remarkable Batman trilogy is over?
In a word: Yes.
I think Man of Steel will be the Superman movie fans have been dreaming of for decades. The first trailer is proof:
[Update: Second Trailer has arrived]
XTRA | Top 5 Moments: Man of Steel Trailer #2
1. PACIFIC RIM
July 12, 2013Guillermo Del Toro + Giant Robots + Equally Giant Monsters = My most anticipated movie of the 2013 summer movie season. By far! I’m so excited I can’t stand it. Del Toro is truly blessed with an incredibly visual and COOL imagination. I think Pacific Rim is poised to become of the coolest movies of all time and I don’t say that lightly. Giant robots are going to fight giant monsters! ………. And Guillermo Del Toro is responsible for the mayhem!
XTRA | Top 5 Moments: Pacific Rim Trailer #1
July 12! July 12! July 12! July 12!
“When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.”
Twitter
RSS Feed
Email
Youtube
Super Excited for After Earth and of course Fast and Furious 6!!!! Great picks!
That’s quite funny, Angela, because After Earth and FnF 6 are presicely the only two flicks on on the list I disagree with…
Shymalan never made a good movie in his career (6th Sens and Signs are no exeptions) and the Fast and Furious franchise is a complete waste of reel
Shyamalan only makes movie with a fake sens of mystery. The twists are absolutely ridicule, the directing is boooooooring, suspense just serve a waste of time, his cameos have no point (exept rubbing himself the right way), the stories make no sens… The guy’s a total fraud
Fast and Furious, what can I say ? It’s just little pricks and big breasts… I just don’t get those movies where, clearly, no one cares about the script but they still force themselves writing one… A bad one, obviously cause they don’t care so why they do it ? Just alternate car moving fast and half naked girls during 90 minutes… Why the unfunny jokes ? Why the dull plot ? They’re just an excuse, something to talk about during interviews…
No agressive tone intended, just my view on the subject
I guess every taste has his right to exist
Honestly, Signs? A good movie?!? Poorly thought out, poorly directed and overly dramatic in its over-the-top interpersonal relationships. The aliens can travel light-years in the vacuum of space, but can’t create or wear waterproof clothing? Are easily caught in a farmhouse pantry? Need to direct a planetary invasion by crushing farm crops in interesting patterns? M. Night as character has trapped one in his house, and then just decides to head to the lake house for a little R&R?!? He is clearly a 3rd rate huckster of derivative tripe promoted with a twist to indicate supposed cleverness. Garbage. The Village? Garbage, The Event, huh? wha? remember? NOPE. The best review of M. Night Ive seen states that the preponderance of all of his movies reveals that The Sixth Sense (not nearly as good as hyped) was a lucky flash in the pan for a non-talented filmmaker.
The only bad entry in the Fast & Furious series was Tokyo Drift because they were too busy drifting around corners instead of doing something interesting. I don’t know what your problem is but 2 Fast is my second favorite entry, only topped by Fast Five.
Also I don’t know what your problem is about Origins. Sure they severely messed up Deadpool and made a few other questionable decisions but by God it was a great film regardless. I get irked when I first watch a movie that deviates from the source material, but I get over it and enjoy the movie anyways. The Doom movie was so far off from the games it was insane. But it was still a great action flick and remains one of my favorites to this day. Get over yourself.
“God it was a great movie regardless” ?
God it was a great movie regardless what ? Let’s see…
It was a great movie regardless the awfull mess that was Deadpool (the merc with a mouth with no mouth, great stuff), regardless Jackman spending half the movie screaming at the sky (very unsubtle way to show his life is overall painfull), regardless to poor Wolverine claws/Frost diamond skin CGI, regardless the absence of surprises (exept Deadpool, once again, who could have predict that), regardless casting will.i.am, regardless unfunny jokes, regardless the poor use of Gambit (luckilly for me, I’m not a great fan of the character), regardless Stryker beeing able to aim precisely to the memory zone of a brain, regardless everyone telling Wade Wilson to shut up when he doesn’t talk that much, regardless dozen of other things…
When a movie is great regardless mostly everything in it, it’s way more appropriate to call it crap from the get go, isn’t it ?
The opening credits were pretty cool, though and Liev Schreiber is a trully better Sabertooth than Tyler Mane
Thor 2
I’m aware of the faults people find in Signs. Water is definitely a convenient way out of an invasion. I think M. Night Shyamalan’s way of explaining the weakness occurs towards the end when a radio voice explains that it wasn’t an invasion. It was a raid. Maybe it was a get in, abduct, get out type mission. Either way, I see your point. The stars just aligned when I saw the movie. I loved it and I’ve continued to love it ever since. (I’ve also been hoping for a ‘good’ Shyamalan movie every since.)
Maybe it’s too much to hope that After Earth will be a return to form or at the very least and entertaining sci fi flick.
My issue with Origins was mostly due to overwhelming disappointment. Wolverine is my favorite character (by far) in the X-Men series but he had to share the screen with other mutants. Here we were promised a Wolverine only adventure and, in my opinion, it just didn’t deliver.
As for Fast & Furious, I actually liked 2 Fast but it wasn’t the sequel people wanted to see. (Or at least the sequel I wanted to see) To be honest, I’m glad Vin Diesel wasn’t involved. I’m speculating but you have to assume the part played by Tyrese was meant for Vin originally. That would have been a cheesy way to bring him back and wipe his slate clean.
I love how they transformed this series with Fast Five being one of my favorites. Hopefully Fast & Furious 6 continues that trend.
It’s tough to blame a movie for it’s faults after my defense of Signs in a previous comment below. But that is a pretty impressive list of faults that I completely agree with. It’s interesting that people can forgive the faults in certain movies but not others. I forgave Signs. I do not forgive Wolverine but I am willing to give the character another shot. I can’t wait for the new movie!