Top 10 Summer Movies 2013

January 7, 2013 at 9:00 am

Top 10 2013 Summer Movies | 2013 Summer Movie Preview

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, 2013

Kick 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.

Top 10 2013 Summer Movies | 2013 Summer Movie Preview

9. THE LONE RANGER

July 3, 2013

I’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, 2013

District 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.”

Top 10 2013 Summer Movies | 2013 Summer Movie Preview

7. FAST & FURIOUS 6

May 24, 2013

The 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.

Top 10 2013 Summer Movies | 2013 Summer Movie Preview

6. AFTER EARTH

June 7, 2013

A 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, 2013

X-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?

Top 10 2013 Summer Movies | 2013 Summer Movie Preview

4. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

May 17, 2013

I 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

Top 10 2013 Summer Movies | 2013 Summer Movie Preview

3. IRON MAN 3

May 3, 2013

The 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, 2013

I 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, 2013

Guillermo 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.”

Top 10 2013 Summer Movies | 2013 Summer Movie Preview

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Top 10 Moments: Marvel’s The Avengers

November 9, 2012 at 11:31 am

Top 10 Moments: Marvel's The Avengers | Best Avengers Moments

Marvel fans waited years for The Avengers to arrive.  Thankfully, when it did, it exploded world wide and became one of the most successful movies in history.  Joss Whedon brought the Marvel Universe together brilliantly in a movie that entertained millions.  The Avengers was a FUN movie to experience.

Movies events like The Avengers don’t come along very often and it’ll be interesting to see where The Marvel Universe takes us next.  If Iron Man 3 is any indication, we’re heading into darker territory which is fantastic.  I can’t wait to see what Thanos will unleash upon Marvel’s heroes in a few years.  Bring on Phase Two.

XTRA | The Avengers Review

XTRA | The Avengers & The Blockbuster Viewing Strategy

XTRA | I’m happy I don’t know anything about Guardians of the Galaxy

Here are the top 10 moments from Marvel’s The Avengers:

10. GALAGA

“That man is playing Galaga.”

I can’t imagine the amount of trouble someone would be in if they played Galaga in the Pentagon during an Alien invasion.  S.H.E.I.L.D is a pretty lenient organization.

Top 10 Moments: Marvel's The Avengers | Best Avengers Moments

9. THE VINTAGE SET

Apparently you’re able to buy the vintage set?  Not sure how collectable and/or cool they would be featuring Chris Evans but an old school comic book Steve Rogers set would be cool.

Top 10 Moments: Marvel's The Avengers | Best Avengers Moments

8. 10 BUCKS SAYS YOU’RE WRONG

I think this moment was meant for audiences.  Many people thought they wouldn’t pull off a movie of this magnitude.  By the time The Avengers ended, we were all happy we spent the 10 bucks.

Top 10 Moments: Marvel's The Avengers | Best Avengers Moments

7. THOR HAMMERS HULK

So Thor nails Hulk with his hammer…  I’m a big fan of the frustration Hulk feels when he can’t pick up Mjolnir.  Puny hammer.

Top 10 Moments: Marvel's The Avengers | Best Avengers Moments

6. SHAWARMA

These poor shop owners are busy sweeping up debris when 6 people come in.

“You guys are open right?”

10 bucks says Thor didn’t have any Earth cash and owes Tony lunch.

Top 10 Moments: Marvel's The Avengers | Best Avengers Moments

5. THANOS

It’s amazing how a tiny glimpse of Thanos sets the stage for Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy & The Avengers 2.  We don’t know what it means yet but Marvel has hit their stride.  Phase Two is going to be pretty special.

Top 10 Moments: Marvel's The Avengers | Best Avengers Moments

4. HULK SUCKER PUNCHES THOR

I saw The Avengers 3 times in theaters and this moment was a crowd favorite every single time.

Top 10 Moments: Marvel's The Avengers | Best Avengers Moments

3. THE LONG SHOT

My favorite shot of the movie.  It’s long and it’s full of incredible and continuous action.  Two moments really stand out during the shot:

  1. Captain America reflects Iron Man’s blaster off his shield.
  2. Hulk & Thor team up to hammer an electrified sky snake scale into it’s face.

Top 10 Moments: Marvel's The Avengers | Best Avengers Moments

2. THE PARTY

An incredible moment.  Who would have thought Marvel could bring these franchises together?  Seeing all the heroes together ready to take on an army gave me chills and still does.  What an epic cinematic moment.

Top 10 Moments: Marvel's The Avengers | Best Avengers Moments

1. PUNY GOD

The Party could (and probably should) be the number one moment but there are a few reasons why I picked this particular moment.  First, it’s hilarious.  Second, how long have we waited to see Hulk really go to town and smash things.  The Incredible Hulk did an admirable job but this is clearly THE Hulk we’ve all been waiting to see.  He picks up a God and proceeds to slam the crap out of him right in the middle of a monologue.

I hope we get another standalone Hulk movie someday.  It’s been hinted that Phase Three might feature a Hulk movie.  For now we have moments like these to watch as we await The Avengers 2.

Top 10 Moments: Marvel's The Avengers | Best Avengers Moments

Click here for more Movie Countdowns

Top 5 Moments: Iron Man 3 Trailer #1

October 25, 2012 at 10:21 am

Top 5 Moments: Iron Man 3 Trailer #1 | Iron Man 3 Trailer Breakdown

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE PHASE TWO BEGINS!

Iron Man 3 looks incredible!  Hopefully we get a final battle that erases the awful memory of Whiplash’s instant and lackluster defeat in Iron Man 2.  The first trailer makes one thing perfectly clear: This is going to be a much darker Iron Man than we’re used to.  Personally, I hope the entire Marvel Universe takes a darker tone in Phase 2.  Thanos awaits!

But first we have a trailer to dissect:

My top 5 favorite moments:

5. Exploding Iron Man Suits

It’s awesome seeing all the suits lined up like that…  So why blow them up!?

Top 5 Moments: Iron Man 3 Trailer #1 | Iron Man 3 Trailer Breakdown

4. Tony Stark vs Iron Man?

If this film follows the Extremis storyline is this suit operating on it’s own before Tony can perfect the technology?  Or is someone else wearing the suit and waking up Pepper…  Did they blow up the other suits?

Side note: I didn’t like the new suit design at all when they released a still months back.  Well…  I changed my mind.  It looks pretty sweet in motion.

Top 5 Moments: Iron Man 3 Trailer #1 | Iron Man 3 Trailer Breakdown

3. The Mandarin Emerges

Welcome to the Marvel Cinematic Universe Ben Kingsley!

Top 5 Moments: Iron Man 3 Trailer #1 | Iron Man 3 Trailer Breakdown

2. New York & The Pose

“Everything’s changed since New York…”

It’s going to be so much fun catching all the references in these movies now.  They aren’t just forgetting that Aliens invaded our world and nearly destroyed New York.  It had a massive impact on Tony Stark and presumably the rest of The Avengers.

Then the trailer shows this pose and suddenly, I remembered just how awesome the first Iron Man was.  These heroes will have no trouble carrying movies by themselves.

Top 5 Moments: Iron Man 3 Trailer #1 | Iron Man 3 Trailer Breakdown

1. Stark Mansion No More

They are really going to beat the crap out of Tony Stark in this movie.  Iron Man vs Mandarin.  Let’s do this.

Top 5 Moments: Iron Man 3 Trailer #1 | Iron Man 3 Trailer Breakdown

Top 5 Moments: Iron Man 3 Trailer #1 | Iron Man 3 Trailer Breakdown

Top 5 Moments: Iron Man 3 Trailer #1 | Iron Man 3 Trailer Breakdown

What’s your favorite moment?

Looking for more Iron Man 3 coverage?  Check out these trailer breakdowns from around the web:

IGN | Iron Man 3 Trailer Analysis Wiki

Collider | Iron Man 3 Trailer Breakdown

Hollywood.com | Iron Man 3 Trailer Breakdown

Den of Geek | Iron Man 3 Trailer Analysis

Comic Vine | Iron Man 3 Scene Breakdown

Click here for more Movie Countdowns

Top 5 Moments: Iron Man 3 Trailer #1 | Iron Man 3 Trailer Breakdown