Summer ‘09 Movies
The Summer movie season kicks off on May 1st and goes through the middle of September. Following are the Science Fiction and Fantasy Movies that we know about so far. The comments are by John J. Joex (JJJ) and Sam Christopher (SC). Where possible, we have included links to the movie’s official site and/or to other sites with the teaser trailers. We will continue to update this throughout the Summer.
Also, see our Fall / Winter Science Fiction and Fantasy Movie Preview
And our 2010 Science Fiction and Fantasy Movie Preview
May:
Battle for Terra
Cast: Brian Cox, James Garner, Evan Rachel Wood, Dennis Quaid
Director: Aristomenis Tsirbas
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: May 1st
Comments JJJ: In this CGI animated movie, the last remaining humans decide to invade a planet of peaceful aliens to ensure the survival of the human race. Don’t know too much about it, but from the trailer it looks like a good one.
Interest Level: A Must See!
Comments SC: CGI movies can be cool, and 3D is almost always fun to look at. But I don’t like Star Wars very much—and that’s what this trailer reminded me of more than anything else—and humankind already lives on Terra. Unless this is set in the past (watch out for an Adam and Eve in the film).
Interest Level: Low, but may be enticed to see it.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner
Director: Mark Waters
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: May 1st
Comments JJJ: A Chick-Flick spin on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD with the better half.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Dominic Monaghan
Director: Gavin Hood
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (Prequel to the X-Men Movies)
Hits the Theaters: May 1st
Comments JJJ: We go back almost two decades before the first X-Men movie to see the origins of Wolverine (or at least how he got his adamantium skeleton). Looks interesting enough and you know its gotta be better than the last X-Men movie. An unfinished print of the film leaked on the internet, though, and has generated some bad buzz. Maybe the final cut will be better.
Interest Level: I’ll probably catch it but interest is waning.
Comments SC: I didn’t hear that about the unedited version leaking to the net. I’ve looked forward to this for awhile now, so I’ll overlook whatever bad press it’s getting. A decision I may regret, but a decision that’s mine to make.
Interest Level: A Must See
Star Trek
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nemoy
Director: J.J Abrams
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (Prequel to the Star Trek Television Series and Movies)
Hits the Theaters: May 8th
Comments JJJ: J. J. Abrams takes on the monolithic franchise in an attempt to breathe some new life into it. I trust him to a certain extent, but the previews have me a bit concerned. Will the spectacle of it overshadow the fact that Star Trek was always at is best when it emphasized substance over style?
Interest Level: A Must See! (But a bit nervous about it)
Comments SC: I too was a bit nervous about this. Any revamping of such an iconic show is bound to have missteps. But… I read an article about an audience of Trekkies (I am one, I can say that) in Austin, Tx. (I think) who had gone to see a screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. Apparently, the whole thing was a ruse so Leonard Nimoy could come out and intro the new film. And the audience loved it. That, and the fact that every successive ad I see looks better and better—aside from the moronic skydiving one they’ve been showing lately—has eased my fears a good bit. I have no doubt there will be things Abrams changes and does that I won’t like but it’s only fair to see the actual product before condemning it (in this case, anyway).
Interest Level: Metaphysical certainty that I will be in a theater Opening Day if not sooner.
Angels And Demons
Cast: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgård
Director: Ron Howard
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (Sequel to The Da Vinci Code )
Hits the Theaters: May 15th
Comments JJJ: Tom Hanks returns as Robert Langdon investigating secret societies and averting apocalyptic scenarios. Sounds like more of the same of what we saw with the original.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD (after finally getting around to watching the first one)
Comments SC: Meh.
Interest Level: None
Terminator Salvation
Cast: Christian Bale, Helena Bonham Carter, Sam Worthington
Director: McG
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (4th entry in the Terminator film series)
Hits the Theaters: May 21st
Comments JJJ: The movie series leaps ahead to the year 2018 and shows us the world after Skynet. I really had no interest in this one until I saw the trailer. Now it has moved way up on my list.
Interest Level: A Must See!
Comments SC: After the first trailer I was hyped for this but, like Daredevil, the more I see the less I care about it. Hasn’t quite reached the level of apathy Ben Affleck’s destruction of a very good comics character brought me to, though.
Interest Level: Shaky, but I’ll probably still go see it.
Night At The Museum 2: Battle Of The Smithsonian
Cast: Ben Stiller, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Owen Wilson
Director: Shawn Levy
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (Sequel to Night at the Museum )
Hits the Theaters: May 22nd
Comments JJJ: The same crew returns, but this time heads to the Smithsonian.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD
Comments SC: Whatever.
Interest Level: None
Drag Me to Hell
Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver
Director: Sam Raimi
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: May 29th
Comments JJJ: In this movie, Sam Raimi returns to his horror roots directing a tale about a woman fighting a curse that could send her to hell. But wait! Raimi wrote and directed this, yet Bruce Campbell’s nowhere in sight. What’s up with that?
Interest Level: It’s rising up on my must-see list.
Comments SC: Raimi’s just fantastic, and the trailer for this looks Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn-funny.
Interest Level: A Must See
Up
Cast: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai and John Ratzenberger
Director: Pete Docter
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: May 29th
Comments JJJ: The latest entry from Pixar Studios follows a cranky old man who launches his house into the air with balloons for a trip to the jungle and brings along an unwitting boy scout. Pretty wild premise, but then Pixar usually delivers.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it if time Allows
Comments SC: I’m kind of Pixared-out right now. Monsters, Inc. was cool but that’s pretty much all I cared about.
Interest Level: None
Escape from Planet Earth
Cast: n/a
Director: Tony Leech
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: June 5th tbd
Comments JJJ: In this Canadian made CGI animated film, aliens make a break from the notorious prison on Earth know as Area 51.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD
Comments SC: I don’t think so.
Interest Level: None
Land of The Lost
Cast: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride
Director: Brad Silberling
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (Big screen adaptation of television series)
Hits the Theaters: June 5th
Comments JJJ: I wasn’t happy when I heard this would give us a humorous take on the seminal Saturday morning series that I loved as a kid. But I have to admit that the trailer piqued my interest.
Interest Level: A Must See! (But still a bit nervous)
Comments SC: Didn’t care too much for this when I heard about it to start with, and Will Ferrell hasn’t helped. Still, could be worse: It could be Adam Sandler.
Interest Level: Not much
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox
Director: Michael Bay
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (2nd installment of the movie adaptation of the television series)
Hits the Theaters: June 25th
Comments JJJ: The first one gave us non-stop, in-your-face action with plenty of explosions to set the screen on fire. For the second, multiply that by a factor of at least ten.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD
Comments SC: I was never really into Transformers. I did hear pretty good things about the first film but I never sat down to watch it.
Interest Level: Not much
July:
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Cast: Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Dennis Leary
Director: Carlos Saldanha
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (3rd installment in the film franchise)
Hits the Theaters: July 1st
Comments JJJ: I guess there’s enough material for a third one. I’m sure the kids will love it.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD
Comments SC: Good kid fare, I’m sure.
Interest Level: None
Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Helena Bonham Carter
Director: David Yates
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (6th installment in the film franchise)
Hits the Theaters: July 17th
Comments JJJ: Harry Potter’s back again for the second to last time. The previous movies all had their moments and this one should be no different.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it if time Allows
Comments SC: I haven’t seen any of these films. I don’t have anything against them, just never have found the time to watch them. Always nice to see the stars of adolescent films getting into bar fights, though.
Interest Level: Not much, but I may surprise myself and see it anyway.
Moon
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey
Director: Duncan Jones
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: June 12th July 17th July 10th
Comments JJJ: A man is stationed alone on the moon with a robot to mine a gas which may solve the Earth’s energy crisis. Supposedly, director Duncan Jones pays homage to movies like Silent Running, Alien, and Outland in the movie and it could provide a nice change of pace to the over-the-top Summer blockbusters.
Interest Level: I’ll try to catch it, but its not quite a must-see.
Comments SC: Silent Running—despite the glowing reviews by all the hippie “gonzo journalists” who dropped acid before they saw it—was a long, s-l-o-o-o-w bore. And this sounds like Silent Running set on the Moon. I know it has Kevin Spacey… but SR had Bruce Dern.
Interest Level: Not much, but that could change.
G-Force
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Steve Buscemi, Penelope Cruz
Director: Hoyt Yeatman
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: July 24th
Comments JJJ: One of the minority of original movies in this Summer of sequels, this one is about a team of specially trained, secret agent guinea pigs trying to stop an evil billionaire from destroying the world. Um . . . okay . . . maybe another Alien or Predator sequel wouldn’t be all that bad of an idea after all . . .
Interest Level: None
Comments SC: Wha–?!
Interest Level: None and falling…
They Came from Upstairs
Cast: Robert Hoffman, Ashley Tisdale, Carter Jenkins
Director: Barry Josephson
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: July 31st
Comments JJJ: A family arrives at their vacation home to find that a friendly alien has already taken up residence there. And he has some buddies around who aren’t quite so friendly.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD
Comments SC: Apparently, originality is also on vacation this summer.
Interest level: None
What’s on DVD? Check out our DVD Select Picks of Science Fiction and Fantasy gems and blasts from the past:
August:
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra
Cast: Channing Tatum, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Dennis Quaid
Director: Stephen Sommers
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (Big screen adaptation of the cartoon television series)
Hits the Theaters: August 7th
Comments JJJ: G.I. Joe takes on Cobra in this one then ramps up for the sequel where they will team up with the Transformers to take on Skeletor who has imprisoned He-Man and the Go-Bots. Pass.
Interest Level: None
Comments SC: Yeah, good luck with that. Where’s the live-action Thundercats, anyway? The Herculoids? Hong Kong Phooey? The sad part is that if Scatman was still alive I really would like to see that last one.
Interest Level: None
Final Destination: Death Trap 3D
Cast: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Haley Webb
Director: David R. Ellis
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (4th movie in the film series)
Hits the Theaters: August 14th
Comments JJJ: Wait. This is Final Destination 3D, but it’s the fourth movie. Shouldn’t it be 4D? Oh well, who cares?
Interest Level: None
Comments SC: They made another one of these?!?
Interest Level: None
District 9
Cast: Jason Cope, Robert Hobbs, Sharlto Copley
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (Re-Make of Short Film)
Hits the Theaters: August 14th
Comments JJJ: Screen icon Peter Jackson produces this adaptation of the short film Alive in Joburg . It centers around aliens who arrive in South Africa and are made into slaves and acts as commentary on the political and social events in the region.
Interest Level: It could be worth catching
Comments SC: I don’t know… I see Peter Jackson’s name but producers usually only put up money.
Interest Level: Not much.
The Time Traveler’s Wife
Cast: Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston
Director: Robert Schwentke
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: August 14th
Comments JJJ: A man has a genetic disorder that causes him to travel through time when he gets stressed. Hey, Hiro and the cast of Lost from Season 5 have nothing but sympathy for him.
Interest Level: Might be a good one to catch with the better half.
Comments SC: What, too cheap to pony up the cash for the rights to Slaughterhouse Five?
Interest Level: Not much
H2: Halloween 2
Cast: Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, Scout Taylor-Compton
Director: Rob Zombie
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (2nd Film of the Franchise Reboot. How’s that for redundancy?)
Hits the Theaters: August 28th
Comments JJJ: Mr. Zombie returns to direct the second installment in his reboot of the Halloween franchise. Isn’t this one hitting the theaters about two months too early?
Interest Level: None
Comments SC: I thought Zombie really screwed up the ending to his remake of the first Halloween, but I will probably see this anyway. And then whine about it in a review.
Interest Level: More than I’d care to admit to.
September:
Citizen Game Gamer
Cast: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Alison Lohman, Kyra Sedgwick
Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: September 4th
Comments JJJ: A man becomes involved in an online game in which participants can control human beings as players.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD
Comments SC: I think this would sound so much better to me if they hadn’t done this on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, like, 15 years ago: “Chula, move along home.”
Interest Level: None, but could go up if Sisko, Dax, Kira, and Quark will be in it.
Pandorum
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster
Director: Christian Alvart
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: September 4th
Comments JJJ: Two deep-space travelers make a discovery that could threaten the human race. But I’m betting we will survive so that they can get a sequel in case this one does well.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD
Comments SC: Don’t know enough about this yet. Sounds… all right, I guess.
Interest Level: Not much, but will wait for more info.
9
Cast: Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover
Director: Shane Acker
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes (Re-Make of Short Film)
Hits the Theaters: September 9th
Comments JJJ: Not to be confused with the musical Nine that will hit the theaters two months later, this Tim Burton produced animated film follows live rag-dolls living on a post-apocalyptic Earth. Sounds pretty off-the-wall, but what do you expect from Mr. Burton?
Interest Level: A Must See!
Comments SC: Meh.
Interest level: None
Daybreakers
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill
Director: Peter and Michael Spierig
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: September 11th
Comments JJJ: A plague turns most of the population of Earth into vampires. Now they must create farms to coral the rest of the human race so that they have a steady food supply.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD
Comments SC: Sounds dumb but good cast. We’ll see.
Interest Level: Not a lot yet but give it time.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Cast: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell
Director: Phil Lord; Chris Miller
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: September 18th
Comments JJJ: In this animated comedy, a man tries to solve the world’s food shortage and before you know it we have edible rain! Ah ha! So this is where Bruce Campbell landed.
Interest Level: I’ll catch it on DVD
Comments SC: I — no.
Interest Level: Not a whit.
Jennifer’s Body
Cast: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody
Director: Karyn Kusama
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: September 18th
Comments JJJ: A cheerleader gets possessed by a demon then starts feasting off the local boys. All these demons and vampires running about, where’s Buffy when you need her?
Interest Level: I’ll just watch Buffy on Hulu.com instead.
Comments SC: Sounds stupid, I know, but if you’ve ever seen My Boyfriend’s Back you know this could be very good. That, and I’m sure that Courtney Love can use the money (you just know that Pieces of Jennifer’s Body has to be in this soundtrack).
Interest Level: Not sure yet.
Also, see our Fall / Winter Science Fiction and Fantasy Movie Preview.
