Summer 2011 Movies Guide: July

Horrible Bosses

Release: July 8th

Starring: Jason Batemen, Charlie Day, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacy

Directed by: Seth Gordon

The Story: Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.

The Gossip: To be honest, there haven’t been many discussions around the campfire about the movie. The reviews so far have been rather solid with 80% on rotten tomatoes at the time this article comes up. Usually, a smaller scale movie comes out after the big July 4th release and Horrible Bosses seems to fit the bill.  Last year we got Predators in the same slot. The marketing has been solid, as are the names in the cast. If the reviews hold, it may be worth a look for a few laughs.

So, will it be any good? Magic Eight Ball says “Cannot Predict Now”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

Release: July 15th

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint

Directed by: David Yates

The Story: The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort’s final horcruxes, but when Voldemort finds out about their mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again.

The Gossip: Really, it would be shocking if any of you have escaped the juggernaut phenomenon that is the Harry Potter series. Knowing that, you’ve probably seen all the other movies, so you’re going to be seeing this one. The last movie did a pretty good job with the last book’s problems (there, I said it.), so it’ll be interesting to see how they handle a few sequences, including the Battle of Hogwarts and the much loathed epilogue. The going rumor seems to be they’ve added a lot to the battle, which is something I personally wanted a great deal.

So, will it be good? Magic Eight Ball says “You may rely on it”

Captain America: The First Avenger

Release date: July 22nd

Starring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci

Directed by: Joe Johnston

The Story: After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals.

The Gossip: Like Thor, Marvel got the right people for the right job. Joe Johnston may not be a Shakespeare level director (no, they got that guy for their other movies), but he knows how to please a crowd. He’s even had experience with the time period with “The Rocketeer”

The move to make the film into a period piece is a stroke of genius, as it allows us to see the character in his natural environment before shipping his ass to present day. The trailers have all been good and the news that Joss Whedon did a polish on the script prior to working on The Avengers gives great hope. The movie seems like a pretty safe bet.

So, will it be good? Magic Eight Ball says “Signs point to yes”

Cowboys & Aliens

Release date: July 29^th

Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde

Directed by: Jon Favreau

The Story: A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way.

The Gossip: Jon Favreau was so distraught over the quality of Iron Man 2 he took the directing gig for Cowboys & Aliens for fear he would never get another job after it opened. Based on a graphic novel and written by the dynamic duo of Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek, Mission Impossible III), the movie has a great cast and a director out to prove his quality… which means there’s a good chance we’ll be getting something special. It looks ridiculous, but the last time we got James Bond and Indiana Jones in a movie we got Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The trailers have been good, and press has loved the footage they’ve seen.

So, will be good? Magic Eight Ball says “Signs point to yes”