Hello everyone, and we are officially in Summer Movie Season, one of my favorite times of the year. Now this Summer in particular we have a bunch of new blockbusters, and even some promising looking smaller projects. We’ve got giant spectacles, promising comedies, and even a couple of series finales coming to a theater near you. But I am going to take a look at the movies I am most excited for, and cannot wait to see, as well as some honorable mentions at the end. (Note: No, Endgame, is not on here mainly because it came out in April, and I wanted to give attention to other movies). With that said, lets take a look at what Summer 2019 has to offer.
10. Rocketman
Now I was a little hesitant putting this on the list, because of how I was a little disappointed by Bohemian Rhapsody (its good, but not Oscar-worthy, and does have a couple of major problems). But I am being cautiously optimistic about this one for a number of reasons. First, I am a big fan of Elton John, and his music (hence why this film is on the list in the first place), and it does look like the film will go a bit deeper into his life, and offer more than just a surface level look at his career, and not focus on being a splashy musical the whole time. The R-rating also seems to confirm these thoughts a little more. I also like the idea of making the film into a musical fantasy where there will be moments of that throughout the film, which makes it seem like its own thing instead of just seeming like a Bohemian Rhapsody knockoff. There is also an impressive cast assembled here, especially Taron Edgerton who seems to be playing the role with ease from what the trailers have shown so far (yes he will be doing his own singing here), and it does feel like his been waiting for this role his entire career (seriously in Sing, he performed I’m Still Standing, and than the next year he was in Kingsman the Golden Circle which not only had Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting playing during one of the action scene, but also the titular singer was there himself, which is a really weird coincidence now that Taron Edgeron is playing him). So lets just hope this movie is able to soar like its title when it releases later this month.
9. Spider-Man Far From Home
OK before you guys complain about why this MCU sequel is not higher up on the list let me explain one thing, I find Spider-Man Homecoming somewhat overrated. Now, don’t get me wrong it is far from a bad movie, in fact its actually really fun with great performances, hilarious comedy, a fantastic villain, and a nice John Hughes high school comedy feel that makes it a unique Spidey film. But it does have some problems (mainly the actual Spider-Man stuff like the action is nothing special, and the romance was serviceable at best), and I never really understood the huge praise it got (although if you love it, I absolutely have no problem with that). So that’s why i’m not as enthusiastic for this film as much as others, but that is perfectly okay. Besides I actually think this film has potential to be better than Homecoming, thanks to the fact that it is doing something no other live action Spidey flick has ever done, and that is take the action away from New York. Its gonna be interesting to see Spider-Man in a new environment that he is not used to, and the fact that I have been to most of the places this movie takes place is pretty cool. Add in a solid first trailer, most of the standout supporting cast returning along with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury taking on the mentor role, and the big screen debut of one of my favorite Spider-Man baddies (or in this case hero?) in Mysterio who is being played by the excellent Jake Gyllenhaal. So lets just see if Marvel can make another fun Spidey adventure when this film web sling into theaters in July (although no Spider-Man film will probably ever top Spider-Verse).
8. Dark Pheonix
Well, thanks to the Disney-Fox deal, it is indeed the end of the line for the current X-Men film continuity. It’s a shame because I love this franchise even if not all of the films are that great (*cough* X-Men Origins Wolverine *cough*), they still were some of the first superhero movies I started watching and some of them are some of my favorites of the genre (I’ll tell you guys which ones, in a ranking later this month). It is also a shame its ending now, because before the deal was announced, there were some promising plans for the franchise’s future, and this film looked like the beginning of the them. But lets just hope that this will be a better Dark Phoenix story than last Stand (although that was more of a subplot than the main story, which was really more focused on the cure). Sure that first trailer was meh, but the marketing has improved lately with better trailers, and a more cosmic feeling than the other films (which is a first for the franchise). Also I love a lot of the newer actors so I am going to be sad seeing them leave so soon, and Jessica Chastain as the villain intrigues me. While the constant re-shoots, and release date delays have worried me a little, I am still hoping for the best that this will be a solid conclusion to a once revolutionary franchise (and if its not than at least we have Days of Future Past, and Logan for that).
7. Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw
Now, I actually have not seen much of the Fast & Furious franchise, only bits and pieces from the newer films, and the only one I saw in its entirety was Furious 7 (which is actually pretty darn good), so it may be surprising to this film on the list. Well here’s the thing, even if this movie was not part of any franchise, I would still be stoked for it. This is mainly because its Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, and Jason Staham, two of my favorite action stars, in an action movie teaming up with Vanessa Kirby, fighting Idris Elba who is a freaking genetically enhanced soldier, (yep this franchise has changed drastically from the first movie that is for sure), I mean what more could you want out of life? But in all seriousness the marketing for this movie has been great presenting just how ridiculous this film will be, and I just love every minute of it. Also David Leitch, co-director of John Wick, and director of Deadpool 2 will be directing, so this means we can expect some fun, and well crafted action sequences to go with Johnson, and Staham’s hilarious chemistry. So lets see if this film can indeed deliver its promises and just go all out (also if recent reports are to be believed, than this may be the third major movie this summer that Keanu Reeves is starring in, and all 3 are on this list).
6. Pokemon Detective Pickachu
You know the people behind this movie are doing something right, when they’ve got people like me who are casual Pokemon fans at best, oddly excited about this movie. I never really played any of the Pokemon games (though I did watch people around me play them), nor collected any of the cards, but I do remember playing with some toys based off of Pokemon, and watching some of the anime, and the 1st movie when I was younger, so I do have knowledge of the brand (especially when I can recognize a lot of them just by sight). So when I first heard they were making a live-action movie based off of the property I was naturally a bit skeptical, because how the hell were they going to make Pokemon look real! Then the first trailer dropped, and I was quite impressed by what I saw, so much so that the film rose up on my most anticipated movies of the year. It looks like a fun detective movie, with amazing visuals, and a strong cast (you can’t go wrong with Ryan Reynolds as the lead, okay except for Green Lantern, and R.I.P.D). But not only that, but the movie could also be the start of a brand new franchise (we don’t get too many successful franchise starters in movies so it is nice knowing that we might get one soon), and the first critically successful video-game, and anime adaptation. Both of these types of films have waited a long time for a good adaptation like this, and this film gives me hope for future movies based on them (especially that My Hero Academia movie that is in the works, which is apparently being done by the same studio, so fingers crossed).
5. MIB International
Here come the Men in Black, but this time the action is being taken to the London division, and instead of Will Smith, and Tommy Lee Jones wearing the suits, we have Chris Hemsworth, and Tessa Thompson (No this is not Thor 4) taking over this time around. I have already stated that I am a big fan of the Men in Black franchise, and I do plan on doing throwback reviews for all of the films in the trilogy before this film comes out. I have always thought that Men in Black should continue as a franchise since the concept is just too good to just let it go, but with different agents this time around since the underrated MIB 3 ended J & K’s story very well, and there is a lot of potential to expand this universe, and this films seems to be doing just that based on the trailers. The films looks like a ton of fun, with a great cast (Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Rebecca Ferguson, and Kumail Nanjiani are also in this), nice chemistry between the leads, some creative world-building, and that nice Men in Black feel we’ve come to know and love. If the film itself is at least decent than Sony could be looking at another successful franchise revamp after Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle, that may serve as a worthy successor to the original trilogy.
4. Toy Story 4
Now I was, and still a little skeptical about the mere idea of this movie being made (heck there was a time I thought it was going to be cancelled because of the constant production troubles). I mean Toy Story 3 ended the franchise perfectly, and there was no need to continue it (although the TV specials, and shorts are pretty great). But than I thought about it more, and realized that this is Pixar we’re talking about, who in my eyes has never made a bad movie, and why should I expect them to now, especially when they’ve shown how unnecessary followups could turn out great (Monsters University, and Finding Dory come to mind). Add in that the trailers have presented some reasons why this movie should happen (the carnival setting, Bo Peep coming back, how Forky becomes a toy etc.). We will also meet up with some old favorites like Woody, and the gang, but also some new toys voiced by a pretty great cast like Christina Hendricks as the villain, Gabby Gabby, Tony Hale as Bonnie’s new toy, Forky, Key & Peele as the carnival prizes Bunny, and Duck (I know creative names right), and of course Keanu Reeves as the Canadian daredevil action figure, Duke Caboom. Finally if Tom Hanks, and Tim Allen’s words are to be believed we might want to bring some tissues for this one. So will this fourth entry prove to be as amazing the other three, or should Pixar have just stopped while they were ahead? Well as the marketing has stated, God Only Knows.
3. Godzilla King of the Monsters
If there is one thing that I absolutely love, its giant monsters beating the crap out of each other, and this film is definitely living up to that promise. In fact the best way to describe this film is just epic, and when I say that I mean it in the biggest way possible. The marketing has really emphasized the huge scale of this movie, and how this is something that needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible (I certainly I want to see it that way). The film also promises to include some giant kaju battles with not only Godzilla, but also Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah joining the party, and an impressive human cast with Vera Farmiga, and Millie Bobby Brown among others (weirdly enough I heard someone said that the Strangers Things star would be the driving force for people to see this film, even though the film contains freaking giant kaju’s battling with each other). Hopefully the film will also show a little more of Godzilla this time than in the last movie, where he was used more like the shark from Jaws, or the Xenomorph from Alien (although not gonna lie, I actually dug what they were doing in that film). Couple that in with two good predecessors in the Monster-verse (the 2014 Godzilla and Kong Skull Island), incredible trailers (you know the marketing’s doing something right when they are able to sync music perfectly like Claire de Lune, and Over the Rainbow with a movie like this) and my excitement for next years Godzilla vs. King Kong (I am really curious to see if the scale of that can top this film), and we’ve got one monster of a film. So with that said, I’ve got one last thing to say, and that is Long Live the King.
2. John Wick Chapter 3 Parabellum
And the man, the myth, the legend, Keanu Reeves returns with another major film this Summer (seriously this guys on a roll), but this time he is in the leading role, with the third (and final?) chapter of one of the best action movie franchises ever made. While I do plan on doing throwback reviews for both of the previous films, all I am going to say is that both are amazing, so of course I am hyped for this third entry that looks to contain what I love about these films. Namely, Keanu Reeves kicking butt and proving why he is one the best action stars of today, the character of John Wick is just great to watch, the fun baddies he encounters, the beautiful cinematography with so many great shots (It feels like an art-house flick at times), the excellent supporting cast (both old and new), and of course the spectacular action sequences that are intense, brutal, fun, glorious, bloody, and an absolute blast to watch unfold. I really hope people turn out for this film because this franchise deserves to make blockbuster level grosses. If this truly is the final film (doubtfully, since the director says he wants to make more), than it is indeed looking like they saved the best for last. Just like the assassins trying to hunt him I am indeed waiting for John Wick.
and my No.1 most anticipated movie of the Summer is…
Once Upon a Time in Hollywoood
Now we have an original film directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Bard Pitt, Margot Robbie, Dakota Fanning, Al Pacino, and a whole bunch of other names, that is about a struggling actor and his stunt double trying to make their way in a Hollywood film industry they do not recognize anymore. How could this film not be number 1 for this list? And the crazy thing is I have not seen much of Tarantino’s work (although the bits and pieces I have seen are pretty great), its really the concept, and cast that really got me interested. I am really interested in how the film industry works, how movies are made, and the history of Hollywood itself, and this film just looks like a love letter to those, and I expect it to be very meta. The cast is also great, and huge, and judging by the excellent teaser trailer it contains the type of humor Tarantino is associated with, and does very well. While I understand people’s concerns with the film incorporating the Manson Murders into the film, it seems like its going to be more of the background of the story not the main focus, and I really doubt Tarantino is stupid enough to exploit a tragedy. So yeah fingers crossed people put their money where their mouth is and actually support adult movies like, so they can stop complaining about Hollywood not making original films (even though most of the time they just ignore those films).
So that was my top 10, but I also have a couple of honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the list, but I am still curious about so without further ado…
Long Shot – This political dramedy starring Charlize Theron, and Seth Rogen has been getting a very positive response from SXSW, and looks to be one the Summers bigger adult films. Add in two great leads, and some good trailers, hopefully I can check it out.
The Hustle – Yet Another gender-bent remake in the vein of Ghostbusters 2016, and Oceans 8, but this one is instead remaking Dirty Rotten Scoundrels which not many people remember so hopefully it can stand on its own legs, and be as funny as the trailers have been.
Aladdin – I am not a huge fan of how Disney is remaking their animated classics, and I am especially not fond of how some of the people working on the film are treating the original. Plus the trailers have been meh at best, terrible at worst, and I am not a fan with some of the casting so far. But I still have some hope that this film could be at least surface level fun, and Will Smith seems to be putting on an entertaining performance so we’ll see.
Brightburn – That first teaser promised something unique for the superhero genre adding a bit of a horror flavor to the mix. While the second trailer was a little more generic (yet another evil kid thriller), James Gunn’s involvement, and the great concept (what if Superman was evil when he came down to Earth), makes me really intrigued.
The Secret Life of Pets 2 – I actually quite enjoyed the first film, and thought it was the only Illumination film I would not mind a sequel too (we do not need Minions 2, or Sing 2). The trailers have been pretty funny as well, though that international trailer does tease something a little more dramatic so maybe this film could be better than the first film.
Shaft – I am not too familiar with the other films in the franchise, though I have heard some good things about them, and the film looks like a fun time, so maybe I’ll check this one out after I see the others.
Child’s Play – Again haven’t seen any of the other films in the franchise, but the technology angle interests me, as does Mark Hamill as the voice of iconic killer doll, so maybe this could be one of the better remakes of horror classics in recent memory.
Yesterday – An original film about a songwriter who wakes up in a world where the Beatles don’t exist, and becomes an overnight sensation by performing their music to this world, sign me up. I mean who doesn’t love some high concept originals, especially if they involve the Beatles.
21 Bridges – Can Chadwick Boseman prove he can open a film where he is not in the Black Panther suit? Not sure about that, but judging from the trailer I can expect a solid action film produced by the Russo Bros.
The Lion King – Again, same thing for Aladdin, except this one has much better trailers, and CGI on its side. While it looks to be cashing in on childhood nostalgia, and it will probably be decent, can this film be more than just a shot for shot remake? We’ll just have to be prepared for that answer won’t we?
Artemis Fowl – Can Disney have a live-action original that does not bomb financially, and critically for once? I am optimistic about this one thanks to the acclaimed source material, Kenneth Branagh directing, the great cast, and the fact that I like some of those live-action flops (Tommorrowland, the Lone Ranger, and to a lesser extent A Wrinkle in Time), so lets just wait and see.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark – While I have not read the anthology storybook this film is based on, Guillermo Del Toro’s involvement has me interested as does that really creepy trailer.
The Angry Bird Movie 2 – Same with Secret Life Pets 2, enjoyed first one (more than most in this case), and would not mind a sequel. It does look fun, and it looks to go all out with the zaniness this time around, so I have a feeling this will wind up improving on the flaws of the first film.
And those were most anticipated movies of the Summer folks. Please comment down below, and tell me your most anticipated movies of the 2019 Summer Movies season, and let me know if I should do this type of list for Fall because I do have fun making these.
I’ll see you guys next time!
Review Time 