What’s a summer movie season without a sequel or two? Or eight, to be precise?
Sequels reflect an imagination drain of epic proportions, but film goers ask for it every time they show up in droves for a part 2, 3 or 4. And, truth be told, some sequels rock. “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Spider-Man 2″ and “Godfather, Part II” are just three sterling examples. The less said about “Caddyshack 2,” the better.
The Summer 2011 movie season offers sequels of all shapes and sizes. And we’ll soon know if they’re worthy of their predecessors:
- “The Hangover Part II” (May 26) -The first “Hangover” catapulted Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis to stardom and helped Ed Helms transition to the big screen. It also had that lightning in a bottle energy, the sense that something uniquely warped was going on before our eyes. Can they do it again? The first trailer suggests a resounding “no,” but sometimes R-rated comedies lose their best bits in the film-to-trailer process.
- “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (May 20) – No Orlando Bloom, no problem. Jack Sparrow is back in the fey form of Johnny Depp, and the actor is joined by Ian McShane and Penelope Cruz in a new sea-faring adventure. The last two “Pirate” sequels epitomized everything that’s wrong with the modern blockbuster. Can a new franchise director (Rob Marshall) change course?
- “Kung Fu Panda 2” (May 26) – Another Jack Black attack, but this time his corpulent frame is replaced once more by that of a soft and fuzzy panda. The first film was a delight, but now the sequel must power on without the can’t miss formula of a pudgy animal becoming a kung fu maestro. The new film finds Po (Black) squaring off against a new foe out to conquer both China and Kung Fu in toto.
- “Cars 2” (June 24) -The first “Cars” is the only recent Pixar film not dubbed an insta-classic. So the sequel has its work cut out for it. Pixar isn’t afraid of the sequel challenge – just look at the excellent “Toy Story 2″ and the superior “Toy Story 3.” But can the geniuses at Pixar make Lightning McQueen (voiced again by Owen Wilson) into a character as beloved as Woody or Buzz?
- “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II” (July 15) – This is it. The “Potter” franchise has promised this clash since the boy wizard first graced the screen. Now, will the Harry vs. Voldemort death match live up to our expectations? Does it matter? “Hallows” will be the biggest movie of the summer, with or without those 3D glasses.
- “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (July 1) – Now that director Michael Bay has officially apologized for the second installment in the series we can settle down and enjoy part 3. Megan Fox is jettisoned, but much of the franchise stars return including Shia LaBeouf, John Turturro and Josh Duhamel.
- “Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World” (Aug. 19) – Who knew this film franchise was still going? But ringleader Robert Rodriguez knows how to make movies for far less than his peers, so there’s no economic reason not to extend this kid-friendly vehicle for another summer? The inspiration for a fourth “Kid” came from, where else, an overtaxed diaper.
- “Final Destination 5” (Aug. 12) – The last “Destination” almost made me give up movie reviewing. So, the new installment has plenty to apologize for, but the franchise itself never really distinguished itself in the first place.
(Photo: Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha and Ed Helms return for more bromantic adventure in “The Hangover Part II,” a Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ comedy. Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon)
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
“But can the geniuses at Pixar make Lightning McQueen (voiced again by Owen Wilson) into a character as beloved as Woody or Buss?”
The thing is that he already is – just not amongst critics or the adult Pixar fans. For boys, “Cars” actually the more popular. The “Cars” franchise brings in $2 BILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY and is actually Disney’s largest and most profitable franchise – which is why we are seeing the sequel despite the lack of critical acclaim. This is why they are expanding the universe with “Planes” (set in the “Cars” universe).
I don’t think you can do a followup to Kung Fu Panda. See, the original was probably the purest expression of Zen in the martial arts ever portrayed on film. I’m not exaggerating. Essentially, the panda learns that the mind of a true master is simply his everyday mind (heijoshin); the secret technique is that there is no secret technique.
I’d mark down no Orlando Bloom as a positive in the upcoming Pirate movie. I thought part two was fairly good, although it has that problem of not really having an ending that these movie in the middle of a series have. Part 3 was definitely a mess.
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The only movie that I’m actually excited for from the list is Harry Potter. As an HP nerd, it’s going to be weird seeing the last installment of the franchise..and from the looks of the recent trailer, it’s going to be epic and emotional. Can’t wait.
As a fully formed adult with no small persons to take to a movie, the only one I might see is the Hangover 2. This is what people with kids see on the weekends, where’s something for the adults???
I am sorry Megan Fox is not in the new “Transformers”. I had hoped Bay would kill her off in an amazingly painful way in the first 10 minutes.
That would have made me shell out some hard-earned dough to see…just like the thrill and giggles I got out of seeing Paris Hilton buy the farm in “House of Wax”.
You paid money to see House of Wax? I think you might hate Paris Hilton too much, and I hadn’t thought that was possible.
But Megan Fox should be given the benefit of the doubt; as someone once said about Tyra Banks, she’s not famous for her perky reasoning skills or her round, firm logic.