This is the first in a two-part summer movie preview. Check back here at the same time next week for the rest of the summer titles.
June 17:
The Green Lantern
The lowdown: Ryan Reynolds stars as the titular DC comics superhero, a test pilot granted otherworldly powers after a mystic ring lands on his finger and finds him at ground zero in an intergalactic war.
Why see it? This may be the multimillion-dollar blockbuster that elevates Reynolds, a capable character actor in middlebrow comedies, to the permanent A-list.
Why skip it? Because it looks as organic as processed cheese. It’s hard to find much humanity in the trailer, which suggests a soulless video game of computer-generated fantasy.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
The lowdown: Jim Carrey plays a hotshot, workaholic businessman who learns how to be a proper father after he inherits six penguins.
Why see it? If you’re 6 years old, or if this is the first movie you’ve ever seen, you may find it a witty romp.
Why skip it? “South Park†rightly skewered this film last week as a steaming pile of Hollywood defecation. This is the kind of visual torture that would break any hardened terrorist. Skip it for the love of god.
The Art of Getting By
The lowdown: Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts star in this teen romantic comedy about a lonely, jaded boy who refuses to do his schoolwork and the popular girl who sees beyond his outer shell.
Why see it? The fact that it was accepted to Sundance gives “The Art of Getting By†a patina of significance, and it’s nice to see Alicia Silverstone, Sam Robards and Blair Underwood in supporting parts.
Why skip it? There’s no indication that there is anything remotely original about this story, whose entire formula is exposed in the overly revealing trailer. Shades of last year’s ugly, offensive “Kind of a Funny Story.â€
June 24:
Bad Teacher
The lowdown: Cameron Diaz is an abrasive, foul-mouthed woman who inexplicably still has a job as a schoolteacher. The
presence of a hunky new substitute (Justin Timberlake) prompts her to change her act.
Why see it? The trailer is not without some genuine laughs, and director Jake Kasdan’s last feature was the hilarious “Walk Hard.†Pair this with “Bridesmaids,†and it looks like 2011 is the year for raunchy, R-rated female-centric comedies.
Why skip it? Its preponderance of juvenile slapstick and teen-boy-baiting shots of a scantily clad Diaz sexing up a car wash suggests that the intended audience of “Bad Teacher†may be significantly younger than its rating implies.
Buck
The lowdown: This inspirational documentary from first-time director Cindy Meehl follows renowned horse whisperer Buck Brannaman, who helps connect people with animals and vice versa.
Why see it? Lauded at Sundance, “Buck†looks to be a thoughtful, introspective antidote to the CGI-laden occupants of most multiplex screens, promising transcendent, Zen-like charms and authentic Americana flavor.
Why skip it? You may need to be attuned to the film’s spiritual rhythms to take something lasting away from it.
Cars 2
The lowdown: The talking cars return for this international sequel, which pits them against automobiles from Japan, Germany, Italy, France and England in the multi-national Race of Champions.
Why see it? John Lasseter, the head honcho at Pixar, is directing this highly anticipated sequel, and it’s unlikely he’ll let it suck. At the very least, the animation will be impeccable.
Why skip it? The original “Cars†is not considered in the upper echelon of Pixar’s impressive resume, so the need for a sequel is suspect. Is this just an opportunity to sell a bunch of new T-shirts and model cars?
A Better Life
The lowdown: An illegal immigrant struggles to keep his gardening business alive and prevent his son from entering gangland in East Los Angeles in this humanist drama from director Chris Weitz.
Why see it? The film shines a light on an immigrant father and son, putting microcosmic human visages on a faceless political issue. It is undoubtedly a message film, and it could be a powerfully effective one.
Why skip it? Or it could be a treacly, sentimental, manipulative message film. The marketers are playing up the Chris Weitz that directed “About a Boy,†not the Chris Weitz that directed such subpar fantasies as “The Golden Compass†and “New Moon.†We’ll see which one showed up for the job.
July 1
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
The lowdown: The third installment of the blockbuster franchise, which pits Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and Optimus Prime against the new enemy Shockwave, is set against the space race between the United States and the USSR
Why see it? I’m throwing up my hands here. You tell me.
Why skip it? So you don’t have hearing problems for the rest of the week. I know these movies are about nothing but explosions and an eardrum-bleeding score, but come on, Michael Bay and company … couldn’t you come up with a better setting than trite, exhausted Cold War panic?
Larry Crowne
The lowdown: Tom Hanks is a best-selling retailer at a big-box company who, after being downsized by his comedy,
enrolls in college to restart his life in this romantic comedy.
Why see it? For many viewers, the star power is enough to carry plenty of box-office weight. Julia Roberts plays the title character’s love interest, and Pam Grier, George Takei and Nia Vardalos (who penned the script) costar. It’s only the second feature film directed by Hanks, which should also peak some interest.
Why skip it? “Larry Crowne†looks like the kind of film Hanks would have made in the ‘80s, before he became synonymous with Oscar-winning prestige pictures. Its rote formula suggests a movie tailored to an Adam Sandler and Zooey Deschansel, not stars of Hanks’ and Roberts’ league.
July 8:
Page One: Inside the New York Times
The lowdown: Documentarian Andrew Rossi received a rare all-access pass into the New York Times’ hallowed newsroom, centering his narrative on the newspaper’s media desk as it grapples with its own changing landscape.
Why see it? I saw and loved this when it played at the Miami Film Festival this year. It’s the ultimate statement about journalistic ethics, the new media revolution, the durability of the Times, and the state of flux our information-gathering seems to constantly be in. And you’ll be exposed to some eccentric, unforgettable reporters. A must-see.
Why skip it? I suppose that if you don’t care about the way we get our information and the past, present and future of the media apparatus in this country, “Page One†may bore you. But it’s hard to imagine any thoughtful adult leaving the theater unengaged.
Zookeeper
The lowdown: A bunch of talking zoo animals help their committed but romantically hapless zookeeper (Kevin James) win
back the love of his life.
Why see it? If you’ve never seen “Dr. Doolittle†or “Madagascar†or “Barnyard†or “Shrek†or “Cats & Dogs†or “Babe†or … I could go on forever here.
Why skip it? Kevin James has managed to coast for years with little talent, and without exhibiting any display of acting range. Let’s not support his middling career by frequenting this latest bit of refried talking-animal infantilism.
Horrible Bosses
The lowdown: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis lead the cast of this dark comedy, starring as disgruntled employees who hatch a plot to murder their tyrannical supervisors.
Why see it? Two of Hollywood’s hottest young comedy writers teamed up with hot young director Seth Gordon for what looks to be a promising comedy chockablock with A-list talent in smaller-than-expected parts, including Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell.
Why skip it? The timing for this picture isn’t the best. Will audiences by comedied out by mid-July? Let’s hope it’s good enough to rise above the comic fold.
