When people talk about “summer movies,” it’s hard to pin down exactly what that means these days. Does summer belong completely to big loud noisy blockbusters? Or is there room for movies that are smaller, more emotionally intimate? Do adults check out completely from May to August? And are all blockbusters built equally?
We’ve decided that we want to rev up to this summer’s movie season with a countdown. The entire HitFix movie staff voted, and anything being released this summer was eligible. The results surprised even us, but they also excited us because one thing was immediately clear…
This is going to be a very cool summer.
Last week, we covered “The Lone Ranger,” the newly-retitled “Fruitvale Station,” “World War Z,” The Kings of Summer,” and “Fast and Furious 6.” And in the HitFix countdown, big and small films carry equal weight. We’re of the opinion that no great film is ever really “small,” and that part of what you trust us to do is tell you about all of your options. If it’s got us interested, then we have to assume that you’ll also be interested, and if you haven’t heard about it already, then our job is to make sure you do.
This week’s titles include “Monsters University,” and if the reaction from the CinemaCon screening in Vegas yesterday are any indication, this one sounds like a real treat from Pixar. It sounds like they’ve basically remade “Revenge Of The Nerds,” but with some clever and even startling choices in terms of theme and character. While I’m not crazy about how many sequels the company is doing these days, I still think they have one of the best creative teams in the business, and if anyone can change my mind, it’s them. We’ve got superhero sequels, a long-awaited (and often-delayed) film from one of cinema’s arthouse heroes, and one of the first films that knocked me flat this year at the Sundance Film Festival, and all of it looks ready to knock our socks off.
Remember… you’ll be able to check in as we continue this countdown with us. On Monday, April 22 you’ll find out which films ranked #15-11. The top 10 begins on Thursday, April 25 as #10-6 are announced. And our 2013 summer movie preview will end on Monday, April 29 with #5-1. We hope that once all 25 are revealed, you’ll see just how thrilling a season this could be.
And, let us know which of these five new films you’re most excited about seeing in the poll at the bottom of this post.
So without further ado, click on the graphic below and get started…