The Gallant Summer Movie Guide 2012

As if this summer couldn’t be any busier with the 2012 Olympics, as usual Hollywood has lined up a string of blockbuster movies to get you off the couch and out of the house. This year, movie studios decided to pump some life into aging storylines with a reboot of the Spider-Man franchise, an epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, and a new Men In Black movie that should never have seen the light of day. Before the summer officially kicks off, we wanted to give you our list of must-see movies and let you guys tell us if we’re off the mark. Check out our Summer Movie Guide below.

Safety Not Guaranteed (June 8)
When the words time travel come to mind, most people think of Back To The Future or Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Well, Safety Not Guaranteed isn’t as over the top or goofy as the aforementioned movies and revolves around three magazine employees, Aubrey Plaza (one of our personal favorites), Jake M. Johnson and Karan Soni, who set out to interview a strange man who created a classified ad looking for a partner for time travel. Safety Not Guaranteed is in limited theaters now, so check it out if you’re looking for something off the beaten path.

Prometheus (June 8)
Ridley Scott, director of Alien, Gladiator, and American Gangster, has returned to his extraterrestrial roots with Prometheus. The movie is based around the crew on the Prometheus vessel who find the same map of stars amongst the ruins of a variety of ancient civilizations and decide to follow the map in hopes of learning more about the origins of the the Human race. On their journey into space, this star studded cast of Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace and Idris Elba, discover much more than they anticipated. Science fiction, suspense, and a sexy set of actresses all in one movie should make Promethus enjoyable for everyone from the sci-fi geeks, to thrill-loving adrenaline junkies.

To Rome with Love (June 22)
Woody Allen follows up his Oscar-winning film, Midnight in Paris, with another Europe-based romantic comedy, entitled To Rome with Love. The upcoming film features an ensemble cast led by Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Penelope Cruz, Alec Baldwin, and oh yeah, Woody Allen. Told in four vignettes, the story follows a group of people in Italy, some American, some Italian, some residents, some visitors, and the adventures and romantic entanglements they find themselves in. With such a strong cast and the quirky charm audiences love, expect this movie to receive the critical acclaim that Woody’s productions typically garner.

The Amazing Spider Man (July 3)
10 years after the Tobey Maguire-led Spider-Man series hit theaters, Marvel has decided to give the franchise new life with an untold version of the Peter Parker story. Andrew Garfield, Mark Zuckerburg’s disgruntled business partner in the The Social Network, will be replacing Tobey Maguire as the web-slinging super hero in this latest addition to the Marvel movie catalog, where he’ll chase a new leading lady, square off against an angry green villain, and manage to piss off the entire police force. Check out the 4-minute trailer here.

Savages (July 6)
Unless you’re an NBA all-star, an olympian or Hank Moody, you should know that love triangles never end on a good note. Well, in Savages, Oliver Stone takes us into a triangle of two California drug dealers, Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson, and the lady they both love, Blake Lively. When Mexican drug runners, Salma Hayek and Benicio Del Toro, decide they want their slice of Taylor and Aaron’s pie, things get real. An amazing director and an award-winning cast should help Savages live up to its title. Check out the trailer here.

Ted (June 29)
Mark Wahlberg returns the big screen with a furry little friend in one of the Summer’s most anticipated comedies, Ted, directed by Family Guy creator, Seth McFarlane. Most teddy bears are gentle and don’t have much to say, but Mark’s friend Ted is nothing of the sort. Ted is a foul-mouthed, deadbeat teddy bear who’s been dragging down Mark’s character, John, for years. The two have been inseparable for over two decades, but when Mark’s girlfriend Lori, played by the gorgeous Mila Kunis, decides to put her foot down, John is forced to put some distance between himself and his stuffed accomplice and their lifelong bond is placed in jeopardy. Crude humor and dick jokes are nothing out of the norm in today’s comedies, but hearing that same filth coming from the mouth of an adorable stuffed animal make Ted worth the price of admission. Hit the theaters later this month to find out if the lovely Mila Kunis decides to pack her bags and leave.

The Dark Knight Rises (July 20)
The most anticipated movie on our list is also the one that generates the most mixed feelings. We are pumped about seeing Christian Bale return as the Dark Knight, but at the same time we definitely aren’t ready for the Christopher Nolan-helmed Batman series to come to an end. With Tom Hardy starring as the villain of the year, Bane, and Anne Hathaway as the sexy feline super hero, Cat Woman, what more could one ask for in this movie? Will Batman and Gotham City survive the wrath of Bane? We’ll find out in just about 5 weeks….And yes, we are counting down the days.

The Watch (July 27)
This Summer, sci-fi meets comedy in the Seth Rogen’s The Watch. When aliens threaten the human race, who are you going to trust to defend your quiet suburb? Obviously, the Neighborhood Watch. Written by Rogen and featuring a cast of comedic favorites which includes Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Jonah Hill, The Watch should be a comedic hit for all ages. See these funny guys get tough in theaters nationwide, July 27th.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (June 22)
If an asteroid was on a collision course with planet Earth and the world was about to end, wouldn’t you want “the one that got away” to know that you love her? In Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, that’s exactly what Dodge (Steve Carell) sets out to do after his wife leaves him due to the impending end of days. He sets out on a cross country road trip to find his sweetheart and takes his cute neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley) along for the ride, and well, let’s just say that things get complicated. The end of world and true love? Find a better date movie in June and we’ll pay for it.

The Campaign (August 10)
As attack ads for the 2012 Presidential Election get nastier and nastier, director Jay Roach attempts to bring some much needed comedic relief to the cut-throat world of politics with The Campaign. To help accomplish this task, Roach enlists Will Ferrell to star as a baffling congressmen from North Carolina. When Ferrell makes a fool of himself in public, fellow politician Zach Galifianakis steps up to challenge Ferrell for his seat in congress. Will Galifianakis show Ferrell the door or is Ferrell the people’s champ? Watch this heated political match up in theaters on August 10th.

The Bourne Legacy (August 3)
Last year, the Bourne franchise was on the ropes when they lost their director, Paul Greengrass, and face of the franchise, Matt Damon. In the later rounds they landed a one-two combination with a new director, Tony Gilroy, and a new leading actor, Jeremy Renner, to piece together what should be a huge Summer hit. The movie is neither a prequel nor a sequel, but more of a side story within the top-secret Treadstone Project. Since 2010, Renner has been tearing up screens in The Town, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and most recently, The Avengers. Honestly, Universal Pictures could not have picked a better actor or a better time to release this film. Prepare yourself for hard-hitting fight scenes, intense shootouts, and a gripping storyline in the latest addition to the Bourne series.

Premium Rush (August 24)
Originally scheduled for an early 2012 release, the Joseph Gordon-Levit-led flick, Premium Rush, drops into theater in the final week of August, more or less capping off the Summer blockbuster movie season. In this adrenaline-pumping action/thriller, JGL plays a New York City bike messenger who finds himself running riding for his life after being tasked to deliver a mysterious envelope that catches the attention of a crooked cop. Co-starring Michael Shannon, Jamie Chung, Aaron Tveit, and the gorgeous Dania Ramirez as Gordon-Levitt’s partner in crime/love interest, Premium Rush will be a good reason to spend 90 minutes in an air conditioned theater during the dog days of Summer.