Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Ripping Good Yarns: Tom's Top Ten Summer Movies 2014



BELIEVE IT OR NOT!!!!.....

I have made an effort to include a diverse range of movies, leaving some off of my list (The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Giver, Edge of Tomorrow) in order to present a wider variety of movies.  They are still all within the realm of Ripping Good Yarns - no documentaries, no biopics, no froufrou tearoom dramas, no intellectual darlings.

As usual, I will probably only get to half or less in the theaters, and see the others via streaming services when they are available.  


#10)  Blended looks to me to be the comedy of the summer.  Although Adam Sandler has grown to be mostly unwatchable on his own, he has retained his magic when teamed with the sweet and goofy Drew Barrymore.  Get ready for some Brady style blended family laughs! Premieres May 23rd.


#9)  Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson, has had some strongly entertaining previews.  A young woman involuntarily ingests some drugs that enable to use that 90% of the brain that people never use.  And it's got Morgan Freeman. Premieres August 8th.



8) A deliciously wicked step forward in Disney's princess sagas.  Maleficent is a live action extension of the evil witch that has been integral of the Disney universe, played by the wickedly talented Angelina Jolie. Filled with amazing special effects, not the least of which is how well they cover up her myriad tattoos. Premiers May 30th.


#7)  A great slice of life movie, The Fault In Our Stars, is based on the hugely popular Young Adult book by John Green.  It centers on two teens who meet in a cancer support group.  Certainly a change of pace of the usual adaption of a Young Adult novel filled with monsters or dystopia. Premieres June 6th.





#6)  What list of summer movies would be complete without the most anticipated animated film of the season?  How To Train Your Dragon 2, if it's only half as good as it's predecessor, will still be awesome.
Premieres June 13th,



#5)  Jupiter Ascending looks to be a first rate science fiction film, written and directed by the Wachowski brothers (The Matrix).  Premieres July 18th.



#4)  GODZILLA!  I am not a huge fan of Godzilla movies, but this one looks like it was done right.  Plus...Walter White!!! (Bryan Cranston has a starring role) Premiers May 16th.






#3)  How could I not include The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes?  The previous movie was one of the great cinematic surprises of a couple years ago.  If it keeps up the first's quality, this has to be worthwhile. Premieres July 11th.





#2)  X-Men: Days of Future Past.  How much more can I say.  The poster, based on the famous comic cover, indicates what SHOULD be the case (but may not be), and that is my favorite Marvel hero, Kitty Pryde,  should have a super central role in the story.  Can't wait! Premieres May 23rd.



#1) Number with a bullet (or should I say Gunn?...James Gunn) is Guardians of the Galaxy! This movies looks fun and entertaining to the max!  And it's writer/director, James Gunn, is a personal favorite of Alison and myself (Slither was a great horror comedy).  Chris Pratt, Parks and Rec star, and voice featured in The Lego Movie, is a gifted actor who certainly deserves this star turn.  There is some fear that it can't match the box office of The Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, etc....but that is an unfair comparison.  Take it from me...it gets the Tom Strait Seal of Ripping Good Yarn Approval!  Premieres August 1st!

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