Box Office Buzz: Are This Summer's Family Movies Worth the Hype?
By Christa A. Banister, senior music editor, gmclife.com
Thanks to the return of Buzz Lightyear, Bella and the hunky vampires and werewolves of the Twilight saga, and well, the always-reliable Iron Man, it’s already been a pretty big summer at the multiplex. But trust me, if you’ve found this summer’s selection of family movies a little predictable, there’s definitely more intriguing prospects on the horizon, especially now that July has rolled around. Stretching beyond the usual superheroes and sequels, there’s a bunch of new highly anticipated movies headed to a theater near you. But are they really worth the hype – and the astronomical prices of the popcorn you’ll be snacking on?
The Contender: The Last Airbender
Release Date: July 1
The One-Two Punch: The what-is-he-going-to-do-this-time intrigue of writer/director M. Night Shyamalan, plus the return of Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel.
The Premise: In a classic battle of good and evil, a mysterious boy known as an Aang is rescued from the ice beneath a village and embarks on a mission to restore peace to the world. Think Avatar meets kung fu.
The Verdict: While certainly less eye-roll-inducing (and more entertaining) than 2008’s gruesome flop The Happening (but then again what wasn’t?), The Airbender still isn’t Shyamalan’s return to a Sixth Sense level of showmanship. Ultimately, it’s more style than substance (and way, way too long to boot).
The Contender: Despicable Me
Release Date: July 9
The One-Two Punch: An all-star cast of seriously funny people voicing the characters (Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Jason Segal, Ken Jeong, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig and Mindy Kaling) and a sinister plot filled with comedic yet family-friendly promise.
The Premise: In one gloriously perfect, picket-fence suburb, there’s one guy named Gru who is more than content to go against the grain. In fact, he’s planning the biggest heist in history by actually stealing the moon. But when three adorable orphan girls unexpectedly invade his life, his plans are naturally thrown for a loop as Gru considers something he’d never thought about before – fatherhood.
The Verdict: Except for a little PG-rated rude humor, Despicable Me is a laugh-a-minute delight for the whole family – and 3D just makes it that much better.
Next: Inception
