Social Underground’s 2017 Summer Movie Preview Part 2
The summer of 2017 looks to be full of sequels, prequels, adaptations of TV shows, a few originals, and yet another remake of The Mummy. Who are we kidding? We will all eventually go to see all the films on this list. In a time like this, movies are one thing we have where we can go into a dark room and watch fiction without a care — unless some parent brings in a kid eating a trash bag full of popcorn.
The past few years have brought us some pretty good summer films, so let’s dive into the first few months of summer movies that the bigwigs want us to spend our precious dollars on.
July
Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 5th)
Yeah, I know, yet another Spider-Man. This time around, it’s in the hands of Marvel to make it good. It appears that they actually got an actor, Tom Holland, who is of the age to where it looks like he could actually be in high school, instead of teaching classes at a high school.
Premise: Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, young Peter Parker (Tom Holland) returns home to live with his Aunt May. Under the watchful eye of mentor Tony Stark, Parker starts to embrace his newfound identity as Spider-Man. He also tries to return to his normal daily routine — distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just a friendly neighborhood superhero. Peter must soon put his powers to the test when the evil Vulture emerges to threaten everything that he holds dear.
Expect a lot of the same stuff from Spidey as we saw in Civil War. It’s fairly easy to be burnt out on the wall crawler, but now that he is officially inducted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we can finally see him interacting with our other favorites… as long as they have a contract to be in the film. Otherwise, the dozen other superheroes in NYC will simply ignore the consequences of a potential world ending event. Superheroes need money, dude.
War of the Planet of the Apes (July 14th)
Surprisingly, the first two films in this rebooted series have been remarkably good. The first one set up the universe, and the second leaped right into where a major epidemic has left humans being exposed to the elements. This third film has the plot of the maniacal human wanting to go to war with the apes. Yeah, it seems predictable, but we all love Andy Serkis in a ping pong ball suit pretending to be an ape. I wonder what acting class teaches that?
Premise: Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both of their species and the future of the planet.
Considering it’s “planet of the apes,” I will go out on a limb and predict that Caesar might beat Woody in a fight. Director Matt Reeves resume includes the last Apes film, Cloverfield and it was announced he will direct The Batman. I think this film is in safe hands, and the trailer for it below proves that it could be a pretty cool looking war.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (July 21st)
I’ve been reading this comic ever since director Luc Besson revealed that this was what he wanted to make, but made The Fifth Element because the tech wasn’t right yet. After seeing that movie, I could only begin to wonder what the heck this was all about. Every issue was full of stuff that would cost a fortune to put on screen, influenced Star Wars, and would be one of the most spectacular things put on screen. I see why Besson wanted to do it do badly.
Premise: In the 28th century, special operatives Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) work together to maintain order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the minister of defense, the duo embarks on a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where diverse species gather to share knowledge and culture. When a dark force threatens the peaceful city, Valerian and Laureline must race against time to identify the menace that also jeopardizes the future of the universe.
The duo has a rich history that most in America doesn’t know about since it’s based on a French comic, but I have faith that Besson has written hundreds of drafts to get this thing done right. Watch the trailers (below), look up the history, and read the comics. It’s totally worth it. Then, maybe then, you will be prepared for this phenomenon.
Dunkirk (July 21st)
I’m a diehard Christopher Nolan fan. When he comes out with a new film, it’s something I plan for months in advance to go and see. When I heard that Nolan was going to make a film about one of the most amazing retreats in war history, I was in. We’re talking researching maps, stories and war film about the retreat. It’s truly worth a film by the best director in the game.
Most war films are about soldiers running into danger with blood and explosions. This is not that type of film. This is a film is about a rescue, and the people who gave their lives protecting the 400,000 trying to get home.
Premise: The film depicts the dramatic and true story of the Dunkirk evacuations from a war torn beach and harbour in France, following the seemingly doomed plight of allied soldiers in World War II. As the enemy forces close in it seems the troops have nowhere to go, but help is at hand and a fierce battle ensues.
This is before America jumped into the war. It’s a reason why many over in the USA are a bit confused about what this is all about. WW2 is more than just America jumping into the war. It went on way longer than most high school teachers explain to students. This is a story that everyone on the planet should know about.
Atomic Blonde (July 28th)
Have you noticed how the scenes shown in this film looks impeccably badass with all the stunts and glossy directing? Have you heard about a film called John Wick? Yeah, some of the same crew in involved to make this action movie really get you pumped.
Premise: The crown jewel of Her Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service, Agent Lorraine Broughton (Theron) is equal parts spycraft, sensuality and savagery, willing to deploy any of her skills to stay alive on her impossible mission. Sent alone into Berlin to deliver a priceless dossier out of the destabilized city, she partners with embedded station chief David Percival (James McAvoy) to navigate her way through the deadliest game of spies.
I feel this could be what the movie Salt wanted to be, but with people who know what they are doing. Theron can be anything she wants in a film, so when you watch the trailer below, be prepared to see just some of the exciting stuff you love in the John Wick franchise. If it somehow is in the same universe, I have no problem with that. They can kick ass and walk some dogs.
August
The Dark Tower (August 4th)
There has been a tot of controversy over the adaptation of Stephen King’s gigantic book series that I sighed at looking at the amount of pages I’d have to read to know what the hell is going on in it. Let’s be real: The books are around 5,000 pages when put together, so let’s chill out and enjoy the fact that this thing got made with an incredible cast.
Premise: Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), the last Gunslinger, is locked in an eternal battle with Walter O’Dim (Matthew McConaughey), also known as the Man in Black. The Gunslinger must prevent the Man in Black from toppling the Dark Tower, the key that holds the universe together. With the fate of worlds at stake, two men collide in the ultimate battle between good and evil.
Since the film is based upon a load of books, I hope this is good and gets sequels to give us more and more.
Detroit (August 4th)
I grew up hearing about the Detroit riots when I was younger. Police and firefighters were sniped at, people were afraid to leave their houses, and Detroit was labeled for years after as a continuous dangerous place to be. It’s not that way now, despite bad press, but this is history people need to know about.
Premise: A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest citizen uprisings in United States history. The story is centred around the Algiers Motel incident, which occurred in Detroit, Michigan on July 25, 1967, during the racially charged 12th Street Riot. It involves the death of three black men and the brutal beatings of nine other people: seven black men and two white women.
This is a film that will no doubt have an impact when it comes out. It seals with race in a time where the most extreme from both sides of the law and those who think the law is unjust collides. I hope it gives us all hope to unite instead of be at odds. Check out the trailer below for a movie that will most likely cause a lot of discussion.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard (August 18th)
Ryan Reynolds has been killing it lately. Samuel L. Jackson is, well, saying yes to everything from bad movies to wearing strange bow ties in credit card commercials They both seem to be having a blast in playing to their strengths in this film that I believe will easily clean up the weekend it comes out.
Premise: The world’s top protection agent is called upon to guard the life of his mortal enemy, one of the world’s most notorious hit men. The relentless bodyguard and manipulative assassin have been on the opposite end of the bullet for years and are thrown together for a wildly outrageous 24 hours. During their journey from England to the Hague, they encounter high-speed car chases, outlandish boat escapades and a merciless Eastern European dictator who is out for blood.
Remember that the trailer below is a red band trailer… like you didn’t know already by the two stars in it. Just watch it, laugh, then drag your significant other before they drag you to it.
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Jeff Sorensen is an author, writer and occasional comedian living in Detroit, Michigan. You can look for more of his work on The Huffington Post, UPROXX, BGR and by just looking up his name.
Contact: jeff@socialunderground.com