In 1975, Jaws mangled his first co-ed, terrified the nation, and gave birth to the summer blockbuster. Since then, Hollywood execs have always seen summer as the season to snatch up big bucks. This year, sequels seem to be the key for making summer money. But instead creating tired old retreads, this season’s sequels actually look quite good.
When it comes to summer film, animation juggernaut Disney-Pixar just can’t miss. This year, the studio returns to its original masterpiece, with the final installation of the Toy Story trilogy. And before it opens on June 18, Disney-Pixar is trying to win back its original viewers who are now—like the series, human lead—college kids.
Marketed as a “cliffhanger” edition, Pixar is screening the first 65 minutes of Toy Story 3 in hopes of generating buzz. And though the film revolves around toys being shipped off to a daycare center, the flick still has plenty to offer the bawdier college crowd. Pixar flirts with controversy as Barbie fawns lustily over Ken’s “ascot.” But Toy Story 3 remains a sweet, emotional film. Kids discovering the Toy Story franchise are sure to love the rowdy adventures, while old fans will revel in nostalgia.
Although Pixar was quick out of the gate with this unique marketing strategy, Toy Story 3 shouldn’t be the only summer movie on your radar. The next four months will see dozens of releases, including big name-sequels which look surprisingly not awful.
In anticipation of the summer blockbuster, 150 AMC Theaters are setting up a double feature, screening of 2008’s Iron Man leading directly into the midnight release of Iron Man 2.
Though it remains to be seen if this high-tech superhero flick will match the success of its predecessor, director John Favreau is not concerned. In a press conference, he promised that the new installment will be “[as] fun or more fun” than the original. Throw in a Russian Mickey Rourke, and you just might have a recipe for success.
And what’s summer without a star-studded comedy? Enter Get Him to the Greek (June 4), a spinoff of 2008’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The film stars Russell Brand, reprising his role as the outlandish rock star Aldous Snow. Jonah Hill also returns, this time as an ambitious intern tasked with guiding Snow from London to L.A. P. Diddy, Aziz Ansari, and Georgetown alum Nick Kroll round out the cast.
So here’s hoping this year’s batch of sequels feel like a wild night with an old flame instead of just sloppy seconds.
