Late June Preview

June is going to be an interesting month for releases, there isn’t anything really stellar until next weekend and the rest of the month is more about comedy than anything else despite a few releases.   This is a review of whats coming out and how I think it’s looking like the movie will do once it comes out in theaters.

Weekend of June 18-20:

Toy Story 3-Disney/Pixar

This years offering from Pixar is actually the third movie in the Toy Story franchise, this one deals with what happens to toys once the kid who use to play with them no longer has an interest in them.   The trailers all look really interesting, as usual it looks like Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang will be getting up to some antics to get back to Andy their owner who really does want them back beside what his mother thought he wanted.

Toy Story 3 like the previous star various really good voice talents: Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Tom Hanks (Woody), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Ned Beatty (Lotso) Don Rickles (Mr. Potato Head), and Michael Keaton (Ken).   Toy Story 3 is the second sequel to the original movie which is still a beloved classic as is the second film in the series.   The movie had a few missteps in production namely at one point the movie was not being made by Pixar but by Disney without them.   Still once Pixar took over production and re-did the entire movie we knew we would have a classic again.    

Toy Story in 1995 pulled in a weekend Gross of 30million when it opened and you have to remember back then no one knew how good the movie would be.  During its entire run it pulled in 191.7 milllion domestically and worldwide managed to pull in 361.9 million.   The second Toy Story came out in 1999 four years later and on its opening weekend in November managed to pull in 57 million and the film managed to pull in 245.8 million dollars and worldwide it pulled in 485 million.   Toy Story 3 will manage to pull in somewhere north of 50 million in its opening weekend, though it won’t reach over a 100 million which is something that the box office is in need of right now.  After its run this summer the movie will pull in over 200 million domestically but it might actually finish a little below the second movie, as history shows third films in a franchise finish a little below second films.

Jonah Hex– Warner Brothers

At this point most every comic book out there that has been even halfway successful has been optioned for a film, which brings us to Jonah Hex.   Jonah Hex is the story of an outlaw whose family gets killed by another outlaw and who leaves a mark on his face that is there really more to give Jonah Hex a rough exterior than anything else.   The movie has big guns, big attitude, and even a good-looking girl (Megan Fox plays a character) and also big yawns and serious doubts.

The movie boarders on strange, with a lot of things that don’t seem possible like most comic book movies, it also doesn’t sell too well in the trailers as the most people can give the movie is a eh maybe it uh looks kind of interesting.   The movie stars Josh Brolin (Jonah Hex) who is not a big star really, though he does have a deep gravely voice that makes whatever he says in the movie interesting ot a degree, Megan Fox (Lilah) who is there just as eye candy as it is painfully obvious in the trailers that she CANNOT act, Will Arnett (as Lt. Grass), and John Malkovich (as Quentin Turnbull).    The closest movies released similar to this one in the past few years are  all pretty poor performers at the box office other than Watchmen and Ghost Rider, I am putting Jonah Hex at less than 30 million for its opening weekend, perhaps less than 20 if Toy Story is big enough of a hit, and then it will quickly fade as well.

Weekend of June 25-27

Grown Ups-Sony/Columbia

Once again this summer Adam Sandler and his Happy Madison PIctures bring us another comedy that could be pretty funny, Grown Ups is about a group of friends who have not seen one another since they graduated from middle school and now they’re getting back together and bringing all of their kids and their families.   The movie’s trailers have some really funny parts to them, but its hard to say if there’s going to be anything funny besides what is in the trailers or if the movie is going to have an interesting plot of some kind.

How well this movie does will depend on a few things: how people feel about the stars of the film, and how many people are still going to see Toy Story 3 this same weekend.    Grown Ups stars Adam Sandler (as Lenny Feder), Kevin James (as Eric Lamonsoff), Chris Rock (as Kurt McKenzie), David Spade (as Marcus Higgins), Rob Schneider (as Rob Hilliard), and Salma Hayek (as Roxanne Feder).    Its hard to say because Adam Sandler movies usually do pretty good despite the fact they are only okay films.  Usually they have some good comedy in them and also some fun things that happen.   The hardest thing is Sandler’s movies are up and down every time they come out, this one could pull in over a 100 million when it’s all said and done, but its going to open with less than 40 million, perhaps around 30 million and come in second place the week it comes out Toy Story 3 will continue to dominate.

Knight and Day-Fox

It’s always interesting to see Tom Cruise and what he does, he’s good at action and comedy and he knows that these two are his strengths, so that is what he is focusing on with Knight and Day .  The film is an action comedy about a couple who are on the run though we’re not really sure why they are on the run with lots of betrayals and shifting alliances, the movie does look funny and like its full of action as well, but its  hard to say how it will do.

The movie stars Tom Cruise (as Miller), Cameron Diaz (as June Havens), Maggie Grace (as April Havens), and for Buffy fans like me: Marc Blucas (as Rodney).   There is really very little here in the name of star power other than Cruise and Diaz though its hard to say how popular either of them are with people lately.    The film doesn’t look very strong and it is definitely coming out at a time that is probably wrong for a film of this kind.   I am tracking it to finish at below 30 million, maybe even below 20 million.

Final Thoughts on June: June belongs to Toy Story 3 the movie will dominate the month as the biggest release of June, I could be wrong but I seriously doubt it, the first two films in the series are beloved by adults and kids, and this one won’t be any different.   We’ll know more for sure next friday but I stand by this TOy Story 3 is the movie of June.

I will be back sometime next week with the movie preview for July kicking it off with The Last Airbender and Twilight Saga: Eclipse which is going to be hard week for a winner.