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The first two months of summer are pretty much jam-packed with action, adventure, and big-name laughs. And now that you’ve had a little bit of time to recover from the anticipation and sheer excitement of part one of my summer movie preview, it’s time to dive back in and look at the second half of summer: July and August. Ready? So let’s go already!
(Once again, that note on release dates: films are listed by week. In general, I use Friday as the standard release date, though some will open earlier in the week. Others will be opening in limited release, so release dates in your area may vary. Please be sure to check your local listings for exact dates.)
JULY 1:
This year, Steven Spielberg kicks off the holiday weekend with The BFG, based on Roald Dahl’s classic kids’ novel about a little girl and her Big Friendly Giant.
For more grown-up literary adventures, there’s The Legend of Tarzan, directed by Harry Potter regular David Yates and starring Alexander Skarsgård and Margot Robbie as Tarzan and Jane, who leave their civilized lives in London to return to the jungle.
Yet another literary adaptation, Our Kind of Traitor, was based on a thriller by John le Carré. It finds a couple caught between a Russian mobster’s plans to defect and the British Secret Service.
Or, for election year thrills, there’s The Purge: Election Year, the third film in the franchise, which finds former police sergeant Barnes (Frank Grillo) working for the presidential front-runner, who vows to get rid of the annual Purge.
Kristin’s Pick: The possibilities this holiday weekend are endless. But I’ve got to give this week’s pick to Steven Spielberg, Roald Dahl, and The BFG.
JULY 8:
The holiday weekend options not enough for you? Just wait…there’s more! If you need a laugh, check out Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, starring Zac Efron and Adam Devine as a couple of wild and crazy brothers who place an online ad looking for dates to their sister’s wedding in Hawaii—but they get more than they expect from the girls they choose (Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza).
For family-friendly laughs, there’s also The Secret Life of Pets, the latest from the studio behind Despicable Me. In a New York City apartment building, a group of pets find themselves gearing up for battle against a bitter bunny and her growing army.
Also this week, Viggo Mortensen plays a dad who’s raising six kids in the wilderness in Captain Fantastic. And a foreign pick, the Japanese manga-based Our Little Sister, finds three young women taking in their younger half-sister.
Kristin’s Pick: All of this week’s releases have plenty of potential—but since I’ve been eagerly watching the trailers for The Secret Life of Pets with my daughter for months, I’m going to give it my pick.
JULY 15:
Who you gonna call? It’s been more than 30 years since the original ghost-busting team battled the things that go bump in the night, and now Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig are donning the proton packs for director Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters.
Also this week, Bryan Cranston stars as a Customs official investigating Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar in The Infiltrator. And, in the French animated film Phantom Boy, a boy with super powers aids a policeman in his quest to track a mob boss.
Kristin’s Pick: People already have some pretty strong opinions about the new Ghostbusters. For now, I’ll remain cautiously optimistic, and I’ll give it my pick this week—mostly out of sheer nostalgia.
JULY 22:
It’s time to travel into the final frontier. This week, director Justin Lin offers his spin on a beloved franchise with Star Trek Beyond. Meanwhile, for younger viewers, there’s Ice Age: Collision Course, which finds Manny, Sid, Diego, and the rest of the gang in another struggle for survival after Scrat’s outer space adventures wreak havoc on the planet.
Also this week, the horror flick Lights Out promises to make viewers sleep with the lights on. And a British TV classic makes its way to theaters with Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie.
Kristin’s Pick: The people behind the latest Star Trek movie are keeping pretty quiet. It could be another J. J. Abrams-inspired Star Trek marketing ploy, or it could be a sign of trouble—but I’m still giving it my pick this week.
JULY 29:
Bourne. Jason Bourne. Matt Damon returns to the spy franchise this week as the spy who’s still trying to uncover some of the details of his past.
Meanwhile, a trio of overworked moms decides to let loose for once in the wild comedy Bad Moms. But don’t expect it to be another laid-back, toned-down adventure with a group of goody-goody moms—because this one was written and directed by the guys who wrote the Hangover trilogy.
Also this week, the biopic Genius explores the life of the editor behind authors like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The female-focused Wall Street movie Equity follows an investment banker in an attempt to escape scandal. And Indignation tells the story of a troubled college student in the ‘50s.
Kristin’s Pick: Paul Greengrass and his infamous shaky-cam never fail to turn my stomach. So, since I, too, am one tired mom, I’m going to give my pick to Bad Moms.
AUGUST 5:
The month of August has traditionally been a dumping ground for idiotic comedies and mediocre action movies. Lately, though, some big action movies have been making their way to the first week of August—and this year is no exception. This August starts out with the other movie that DC fans have been eagerly anticipating (especially since the first one wasn’t as great as they’d hoped it would be). The buzz for the DC villain movie Suicide Squad has grown to remarkable levels. Let’s just hope that the final product lives up to the hype.
Also this week, Barry Sonnenfeld’s family-friend trading places movie, Nine Lives, stars Kevin Spacey as a ruthless businessman who ends up trapped inside the family’s pet cat, Mr. Fuzzypants. And, in John Lee Hancock’s The Founder, Michael Keaton stars as McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc.
Kristin’s Pick: Like everyone else, I’m hoping for great things from Suicide Squad, so I’ll give it this week’s pick.
AUGUST 12:
This week, Disney continues its series of live-action remakes with Pete’s Dragon, the story of an orphan boy and his beloved pet dragon. And Meryl Streep plays an heiress with dreams of being an opera star in the comic biopic Florence Foster Jenkins.
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Also this week, in Seth Rogen & Company’s animated comedy, Sausage Party, a curious sausage sets out to learn about his origins. And John Krasinski directs The Hollars, about a man who returns to his small town to care for his ailing mother.
Kristin’s Pick: This week offers plenty of promise—but I’ve got to give my pick to Meryl in what could be a lovably quirky Florence Foster Jenkins.
AUGUST 19:
It may be the middle of August, but this is another busy weekend in theaters. Up first, director Timur Bekmambetov offers his take on the classic story of Ben-Hur. And The Hangover director Todd Phillips helms War Dogs, the true story of a couple of guys (played by Jonah Hill and Miles Teller) who won a contract to provide arms to American allies in Afghanistan.
Also this week, the animated adventure Kubo and the Two Strings tells the story of a mild-mannered boy who finds himself battling gods and monsters in a magical suit of armor. The Space Between Us tells the story of a boy who was raised on Mars who decides to travel to Earth to connect with his family. And Southside with You tells the story of President Barack Obama’s first date with his future wife, Michelle.
Kristin’s Pick: This week’s options are intriguing, to say the least—but I’m going to give a cautious pick to War Dogs, in hopes that it’s funny but not overdone.
AUGUST 26:
As is generally the case, another summer that started with a bang comes to a close with a whimper—with nowhere near the buzz of earlier summer releases. This week’s options include Mechanic: Resurrection, Jason Statham’s follow-up to his entertaining but forgettable January, 2011 thriller, The Mechanic. Horror flick Don’t Breathe follows a fool-proof heist that goes horribly wrong. And sports bio Hands of Stone tells the story of boxer Roberto Duran (Edgar Ramírez) and trainer Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro).
Kristin’s Pick: As long as you’re not expecting something smart or original, you really can’t go wrong with a Jason Statham thriller. So I’ll give summer’s final pick to Mechanic: Resurrection.
And, with that, another summer of action and adventure comes to an end. Up next: the drama and inspiration of this year’s award season. But until it’s time to start predicting the year’s big award contenders, enjoy your summer! Pick up your tickets, load up on jumbo sodas and buttery popcorn at the concession stand, and sit back to experience some of the biggest, noisiest, most thrilling releases of the year.
