Whether it be an action-packed box office smash, another comic book space parody, or a heart-thumping mega-thriller, there are plenty of movies coming to theaters each week this August that will whet the appetite of any summer viewer. Summer smash hits are expected to reach theaters all summer long, and this time around, viewers have had to wait all the way until August to see what the box office has been holding on to.
August 1– Guardians of the Galaxy kicks off the month as Marvel’s next release. Some say it is the comic kingpin’s riskiest and daring release to date, because it is reputed as being unexpectedly bizarre and off-beat. Yet, others contend it has everything: Marvel-appeal, space, space ships, puppets, war, and the affable Chris Pratt (Andy on Parks and Rec and the voice of Emmet in The Lego Movie)! For male and female alike, this is the perfect movie to appease. Call-backs to action-heavy space block busters of the past with new comedic twists and an adorable, amiable, animated cast. Despite there not being nary a “real” super hero within the context of the script, Bradley Cooper as a talking raccoon will still, most likely, make the ladies swoon. Because of its quirkiness, the movie’s draw is expected to be somewhat iffy. However, the funky and alarming absurdities of James Gunn’s (Slither, Super, and the Dawn of the Dead remake) should keep movie-goers in seats for Guardians until Christmas.
August 8– Only a week later, Michael Bay is relaunching the subterranean, artistically named, hard-shelled do-gooders in another hard-hitting CGI smash. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back! Bay has a reputation for ramping up nostalgic cartoons into billion-dollar mega movies, and he seems to have something for Megan Fox as well, since she will be playing the leading lady once again. Along with Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, and Noel Fisher will help blow up the box office as the four mutants fight to save New York City from an evil overlord. With Jonathan Liebesman as director (Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Battle: Los Angeles), Bay’s good buddy to boot, everything one thought they knew about TMNT will surely be a thing of the past. The turtles are still mutant, but now they are millennium mutant!
Augsut 22– The long-awaited Sin City sequel is finally here. Well, nearly. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For will be out next month, and one of the best things about it is nearly the entirety of the original cast has signed on for the new production. Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson, Jessica Alba, and Jamie King will all be back to help make this comic-noir, thriller-thinker freak show another box office must-see summer movie this August. If the original line-up is not enough, Josh Brolin, Jamie Chung, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven and Eva Green will also be there to reinforce the picture. Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez are once again at the director’s helm, and despite the incredible cast, the trailer alone is worthy of a theater ticket.
August 15– It is true. There is another one! Movie’s tough guys are back! The Expendables 3 promises to be action-packed as well as star-studded must-see movie smash. A new crew is brought in to replace the “old” one, and this time as the team fights to protect themselves, the battle is personal. Expect to see Expendable favorites, Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, and Jason Statham, plus a few new and younger, and perhaps, less “expendable” cast members.
August 29– This week viewers will have their pick between two teeth-clenching, nail-biting scary summer movies. The thriller As Above, So Below takes place in the catacombs of the Paris underground. No better place for the psyche to come to grips with mazes upon mazes of bones of the dead. Go see As Above, So Below to uncover the secrets of the past that lie beneath.
Jessabelle, also released August 29, is another that will have one on the edge of their seat. This modern day horror flick follows a young girl as she re-faces her past, only this time without the use of her legs and without the peace of mind that only comes when one is not tormented by a curse from the grave.
Pick a favorite or pick them all, but one thing is for sure: August is a must see movie month. Movies do not usually rush in week-by-week, but this August 2014 is a different story.
Opinion by Stacy Feder
Sources:
Den of Geek
IMBd
Movie Insider