TBD on Ning
Summer 2011 Movies Part 1
Wow...I'm trying to see as many previews as possible and it's fun but oh so exhausting...
Part 1 below!!!!
Kung Fu Panda 2
When Po, the clown-eyed, roly-poly kick-ass panda bear hero of Kung Fu Panda 2, goes into his twirly, lightning-limbed fighting mode, he doesn't leave his slightly abashed suburban sweetness behind. ''Yes!'' he says, dispatching a foe, ''Taste the defeat,'' and you can hear the joyous disbelief (did I really just whip that guy's butt?) in the gee-whiz sound of Jack Black, who voices him. It's not hard to see why children love Po, the rare animated hero who's awesome and ridiculous at the same moment. He's like the coolest stuffed animal in the world. But since he became a triumphant member of the Furious Five — Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Viper (Lucy Liu), Mantis (Seth Rogen), and Crane (David Cross) — in 2008's Kung Fu Panda, what's left for him to conquer beyond the next bowl of dumplings?
The Tree of Life
The wonder, in the end, is not that Terrence Malick has taken three years to release his long-awaited fifth feature, The Tree of Life. No, pilgrims. Given Malick's soaring ambition to create an ecstatic, impressionistic, epic cinematic tone poem that entwines the stories of one Texas family in the 1950s with nothing less than the creation of the universe, the wonder is this: How did the famously deliberate, contemplative filmmaker finally decide the film was finished? The Tree of Life is both luminously precise (the family part, crowned by Brad Pitt's commanding performance as a disciplinarian but loving dad) and maddeningly without form and void (the spirituality-lite cosmos part, complete with the depiction of the Big Bang and dinosaurs). The latter is padded out with the kind of visual bravado and meditative nature-based photography that Malick devotees adore and the less enthralled see as an awful lot of shots of waving grass and rays of sunlight. I do not mean to dodge Judgment Day when I confess that I fall smack among the agnostic middle, awed but also doubting.
June 3
Beginners
Beginners is all about fresh starts — like the one between Oliver (Ewan McGregor) and his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), after Hal comes out of the closet at age 75. The film shuttles between Hal living as an openly gay man (then developing a terminal illness) and Oliver grieving after his father's death but finding love with an eccentric beauty (Mélanie Laurent). The story may sound far-fetched, but it's based on the real-life experience of writer-director Mike Mills (Thumbsucker) and his father, Paul, who died in 2004. ''Our relationship went from very nice but muted straight-son-and-straight-dad to a much more wild and uncontained relationship between a straight son and a gay dad,'' says Mills. ''We had lots of great arguments about love and relationships and what you can expect and what you can't.''
X-Men: First Class
A prequel to the previous X-Men movies, First Class promises to resolve mysteries about the past of Professor X and his team of mutants. But fans initially just care about what that past looks likeA prequel to the previous X-Men movies, First Class promises to resolve mysteries about the past of Professor X and his team of mutants. But fans initially just care about what that past looks like.
First Class also explores how Xavier becomes a peaceful revolutionary, leading a worldwide movement of mutants. It's clear that he hasn't yet grown into the wise old man Stewart portrayed.
June 10
Super 8
As a cinema-loving pop culture sponge growing up in Los Angeles in the 1970s, J.J. Abrams used to make little movies with his Super-8 camera alongside pals who would grow up to have Hollywood careers themselves, actor Greg Grunberg (Heroes) and director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield). Not long ago, the Lost co-creator came across what he calls a ''lost film'' from his amateur oeuvre featuring another famous Friend. ''It starred Greg Grunberg and David Schwimmer. I totally forgot making
it,'' says Abrams. ''It was about a kid who finds this bizarre alien thing — so I guess you can say it was a precursor to Super 8.''
June 17
Green Lantern
In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan. Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris, if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax... he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.
Mr. Popper's Penguins
When a house painter inadvertently receives some penguins from a friend in Antarctica, he decides to train them as a circus act.
June 24
Bad Teacher
Some teachers just don't give an F. For example, there's Elizabeth. She's foul-mouthed, ruthless, and inappropriate. She drinks, she gets high, and she can't wait to marry her meal ticket and get out of her bogus day job. When she's dumped by her fiance, she sets her plan in motion to win over a rich, handsome substitute - competing for his affections with an overly energetic colleague, Amy. When Elizabeth also finds herself fighting off the advances of a sarcastic, irreverent gym
teacher, the consequences of her wild and outrageous schemes give her students, her coworkers, and even herself an education like no other.
A Better Life
Determined to give his estranged teenage son a better future, Carlos Riquelme, an illegal immigrant, buys a used truck and gardening equipment to start a business. However, when the truck is stolen, he and his son work together to recover it, reconnecting for the first time in years.
Cars 2
Star racecar Lightning McQueen and the incomparable tow truck Mater take their friendship to exciting new places when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret spy mission, Mater's action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. Adding to the fast-paced fun is a colorful new all-car cast that includes secret agents, menacing villains and international racing competitors.
July 1
Larry Crowne
Until he was downsized, affable, amiable Larry Crowne was a superstar team leader at the big-box company where he's worked since his time in the Navy. Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heads to his local college to start over. There he becomes part of a colorful community of outcasts, also-rans and the overlooked all trying to find a better future for themselves... often moving around town in a herd of scooters. In his public-speaking class, Larry develops an unexpected crush on his teacher Mercedes Tainot, who has lost as much passion for teaching as she has for her husband.
The simple guy who has every reason to think his life has stalled will come to learn an unexpected lesson: when you think everything worth having has passed you by, you just might discover your reason to live.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
When a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us.
July 8
Horrible Bosses
For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers...permanently. There's only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them.
Zookeeper
The animals at the Franklin Park Zoo love their kindhearted caretaker, Griffin Keyes. Finding himself more comfortable with a lion than a lady, Griffin decides the only way to get a girl in his life is to leave the zoo and find a more glamorous job. The animals, in a panic, decide to break their time-honored code of silence and reveal their biggest secret: they can talk! To keep Griffin from leaving, they decide to teach him the rules of courtship - animal style.
July 15
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2
In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.
July 22
Another Earth
In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes and Peggy Carter to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull.
Friends with Benefits
A young female headhunter in New York convinces a potential recruit to accept a job in the Big Apple. Despite an attraction to each other, both realize they're everything they've been running from in a relationship and decide to see what happens if they leave emotion out of it and keep it strictly physical.
July 29
Cowboys and Aliens
1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde. It's a town that lives in fear.
But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.
Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella, he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents - townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors - all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.
Crazy Stupid Love
At forty-something, straight-laced Cal Weaver is living the dream--good job, nice house, great kids and marriage to his high school sweetheart. But when Cal learns that his wife, Emily, has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his "perfect" life quickly unravels. Worse, in today's single world, Cal, who hasn't dated in decades, stands out as the epitome of un-smooth. Now spending his free evenings sulking alone at a local bar, the hapless Cal is taken on as wingman and protege to handsome, thirty-something player Jacob Palmer. In an effort to help Cal get over his wife and start living his life, Jacob opens Cal's eyes to the many options before him: flirty women, manly drinks and a sense of style that can't be found at Supercuts or The Gap. Cal and Emily aren't the only ones looking for love in what might be all the wrong places: Cal's 13-year-old son, Robbie, is crazy about his 17-year-old babysitter, Jessica, who harbors a crush on Cal. And despite Cal's makeover and his many new conquests, the one thing that can't be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began.
The Smurfs
At forty-something, straight-laced Cal Weaver is living the dream--good job, nice house, great kids and marriage to his high school sweetheart. But when Cal learns that his wife, Emily, has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his "perfect" life quickly unravels. Worse, in today's single world, Cal, who hasn't dated in decades, stands out as the epitome of un-smooth. Now spending his free evenings sulking alone at a local bar, the hapless Cal is taken on as wingman and protege to handsome, thirty-something player Jacob Palmer. In an effort to help Cal get over his wife and start living his life, Jacob opens Cal's eyes to the many options before him: flirty women, manly drinks and a sense of style that can't be found at Supercuts or The Gap. Cal and Emily aren't the only ones looking for love in what might be all the wrong places: Cal's 13-year-old son, Robbie, is crazy about his 17-year-old babysitter, Jessica, who harbors a crush on Cal. And despite Cal's makeover and his many new conquests, the one thing that can't be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began.
Part 1 below!!!!
Kung Fu Panda 2
When Po, the clown-eyed, roly-poly kick-ass panda bear hero of Kung Fu Panda 2, goes into his twirly, lightning-limbed fighting mode, he doesn't leave his slightly abashed suburban sweetness behind. ''Yes!'' he says, dispatching a foe, ''Taste the defeat,'' and you can hear the joyous disbelief (did I really just whip that guy's butt?) in the gee-whiz sound of Jack Black, who voices him. It's not hard to see why children love Po, the rare animated hero who's awesome and ridiculous at the same moment. He's like the coolest stuffed animal in the world. But since he became a triumphant member of the Furious Five — Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Viper (Lucy Liu), Mantis (Seth Rogen), and Crane (David Cross) — in 2008's Kung Fu Panda, what's left for him to conquer beyond the next bowl of dumplings?
The Tree of Life
The wonder, in the end, is not that Terrence Malick has taken three years to release his long-awaited fifth feature, The Tree of Life. No, pilgrims. Given Malick's soaring ambition to create an ecstatic, impressionistic, epic cinematic tone poem that entwines the stories of one Texas family in the 1950s with nothing less than the creation of the universe, the wonder is this: How did the famously deliberate, contemplative filmmaker finally decide the film was finished? The Tree of Life is both luminously precise (the family part, crowned by Brad Pitt's commanding performance as a disciplinarian but loving dad) and maddeningly without form and void (the spirituality-lite cosmos part, complete with the depiction of the Big Bang and dinosaurs). The latter is padded out with the kind of visual bravado and meditative nature-based photography that Malick devotees adore and the less enthralled see as an awful lot of shots of waving grass and rays of sunlight. I do not mean to dodge Judgment Day when I confess that I fall smack among the agnostic middle, awed but also doubting.
June 3
Beginners
Beginners is all about fresh starts — like the one between Oliver (Ewan McGregor) and his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), after Hal comes out of the closet at age 75. The film shuttles between Hal living as an openly gay man (then developing a terminal illness) and Oliver grieving after his father's death but finding love with an eccentric beauty (Mélanie Laurent). The story may sound far-fetched, but it's based on the real-life experience of writer-director Mike Mills (Thumbsucker) and his father, Paul, who died in 2004. ''Our relationship went from very nice but muted straight-son-and-straight-dad to a much more wild and uncontained relationship between a straight son and a gay dad,'' says Mills. ''We had lots of great arguments about love and relationships and what you can expect and what you can't.''
X-Men: First Class
A prequel to the previous X-Men movies, First Class promises to resolve mysteries about the past of Professor X and his team of mutants. But fans initially just care about what that past looks likeA prequel to the previous X-Men movies, First Class promises to resolve mysteries about the past of Professor X and his team of mutants. But fans initially just care about what that past looks like.
First Class also explores how Xavier becomes a peaceful revolutionary, leading a worldwide movement of mutants. It's clear that he hasn't yet grown into the wise old man Stewart portrayed.
June 10
Super 8
As a cinema-loving pop culture sponge growing up in Los Angeles in the 1970s, J.J. Abrams used to make little movies with his Super-8 camera alongside pals who would grow up to have Hollywood careers themselves, actor Greg Grunberg (Heroes) and director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield). Not long ago, the Lost co-creator came across what he calls a ''lost film'' from his amateur oeuvre featuring another famous Friend. ''It starred Greg Grunberg and David Schwimmer. I totally forgot making
it,'' says Abrams. ''It was about a kid who finds this bizarre alien thing — so I guess you can say it was a precursor to Super 8.''
June 17
Green Lantern
In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan. Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris, if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax... he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.
Mr. Popper's Penguins
When a house painter inadvertently receives some penguins from a friend in Antarctica, he decides to train them as a circus act.
June 24
Bad Teacher
Some teachers just don't give an F. For example, there's Elizabeth. She's foul-mouthed, ruthless, and inappropriate. She drinks, she gets high, and she can't wait to marry her meal ticket and get out of her bogus day job. When she's dumped by her fiance, she sets her plan in motion to win over a rich, handsome substitute - competing for his affections with an overly energetic colleague, Amy. When Elizabeth also finds herself fighting off the advances of a sarcastic, irreverent gym
teacher, the consequences of her wild and outrageous schemes give her students, her coworkers, and even herself an education like no other.
A Better Life
Determined to give his estranged teenage son a better future, Carlos Riquelme, an illegal immigrant, buys a used truck and gardening equipment to start a business. However, when the truck is stolen, he and his son work together to recover it, reconnecting for the first time in years.
Cars 2
Star racecar Lightning McQueen and the incomparable tow truck Mater take their friendship to exciting new places when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret spy mission, Mater's action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. Adding to the fast-paced fun is a colorful new all-car cast that includes secret agents, menacing villains and international racing competitors.
July 1
Larry Crowne
Until he was downsized, affable, amiable Larry Crowne was a superstar team leader at the big-box company where he's worked since his time in the Navy. Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heads to his local college to start over. There he becomes part of a colorful community of outcasts, also-rans and the overlooked all trying to find a better future for themselves... often moving around town in a herd of scooters. In his public-speaking class, Larry develops an unexpected crush on his teacher Mercedes Tainot, who has lost as much passion for teaching as she has for her husband.
The simple guy who has every reason to think his life has stalled will come to learn an unexpected lesson: when you think everything worth having has passed you by, you just might discover your reason to live.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
When a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us.
July 8
Horrible Bosses
For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers...permanently. There's only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them.
Zookeeper
The animals at the Franklin Park Zoo love their kindhearted caretaker, Griffin Keyes. Finding himself more comfortable with a lion than a lady, Griffin decides the only way to get a girl in his life is to leave the zoo and find a more glamorous job. The animals, in a panic, decide to break their time-honored code of silence and reveal their biggest secret: they can talk! To keep Griffin from leaving, they decide to teach him the rules of courtship - animal style.
July 15
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2
In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.
July 22
Another Earth
In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes and Peggy Carter to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull.
Friends with Benefits
A young female headhunter in New York convinces a potential recruit to accept a job in the Big Apple. Despite an attraction to each other, both realize they're everything they've been running from in a relationship and decide to see what happens if they leave emotion out of it and keep it strictly physical.
July 29
Cowboys and Aliens
1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde. It's a town that lives in fear.
But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.
Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella, he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents - townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors - all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.
Crazy Stupid Love
At forty-something, straight-laced Cal Weaver is living the dream--good job, nice house, great kids and marriage to his high school sweetheart. But when Cal learns that his wife, Emily, has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his "perfect" life quickly unravels. Worse, in today's single world, Cal, who hasn't dated in decades, stands out as the epitome of un-smooth. Now spending his free evenings sulking alone at a local bar, the hapless Cal is taken on as wingman and protege to handsome, thirty-something player Jacob Palmer. In an effort to help Cal get over his wife and start living his life, Jacob opens Cal's eyes to the many options before him: flirty women, manly drinks and a sense of style that can't be found at Supercuts or The Gap. Cal and Emily aren't the only ones looking for love in what might be all the wrong places: Cal's 13-year-old son, Robbie, is crazy about his 17-year-old babysitter, Jessica, who harbors a crush on Cal. And despite Cal's makeover and his many new conquests, the one thing that can't be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began.
The Smurfs
At forty-something, straight-laced Cal Weaver is living the dream--good job, nice house, great kids and marriage to his high school sweetheart. But when Cal learns that his wife, Emily, has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his "perfect" life quickly unravels. Worse, in today's single world, Cal, who hasn't dated in decades, stands out as the epitome of un-smooth. Now spending his free evenings sulking alone at a local bar, the hapless Cal is taken on as wingman and protege to handsome, thirty-something player Jacob Palmer. In an effort to help Cal get over his wife and start living his life, Jacob opens Cal's eyes to the many options before him: flirty women, manly drinks and a sense of style that can't be found at Supercuts or The Gap. Cal and Emily aren't the only ones looking for love in what might be all the wrong places: Cal's 13-year-old son, Robbie, is crazy about his 17-year-old babysitter, Jessica, who harbors a crush on Cal. And despite Cal's makeover and his many new conquests, the one thing that can't be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began.
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