16 and 23 July

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The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer

Disney, desperate to keep the attraction/ancillary film element franchises afloat, uses a single sequence in Fantasia as a jumping off point for one of the most outlandish ideas in Summer 2010 (and this is a season featuring a human centipede, mind you). Nick Cage is a wily old wizard in need of someone to assist him in defending New York. Friend of Apatow Jay Baruchell is the unfortunately fella he chooses. Splash on some special effects and an arch-nemesis known as Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina) and you have all the makings of D&D in NYC. This very well could be Jerry Bruckheimer’s second bungle this sun-drenched season.

Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy

The last time Christopher Nolan went outside his usual Caped Crusader comfort zone, the result was the masterful Prestige. Now, in between bouts of Batman, he is taking on a surreal sci-fi storyline about mind control, corporate espionage, and future shock suspense. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt along to add substantial star power, and a great deal of Dark Knight goodwill remaining, this is perhaps Summer 2010’s most anticipated film. Sure, Iron Man et. al. has a built in audience, but no one delivers like Nolan. Masterpiece or mess, you know we will be first in line come the end of July.

Salt

Director: Phillip Noyce

Cast: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Ever since Wanted became a surprise smash, everyone has tried to retrofit Angelina Jolie back into the action mode from whence she once escaped (how soon they forget, Tomb Raider). While this spy thriller wants to take things far more serious, it’s still going to rely on Ms. Pitt packing heat and taking names. Seeing Phillip Noyce’s name on the credits makes us a little less leery. Though his early ‘90s work was highly uneven, he’s done great things with Rabbit-Proof Fence and The Quiet American. If her performance speaks more than her media personality, Angelina might surprise us as well. Still, knowing that Tom Cruise and Michael Mann passed on this material doesn’t fill us with confidence.

Dinner for Schmucks

Director: Jay Roach

Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Jemaine Clement, Jeff Dunham, Bruce Greenwood, Ron Livingston

One could argue that this is a far more farcical take on the River Phoenix/Lili Taylor treat Dogfight from 1991—that is, until you learn it is actually a remake of a French film The Dinner Game from 1999. Avoiding all “which came first” questions for a moment, it’s nice to see Jay Roach removed from those noxiously annoying Austin Powers/Meet the Fockers films. The trailer does look a little lame, especially with the inference that Rudd and Carrell (playing desperate worker eager to please his oddball boss and social reject, respectively) switch places at some point in the plot. Still, it looks like there’s more hope than unhappiness here.

Ramona and Beezus

Director: Elizabeth Allen

Cast: Joey King, Selena Gomez, Ginnifer Goodwin, John Corbett, Bridget Moynahan, Josh Duhamel, Sandra Oh

Movies made from popular kids books are really a risk. Don’t think so? Just as Kitt Kittredge or Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Making matters worse is the anti-boy sentiment expressed by this Beverly Cleary series. Still, someone thought this was viable popcorn fodder and filmed it anyway. Now, it is up to the intended audience to decide, and from the first trailer playing in theaters, Aquamarine‘s Elizabeth Allen has done a decent job. It still won’t get those imbued with snips and snails and puppy dog tails inside them to sit still for 90 minutes, but as tiny gal power counterprogramming, will take it.