Summer Movie Preview, Potential Flops


They can't all be winners... Earlier this week I looked at 10 movies that I think are must-see fare this Summer. Today I'll complete the summer movie preview with five movies I think could be bombs.

I know what you're thinking, that's unfair. Probably true. But history tells us that for every "Guardians of the Galaxy" there's an "Independence Day Resurgence." These are five movies I think are more likely to achieve the later than the former.

May Releases:
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Friday, May 12:
About: Second week of summer and we already have a potential disappointment. I know what you're thinking, on paper this has potential. King Arthur is always a good subject, Charlie Hunnam looks good in the trailer and it's directed by Guy Ritchie. But let's think on it some more. Ritchie's best films aren't exactly summer blockbusters. And his last few films haven't really won people over. His pair of "Sherlock Holmes" films were all right, but not exactly barn burners. And his last movie, the 2015 summer re-boot of "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." was, well, let's move on. So that's not a great track record. And this film has every chance of being a great summer addition, or a Medieval bummer. I'm leaning more toward the Medieval bummer.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Friday, May 25
About: That this is on the list shouldn't come as a shock. This is now the fifth installment in the "Pirates" franchise, and it's time to start asking why we keep getting these movies. And why, now, poor Javier Bardem has been co-opted into appearing. Sure, the original "Pirates" movie was fun and much better than expected. I'd actually call it good. But that was back in 2003. The second and third films, in 2006 and 2007, respectively, were OK, but on a sliding scale. The fourth installment, released back in 2011, was awful. There is no reason to expect this to be a lot better. This feels like a money grab, pure and simple.

June Releases:
The Mummy, Friday, June 9
About: Ugh, this movie makes me feel sad. If I had to pick one recipient of the 2017 "Independence Day Resurgence" award, this would be it. In the summer of 1999, Universal re-opened its classic monster vault with "The Mummy," a fantastic action adventure starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. I kind of love that movie, and liked its sequels (two of them) OK, too. Now, 18 summers later, "The Mummy" is back, this time with Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe. And the trailer looks awful. The concept looks awful. I have no doubt this film will be a rough watch. Book it.

Transformers: The Last Knight, Friday, June 23
About: Another "Transformers" movie from Michael Bay. Sure, the trailer looks great. It almost makes you want to run out and see the movie. Then you remember the last "Transformers" movie, and that excitement wanes. The first film was decent, the second and third were watchable. But the last one was, objectively, garbage. And this looks like more of the same. Plus, if this makes money, Bay has said the next 14!?!?!?! films have already been written. Yikes!

July Releases:
War For Planet of the Apes, Friday, July 14
About: Seriously, how many times can we go back to the same well? The first "Planet of the Apes" prequel was surprisingly great. The inevitable sequel was OK. And this one could be OK, too. But I grow weary of the story, and this one has the potential to wear out its welcome. Of all the films on this list, this is probably the one that deserves to be here the least. But there's the potential this is one of the lowlights of the dog days of summer.

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