Summer Movies, Part 1

As the summer movie season is coming up soon I thought I would go through a few flicks that I am particularly looking forward to (and some I'm less than excited for) and take a little time to think about the toys that may come out of them as well. First up, May...

The Avengers

May 4th

Will I see it: Absolutely

Up first is The Avengers, the film that so many of the Marvel super hero movies have been building toward for several years now. With leading actors such as Robert Downey Jr, Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlett Johansson, and under the direction of Joss Whedon, this is sure to be a smash hit. 

Any super hero movie is guaranteed to have a good line of toys these days, and a multi-hero movie filled with popular characters like The Avengers is sure to have a particularly robust selection. With figures of Iron Man, Thor, and The Hulk, just to name a few, I’m sure we will be seeing these characters in just about every place that a toy can be sold. Among the toys I am personally most looking forward to will be the release of Lego's Marvel Super Heroes line, which could not possibly be better timed.

Now that's what I call marketing.

Battleship

May 18th

Will I see it: If nothing else is going on, and other people are already going. 

I have watched the trailer for this movie several times and I can honestly say I have hardly any idea what it is about. Battleship seems to be a textbook summer blockbuster action movie. Big name actors? Check. Over the top special effects? Check. A plot that doesn’t really try to make sense? Check. This movie is basically Independence Day with 50% less logic and 100% less Will Smith. Now I’m not saying I absolutely wont go see it, and possibly enjoy it, but probably not.

Being based on a relatively simple board game makes the possibilities for toys somewhat limited, aside from the game it self anyways. There will probably be a line of action figures and some vehicles (a battleship perhaps?) that come out this summer, but I doubt we’ll see them anywhere but the bargain bin by the time the movie is out of theaters. 

Men in Black III

May 25th

Will I see it: Yes, but maybe not on opening night. 

Men in Black’s quirky and (mostly) lovable aliens will probably succeed where Battleship’s mysterious aliens fail, and that is in making a genuinely entertaining summer movie. Big summer movies are what Will Smith does best, and this is a proven, if not always spectacular, formula. This will be a fun movie. 

Science fiction generally makes for good toys and action figures, and I do vaguely remember having some Men in Black toys from the first movie when I was younger, so I’m sure we’ll see at least a few items popping up in the near future. 

Thats all for now. Up next, June.

-Allen