#330 – Nerdy Summer Movie Preview: Part 1

A big reason I started this blog was because nerd culture has worked its way into the mainstream. This is never more apparent than during summer blockbuster season. Below is a preview of the nerdy movies coming out in May and June. Check what’s coming out and mark your calendars.

The Avengers – May 04, 2012

I have already written at length about how excited I am for The Avengers. A simple search for “The Avengers” on this blog will show that I have been looking forward to Marvel’s original super hero team for a long time. I can’t believe the wait finally comes to an end in two weeks. Unfortunately because of a busy day at church on May 04, I’ll have to wait until May 05 to see The Avengers. After months of waiting, though, what’s one more day?

Dark Shadows – May 11, 2012

I never watched the television show Dark Shadows upon which the movie is based. I remember that it was on SyFy when I was younger but the mixture of vampires and melodrama really turned me off. The trailers for the movie version of Dark Shadows have me interested, though. I think the movie looks funny and like it has captured the quirkiness of some of Tim Burton’s other movies like Edward Scissorhands and Mars Attacks! I hope that Dark Shadows is more like Burton’s collaboration with Johnny Depp on Ed Wood than Sleepy Hollow.

Battleship – May 18, 2012

Battleship looks absolutely terrible and I am absolutely excited to see it. I was a little wary when I heard that a movie based on the game Battleship had been green lighted. I was even more wary when I heard that the titular battleship would be fighting aliens. All that wariness turned to unbridled joy, though, the moment I saw the first trailer. It looks so bad that it can’t help but be awesome.

Men in Black 3 – May 25, 2012

I really enjoyed the first Men in Black when I saw it in 1997. Will Smith was the biggest actor in the world and the movie had a sweet music video. I didn’t see Men in Black 2 and can’t say that I’m too excited to see the third adventure of Agents J and K. Alycia loves both Men in Black movies, though, so I will be more than happy to go see Men in Black 3 with her. She sees a lot of my nerdy movies. I should be willing to see one of hers.

Snow White and the Huntsman – June 01, 2012

This is the second Snow White movie to come out this year. I didn’t see Mirror Mirror and I’m making no guarantees that I’ll see Snow White and the Huntsman. I’ve never read the original Snow White fairy tale and I can’t stand the Disney version. The only thing this movie has going for it is that Thor is playing the Huntsman. I liked Thor when he played Kirk’s dad in Star Trek, I liked Thor when he played Thor so maybe I’ll like him as the Huntsman. I’d probably be more inclined to see the movie if it was just The Huntsman and had nothing to do with Snow White – just Thor going through the forest killing stuff.

Prometheus – June 08, 2012

I wrote about how I’m wrestling with Prometheus. I want to see Prometheus but I haven’t seen any of the Alien movies. The Alien movies have always freaked me out and I’ve always been too scared to watch them. I did take the first step, though, and borrowed Alien and Aliens from a friend. Now they’re sitting at home on my shelf just waiting for me to muster up the courage to watch them. I don’t know if I’ll find it.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – June 22, 2012

I read the book Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought the revision of our 16^th President’s history was very imaginative and entertaining. Normally I don’t like watching vampire movies because I have a legitimate if not unfounded fear of Dracula’s brethren. I’m planning on making an exception for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I’ve already read the book so I shouldn’t be thrown for too many surprises and I can keep a jar full of pennies by my bed to ward off the bloodsuckers.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation – June 29, 2012

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra was not a great movie. It was mildly entertaining in an over-the-top kind of way. The movie was hindered by its lack of realism, both in the action and Channing Tatum’s acting. In spite of its predecessor, though, I am super excited for G.I. Joe: Retaliation. From the trailers it appears that Channing Tatum dies early and The Rock replaces him. That is like a 2,000-point swing: Channing Tatum is -1,000 and The Rock is +1,000. The action also looks more realistic and Cobra Commander actually wears his mask and not some glorified SCUBA gear. Also, in case you forgot, The Rock.

If I see all of the above movies, I will be spending a lot of time and money at the theaters over the next two months. I’ve always enjoyed summer blockbusters and it’s even better when they’re nerdy. If you see some of these movies, I can’t guarantee that you’ll like all of them. I can guarantee, though, that if you view them with the right eyes, you’ll be able to find something of God’s story in each and every one.

Especially that time Jesus fought aliens in the ocean.

Which of these nerdy movies are you looking forward to?