This summer at the multiplex, there will be a range of exciting movies to choose from, including an absurd comedy, an award- winning drama and the ending to a memorable action-packed trilogy.
The hilariously and politically incorrect Seth MacFarlane, creator and star of the consistently edgy “Family Guy,” is directing his first big-screen project. “Ted” is about a young boy, John Bennett, who becomes best friends with a magical talking teddy bear, Ted. The R-rated twist is as an adult, John (Mark Wahlberg) is still close to Ted, but the cute and cuddly toy (voice and motion captured by Seth Macfarlane) is now a raunchy, troublemaking nuisance with the dirty mind of an immature slacker.
Who knows why Wahlberg agreed to be in a MacFarlane production, after “Family Guy” took a silly shot at his acting style (check it out on YouTube, “Mark Wahlberg Annoyed and Confused”). Hopefully, Wahlberg will display some wonderfully over-the-top comedic chops and MacFarlane will direct with the same fast-paced timing as is in his animated series.
Another much talked about feature from a first-time filmmaker is Benh Zeitlin’s “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” which won the Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic at the Sundance film Festival and the Camera d’Or, at the Cannes Film Festival. This acclaimed Louisiana adventure follows Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis), a little girl who feels she needs to save everything that matters to her, after a deadly storm impacts her life. Early rave reviews from well-known critics, including The New York Times’ co-chief film critic Manohla Dargis and Pulitzer Prize winner Roger Ebert indicate that this is a must see accomplishment with emotive power and visual beauty.
In July, the eagerly anticipated conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” film series, “The Dark Knight Rises” will be released. Although the plot has been kept under wraps, it is safe to assume Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) will become the vigilante Batman once again in order to save Gotham City from the violent Bane (Tom Hardy) and match his wits with the clever Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman (Anne Hathaway).
Intriguingly enough, Nolan’s latest film is going to be a definitive finale to his brilliant vision of the superhero. Expect an ending that will stun anyone who is enthralled by the Batman legacy.
Information about “Ted” can be found at tedisreal.com.
Information regarding “Beasts of the Southern Wild” can be found at beastsofthesouthernwild.com. More information about “The Dark Knight Rises” can be found at thedarkknightrises.com.
