Although the summer of 2010 hasn’t even come to a close yet, it’s never too early to look at what’s in store for us in 2012. Since it’s the last year EVER, it’s great that we have some great movies to look forward to. Don’t believe me? Read on…

Summer 2012 Guy Movie List

Here are some great guy movies you can all look forward to seeing in theaters.

Batman 3 – July 20, 2012: The sequel to the wildly successful film the Dark Knight is set to kick some ass at the box office. It’ll probably beat Avatar’s record. Okay, maybe I’m just getting too excited to see what Nolan can come up with.

Spider-Man – July 3, 2012: Not sure what Sony/Columbia is planning with the movie, but all things are pointing to a reboot. The script has been plagued with rewrites and there’s no clear direction in sight. Either way, I’ll look forward to seeing what the studios can do to get this franchise headed in the right direction. If I hear another “Batman Begins” treatment, I think I’ll hurl. That worked for Nolan – let’s move on.

The Avengers – May 4, 2012: Everything Marvel has been building up to in their Iron Man movies will lead to this moment. With Captain America: The First Avenger expected to hit theaters some time next year, it will really drive some great momentum for fans leading up to the collaborative Avengers movie where we’ll get to see the entire cast. I hope Downey Jr. and Norton are okay with Chris Evans calling the shots…

Star Trek Sequel – June 29, 2012: JJ Abrams reboot did wonders for the Star Trek films, so it’s no surprise that a sequel is on the horizon.

A lot of movies and a lot of Scifi planned for the movies. It’s a trend that’s not going away anytime soon.

Which of these films are you looking forward to most before a giant meteor hits the earth in 2012?

Everyone’s excited to see Iron Man 2. Some people have emailed me saying they’re not sure about the design of the Whiplash character or are asking if the producers took any liberties with the character. I’ve decided to clear things up with this post on everything you need to know about Whiplash before seeing the movie. Whiplash will be played by an excellent actor in Mickey Rourke, and I have no doubt that he will deliver a memorable performance as Iron Man’s main enemy in the sequel to Iron Man.

Whiplash Origin

Real Name: Mark Scarlotti Identity: Whiplash History: According to Marvel -

“Mark Scarlotti was a brilliant young man with a bright future. Graduating with top honors from college and a promising job at Stark International, Scarlotti could have had it all. It all went south, however, when he became friends with the wrong people. Filled with dreams of grandeur, he made some bad deals with hopes of a big payoff. Eventually, Mark worked developing weapons, first for the Maggia, then for himself. He took a more active role in their activities and became the costumed criminal known as Whiplash. His first real test put him up against the invincible Iron Man, but Whiplash could not complete the task of eliminating him. Suffering defeat after defeat at the hands of his armored foe, Scarlotti upgraded his weaponry and took a new alias. He remerged on the crime scene with a new attitude and called himself Blacklash.”

Whiplash Costume Evolution

Iron Man Animated Series Whiplash Costume

Iron Man Comics Backlash Costume

Iron Man Comics Leather Backlash Costume

Wicked Whiplash Art

Whiplash Iron Man 2 Concept Art

Mickey Rourke as Whiplash in Iron Man 2

I can’t wait to see what kind of life Rourke injects into this tortured character, because let’s be honest, he was a bit of a second rate villain in the comic book and animated series. I thought all told they did a pretty good job of bringing the character to life.

Will I be seeing you in theaters on opening night?

AintItCool has some great, exclusive information on the upcoming Gaiking movie. For those who didn’t have the luxury of playing with Gaiking toys as a kid, we pity you. Here’s a quick read on Gaiking courtesy of Wikipedia. For those who are looking for a quick explanation, Gaiking is a giant mecha robot who kicks the asses of an invading race of aliens.

Gaiking Teaser Trailer

Take a sneak peak at the Gaiking teaser trailer. It looks pretty amazing to me, although it’s really just a creatives teaser as of now.

Gaiking vs. Transformers

The real reason I’m rooting for this movie is because it’s the first time we may have a mecha movie done right. And by right, I don’t mean the crapfest that was Transformers. While I’ll admit the movie was at times entertaining, the focus on the human element seemed to detract from the rich history and development of the Transformers themselves. Some people might say that we should be focusing on humans to connect to the machines, but the truth is we’ve already connected to them emotionally through the television series, and that worked just fine. In short, there was no need for Shia or Josh Duhamel, but I’ll leave Megan Fox alone (since this is Guy movie review and we don’t want to blaspheme against the Fox).

Take a look at the intricacies and attention to detail in the shots, and notice how polished the whole concept is. That’s what’s lacking in Transformers, which arguably has much richer source material than the Gaiking series. The developers are even talking of creating life-size robots for their shoots – now that’s commitment! Eat your heart out Michael Bay, because if this movie ever gets made you’ll be exposed and I’m actually a fan of some of your movies.

What did you think of the Gaiking teaser?

If you haven’t heard of J.D. Shapiro, you’re not alone. If you’re hoping to forget the scifi flop Battlefield Earth starring John Travolta doing his best Bob Marley, you’re definitely not alone. In case you haven’t figured it out, Shapiro was responsible for writing the screenplay adaption of the L. Ron Hubbard book Battlefield Earth. I wanted to share this fantastic read with you that really details just how far great scripts can be ruined by warped by ignorant executives.

>>> Read the humorous and insightful article HERE.

It might be long, but it’s well worth reading. I ended up liking Travolta and Shapiro a whole lot more than I did previously. And yes,  I did read all 1000+ pages of the book.

What did you think of all the Scientology talk? Kind of freaked me out a little bit.

By now, you’ve heard of how wildly successful James Cameron’s latest 3D adventure Avatar has been doing in theaters. Even my parents have seen it, and they’ve only seen Passion of the Christ and Titanic in theaters. That’s big. It means that the reach and pull of the movie is beyond the typically targeted demographics. But for all its hype, technology and $500 million budget, why did the movie have such a simple (read: generic) plot?

This may surprise you, but just because you’ve heard someone (or many) call the plot to Avatar “dumb” doesn’t meant that the writer, James Cameron, is dumb. His success is already a testament to this. Nor should you be foolish enough to believe that Cameron was so egotistical that he didn’t employ top writers and editors to check over his script, or that there weren’t many versions of it despite what anyone says. I’m convinced that the main reason Cameron chose this plot is because it is a universal and lasting story, one that all audiences even in the future will be able to relate to and understand.

Dances with Wolves Test

Still don’t believe me? Okay, try this. Approach anyone age 21 and younger and ask them what Dances with Wolves was about. Then ask them to name the lead actor in it, Kevin Costner. Keep trying this and you’ll keep seeing blank faces or encounter prolonged “I can’t quite remember…” statements. Many audiences in the future will judge the movie on its own merits, and will not compare it to films in the past no matter how close the association. Horror remakes continue to do well because despite their repetitive nature, they’re still new for someone. And more importantly, the formula works.

That’s right, I said it: Formula.

“A man who does not know himself encounters a new land, and discovers that he shares more in common with the ____________ than his own people.”

How many times do we have to sit through this type of plot? It’ll never end, I assure you, because it’s a great story despite how many times it’s been done. You can tweak it all you want, but it’s all the same – The Last Samurai anyone? Self-discovery is what’s important here, and at some point, we all really can relate to it. And let us not forget, Cameron wrote this movie as a “game-changer,” one that would be measured by the movies that came before it and after it. While that likely won’t happen, that was the intention and the movie will certainly be remembered as a milestone for the movie industry. The Silver Age, the Golden Age, and now the 3D Age. When people watch this movie 40 years down the line however, the story is what will help to keep the movie’s place in history, not the technology that made it so special today.

Avatar is not genius because it’s new, it’s genius because it’s old but feels new.

Origins: Mysterious Disappearances

In the 1960’s, a disproportionately large number of residents begin disappearing from Nome, Alaska. When the FBI and several other government agencies are unable to determine the cause, Dr. Abigail Tyler investigates what she believes to be alien abductees. She records their terrifying hypnosis sessions, which is shown alongside a reenactment in a split scene format.

The movie certainly plays up the possible alien abduction angle and is likely to be a good scare due to the “real” footage incorporated into the movie. The best explanation however, is possibly the most simple. During that time, there was a large amount of alcoholism in the area, which when combined with the unforgiving local geography could have accounted for a majority of the disappearances. Alaska is an easy place to go missing, and the most simple explanation is often the right one.

The 4th Kind Trailer

The 4th Kind Movie Poster

Are there any UFO experts out there who would like to venture a different theory? Do you believe the events that took place can be explained by natural occurrences?

In the year 2019, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind.

Daybreakers Trailer

Daybreakers Official Posters

At least we know the vampires won’t be fighting over an annoying high school girl.

What did you think of the trailer? Will it hit that sweet spot just like the first Blade movie did?

Avatar – James Cameron

Avatar Official Poster

What did you think of the Avatar trailer?

Gross Points for Will Smith

Actor Will Smith, who Emmerich called “…probably the only gross player right now who’s worth his gross” in an exclusive interview with Latino Review, wants his money up front. In studio speak, a gross point is equal to a percentage of the money the studio takes in regardless of whether the film has produced a positive profit after production and marketing investments. This has become the hard bargaining point the studio has to come to terms with if they want to see more than fireworks come the Fourth of July.

What are They Thinking?

Is it just me, or have studios finally gone crazy? Will Smith made Independence Day the success that it was, not the other way around. Without his over-the-top charisma and likable onscreen presence, we’d be left with nothing other than another cheap sci-fi, alien invasion flick. I mean think about it – the plot was commonplace. The aliens attacked, we found their weakness, then we attacked back. So how could Fox ever think about replacing an actor as essential as Will Smith? He’s one of the industry’s most bankable actors. You might as well have made Star Wars without Harrison Ford. Hopefully the guys doing Men in Black III will have more sense.

I don’t know about you, but an Independence Day movie without Will Smith gets a thumbs down. Would you be interested in seeing a sequel without him?

[Source: Latino Review]