Even though the calendar says summer just started, the second half of the Summer Movie Season is right around the corner. And with it come five sequels that share one common element in their titles: the number “2”.
In July, there’s the highly-anticipated animated “Despicable Me 2” that’s expected to dominate the box office over the 4th of July holiday weekend. On the 12th we get Adam Sandler’s “Grown Ups 2”, the follow-up to his 2010 comedy (that I disliked immensely) Hopefully Shaq and a few other new additions can make this at least tollerable.
The following weekend includes “Red 2”. This is the sequel to the 2010 surprise hit starring actors a little past their prime who can still kick butt. While it had its moments, I didn’t love “Red”, but the additions of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Anthony Hopkins may help make “Red 2” more entertaining. And on Wednesday the 31st, the little blue guys only 3 apples high return in “The Smurfs 2”. The 2011 original was clever. Hopefully this follow-up won’t suffer the sequel syndrome by including some new, fun elements.
The month of August also features a few sequels. “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” is the second in the franchise of books turned movies, but, thankfully, doesn’t use the “2” in its title. The same can’t be said for “Kick-Ass 2”. The original came-out so long ago (April 2010) that new cast member Jim Carrey alone may not be enough to get fans excited. Universal’s decision to delay the release from June to August is not a good sign.
Summer 2013’s only film that uses “2” in a creative way isn’t even a sequel! It’s Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg’s “2 Guns”, opening (appropriately) on August 2nd. With a solid trailer, obvious star power and “Smurfs 2” as its only main competition, “2 Guns” has a great chance to be a big shot at the box office that weekend.