FILM PREVIEW: SUMMER COMEDIES 2012 (PART 2)

Have a Laugh with Dream Girls Come to Life, Rom-Com-Action & Ferrell Vs. Galifianakis

Buzzine brought you our picks for comedy movies to start the summer season. So far, What To Expect When You're Expecting and Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom have drawn in fans for their specific sub-genres, with Rock of Ages, To Rome With Love, and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World just around the corner. Soon there'll be a new batch to choose from. From quirky romantic comedies to an unintentional sleeper crack-up, we've got something for everyone with Part 2 of our Summer Movie Preview.

(Fox Searchlight Pictures) Ruby Sparks - July 25, 2012
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the husband and wife directing team behind 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine, are back with their second feature, Ruby Sparks. Starring Sunshine’s self-imposed mute teen Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood) and his real-life girlfriend/screenwriter Zoe Kazan (Revolutionary Road, happythankyoumoreplease), Ruby Sparks seem akin to 80s classic, Weird Science. Kazan’s first script centers around Calvin (Dano), a semi-successful novelist who writes his dream girl (Kazan) into actual existence. With the same earnest, and yes, hipster attitude audiences adored in Little Miss Sunshine, Ruby Sparks looks like this summer’s ultimate date movie.

(Warner Bros Pictures) The Campaign - August 10, 2012
Will Ferrell sets his sights on Congress as Southern dope Cam Brady in The Campaign. His opponent? None other than Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins, a delicate, lisping nobody with an eye on the political prize. Galifianakis evokes his Between Two Ferns character, Seth Galifianakis, as he putters around the political race. Penned by Eastbound and Down writer Shawn Harwell and Funny Or Die creator Chris Henchy, The Campaign is a good character kick-off before Ferrell’s almost too-good-to-be-true reprise of Ron Burgundy in Anchorman 2 next year.

(Lionsgate) The Expendables 2 - August 17, 2012
Naysayers might not consider The Expendables 2 a comedy. We suspect they didn’t catch the original tour-de-force that is Sly Stallone’s masterpiece. The sequel features martial arts master Jet Li, grizzled action hero Bruce Willis, former beefcake turned Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, can’t-be-killed Chuck Norris, wisecracking Brit Jason Statham, and the man himself, Stallone. This time, Jean-Claude Van Damme takes on the team as Jean Vilain. Remind us how this isn’t a comedy again? With over-the-top muscles, one liners, and fight scenes, The Expendables 1 & 2 are a must-see for any 80s action flick fans.

(Open Road Films) Hit and Run - August 24, 2012
After a handful of mildly successful slapstick comedies, Dax Shepard finally found his stride on ABC’s Parenthood. His nuanced performance as the painfully likeable man-child Crosby Braverman belies a thoughtfulness that wasn’t readily apparent in his film work (Employee of the Month, Let’s Go To Prison). After his success in television, Shepard’s own baby has come to fruition with the upcoming Hit and Run. Shepard serves as the lead, co-director, producer and writer of his car-chase romantic action comedy. Also starring queen of the quips Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), the film promises Shepard’s own brand of humor that will hopefully keep Parenthood alive and propel him into comedy A-list.