The Summer Movie Season has arrived! Having just seen "Avengers: Age of Ultron" last night, I couldn't be more excited looking at the next couple of months and the (potentially) good movies they could bring. "Age of Ultron" is a massive film with explosive action, great humor, and an intimidating villain. I'll have my full review up early next week as I will need to see it a second time to fully process everything. In the mean time though, here are the films that you should check out this summer!
MAY
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Why you should see it: The sequel to the most successful superhero film of all time is finally here. The stakes are bigger, the scope it bigger, the action is bigger. Yet, while most of the film can be described as being bigger than the first film, director Joss Whedon still does not forget that the smaller, character driven moments are what made the first "Avengers" so good, and he gives us plenty of those one on one interactions in this sequel as well. Go check it out this weekend!
Mad Max: Fury Road
Tomorrowland
Why you should see it: Nothing looks more promising in Hollywood than original sci-fi movies. The genre is known for pushing the boundaries of the imagination and challenging us to think on tough moral questions, and "Tomorrowland" looks no different. The film is in good hands with director Brad Bird, who has impressed with films such as "The Incredibles" and "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol", and the trailers have done of good job at keeping most of the film under wraps, only really focusing on a handful of scenes and the two main characters. It could end up being pretty bad, but my money is on the Mouse House providing another memorable film in the sci-fi genre.
Could Go Either Way: Poltergeist
Why you should (maybe) see it: Usually horror movie remakes are pretty terrible, but the trailers for the "Poltergeist" remake look terrifying (I hate clowns)! The film also has some great actors such as Jared Harris and Sam Rockwell. Chances are this will be a better horror offering than "Insidious Chapter 3" which comes out a couple weeks after this film.
JUNE
Jurassic World
Why you should see it: The argument can be made that the only "good" Jurassic Park film is the first one. The argument can then be made, "Why do we need a third sequel if that first two were both failures?" Yes, it is interesting that we are getting a fourth film in the series after almost 15 years, but this new film carries with it a very intriguing premise: "What would it look like if Jurassic Park became a fully realized theme park?" Seeing the park operational makes me excited enough to see the film, but it's also gathered a strong cast that includes breakout star Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Vincent D'Onofrio who just amazed with his performance in Netflix's Daredevil as Wilson Fisk. Also, who doesn't want to watch people fight genetically enchained dinosaurs with help from friendly velociraptors?
Inside Out
Why you should see it: It feels like it has been years since we have seen an original movie come out of Pixar, but this year we get TWO! The first already looks very promising and centers around the "emotions" of a young girl named Riley. Amy Poehler leads the voice cast as Joy, the main character of the film. Pixar hasn't messed up with original stories yet, and I doubt this film will be an exception to their great track record.Could Go Either Way: Ted 2
Why you should (maybe) see it: It's not for everyone, but Family Guy mastermind Seth MacFarland's first feature film did huge business at the box office (and with critics) three years ago with "Ted" a comedy about a foul mouthed, pot-smoking Teddy Bear. Comedy sequels are hard to pull off (for a great example of one done right, see "22 Jump Street"), and MacFarland's last film, "A Million Ways to Die in the West" bombed, so the odds are against him right now. Still, don't be surprised if he redeems himself from last year's blunder with "Ted 2."
JULY
Terminator Genisys
Why you should see it: This film is getting a lot of hate prior to its release which I don't quite understand. Yes the last two films could not live up to the greatness of the first two installments of the Terminator series, but that doesn't mean we should give up. Here's why I think this film is going to impress, two words...Arnold Schwarzenegger. He's back. And not only is he back, but he looks more than capable of still being a robotic killing machine after twenty years away from the films. Unfortunately the most recent trailer has given away the big twist (which I won't give away in case you haven't seen it yet) but hopefully there are still some surprises in store. If not, "Genisys" still has a very "Back to the Future Part II" vibe that makes the premise very interesting to me, and I'm sure we will have more than enough entertaining action to feast upon when the film is released.Ant-Man
Why you should see it: Say what you want about how "dumb" or "pointless" this movie sounds but you know what? Marvel hasn't had a real mess up yet, and they aren't going to start with "Ant-Man" (and we all know that you are going to go see it no matter what you say beforehand). With a script by Adam McKay, the guy behind some of the funniest movies of the last decade (like "Anchorman" films) and a very strong cast including Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, and Evangeline Lilly, there is no reason why "Ant-Man" won't be yet another hit for Marvel. The humor seems great, the "heist movie" feel makes it feel unique, and most of all, it's just something different (much like "Guardians of the Galaxy" was).
Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation
Why you should see it: It can be argued that each Mission Impossible film is better than the last one, and "Rouge Nation" seems like it could continue this trend. Tom Cruise is one of the greatest action stars in the business and these films are known for their amazing practical stunts and chase sequences. Director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise also gave us last year's fantastic "Edge of Tomorrow" and I'm confident that they can deliver another entertaining thrill ride with the newest "Mission Impossible."
Could Go Either Way: Minions
Why you should (maybe) see it: Both "Despicable Me" films are great, and the Minions are absolutely hilarious in those films. But can they carry and entire film on their own? They may not have too if Sandra Bullock's character, Scarlett Overkill, comes in to steal the show. If not though, and most of the film is just the Minions, then I'm not sure how long it will take before the charming humor that works great in short doses will wear off on audiences.AUGUST
Could Go Either Way: Fantastic Four
Why you should (maybe) see it: The two "Fantastic Four" movies from 2004/2006 are pretty bad, and before I saw the first trailer for the remake, I hated everything I heard about the film. But then I saw the first trailer and it blew me away. It looks serious, it looks different, it looks like it is trying to tell a different story than most superhero movies. I really like the direction the film seems to be going, that these "superpowers" these four people get are more like a disease than a blessing. They are unpleasant, they hurt, and the young heroes want to get rid of them. The film boasts a talented up-and-coming cast that is led by Miles Teller, but I'm still not convinced that this film will leave a mark on the comic-book genre.
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