We are nearing the end of April, so it's time to look forward to one of my favorite seasons of the year: Summer movie season.I know as a cinephile I should be more interested in when the "important" movies come out just before the major awards. But I think the movies of summer are pure cinema and tend to be the ones remembered long after people have forgotten the plot of Birdman.Here is a list, with a few brief thoughts of my own, including on a scale of 1-5 stars my likelihood of seeing it in theaters (1 being “Not at all” 5 being “Cannot wait!”).
MAY 6
Captain America: Civil War - (*****) I think that the last
Captain America movie was the best movie of the year and the same people who made that are back for this one with an even bigger cast of characters. This could be awesome!
Elstree 1976 - (**) An interesting documentary about the making of the Original Star Wars and how no one making it realized that it would be a phenomenon. But I'll wait for Netflix
MAY 13
Money Monster (*) - I would be so much more interested in this if it wasn't for George Clooney and Julia Roberts. I have a feeling that this is going to be one long lecture about greed
The Curse of Sleeping Beauty (*) - Wow does this look terrible.
Last Days in the Desert (***) - I love Ewan McGregor, but I am extremely apprehensive about any Jesus movie to come out. Unless they go out of their way in the advance publicity to court Christians, that usually says to me that they are looking to stoke controversy. We'll see.
High Rise - (*) This looks like
Snowpiercer in a building. And I hated
Snowpiercer.
MAY 20
The Nice Guys - (****) This looks to be on the raunchy side, but I'll be darned if the trailer didn't make me laugh out loud. This could be a nice buddy action-comedy.
Angry Birds - (*) It doesn't look like a terrible movie. I just have no interest.
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising - (*) Didn't see the first one and have no desire to see the sequel.
MAY 27
X-Men: Apocalypse - (**) This would be much higher on my list if it wasn't for
the blasphemous statement in the trailer. For that reason alone, this movie won't get my money unless someone makes it clear to me that the villain is lying to undermine the confidence of the heroes.
Alice Through the Looking Glass - (*) Didn't see the first one and have no desire to see the sequel.
JUN 3
Me Before You (*) - SPOILER ALERT FOR THIS MOVIE. I saw the trailer and was intrigued because it looked like a charming romantic dramedy. But something didn't sit right and I went to look up the book on which it is based. This movie, if it follows the book, is a piece of propaganda for the culture of death. I will avoid this at all cost.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (**) - The first
TMNT remake wasn't as terrible as people were saying, but it also wasn't very good. I'll wait for Netflix.
JUN 10
WarCraft (**) - Maybe I need to be a big Warcraft player to really appreciate this, but this doesn't really appeal to me. Although I have to say I've seen the trailer dozens of times now and I went from hating it to kind of liking it. Maybe this movie will be better than I think.
Now You See Me 2 (***) - The first movie wasn't a great movie, but I enjoyed the heck out of it. I'm hoping that they bring back that same magic (pun intended).
JUN 17
Finding Dory - (****) I haven't seen the last few PIXAR films, but I think I'm going to see this sequel. There is still a lot of character and story to explore in that ocean.
Central Intelligence - (***) There is something I find really funny about the pairing of Kevin Hart and The Rock. They seem to have good chemistry and the plot seems like silly fun.
JUN 24
Independence Day Resurgence - (****) I love the first
ID4, as flawed a movie as it is. Everything I've been seeing in the upcoming trailers tells me that this movie will take the characters to new places while keeping the spirit of the original. I'll be there opening night.
The Shallows - (**) It looks like 127 Hours and Soul Surfer had a baby. Not grabbing me.
Free State of Jones - (***) This could be good, but something is holding me back from getting excited and I can't quite put my finger on it.
Swiss Army Man - (*) This movie looks so terrible that it defies my ability to describe it.
JUL 1
The Legend of Tarzan - (**) No matter how hard I try I cannot get excited about any Tarzan movie. This movie looks decent but ultimately forgettable. Maybe if they cast someone in the lead for a reason other than his abs.
The Purge: Election Year - (**) I haven't seen any of the other Purge films, but this one looks like it actually has a plot connected to the overall mythology. Still, I'll wait.
The BFG - (***) I love me some Spielberg, but I completely unfamiliar with the source material. I want to see more before I decide if this is the next
ET or the next
Hook.
Equals - (**) This reminds me way too much of THX-1138, and that is not a good thing.
Our Kind of Traitor - (***) This could be an intriguing thriller in the Tom Clancy style, but I am a bit skeptical.
JUL 8
The Secret Life of Pets - (***) This looks cute but I think I'd only see this if I brought I was babysitting some little kids.
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates - (****) This movie looks very much on the raunchy side, but I think the cast is incredibly funny and the over-the-top characters might play well.
JUL 15
Ghostbusters (**) - I am going to see this, but my expectations are very low. But I felt the same way going in to
Guardians of the Galaxy and I'm hoping that I will also be delightfully surprised.
JUL 22
Star Trek Beyond (***) - I've enjoyed the Star Trek reboot universe, although the last film was a bit too much of a retread. I'm hoping some new creative blood will give the series the shot in the arm it needs.
Ice Age: Collision Course (**) These are not bad films, but I'm not a fan of the series.
JUL 29
Jason Bourne (**) - I found myself getting less and less intrigued with the series the further it went on. Not very excited about this film.
AUG 5
Suicide Squad - (****) I have a few reservations about this movie (particularly about Harley Quinn), but the more I see of this film, the more excited I become. This could be a nice combo of DC and
The Dirty Dozen
The Founder - (**) Michael Keaton really wants an Oscar.
Nine Lives - (**) Not a cat person.
AUG 12
Pete's Dragon - (***) I need to see more, but I loved the original as a child. I am intrigued.
AUG 19
Ben-Hur - (**) Pointless remake
Thoughts?