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It’s that time again: time to forget about the awkward action and cringe-worthy comedies of the first four months of the year and look ahead to the superheroes and superstars of Summer Blockbuster Season.
Sure, we’ve already seen some superheroes this year. Marvel’s R-rated thriller Deadpool was a pleasant surprise—and everyone’s still arguing about Batman v. Superman. But that was just the beginning. So now it’s time to take a look at what’s coming to a theater near you in May and June.
But first, before we get started, a quick note on release dates: Throughout this piece, I’ve listed films by week. In general, I use Friday as the standard release date, though some will open earlier in the week. Others will be opening in limited release, so release dates in your area may vary. Please be sure to check your local listings for exact dates.
MAY 6:
As always, Marvel kicks off another Summer Blockbuster Season with its latest massive superhero movie—and, since it’s sure to be huge, it’s the only major release this week. This year, that big release is Captain America: Civil War, which finds Cap (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) clashing about the politics of superheroes. Seems pretty fitting for such a tumultuous election year, don’t you think? Let’s just hope that this superhero clash is more fun than DC’s version….
Also, in limited release, the animated adventure Bling follows a theme park mechanic (voiced by Taylor Kitsch) as he attempts to win his dream girl with a fabulous ring.
Kristin’s Pick: The first big screening of summer is one of my favorite of the year—and I’ve got high hopes for Captain America: Civil War.
MAY 13:
It’s no big surprise that this isn’t a big week for new summer releases. After all, everyone’s expecting Captain America to dominate the box office for at least a couple of weeks. So this week’s releases are completely different movies—like Jodie Foster’s thriller Money Monster, which follows a TV host (played by George Clooney) and his producer (Julia Roberts) as their studio is taken over by an angry viewer.
Also this week, in the dystopian love story The Lobster, a group of single people are brought to a hotel, where they’re forced to find a partner or suffer grim consequences.
Kristin’s Pick: This week’s options are both intriguing, but I have to say that I’m intrigued by the quirkiness of Cannes Jury Prize-winning pick, The Lobster.
MAY 20:
This week, Zac Efron and Seth Rogen are back for another battle in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. This time around, Chloë Grace Moretz joins the cast as a member of a wild and crazy sorority that moves in next door.
Also this week, Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe team up for director Shane Black’s ‘70s whodunit The Nice Guys. Or, for those who can’t seem to stop playing the addictive video game, there’s the Angry Birds animated movie.
Kristin’s Pick: I’ve got to with the guy who wrote Lethal Weapon. The Nice Guys has a whole lot of promise—and I’m looking forward to checking it out.
MAY 27:
This weekend, mutants and the Mad Hatter both return to theaters. Up first, Bryan Singer’s latest, X-Men: Apocalypse, finds the young X-Men battling Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant, who’s determined to destroy humanity and start over. Or, for something a little wackier, there’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, Disney’s sequel to 2010’s hit Alice in Wonderland.
Kristin’s Pick: The X-Men franchise has been pretty hit-or-miss, and Johnny Depp is pretty creepy as the Mad Hatter. But I’m going to take my chances this week on Alice Through the Looking Glass.
JUNE 3:
The first week of June offers a little bit of something for everyone. First, for nostalgic grown-ups (and maybe their kids, too), there’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, the sequel to 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—a film that (let’s be honest here) no one really thought needed a sequel.
For fans of musical comedy, there’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, starring Andy Samberg as a struggling hip-hop star who’s desperate to revive his career.
Or, for the hopeless romantics, there’s Me Before You, based on the novel about a paralyzed man and the young woman who cares for him. This one promises to be the tear-jerker of the summer.
Kristin’s Pick: Really, this week’s movies offer a little bit of something for everyone but me. I didn’t like the first TMNT, I’m not a fan of Andy Samberg, and I prefer not to cry if I don’t have to. But I’m still going to give Me Before You my pick this week.
JUNE 10:
After a well-rounded week, the second week of June leans quite heavily toward action and adventure, starting with the gamers’ pick, Warcraft, the latest from director Duncan Jones, based on the wildly popular video game series, World of Warcraft.
There’s also the magical crime thriller sequel, Now You See Me 2, the not-entirely-expected follow-up to 2013’s Now You See Me. This time, tech genius Walter Mabry (played by Daniel Radcliffe) forces The Four Horsemen to do one more spectacular heist, leaving them looking for a way to clear their names.
Meanwhile, on the horror side, there’s The Conjuring 2, which finds the Warrens traveling to London to investigate another haunting.
Kristin’s Pick: I’m not a big gamer, but I do love Duncan Jones movies—so I’ll give this week’s pick to Warcraft.
JUNE 17:
Some people get excited about new X-Men movies. Or new horror movies. I get excited about new Pixar movies—even the sequels, like Finding Dory. This time, it’s memory-challenged Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) who finds herself on a mission to find her family.
Also this week, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart team up as old buddies on an unexpected spy mission in Central Intelligence. Paul Dano plays a man who’s stranded in the wilderness with a dead body in Swiss Army Man (otherwise known as Daniel Radcliffe’s Farting Corpse Movie). And if clowns creep you out, you’ll probably want to skip Clown, the story of a dad whose attempts to save his son’s birthday party turn deadly when he dons a cursed clown costume.
Kristin’s Pick: Since I started rewatching kids’ movies with my daughter, Finding Nemo has become one of my very favorites—so I can’t wait to see Finding Dory.
JUNE 24:
Want to hear something that will make you feel really old? It’s been twenty years since Will Smith saved the world from alien invasion in Independence Day. Now it’s Liam Hemsworth’s turn to fight for the planet in Independence Day: Resurgence.
Meanwhile, Blake Lively finds herself in a different kind of fight for survival as a shark attack victim struggling to make it to shore in The Shallows. And Matthew McConaughey leads yet another battle—this one against the Confederate army in Free State of Jones.
Or, for something completely different, there’s the latest quirky indie comedy by writer/director Todd Solondz, Wiener-Dog, which follows a dog on a cross-country adventure.
Kristin’s Pick: I’m hoping that Independence Day will make a great summer guilty pleasure—but I’m going to give my pick this week to Matthew McConaughey in Free State of Jones.
And, with that, we’ve reached the end of June. I’m sure you’re already pretty excited about summer’s new releases—I know I am! But wait…there’s still more! Check back next week for part two of my summer movie preview for a look at the movies of July and August.
