Summer Movie Preview: The Blockbusters

May 5, 2015

Myong Choi,

Last week “Avengers: Age of Ultron” officially kicked off what potentially could be the biggest summer movie season ever. Summer is always a time when studios roll out their big money franchise films where to quote a huge summer movie of the past, they’ve “spared no expense.”

These are the 10 blockbusters that I’m most looking forward to this summer. I’ve listed them in order of release dates so that you can start filling out your movie viewing calendar now. Bring lots of popcorn.

“Mad Max: Fury Road” – May 15

“What a day! What a lovely day!” I’ve been throwing this quote from the trailer around for weeks now because that’s how excited I am to see this film. This reboot of the Mad Max franchise looks absolutely coco for cocoa puffs and I can’t wait to see if the best trailer of 2014 delivers one of the best films of 2015.

“Tomorrowland” – May 22

I was instantly floored by the first trailer to this film. This is the kind of movie that looks like it will inspire awe and wonder with its stunning visuals. Then I found out it was based on a Disneyland theme ride. Say what? Oh well, the last film that was based on a Disneyland theme ride (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) did pretty well so this one should do so too.

“Jurassic World” – June 12

Chris Pratt is the current leading man flavor of the month in Hollywood. After headlining last year’s huge success “Guardians of the Galaxy,” he’s #1 on everyone’s dream casting list, even rumored to be the next Indiana Jones. But before he dons the fedora and whip, he’ll have to deal with some pesky killer dinos. Can “Jurassic World” improve upon the classic “Jurassic Park” released over 20 years ago? We’ll soon see.

“Inside Out” – June 19

I had my doubts about what basically appears to be an animated version of the ’90s TV show “Herman’s Head” but then I remembered, oh yeah, it’s Pixar. Of course it’s gonna be good. The animated short “Lava” which premiered in Hawaii at the Hawaii International Film Festival last year and featuring the voices of local talents Kuana Torres Kahele and Napua Greig will also play before “Inside Out.”

“Ted 2”- June 25

Yes, I’m not afraid to admit I enjoy immature bathroom humor and apparently I’m not the only one because “Ted” grossed over $200 million domestically. Writer and director Seth McFarlane had a setback last year with the horrible “A Million Ways to Die in the West” but should bounce back solidly with more adventures with America’s filthiest teddy bear.

“Terminator: Genisys” – July 3

I really don’t know what to expect out of this film. Is it a sequel? A reboot? A mix of the two? Despite starring one of the most boring actors of the last decade (Jai Courtney) and being directed by the guy who helmed my least favorite Marvel film (“Thor: The Dark World”) I have to have faith. That’s because Arnold is back. Fingers are crossed.

“Ant-Man” – July 17

No one would’ve guessed that Marvel’s next franchise character would be Ant-Man. Even comic book fans aren’t that familiar with the character and his super power is what? Shrinking really fast? There was some trouble behind the scenes with bringing “Ant-Man” to the big screen with Marvel having to switch directors but this latest trailer has me sold. “Ant-Man” looks like it’s bringing back the lighthearted comedy so lacking in comic book films recently.

“Pixels” – July 24

If anyone in Hollywood needs a comeback, it’s Adam Sandler and it looks like “Pixels” is the perfect family friendly vehicle to bring him back to the A-list. After all, how can you go wrong with combining a disaster film with ’80s video game nostalgia? I grew up in arcades and I am really looking forward to big scale versions of my favorite games such as Donkey Kong and Centipede on the big screen.

“Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation” – July 31

Tom Cruise just brings it. Every. Single. Time. Dude is as bad-ass as they come.

“Fantastic Four” – August 7

Marvel’s going to keep rebooting this franchise until they get it right. The first two Fantastic Four films were fun, yet seriously flawed. Now, with a new cast and new origin story, Marvel hopes that the radioactive foursome finally clicks with audiences. I really like the four stars but the tone of the trailers have been a little off for me. Still, it’s Marvel so of course we’re all going to watch.