Summer Movie Preview, Pt. 1



On the calendar, Summer begins in mid-June. Conventional wisdom is that summer begins on Memorial Day weekend. But, of course, the Box Office marches to the beat of its own drum. At the movies, Summer begins the first Friday in May, kicking off four months of action blockbusters, outrageous comedies, and plenty of franchise features.

Over the next couple days I will highlight 10 films (five in May-June, and five in July-August) that will be worth checking out this summer.

May Releases:
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, Friday, May 5
About: The first "Guardians of the Galaxy" is, in my opinion, the best of the Marvel films. This one looks to be on par, maybe even better. The trailers are outstanding and there's every possibility this will be THE film of the summer 2017.

Alien: Covenant, Friday, May 19:
About: Released in 1979, the original "Alien" is a sci-fi classic. It's a nearly pitch-perfect horror/thriller. But I was also one of those who wasn't thrilled with "Prometheus," the reunion of Ridley Scott and the franchise he helped build. But there is something that looks different about "Alien: Covenant," something reminiscent of that original film. And that's a good thing.

Baywatch, Thursday, May 25:
About: It's all the rage the past decade or so to take semi-serious TV shows from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s and turn them into outrageous comedies. "Baywatch" is the latest example. This one, featuring Zac Efron and Dwayne Johnson, looks plenty outrageous. It also looks plenty funny. Efron and Johnson have been incredibly bankable in comedies the past few years, and their teaming in this film looks like comedy gold just in time for Memorial Day weekend.

Other May Releases: "The Lovers," May 5; "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," May 12; "Snatched," May 12; "Lowriders," May 12; "Everything, Everything," May 19; "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul," May 19; "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," May 26

June Releases:
Wonder Woman, Friday, June 2
About: Let's be honest, the DC Cinematic Universe has left something to be desired. But we all still hope and pray it will improve. Last March, in "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice," it was fair to argue that Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman was one of the best, if not the best, thing in the movie. Now she gets her own solo origin story this summer, and it looks pretty good. Better still, it looks like it might have a sense of humor missing from some of the other films in this world.

Baby Driver, Wednesday, June 28
About: Edgar Wright is a talented filmmaker, and by all accounts this new film from Wright will be a great mix of action, comedy, and drama. It has a great cast, and the trailer has a great look. I think this could be one of the sneaky gems of summer.

Other June Releases: "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie," June 2; "The Mummy," June 9; "All Eyez On Men," June 16; "Cars 3," June 16; "Rough Night," June 16; "Transformers: The Last Knight," June 23; "Despicable Me 3," June 30; "The House," June 30

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