Summer movie season kicks off this weekend, and while there will be plenty of new streaming options this year, nothing beats heading to the theater for a bucket of popcorn and a loud spectacle to get out of the heat.
In what has become tradition, a giant Marvel movie is leading the way, although there are plenty of options for everyone this summer. Here are the highlights:
If you can’t get enough comic book adaptations:
Marvel’s summer film features the return of Starlord and his crew in “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” (May 5). Director James Gunn returns after briefly being fired by Marvel a few years ago. His films are consistently fun and creative, so this is a safe bet. Next for Gunn is direction of the DC universe, so this is probably his last hurrah with Marvel characters.
Spider-Man returns in “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (June 2), the first sequel to the Oscar-winning animated film that introduced Miles Morales as an alternate-universe hero. The first was a surprise contender for the best Spider-Man film, against some stiff competition. If this one lives up to the hype it could be one of the best movies of the summer.
While recent DC movies have been hit and miss, “The Flash” (June 16) has a selling point none of the others have had: Michale Keaton’s return as Batman. Just don’t Google star Ezra Miller at the moment. He’s having a rough year.
Other entries include “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” (2023), which looks like a fun return for a franchise that hasn’t been fun for about three decades, and “Blue Beetle” (August 18), which looks visually interesting but narratively unremarkable.
If you want to see more of something you’ve seen before:
Legacy sequels are certainly having a moment after last year’s “Top Gun” return, and hopes are high for “Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny” (June 30). Sure, the fourth film was forgettable, but director James Mangold has proven he’s able to provide a fitting conclusion to a franchise with “Logan,” and provide an exciting dad-movie in “Ford v. Ferrari” and “3:10 to Yuma.” If Indy’s return delivers, it could save the critical opinion of the franchise.
Both “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” (July 14) and “Fast X” (May 19) provide first chapters for two-part finales. Even the low points of each franchise have been pretty great, and it’s hard not to get excited to watch Tom Cruise jump a motorcycle off of a mountain.
Other sequels include Denzel Washington in “The Equalizer 3” (September 1), a bland-looking “Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts” (June 9), “The Meg 2: The Trench” (August 4), and a sequel for very different audiences than the others listed here, “Book Club: The Next Chapter” (May 12).
If you just want to contain your children for a couple of hours:
Until “Super Mario Bros.” showed up, 2023 had been an absolute desert for children’s movies. Fortunately, there are lots of options this summer.
Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” (May 26) is the first live-action remake of an animated feature not to go directly to streaming in several years. That might be a signifier of it’s quality, as most of the remakes have failed to justify their existence. If you don’t like mermaids, “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” (June 30) casts the mermaid as a villain in a colorful coming-of-age story.
Based on Pixar’s track record, its latest film, “Elemental” (June 16) should be one of the animated films that adults don’t nap through. We’ll see if it holds up to the dozens of viewings parents are in for.
“Rally Road Racers” (May 12) looks like a good option for the parents who do want a nap, but kids should be happy to watch cute animals driving cars.
If you just want a laugh or two:
Theatrical comedies are a dying genre, but this summer has some strong offerings.
Comedian Bert Kreischer continues the story of one of the best stand-up bits in recent years in “The Machine” (May 26). 20 years after accidentally robbing a train with the Russian mob, one of the victims comes back for revenge. It looks like a creative way to turn a viral bit into a film. For a more traditional adaptation of a comedian’s style, Sebastian Maniscalco’s “About My Father” (May 26) puts Robert Deniro back in “Meet the Parents” mode in a family comedy.
Both Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City (June 16) and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” (July 21) should appeal to the more high brow crowd. If nothing else, both look like early Oscar contenders for production design.
As for R-Rated comedies, “No Hard Feelings” (June 23), features Jennifer Lawrence as a broke Uber driver who agrees to seduce an introverted high school senior for a new car. “Strays” (June 9) looks like a “Homeward Bound” reboot from the writer of the funniest TV series of the last decade, “American Vandal.”
Finally, “Joy Ride” (July 7) features recent Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu as one of four friends traveling in China looking for one of their birth mothers. It looks to capture some of the energy of both “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Trains, Planes and Automobiles.”
If you want to be scared before Halloween season:
By far the most interesting film in the horror genre, “The Last Voyage Of The Demeter” (August 11) adapts the best chapter of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” “The Blackening” (June 16) looks like an excellent horror comedy that comments on racial stereotypes in the genre.
Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” (July 28) looks more fun than another amusement park-themed ride really should and “Talk to Me” (July 28), “The Boogeyman” (June 2) and “Insidious: The Red Door” (July 7) all look fairly conventional, although they should please horror junkies.
If you want a film for grownups:
Summer is filled with spectacles and sequels, but there are still some solid dramatic options this summer.
Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” (July 21) chronicles the creation of the atomic bomb in a film that looks intense and stylish. Nolan has yet to make a misstep, so this one’s a safe bet.
“BlackBerry” (May 12) looks like a worthy companion to “The Social Network” or “Steve Jobs,” in the technology pioneer genre. “Hypnotic” (May 12) marks director Robert Rodriguez’s return to film after a mediocre run in the Star Wars streaming universe. “White Bird” (August 18) is a prequel to “Wonder,” featuring Nazis in a more serious role than Indiana Jones.
Finally, “Gran Turismo” (August 11) is an adaptation of a video game that has essentially no story. While that’s not narratively promising, it looks like a great visual experience that might make for a fun afternoon in an IMAX theater.
