There's usually a lot to be happy about every time the summer film season comes rolling around every year. Especially if you're like me and have a soft spot for blockbuster films with bordering-on-ludicrous plots, excessive special effects and big actor names. All of which, by the way, are in abundance yet again this year.
While there are a lot of popcorn films to celebrate this year, with the occasional spattering of more quiet yet equally exciting films (Before Midnight and Joss Whedon's modern retelling of Much Ado About Nothing, in particular), my summer film season highlights can be summed up in a few words...
Benedict Cumberbatch is a villain in a Star Trek film.
and
Pacific Rim.
I'm in a fangirl frenzy. Guillermo del Toro's robots versus monsters masterpiece Pacific Rim, in particular, has claimed its place of honor as my facebook cover photo for months now. And the lack of new Sherlock episodes on my TV has only been eased by the knowledge that I will see Benedict Cumberbatch on the big screen soon (a good band-aid solution has been numerous re-plays of the BBC radio play version of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere; Benedict's Angel Islington...!!).
The fact that there are other choice titles in the list below is just icing on top of what would be a great few months of movie-watching. If you need more convincing, then just think of Ben Kingsley as Mandarin in Iron Man 3, seeing Hit Girl again in Kick-Ass 2 (cue The Dickies' Banana Splits), or the minions in Despicable 2, among many treats.
By the way, if you're looking for Fast and Furious 6 or The Hangover III in this list, I'm not really a fan of the franchises. But if you are, then I can at least tell you that they're coming out sometime during the summer season, too.
Again, the dates listed below are the US release dates. Film buffs in the Philippines can check Click the City for local listings.
May 3
Iron Man 3
Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce
When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.
May 10
The Great Gatsby
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire
A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor.
May 17
Star Trek: Into the Darkness
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch
After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.
Before Midnight
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, Ariane Labed
We meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna.
May 31
After Earth
Cast: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Isabelle Fuhrman, Sophie Okonedo
A crash landing leaves Kitai Raige and his father Cypher stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after events forced humanity's escape. With Cypher injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help.
Now You See Me
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Michael Caine, Isla Fisher
An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.
The Purge
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, Max Burkholder
If on one night every year, you could commit any crime without facing consequences, what would you do? Over the course of a single night, a family will be tested to see how far they will go to protect themselves when the vicious outside world breaks into their home.
June 7
Much Ado About Nothing
Cast: Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker, Franz Kranz, Nathan Fillion, Jillian Morgese
A modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.
June 14
Man of Steel
Cast: Henry Cavill, Michael Shannon, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe
A young journalist is forced to confront his secret extraterrestrial heritage when Earth is invaded by members of his race.
This is the End
Cast: James Franco, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel
While attending a party at James Franco's house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse.
The Bling Ring
Cast: Emma Watson, Katie Change, Taissa Farmiga, Israel Broussard
Inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities' whereabouts in order to rob their homes.
June 21
Monsters University
Cast: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Nathan Fillion, Steve Buscemi
A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University -- when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.
World War Z
Cast: Brad Pitt, James Badge Dale, Mireille Enos, David Morse
A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University -- when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.
June 28
The Heat
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Tony Hale, Thomas F. Wilson
Uptight FBI special agent Sarah Ashburn is paired with testy Boston cop Shannon Mullins in order to take down a ruthless drug lord. The hitch: neither woman has ever had a partner -- or a friend for that matter.
White House Down
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Richard Jenkins
While on a tour of the White House with his young daughter, a Capitol policeman springs into action to save his child and protect the president from a heavily armed group of paramilitary invaders.
Byzantium
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Arterton, Caleb Landry Jones, Sam Riley
Residents of a coastal town learn, with deathly consequences, the secret shared by the two mysterious women who have sought shelter at a local resort.
July 5
The Lone Ranger
Cast: Armie Hammer, Johnny Depp, William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson
Native American warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice.
Despicable Me 2
Cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Ken Jeong, Miranda Cosgrove
Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help deal with a powerful new super criminal.
July 12
Pacific Rim
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Rinko Kikuchi
When an alien attack threatens the Earth's existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace.
Grown Ups 2
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade
After moving his family back to his hometown to be with his friends and their kids, Lenny finds out that between old bullies, new bullies, schizo bus drivers, drunk cops on skis, and 400 costumed party crashers, sometimes crazy follows you.
July 19
Red 2
Cast: Bruce Willis, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren
Retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device.
R.I.P.D.
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon, Mary Louise-Parker
A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him.
July 26
The Wolverine
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Famke Janssen, Will Yun Lee, Tao Okamoto
Wolverine makes a voyage to modern-day Japan, where he encounters an enemy from his past that will impact on his future.
August 9
Elysium
Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Alice Braga, Sharlto Copley
Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds.
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
Cast: Logan Lerman, Alexandria Daddario, Nathan Fillion, Brandon T. Jackson
In order to restore their dying safe haven, the son of Poseidon and his friends embark on a quest to the Sea of Monsters to find the mythical Golden Fleece and to stop an ancient evil from rising.
August 16
Kick-Ass 2
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jim Carrey, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
The costumed high-school hero Kick-Ass joins with a group of normal citizens who have been inspired to fight crime in costume. Meanwhile, the Red Mist plots an act of revenge that will affect everyone Kick-Ass knows.
August 23
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Cast: Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan, Jemima West
When her mom is attacked and taken from their home in New York City by a demon, a seemingly ordinary teenage girl, Clary Fray, finds out truths about her past and bloodline on her quest to get her back, that changes her entire life.
The World's End
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike
Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly become humankind's only hope for survival.
The Grandmaster
Cast: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Ziyi Zhang, Chen Chang, Jin Zhang
The story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee.
All movie poster images and summaries are from IMDB.
Happy viewing!! Labels: Film, Must-Watch, Summer
