To speak honestly, I’m as ready as the next guy for summer. With the school year dragging and finals right around the corner, those three sweet months of release, where the all the world grows warm and sunny and the notion of anything like a test is distant, I really am ready to take on summer.
My friends back home, buried under two feet of snow, would likely agree with me.
But what I’m really ready for is that all-encompassing sigil of summer-ness: the blockbuster.
A staple of the summer season since at least 1975 (subtle tip of the hat to "Jaws," Spielberg, and Co.), a really good movie is a great way to beat the heat and escape to an alternate world, even if only for a little while. And with no looming deadlines or projects to fret over, the summer movie connoisseur has that much more time to partake.
So, as we creep ever closer to those inevitable dog days, why not take a sneak peek at what kind of blockbusters Hollywood has served up for us this year?
1. "Avengers: Infinity War" (April 27th)
The latest iteration in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Avengers: Infinity War" has been a long-awaited culmination of the long-running superhero franchise that has enticed since the original "The Avengers" came out in 2012. Facing perhaps the MCU’s toughest villain in Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his Infinity Gauntlet, the colorful cast of heroes that includes Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansen), and more will have their work cut out for them come April 27th.
2. "Deadpool 2" (May 18th)
Running counter to the more wholesome, PG-13 fun of "Infinity War," "Deadpool 2" is the irreverent follow up to 20th Century Fox’s 2016 hit. Reprising his role from the original, Ryan Reynolds looks as snarky as ever as he bands together with a disparate group of mutants to form the X-Force and protects a young mutant from the time-traveling soldier, Cable (Josh Brolin).
(P.S.: Yes, Josh Brolin is, in fact, playing the primary villain in both of these last two movies. Good Luck figuring that out after the 20th Century Fox merger, Disney.)
3. "The Incredibles 2" (June 15th)
Keeping up with the theme of superhero flicks (and sequels too, it would seem), the very long-awaited continuation of 2004’s "The Incredibles", "The Incredibles 2" continues to blend family life with the typical superhero narrative, as Mrs. Incredible (Holly Hunter) takes on a somewhat familiar villain (seen at the end of the original) in the Underminer (John Ratzenberger) and Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) holds down things on the home front. Playing on nostalgia, this movie is sure to attract something of a crowd outside its target audience.
4. "Solo: A Star Wars Story" (May 25th)
The next entry into the Star Wars anthology, this film looks to take on a younger Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) and his early adventures with Chewbacca (Joonas Suotama), including meeting Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) for the first time. Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, and Paul Bettany also star in what is sure to be a high-flying new iteration of the Star Wars universe.
5. "Ocean’s 8" (June 8th)
Now, as I’ve never seen the original "Ocean's" movies, I feel a little bit of a fraud in speaking on this one, but what I’ve seen from the trailers looks funny and exciting, and an all-female ensemble cast like this one is compelling. Starring Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, Danny Ocean’s estranged sister, the upcoming Met Gala proves too much temptation for this fine group of ladies, as Ocean draws together a group of con artists including Lou (Cate Blanchett), Amita (Mindy Kaling), and Eight Ball (Rihanna) to raid the gala.
6. "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" (June 22nd)
Continuing the public’s desperate need for more dinosaurs, "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" picks up where its predecessor left off, bringing Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen Grady (Christ Pratt) back to Isla Nublar in a rescue mission to save some of the wayward dinosaurs from the island before a volcanic eruption destroys what is left of Jurassic Park. The fifth installment in the "The Jurassic" franchise, this one too will be looking to draw on some nostalgia for fuel.
7. "Ant-Man and The Wasp" (July 6th)
Thought Marvel would be done after "Infinity War?" No way! While no one on the outside is quite sure exactly where the franchise will head after what is seen as its pinnacle in "Infinity War", Marvel seems ready to chug away happily, dropping this sequel to "Ant-Man"(2015) three months after. Set in the aftermath of "Captain America: Civil War" Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) continues to try and balance his responsibilities as Ant-Man, but is soon called back to action by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lily), a.k.a. The Wasp.
8. "The Meg" (August 10th)
One of the cheaper thrills on this list, "The Meg" stars Jason Statham as a deep-sea diver, trying to rescue a group of folks from a-not-so-extinct megalodon and ultimately kill the shark. This adaptation of the 1997 novel, "Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror", will surely pack plenty of B-movie excitements, which honestly isn’t always the worst thing for a muggy summer day.
9. "Christopher Robin" (August 3rd)
Speaking of nostalgia, Disney seems set to let it rip with this film based on its "Winnie-the-Pooh" franchise. In this comedy-drama, it seems that Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) has lost all sense of childlike imagination. Quick to the rescue, Pooh and Christopher Robin’s other former Hundred Acre Wood friends are ready to help him regain that wonder.
10. "Hereditary" (June 8th)
Now, anyone who knows me can confirm that I don’t like horror. But from what I can tell from the "Hereditary" trailer, this is going to be one especially creepy flick. After the death of her mother, Annie (Toni Collette) begins to suspect a supernatural presence was left behind, particularly following her teenage daughter (Milly Shapiro).