Major Theatrical Releases May 2016

Major Theatrical Releases May 2016

May is the start of summer, which means warmer weather, no school, more sunshine, and of course, MAJOR BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES!

The beginning of summer opens with some extremely strong outings which will shape the remaining months to come, and if these movies are any indication, it's going to be a great summer at the movies!

That being said, here is the list of films being released nationally for the month of May, 2016.

MAY 6

Captain America: Civil War

Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie

Directed by Anthony Russo & Joe Russo

Synopsis (imdb.com):
Political interference in the Avengers' activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man.

Thoughts:
Forget "Batman v. Superman," THIS is the match-up we've all been dying to see!  Based off the highly popular comic series, "Civil War" pits Earth's Mightiest Heroes against one another over government control of the Avengers.  Even though it's listed as a Captain America movie, it's obvious this is a third Avengers movie, and I don't mind one bit.  Which team are you on?  Team Iron Man includes Stark himself, along with War Machine, Black Widow, The Vision and newcomers Black Panther and Spider-Man.  Team Captain America has Steve Rogers with Falcon, Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye and Ant-Man.  It's going to be epic, huge, and everything a summer movie should be.

MAY 13

The Darkness

Starring Jennifer Morrison, Kevin Bacon, Lucy Fry, Radha Mitchell

Directed by Greg Mclean

Synopsis (imdb.com):
A family returns from a Grand Canyon vacation with a supernatural presence in tow.

Thoughts:
There's not much known about this film, and even though it's labeled as a national release, I doubt it'll see many theaters.  There'll be much better horror movies for diehard fans this summer ("The Conjuring 2" being the best), so this will easily be passed over.

Money Monster

Starring George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O'Connell, Dominic West

Directed by Jodie Foster

Synopsis (imdb.com):
Financial TV host Lee Gates and his producer Patty are put in an explosive situation when an irate investor  takes over their studio.

Thoughts:
George Clooney and Julia Roberts are cinematic gold together, and paired with the always amazing Jodie Foster behind the camera is a no-brainer for a big hit.  However, I feel this would've fared better in the fall or winter instead of the action-packed summer, so we'll see how it does.  It's a rather timely film about losing money, desperation, and redemption, and Clooney looks like he's playing a caricature of  Jim Cramer's "Mad Money."

MAY 20

The Nice Guys

Starring Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger

Directed by Shane Black

Synopsis (imdb.com):
A private eye investigates the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy.

Thoughts:
This looks like a funny, action-packed buddy cop comedy set in the glorious era of the 70s, with two fantastic leads in Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling.

The Angry Birds Movie

Starring Jason Sudeikis, Sean Penn, Peter Dinklage, Bill Hader

Directed by Clay Kaytis & Fergal Reilly

Synopsis (imdb.com):
Find out why the birds are so angry. When an island populated by happy, flightless birds is visited by mysterious green piggies, it's up to three unlikely outcasts - Red, Chuck and Bomb - to figure out what the pigs are up to.

Thoughts:
Angry Birds is an app that reached the height of popularity about three years ago, so it's no wonder they release a movie now.  In case you didn't know, that was sarcasm.  It's the first of the kids movies to come out, so I think it'll do fairly well, but not as good as it would've if it came out years ago.  Although it does boast a top-notch voice cast, so it might not be as bad as my pessimistic self thinks.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

Starring Zac Efron, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Chloe Grace Moretz

Directed by Nicholas Stoller

Synopsis (imdb.com):
After a sorority moves in next door, which is even more debaucherous than the fraternity before it, Mac and Kelly have to ask for help from their former enemy, Teddy.

Thoughts:
The first "Neighbors" was a laugh-out-loud comedy and bonafide hit, so it's no surprise they'd bring out a sequel.  With any successful sequel, you have to crank it up, so not only does it feature returning favorites Efron, Rogen, Byrne and Franko, but also adds the always fantastic Chloe Grace Moretz, Selena Gomez (in a very big departure from her Disney days), and Lisa Kudrow.  Looks to be as funny as the original, yet there's not a whole lot of marketing done for it.

MAY 27

X-Men: Apocalypse

Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac

Directed by Bryan Singer

Synopsis (imdb.com):
With the emergence of the world's first mutant, Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan.

Thoughts:
"Apocalypse" ends the new Singer X-Men trilogy, and it looks like it's going to be a blockbuster.  Apocalypse has always been the X-Men's greatest foe, because he was the first mutant who has several powers, and cannot die.  He also enlists four mutants to serve as his Four Horsemen, and they're quite powerful - Angel, Storm, Psyloche and Magneto himself.  It's looking to be one of the best X-Men movies to date, and one I'm very excited to see.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Starring Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Alan Rickman, Anne Hathaway

Directed by James Bobin

Synopsis (imdb.com):
Alice returns to the whimsical world of Wonderland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter.

Thoughts:
The first "Alice in Wonderland" was a surprise hit, earning over $200 million domestically.  Now Alice, the Mad Hatter, the White Queen and the Red Queen return to make magic again, featuring the same dazzling effects and awe-inspiring scenery and costumes, plus it's the last film of the great actor Alan Rickman, who voices the Blue Caterpillar. 

So there are the major releases for May, 2016.  Here is a list in order from what I think will be the best, to the worst.

 

Captain America: Civil War
X-Men: Apocalypse
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
Money Monster
The Nice Guys
The Darkness
The Angry Birds Movie