Major Theatrical Releases May 2019

Major Theatrical Releases May 2019

After the hype that is "Avengers: Endgame," May offers a massive collection of differing types of movies, enough to entertain everyone.

Here are the major theatrical releases for May 2019.

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

**DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**

 The Intruder

May 3

Dennis Quaid goes from starring the family-friendly "A Dog's Journey" to playing a total psycho in "The Intruder."  When a young couple purchases a home from Quaid's character Charlie, they didn't realize it came with an addition - Charlie himself, who can't seem to let his old home go.  I don't expect any twists or turns in this tale, and this looks like a film better fit for Lifetime than the big screen.

 Long Shot

May 3

Charlize Theron stars as Charlotte Field, the current Secretary of State and who's running for President.  Seth Rogen stars as Fred Flarsky, a nerdy journalist who used to be baby-sat by Charlotte.  Now adults, the two find each other again and fall in love, despite Fred's unsavory past and unkempt appearance.  The film looks funny enough, but it's seemingly all-too-generic, something you've seen in countless other films of the like.

 UglyDolls

May 3

This summer officially belongs to Disney, as it looks to be an exemplary summer for kids animated films, but "UglyDolls" isn't one of them (then again, they're not owned by Disney...or they may, I have no idea).  Much like "The LEGO Movie," "UglyDolls" is a film based on a beloved children's toy brought to the big screen, but unlike "The LEGO Movie," I don't see it being a success...or breaking even.  Even though it includes catchy songs and a great vocal cast including Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monae and Blake Shelton, and even though it gives the important message of accepting yourself just as you are, it doesn't look like anything spectacular, and parents will groan when their kids force them to see it.

 The Hustle

May 10

Both "Ghostbusters" and the "Ocean's" series have received female-led remakes, and now it's time for "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" to get the treatment.  Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star as two con-women who set out to deceive men and take their money, and it looks like a comedic match made in female heaven.  Hathaway and Wilson seemingly work perfectly together, and it looks to be a great time at the theater.

 Pokemon Detective Pikachu

 May 10

Pokemon is a worldwide phenomenon, so it was only a matter of time before a live-action film was made on the property.  "Detective Pikachu" stars Ryan Reynolds who voices everyone's most lovable Pokemon as he and his human counterpart Tim try to find out what happened to Tim's father by traversing the streets of Ryme City and interacting with other well-known Pokemon.  Their discovery leads them to unravel a plan that threatens the harmony between humans and Pokemon forever.  The animation looks really good, and casting Ryan Reynolds to voice Pikachu is a stroke of genius, but I think this won't appeal to anyone other than the true diehards - thankfully, there's a lot of them.

 Poms

May 10

Summer isn't only geared for families, but for the older generations as well.  Last year's "Book Club" was a huge success, and "Poms" hopes to follow in that trend.  Starring Diane Keaton (who was also in "Book Club"), "Poms" follows Martha as she moves to a new retirement community prepared to die, but instead finds new friends and a new purpose - to start a cheerleading squad and compete in a cheering competition.  I can't say anything really bad about this film, because it looks absolutely charming, funny, and heartfelt, but obviously it's not for my demographic.

 Tolkien

May 10

Based on the life of J.R.R. Tolkien - who brought us literary masterpieces "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" - "Tolkien" stars Nicholas Hout as the acclaimed author and how his life influenced his eternal legacy.  The film looks to be moving and poignant, with a powerful performance and an intriguing look into the mind of a genius.

 A Dog's Journey

May 17

The sequel to "A Dog's Purpose," "A Dog's Journey" follows Bailey as he and his "boy" Ethan enjoy the new addition of Ethan's granddaughter, before she's taken away by her mother.  As he dies, Ethan tells Bailey to come back and watch over his granddaughter, which he does.  The result is different lifetimes of protecting the girl, and of course it'll have be reduced to a puddle of tears as these films always get me, because we do not deserve the love dogs give us.

 John Wick Chapter 3 - Parabellum

May 17

"If you want peace, prepare for war."  Keanu Reeves returns as hitman John Wick, who finds himself on the run from literally everyone as a $14 million global contract has been placed on his head after breaking the rules of the Continental and killing a man in its walls.  Alone and without aid, Wick turns to a former associate (Halle Berry) to help him make it through, even though he probably doesn't need it.  The first two "John Wick" films were filled with tremendous action, and I know this will follow in its predecessors footsteps, providing a fun-filled summer blockbuster.

 The Sun is Also a Star

May 17

Based on the young adult novel by Nicola Yoon, "The Sun is Also a Star" features Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton as two young people who meet randomly on the street, and spend the day together getting to know one another before Shahidi's character Natasha is deported the following day.  It looks like your general sappy teenage romance, but at least it features two minorities instead of the traditional white relationship.

 Aladdin

May 24

Disney continues adapting their animated classics into live-action spectacles with "Aladdin," a film that I was more excited to see before seeing the second trailer.  In that infamous trailer, we finally see Will Smith as the Genie, and it was met with unintentional laughs and numerous Internet memes.  While the third trailer shows more promise, the scene of Will Smith all blue can't get out of my head, and no one will be able to compare to the illustrious Robin Williams - but I'll still give it a chance.

 Booksmart 

May 24

While most summers feature some fantastic raunchy comedies, 2019 doesn't seem to have that many.  "Booksmart" tries to be one of them, and while it looks funny enough, it probably won't blow anyone's socks off.  Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein (who completely stole the show in "Lady Bird") star as two nerdy girls who spent their high school years studying while everyone else was partying, and decide before graduation to go out and have some fun of their own.  That'll probably be the only fun had in this film, but maybe it'll be a surprise quirky comedy - but I won't hold my breath.

 Brightburn

May 24

In the film "Suicide Squad," Amanda Waller creates a team of villains to do good, because she worries that the next superhero like Superman might not share the ideals of truth and justice.  "Brightburn" flips the superhero genre on its head and offers a compelling alternate universe where a Superman-like being crashes on earth and grows up, but instead of doing good, decides to do evil instead.  The film is produced by James Gunn and features a strong cast, and looks to be absolutely terrifying.

 Godzilla: King of the Monsters

May 31

The Godzilla story has been around for decades, mostly in the Asian continent.  A few years ago, "Godzilla" premiered and was a huge hit, followed by fellow creature King Kong.  Now Godzilla returns, but this time he's not alone - a race of god-sized monsters including Mothra, Rodan, and Godzilla's arch-nemesis King Ghidorah have emerged to challenge Godzilla for supremacy, and humanity could be the ultimate casualty.  Starring Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Sally Hawkins, O'Shea Jackson Jr. and Ken Watanabe, this looks like an action-filled creature feature that's perfect for summer.

 Ma

May 31

When you think of Octavia Spencer, you probably think Oscar-award winning actress of "The Help," "Hidden Figures," and "The Shape of Water" - but horror isn't something you'd think of.  Spencer branches out and stars in her first horror-filled film "Ma," where she plays a loner who opens her home as the drinking place for teenagers, and as she gains popularity, she slowly starts spiraling to a psychotic level.  This looks tense and dramatic, with some really terrifying moments and a unique turn for the acclaimed actress (even though she did have an uncredited role in Rob Zombie's "Halloween 2" as a nurse).

 Rocketman

May 31

Hot off the heels of last year's award-winning biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody," Elton John is now getting his own biopic with "Rocketman."  However, unlike "Rhapsody," it looks like "Rocketman" will be rated R, showcasing Elton John's entirety instead of just his eccentric stage presence.  The film looks different in that it's more fantasy along with history, and it turns meta since it stars Taron Egerton as Elton John, who both appeared together in "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" where Egerton's character has to rescue Elton John (who plays himself).

So there are the major theatrical releases coming out in May, and here's the order in which I'm excited to see them, starting with the least:

#16 - UglyDolls
#15 - A Dog's Journey

#14 - The Intruder

#13 - Poms

#12 - Booksmart

#11 - The Sun is Also a Star

#10 - Long Shot

#9 - Pokemon Detective Pikachu

#8 - The Hustle

#7 - Ma

#6 - Rocketman

#5 - Brightburn

#4 - Aladdin

#3 - Tolkien

#2 - John Wick Chapter 3 - Parabellum
#1 - Godzilla: King of the Monsters