The month of May has yet to begin, and I’m already in trouble when it comes to the movies. Travel has kept me from the local theater for a few weeks now, and the next couple of weeks will be more of the same. That to-rent list is growing by leaps and bounds!
Releases for May have me salivating to spend a lot of time at the theater, so maybe it’s a good thing I won’t be able to get there as frequently as I’d like. Time and money saved, so to speak. While I’m exiled from watching the big screen, you aren’t (I hope), so here are a few films to watch out for this month.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine: The highly anticipated fourth installment in the X-Men franchise, this one spotlights Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and how Logan became Wolverine. We’ll see Wolverine make the choice that changes his life – the bonding of his skeleton with the indestructible metal adamantium. Also starring Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth, Will.i.Am as Wraith, Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, and Taylor Kitsch as Gambit, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is rated PG-13 and opens May 1.
Battle for Terra: This animated sci-fi dramedy looks to appeal to audiences of all ages. The Earth is gone, and humanity needs a new home. Lightyears from home, mankind finds a planet already inhabited by a peace-loving race, setting the stage for an all-out war for control of the planet. It’s up to a rebellious Terrian named Mala (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood) and an injured human pilot (Luke Wilson) to find a way for the races to co-exist. Other voices: Brian Cox, James Garner, Chris Evans, David Cross, Justin Long and Dennis Quaid. Battle for Terra is rated G and opens May 1.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past: Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner star in this romantic comedy in the vein of A Christmas Carol. Connor Mead (McConaughey) has played the romance game fast and loose for quite some time, and his actions are coming back to haunt him. Jenny Perotti (Garner) is the girl he won and lost and still loves. Will true love triumph? Michael Douglas stars as the ghostly Uncle Wayne. The trailers look fun, although I’ve been seeing some negative press. Ghosts is rated PG-13 and opens May 1.
Star Trek: At last! J.J. Abrams’ reboot takes a look at the lives of the classic series’ beloved characters before the original series. Chris Pine takes on James T. Kirk, while Zachary Quinto becomes Spock and Karl Urban declares “I’m a doctor, not a —,” as Leonard McCoy. Being a Trekkie/Trekker from the early days, I am eagerly looking forward to this one. And it’s gaining momentum and great buzz as the release date nears. Star Trek is rated PG-13 and opens May 8. Check out the graphics on the website!
Management: You all know I’m not a huge fan of comedy. So this addition to my list has a few question marks. Starring Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn, Management follows Mike (Zahn) as he pursues Sue (Aniston) across the country. Zahn is among my favorite actors, and Aniston has appeal. However, this film may have too many stalker elements for my taste. Time will tell. Management is rated R and opens May 15.
Angels & Demons: The second offering from author Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series, this film is set before The Da Vinci Code. The Vatican requests the assistance of Langdon (Tom Hanks, with a better haircut) to battle a threat from the secretive Illuminati. Again directed by Ron Howard, the film also stars Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard and Armin Mueller-Stahl. I enjoyed Da Vinci Code (both the film and the book); I didn’t enjoy the book Angels & Demons as much, so I’m not sure about the film version. I’ll see it, though. Rated PG-13, Angels & Demons opens May 15.
The Brothers Bloom: Starring Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz and Rinko Kikuchi, this film focuses on a brother team of swindlers (Ruffalo and Brody) who set sights on an eccentric heiress (Weisz) as their last and greatest con. Kikuchi portrays Bang Bang, an explosives expert who teams with the brothers. While billed as a comedy, The Brothers Bloom promises a lot of pathos along with the laughter. Rated PG-13, The Brothers Bloom opens in New York and L.A. on May 15, in select cities May 22 and nationwide May 29.
Terminator Salvation: Another highly anticipated release, the fourth in the franchise finds John Connor (Christian Bale) struggling with his certain belief that humans will win out against the machines after the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington). New strategies by Skynet force the human resistance to change tactics, and Connor and Wright team to take on the enemy. Rated PG-13, Terminator Salvation opens May 21. Great poster, eh? A great website, too.
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian: Following up his success in Night at the Musuem, Ben Stiller reprises his role as museum guard Larry Daley, who has made his way to the Smithsonian to rescue Jedediah (Owen Wilson) and Octavius (Steve Coogan). The trailers look like fun, and I enjoyed the first film, although I’m not a Stiller fan. Rated PG, Battle of the Smithsonian opens May 22.
Up: It would appear that Disney Pixar again has a winner. Up follows the adventures of 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) as he ties thousands of ballons to his house in an effort to fly to South America. It’s the vacation he’d promised his late wife. A stowaway, the optimistic and much younger Russell (Jordan Nagai), causes Carl to change plans. Other voices are provided by Christopher Plummer, Paul Eiding, Delroy Lindo, Bob Peterson and John Ratzenberger. Rated PG, Up opens May 29.
With one thing and another, I still haven’t seen State of Play or The Soloist, so it would appear that I could spend every weekend in May at the theater. Which I just might do.
Any other May titles I should add to my list? Any rental recommendations?
See ya at the movies!