INTO THE FIRE
Time for the thrills, spills, booms and brawls of the new film season
This year, summer started in April.
Oh, your calendar says June 21, but summer at the movies startswell before that. That’s the power ofDisney. To capitalize on the huge success of this year’s “Black Panther,” Disney-owned Marvel Studios moved up its surefire summer blockbuster “Avengers: InfinityWar” from May 4 to April 27. And, sure, the summer movie season usually starts that first weekend in May, so we’re only talking about one week. On the other hand, at the time of this writing here in Northeast Ohio, the weather suggests summer is a loooong way away.
Nevertheless, it’s time for the thrills, spills, booms and brawls of the summer movie season.
Now, we know many of you cannot get to more than a movie per week, if that, so we’vemappedout thebiggest or most interesting movie slated to open eachweek into early August. That meant ignoring several flicks, so apologies to the ridiculous-but fun-looking “Tag” (June 15)” and to former ClevelandCavaliers star Kyrie Irving, who brings his aged-but-deadly basketball character to thebig screen in “Uncle Drew” (June 29). And we’re even more sorry we had to skip “Sorry to Bother You” (July 6), a film getting good early buzz that has Lakeith Stanfield— who hasmade themost of supporting roles in last year’s “Get Out” and the great FX series “Atlanta — as a telemarketer who starts to excel at his job aftertakingonawhiteaccent.
So try to squeeze in those and others we’ve left out if you can, but here’s our plan for your calendar.
Nowplaying: ‘Avengers: InfinityWar’
So who’s gonna die? Sorry to be so blunt, so negative, but that is a question on a lot of fans’minds as this biggest-yet entry of the Marvel Cinematic Universe hits theaterswith the force of a Wakandan superweapon. Speculation runs rampant this could be the last ride for a key hero such as Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man or Chris Evans’ Captain America, both of whom have been around since the early days of theMCU.
And thismovie— directed by brothers andCleveland natives Joe and Anthony Russo — certainly has heroes to spare. Team-ups quickly are becoming oldhat, but this one brings together animpressive roster that also includes Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Chris Hemsworth’sThor, MarkRuffalo’s Hulk, Scarlett Johansson’s BlackWidow, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Strange, Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord — and the rest of the Guardians of theGalaxy— and, last but not least, Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther.
Even late last year, would you have guessed Black Pantherwouldbe one of thismovie’s biggestdraws? That’swhat havingamegahit— as “Black Panther” was early this year— will do for you.
All this superhero firepower is needed to combat the powerful Thanos (Josh Brolin), who looks to cause serious problems for Earth and theuniverse byuniting all the Infinity Stones.
The smartmoney says “infinity War” ends on a cliffhanger. The film was shot back to back with its sequel, set for release inMay 2019.
May4: ‘Tully’
The first time actressCharlize Theron, director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody collaborated, the result was the resonating, rougharound-the-edges dramedy “Young Adult” in 2011. (ReitmanandCody hadpreviously workedtogetheronacclaimed 2007 film “Juno,” of course.) All three are back for the terrific-looking “Tully,” whichfocuses on the relationship between a burned-out mother and her night nanny (Mackenzie Davis of AMC’s “Halt and Catch Fire”).
Given the track record of these folks and based on the excellent trailer, it’s hard to seehowthis one doesn’tprove to be somethingmemorable.
May 11: ‘Life of theParty’
She’s talented, but sometimes Melissa McCarthy crashes and burns. (Cough, “Tammy,” cough.) And while it’s a red flag that this comedy, about a woman who starts living it up at the college her daughter (MollyGordon of the “AnimalKingdom” TVseries) attends, is, like that 2014 dud, directed byMcCarthy’s husband, Ben Falcone, it looks pretty funny.
May 18: ‘Deadpool2’
Not long after he tries to turn the Avengers into space dust as Thanos, Josh Brolin portraysCable, the newthorn in the side ofDeadpool (Ryan Reynolds). While, like themen and women of The Avengers, Deadpool is based on a MarvelComics character, this film — like its smash-hit 2016 predecessor — is a 20th Century Fox property and not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And aside from it being action-packed and centering on a costumed protagonist, “Deadpool” felt little like anMCU flick.
Expect more of the same from “Deadpool 2” in terms of crude, crass andreasonably clever humor. However, with David Leitch (“John Wick,” “Atomic Blonde”), replacing Tim Miller in the director’s chair, we reasonably can expect the quality of the action sequences to be raised a bit.
As if the story really matters, this time we’ll see Mr. Pool trying to protect a boy fromthe heavily armed, timetraveling Cable, who packs a glowing left eye.
Today: ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’
Few seem to be optimistic Disney-owned Lucasfilm’s latest “Star Wars” stand-alone film — another prequel of sorts — will be terrific. That’s understandable considering the highly publicized change of directors that landed Ron Howard with the project and a teaser trailer released earlier this year that underwhelmed.
However, the recently released full trailer looks promising, and “StarWars” nation has had time to get used to seeing Alden Ehrenreich as the young captain of theMillennium Falcon, which looks brand-spanking-new in the advanced footage. (Seriously, how would you like to play a character Harrison Ford made famous?)
We love the casting of “Atlanta” star Donald Glover as the young Lando Calrissian, and we’re eager to see what some other supporting players, including Woody Harrelson and “Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke, bring to a galaxy far, far away.