The 2015 Summer Movie Season

The 2015 Summer Movie Season

As Spring turns to Summer the movie world warms up with the weather. This year there are a number of highly anticipated films coming to a theater near you. Here are my initial impressions on the ten films I’m most excited for.

10. Minions

Release Date: July 10th

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the minions just make me smile. The unique nature of their characters might not hold up for an entire film, but I’m willing to give it a chance. To be fair, the minions were the only really successful aspect of Despicable Me 2. This one also benefits from voice work done by Sandra Bullock (While You Were Sleeping), Michael Keaton (Birdman) and Jon Hamm (The Town). This looks like a fun family film with just enough charm to be good.

9. Inside Out

Release Date: June 19th

The summer animated films look like a good bunch this year. As interested as I am in Minions, I’m more interested in Inside Out. This one features voice work by Diane Lane (Man of Steel), Amy Poehler (Mean Girls), Bill Hader (Her), and Mindy Kaling (Despicable Me). The trailers have been good, so hopefully the story is developed enough to be on the same level as some of the other Disney Pixar collaborations.

8. Ant-Man

Release Date: July 17th

If you’re not sick of the comic book film movement of the last ten years this might be another one on your summer to-do list. I like the casting of Paul Rudd since he has the same “hero” feel as Chris Pratt did when he became Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. The rest of the cast looks solid, and the story should be good since it comes from Adam McKay, the same writer that did Anchorman. The trailer looks good and this should be a fun one this summer.

7. Tomorrowland

Release Date: May 22nd

I’ll admit that my initial impression of this film wasn’t a good one. The first bit of press underwhelmed me, and I wasn’t sure how they were going to structure the story. Luckily, I’ve been able to adjust my impression based on some great trailers and a lot of research. Brad Bird is no stranger to Disney-themed material and I think he was a great choice for this one. Casting George Clooney (Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?) and Hugh Laurie (Mr. Pip) also helped to convince me that I should be excited to see this one.

6. Mission: Impossible – Rouge Nation

Release Date: July 31st

I’ve loved every one of the Mission:Impossible movies for their suspense, action, and explosions. This one looks like another fun ride with Tom Cruise (Jerry Maguire), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Simon Pegg (The World’s End), and Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction). The action looks solid, and I’m hopeful that the story will be a good one. This is just the third time writer Christopher McQuarrie has worked as a director, so hopefully he pulls it off. I’m optimistic about this one.

5. Fantastic Four

Release Date: August 7th

I was a big fan of the last two Fantastic Four films. I think that the franchise got lost in the shuffle, so I’m glad to see a new take on some of my favorite characters. Casting Miles Teller (Whiplash), Kate Mara (Iron Man 2), Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station), and Jamie Bell (Jumper) was a good start. The initial trailers have looked pretty great, so I’ll be checking this one out as soon as I can.

4. Southpaw

Release Date: July 24th

I love boxing films. I love fight films in general. Movies like Rocky and Warrior have always worked for me. I’m hoping that the streak continues with this one. Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), Rachel McAdams (Midnight in Paris), and Naomie Harris (Skyfall) are just a few of the stars in this one. Gyllenhaal’s physical transformation is impressive and I hope his performance is as well. I’m also glad that the story was written by Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy) since he’s not someone who will avoid the rough moments in the story. This should be a good one.

3. Mad Max: Fury Road

Release Date: May 15th

I love the original Mad Max movies. I think that the only problem with this reboot is the amount of time it took to get made. The movie is written and directed by George Miller, the same guy who did the original 1979 film. The casting is awesome. I can’t express how excited I am to see Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), Charlize Theron (Hancock), and Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: Days of Future Past). This is going to be an awesome addition to the summer movie calendar. Check out the trailer if you don’t believe me.

2. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Release Date: May 1st

This is one of the more anticipated releases of the Summer. Fans of The Avengers, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Iron Man 3 will be lining up to see this one. It brings back all of the central cast members that have made this franchise so successful. This time the cast includes a new villain, played by James Spader (Lincoln). The story looks solid and the trailers have been impressive. In addition to making a billion dollars, this should also be an exciting and entertaining movie.

1. Jurassic World

Release Date: June 12th

When Jurassic Park was released in 1993 I must’ve seen it in the theater more than a dozen times that summer. While the sequels didn’t live up to the original, this one might bring the franchise back to life. Either way, I know I’ll be in line to see this one in June. The casting of Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Vincent D’Onofrio (The Judge) is just a little of why this one could be awesome. The visuals look good, and hopefully the relatively unknown Colin Trevorrow does a good job as director. Of all the upcoming Summer releases, this is definitely on the top of my list.