Summer movie season presents parade of heroes, villains, scares and dares
The only people who can’t wait for summer to come to Las Vegas?
Air-conditioning repairmen and moviegoers.
After a pretty dismal few months at the multiplexes, the summer movie season swings into action Friday with “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”
If you’re looking for subtlety, check back in September. But if you’re in the mood for superheroes, raucous comedies and stuff blowin’ up real good, this is your season.
Also this summer, the Strip will be the home of devastation (“Godzilla”), celebration (“Think Like a Man Too”) and gyration (“Step Up: All In”).
Here’s a look at what to expect at the movies between now and Labor Day. And, as always, release dates are subject to change.
FRIDAY
The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Spidey (Andrew Garfield) battles Electro (Jamie Foxx), The Rhino (Paul Giamatti), The Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan) and more, all while trying to reconnect with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone).
MAY 9
Neighbors: A fraternity (led by Zac Efron and Dave Franco) moves next door to a young married couple (Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne) and makes their lives miserable in the raunchy comedy “Neighbors.”
Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return: Dorothy (voiced by Lea Michele) goes back to save the Scarecrow (Dan Aykroyd), the Lion (Jim Belushi), the Tin Man (Kelsey Grammer) and Glinda (Bernadette Peters) in the animated “Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return.”
Only Lovers Left Alive: Having been around for centuries, cultured, intellectual vampires (Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton) try to survive in modern-day Detroit in writer-director Jim Jarmusch’s “Only Lovers Left Alive.”
MAY 16
Godzilla: The not-so-jolly green giant rises again in “Godzilla,” starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen and Bryan Cranston.
Million Dollar Arm: A struggling sports agent (Jon Hamm) tries to turn two Indian cricket players into professional baseball players in “Million Dollar Arm.”
Locke: The life of a construction foreman (Tom Hardy) begins unraveling during a solitary car ride in the minimalist drama “Locke.”
MAY 23
X-Men: Days of Future Past: Mutants from every “X-Men” movie come together, with some fighting alongside younger versions of themselves, in “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”
Blended: Single parents (Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore) are reunited after a disastrous blind date when they and their kids are forced to share a suite during an African safari in the comedy “Blended.”
Belle: A Royal Navy admiral’s illegitimate mixed-race daughter (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) works to end slavery in England in the inspired-by-a-true story “Belle.”
MAY 30
Maleficent: The “Sleeping Beauty” villain’s (Angelina Jolie) descent into darkness is chronicled in “Maleficent.”
A Million Ways to Die in the West: A cowardly sheep farmer (Seth Macfarlane) falls in love with a mysterious stranger (Charlize Theron), then must fend off her jealous outlaw husband (Liam Neeson), in the adult comedy “A Million Ways to Die in the West,” from the creators of “Ted.”
JUNE 6
Edge of Tomorrow: Caught in a “Groundhog Day”-style time loop, an untested military officer (Tom Cruise) is killed, over and over again, by aliens in the futuristic “Edge of Tomorrow.”
The Fault in Our Stars: Two teenagers (Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort) fall in love at a cancer support group in “The Fault in Our Stars,” based on the young-adult novel.
Words and Pictures: A prep school English teacher (Clive Owen) romances the new art teacher (Juliette Binoche) in “Words and Pictures.”
The Hornet’s Nest: Father and son journalists Mike and Carlos Boettcher showcase a series of harrowing real battles fought by U.S. troops in Afghanistan in “The Hornet’s Nest.”
JUNE 13
How to Train Your Dragon 2: Viking Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and his dragon, Toothless, are back in the animated “How to Train Your Dragon 2.”
22 Jump Street: Officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) go undercover at a local college, which means a trip to spring break, in the sequel “22 Jump Street.”
JUNE 20
Think Like a Man Too: Kevin Hart and friends come to Las Vegas for a wedding in the comedy “Think Like a Man Too.”
Jersey Boys: Director Clint Eastwood celebrates the rise of the Four Seasons by bringing the musical “Jersey Boys” to the big screen.
The Rover: In a dystopian Outback, a loner (Guy Pearce) forces a wounded stranger (Robert Pattinson) to help him track the gang who stole his car in “The Rover.”
JUNE 27
Transformers: Age of Extinction: Mark Wahlberg takes over for Shia LaBeouf in “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” the first installment of a planned new trilogy.
JULY 2
Tammy: Broke, jobless and newly single, a woman (Melissa McCarthy) hits the open road with her grandmother (Susan Sarandon) in the comedy “Tammy.”
Deliver Us From Evil: A New York cop (Eric Bana) teams with a priest (Edgar Ramirez) to battle demonic possessions in “Deliver Us From Evil,” which claims to be inspired by real-life cases.
Earth to Echo: Three young friends discover an extraterrestrial wanted by the government in “Earth to Echo.”
JULY 11
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: A decade after the uprising, a small group of humans, led by Jason Clarke and Keri Russell, tries to prevent an all-out war between the apes, led by Caesar (Andy Serkis), and other human survivors in the sequel “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”
And So It Goes: An obnoxious real estate agent (Michael Douglas) is forced to care for the 9-year-old granddaughter he never knew existed in the comedy “And So It Goes,” from director Rob Reiner.
The Fluffy Movie: Las Vegas regular Gabriel Iglesias stars in the comedy concert film “The Fluffy Movie.”
JULY 18
Jupiter Ascending: A genetically engineered ex-military hunter (Channing Tatum) travels to Earth to tell a Chicago maid (Mila Kunis) she’s destined for greater things in “Jupiter Ascending,” a sci-fi epic from “The Matrix” creators the Wachowskis.
Planes: Fire & Rescue: Dusty (voiced by Dane Cook) joins a crew of firefighting aircraft in charge of protecting Piston Peak National Park in the animated sequel “Planes: Fire & Rescue.”
The Purge: Anarchy: The action moves out of a claustrophobic house and into the streets when all crimes are once again legal for 12 hours in “The Purge: Anarchy.”
I Origins: A molecular biologist’s (Michael Pitt) discovery causes him to question his beliefs in “I Origins.”
JULY 25
Hercules: Dwayne Johnson brings the legendary strongman to life in the graphic-novel adaptation “Hercules.”
Sex Tape: A couple (Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz) record a marathon love-making session, then accidentally upload it to the cloud for all their friends to see, in the comedy “Sex Tape.”
Step Up: All In: Characters from previous “Step Up” installments come to Las Vegas to compete for their own show in “Step Up: All In.”
AUG. 1
Guardians of the Galaxy: Adventurer Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) teams with four misfits — green-skinned assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana), brutish Drax (Dave Bautista), a genetically altered talking raccoon named Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and the humanoid tree creature Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) — in Marvel’s sci-fi comedy “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
Get On Up: “42’s” Chadwick Boseman continues to work his way through the history books by stepping into the high-heeled boots of James Brown in the biopic “Get On Up.”
Calvary: During confession, a priest (Brendan Gleeson) is told he’ll be crucified the following Sunday in the dark comedy “Calvary.”
AUG. 8
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The heroes in a half shell go back to the beginning in the origin tale “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” starring Megan Fox, Will Arnett and William Fichtner.
Into The Storm: A small town is decimated by an unprecedented series of tornadoes in “Into The Storm.”
Lucy: A woman (Scarlett Johansson) is accidentally transformed into a ruthless killing machine in writer-director Luc Besson’s “Lucy.”
The Hundred-Foot Journey: A young Indian culinary talent (Manish Dayal) and a famed French chef (Helen Mirren) go from rivals to allies in the literary adaptation “The Hundred-Foot Journey.”
AUG. 13
Let’s Be Cops: When two friends (Damon Wayans Jr., Jake Johnson) dress as police officers for a costume party, they get so much attention they carry the charade a little too far in the comedy “Let’s Be Cops.”
AUG. 15
The Expendables 3: Barney (Sylvester Stallone), Christmas (Jason Statham) and the rest of the over-the-hill gang go after the team’s co-founder (Mel Gibson) in “The Expendables 3.”
The Giver: A boy’s (Brenton Thwaites) seemingly idyllic life takes a dark turn when he’s assigned to be The Receiver of Memory in “The Giver,” based on the young-adult novel.
As Above, So Below: A team exploring the catacombs beneath Paris uncovers more than they bargained for in the psychological thriller “As Above, So Below.”
What If: A medical school dropout (Daniel Radcliffe) strikes up a friendship, and possibly more, with an animator (Zoe Kazan) in the romantic comedy “What If.”
AUG. 22
Sin City: A Dame To Kill For: Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis and Mickey Rourke are among those returning to Basin City for the sequel “Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.”
When The Game Stands Tall: A high school football coach (Jim Caviezel) takes his team on a 151-game winning streak in the based-on-a-true-story “When The Game Stands Tall.”
If I Stay: A young musician (Chloe Grace Moretz) is trapped between life and death in “If I Stay,” based on the young-adult novel.
AUG. 27
Underdogs: The players on a foosball table come to life in the animated “Underdogs.”
November Man: An ex-CIA operative (Pierce Brosnan) returns for a mission involving his one-time protege and the Russian president-elect in “November Man.”
AUG. 29
The Loft: Five married men — Karl Urban, James Marsden, Wentworth Miller, Eric Stonestreet, Matthias Schoenaerts — run wild in a secret penthouse, at least until a dead woman turns up there, in “The Loft.”
Jessabelle: After a car accident, a young woman (Sarah Snook) returns to her childhood home to recuperate and is confronted by the spirit that’s been waiting for her in the horror tale “Jessabelle.”
Life of Crime: Criminals (John Hawkes, Yasiin Bey) kidnap the wife (Jennifer Aniston) of a real estate developer (Tim Robbins), who refuses to pay for her release, in “Life of Crime,” an adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel “The Switch.”
TO BE ANNOUNCED
Chef: A chef (writer-director Jon Favreau) quits his job at a top L.A. restaurant and opens a food truck in Miami in the comedy “Chef,” co-starring Sofia Vergara and Favreau’s “Iron Man” buddies Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson.
Begin Again: When she’s abandoned by her lover and musical partner (Adam Levine), a young woman (Keira Knightley) connects with a disgraced music executive (Mark Ruffalo) in “Begin Again,” from “Once” writer-director John Carney.
The Immigrant: Two Polish sisters are separated at Ellis Island, with one (Marion Cotillard) forced into a life of prostitution, in “The Immigrant,” co-starring Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner.
Yves St. Laurent: Pierre Niney stars as the legendary fashion designer in “Yves St. Laurent.”
One Chance: And amateur opera singer Paul Potts (James Corden) goes from a shy shop assistant to “Britain’s Got Talent” winner in the true story “One Chance.”
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567.
