SUPER SUMMER
Alien: Covenant
I
t’ s May, and once again we anxiously await this year’ s selection of summer superheroes, aliens, pirates and robots( or reboots and sequels, if you prefer) heading into cinemas. It’ s not that there aren’ t any small, original, or independent films premiering over the summer, it’ s just that this is when the studios hit us with their big guns as they try to get the most bang for their buck. July is still traditionally the biggest box office month of the year, but with some strong films debuting in May, we start the summer strong. Some of the most anticipated sequels and a reboot comedy are sure to pump up the numbers and draw viewers into theaters by Memorial Day.
By Lori Vernon
Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2
Director: James Gunn May 5 • Rated PG-13
Marvel’ s biggest hit to date debuts its follow-up sequel, set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mix Vol. 2, sure to be just as much of a hit as the original. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the cosmic adventures of a band of misfits who protect the galaxy as they begin to unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’ s( A. K. A. Star-Lord) parentage. Quill( Chris Pratt) and his friends – including Baby Groot( Vin Diesel), Gamora( Zoe Saldana), Rocket( Bradley Cooper), and Drax( Dave Bautista) – face allnew threats including Ayesha and the Ravagers as their team grows and Peter learns about his father, Ego the Living Planet( Kurt Russell) and his true heritage. Also starring Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Sylvester Stallone, Pom Klementieff, and Elizabeth Debicki. Blink and you might miss the cameos( or voices of) by Rob Zombie, Miley Cyrus, David Hasselhoff, Stan Lee and Jeff Goldblum.
King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword
Director: Guy Ritchie May 10 • Rated PG-13
Guy Ritchie’ s take on the age-old tale begins when young Arthur’ s( Charlie Hunnam) father is murdered and Vortigern( Jude Law), Arthur’ s uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur grows up the hard way, ruling the back alleys of Londinium with his mates. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, his life is turned upside down and he is forced to deal with the power of the sword. He falls in with the Resistance and the lady Guinevere( Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey) where he must face his demons, acknowledge his true legacy and unite the people to fight Vortigern. Also starring Djimon Hounsou, Eric Bana, Annabelle Wallis and Katie McGrath.
Alien: Covenant
Director: Ridley Scott May 19 • Rated R
With the tagline“ The Path to Paradise Begins in Hell” you know you’ re in for a wild ride as Ridley Scot returns to the darker, more terrifying universe he created in Alien. Alien: Covenant, the second chapter in a prequel trilogy that began with 2012’ s Prometheus – connects directly to Scott’ s 1979 seminal work of science fiction. Set 10 years after Prometheus, we find the crew of the Colony ship Covenant on their
way to the far side of the galaxy when they discover an uncharted planet. Inhabited only by a“ synthetic” named David( Michael Fassbinder), sole survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition, what they first think is a paradise turns out to be a dark, dangerous world where they must fight the deadly alien life force that is out to destroy them. Starring Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, and Carmen Ejogo.
Baywatch
Director: Seth Gordon May 25 • Rated R
This hilariously campy looking reboot of the TV phenomenon from our youth finds a new hotshot lifeguard Matt Brody( Zac Efron) butting heads with the infamous, badass, and universally loved Mitch Buchannon( Dwayne“ The Rock” Johnson), head lifeguard of BAY- WATCH in Miami. Although the bay seems like any other beach, mysterious activity arises at a local beach club, leading Mitch to believe his beloved Bay is in danger, and his team must come together to save it. Also featuring Mark Swift, Kelly Rorbach, Alexandra Daddario, Ilfenesh Hadera, Priyanka Chopra – and yes, there will be a cameo from original cast members Pam Anderson and the Hoff himself, David Hasselhoff!
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Director: Joachim Rønning / Espen Sandberg May 26 • Rated PG-13
The title of this latest film, the 5th and most likely last in the original series, alludes to a well-known quote from the popular ride at Disney’ s theme parks. According to Disney’ s official plot summary, down-on-his-luck
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14 illinoisentertainer. com may 2017