Summer movie preview: Star Wars, ‘Mission Impossible,’ and other fun

So it’s that time of year. What time of year you ask? It’s summer movie time, my friends! The summer season is when most of your blockbusters come out. You know those movies you go see with superheroes, aliens, space faring, and, yes, comedies.

Robert Downey Jr. at the at the premiere of “Avengers: Infinity War” on April 23, 2018, at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. Photo: Tinseltown/Shutterstock

This summer of 2018 is no different. The season has already started with the Avengers: Infinity War, which opened on April 27 and has made a TON of money, $1.7 billion, according to Forbes.com. If you have teenagers or even younger kids you know about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) of which this movie is a part. It is the continuing adventures of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain America and about 30 other superheroes and villains (slight exaggeration there).

Continuing in the super powered hero vain we have Deadpool 2 that was released May 18. It’s a sequel to, you guessed it, Deadpool which came out in 2016. And this time around Deadpool is gathering a team of mutant rogues to help protect a young boy with special powers and it once again stars Ryan Reynolds as the foul-mouthed “hero.” It is not suitable for anyone but adults with a strong constitution!

On May 25, arrives a movie I have been eagerly anticipating: Solo: A Star Wars Story. I love the Star Wars universe and getting to see Han Solo as a young man before he met Obi Wan and Luke Skywalker on Tatooine is a dream come true. I think this movie could give Avengers: Infinity War a run for its money as the biggest movie of the summer.

Now we come down to earth a little bit with the wacky crime caper Ocean’s 8. This spin-off to the George Clooney Ocean’s triology movies comes out on June 8 and features Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, and others. Bullock plays Debbie Ocean, the younger sister to Clooney’s Danny Ocean, as she gathers an all-female crew to rob the annual Met Gala in New York City. It’s another movie for adults I’d say as I imagine there will be swearing and glorification of criminal activity.

“Incredibles 2.” Photo: Sarunyu L/Shutterstock

On June 15, I think we get another movie you can take the kids to with the premiere of Incredibles 2, a Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures film. This is the continuing adventures of the Parr family as they struggle with being a family of superheroes trying to also have a normal life. The first Incredibles was released in 2004.

Next up on July 6 is Ant-Man and the Wasp, yes another superhero movie, but why I liked Ant-Man (2015) was the actor Paul Rudd in the title role. He’s everyman, and you identify with him and his exploration of his powers and his very real struggles to be a hero and a father. This will continue in the new movie but this time he’s teamed with a partner, the Wasp, and I am sure there will be a romance and adventure. I hope for a good story.

A movie that has a chance this summer to be a sleeper hit is called Eighth Grade, a coming of age story about a girl named Kayla who is trying to navigate the tumultuous last week of eighth grade, a year that has been a disaster for her. It looks by the trailer to be a sweet movie about a very modern young woman as she learns about life as she gets closer to high school. Teenagers and parents could see this movie and have something to talk about at the dinner table. Its release date is July 13.

Lastly on July 27, I offer Mission: Impossible — Fallout, the sixth, yes, sixth, part of Tom Cruise doing the impossible, making you believe at 55 he can still jump from one building to the next. Seriously, though he always brings the action and the amazing stunts that are not don by CGI. The stories are sometimes secondary to the action but isn’t that what a summer blockbuster is kind of all about?

I love these movies not because they teach you anything but because they allow us to escape into a world that is not our own,  forget about the problems of the week, and we simply just have fun. Summer movies are just that — fun. So enjoy the summer and the movies that give us a break.

Actors Alec Baldwin and Tom Cruise attend the U.S. premiere of “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation” on July 27, 2015, in Times Square in New York. Photo: Debby Wong/Shutterstock
Ant-Man and the WaspAvengers: Infinity WarDeadpool 2Eighth GradeFr. Chip HinesIncredibles 2Mission: Impossible – FalloutOcean's 8Solo: A Star Wars Storysummer moviesWorth Watching
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