Summer Movie Blockbuster Season Is Here

The sun is out and it’s already hot…way hot. So, even though the calendar only says mid-May as we go to press with this issue, it must be already summer here in the Tampa Bay area. While it’s scalding outside, your local movie theater is always cool — and so are the movies headed to New Tampa’s Muvico Starlight 20 movie theater (located off Highwoods Preserve Pkwy.) and Cobb Theatres Grove 16 (located in The Grove shopping plaza off Oakley Blvd.) in Wesley Chapel. Grab the popcorn and strap in, this summer’s lineup is a doozie!

Superheroes, futuristic dystopian desert pillagers, dinosaurs, an entourage, a pothead teddy bear, reboots, cyborgs, impossible missions (and stunts), minions and more superheroes all will be trying to cash in on the 2015 “summer blockbuster” movie season. So, here’s a breakdown by month of the movies we have our eyes on this summer.

May Releases

“Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron” (now showing, PG-13): Joss Whedon directs Marvel’s finest, together again to battle Tony Stark’s rogue smart robot. Ironman, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow and the Hulk star in what our editor Gary Nager is calling, “the best superhero movie to date, although with a story line only fellow Marvel geeks can truly follow.” After raking in $191.3 million its opening weekend (the 2012 original grabbed $207 million) the film is sure to smash records on screen and at the bank.

“Mad Max: Fury Road” (now showing, R): It’s not Mel Gibson and it’s not the 80s, but Mad Max is back and played by Tom Hardy (Bane from “The Dark Knight Rises”). The “Road Warrior” reboot looks full of intense action sequences, lots of fire and sand, directed by the helmer of the 1979 original, George Miller.

“Pitch Perfect 2” (now showing, PG-13): The follow-up to the 2012 original that hit a high note with “Glee” and other high school musical fans, finds the Barden Bellas in an international a capella competition that they have to win to get their groove back. Comedic actress Elizabeth Banks (“Zack & Miri”) directs Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson.

“Tomorrowland” (May 22, PG): “Imagine a place where nothing is impossible,” says George Clooney in the trailer for Disney’s new flick about a teen and a jaded, older inventor who travel to a fantasy world in their collective memory. Far out. Brad Bird directs his first live-action picture since 2011’s “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.”

June Releases

“Entourage” (June 3, R): It’s been four years since we last saw young movie star Vinny Chase (Adrian Grenier) and co. on HBO. Well, they’re back, agent Ari (Jeremy Piven) is still annoyed and series creator Doug Ellin is in the director’s chair.

“Jurassic World” (June 12, PG-13): The park is open. But, not for long. In “Jurassic World,” scientists genetically engineer the resurrection of the dinosaurs and stick them in a theme park, surrounded by humans (read: food). Oh, and they invented a big, extra-smart T-rex. Nothing could ever go wrong. Wink, wink. It’s not the original, but it’s still Jurassic Park. I plan to go. Funnyman Chris Pratt (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) carries the classic ‘90s franchise reboot, set 22 years after the events of the original, directed by Colin Trevorrow (“Safety Not Guaranteed”).

“Inside Out” (June 19, PG): Pixar can do no wrong. The animation studio regularly plays with audience emotions and this time, these tech wizards have created a film that literally is about the emotions inside our brains, voiced by Amy Poehler (“Parks & Recreation”) and Bill Hader (“Saturday Night Live”).

“Ted 2” (June 26, R): At this point, you either love director Seth MacFarlane (“Family Guy”)’s brand of humor or you hate it. But, everyone loves fuzzy, foul-mouthed, pot-smoking teddy bears, right? The sequel finds the title character fighting for his right to make a baby with his wife, using Mark Wahlberg’s… well, you can probably guess where this is going.

July Releases

“Terminator: Genisys” (July 1, R): The Governator (“Ahnold” Schwarzenegger) told you he’d “be back,” and he returns in multiple forms in a franchise reboot of the fight between the human race and self-aware computers and cyborgs, with enough twists and time-traveling turns to make Einstein go cross-eyed. “Come with me if you want… to be confused.”

“Minions” (July 10, PG): Let’s be honest, the best part of the two animated “Despicable Me” movies were the strange, adorable, little yellow minions. Well, now they’ve got their own origin story about working for super villain Scarlet Overkill. Sandra Bullock (“Miss Congeniality”) plays Scarlet and Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”), who plays Scarlet’s also-evil husband, lend their voices.

“Ant-Man” (July 17, Not Yet Rated): Comic actor Paul Rudd (“Anchorman II”) suits up as Marvel’s Ant-Man, in a suit that makes him microscopic and as strong as the Hulk when he’s small. It’s Marvel. It’ll be fun. Peyton Reed (“Yes Man”) directs.

“Trainwreck” (July 17, R): Amy Schumer, who has proven her comedic chops with her Comedy Central sketch TV show “Inside Amy Schumer,” makes her starring, big-screen debut as a woman who’s really good at being single, but feels butterflies when she hangs out with sports doc Bill Hader (“Saturday Night Live”). Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up”) directs.

“Vacation” (July 29, R): The last time Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) went to Wally World, he punched Marty Moose in the nose and shot the late, great John Candy with a bb gun. He’s not going with the Griswold family this time around (that we know about), but grown up Rusty (Ed Helms) and his family are. Don’t worry, Chevy and Beverly D’Angelo are confirmed cameos in the film directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein, the guys behind “Horrible Bosses.”

“Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” (July 31, PG-13): Tom Cruise keeps going on impossible missions full of insane stunts that he won’t let a stunt double do. This time, he straps himself to the outside of a plane as it takes off. No, really, he did it. For real.

August Releases

“Fantastic Four” (August 7, PG-13): Marvel’s cosmic-powered foursome (photo) is back to round out the summer’s superhero smorgasbord, with different takes on Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, Human Torch and the Thing (all played by different actors than in the two previous FF films) and even a different origin story, directed by Josh Trank (“Chronicle”).