There's already been a lot for movie buffs to talk about during the first four months of 2016 - the unexpectedly huge commercial success of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and so on. It's easy to forget that we haven't even yet gotten to the summer movie season; a.k.a., that time of year when kids, teenagers, and many college students are on summer vacation, when the hot temperatures give people all the more reason to seek out an air-conditioned theater and catch a fun flick there... and, when many of the year's most anticipated movies arrive on the scene.
A lot of films are going to be released in theaters from the month of May through to August of this year, so we've whittled down that list to 20 movies (and a handful of honorable mentions) that are, essentially, must-sees for cinephiles this summer. Naturally, the roster includes the highly-anticipated superhero movies, big-budget sequels, and nostalgic franchise reboots that you've been hearing about for some time now. However, there are also other genre films (supernatural horror, dark comedy), more intimate character-driven dramas and - gasp! - even some original titles to pick from.
Here are our 20 Films to See in Summer 2016 (presented in the order of their theatrical release date).
Captain America: Civil War (May 6th)
Plot Summary: After another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of ability. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s decision to government oversight.
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The Breakdown: Early word of mouth for Civil War is very positive, as reviews claim that this film is more successful at expanding the MCU mythology in a meaningful fashion without simultaneously sacrificing its quality as a standalone narrative, compared to 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron. On top of that, Civil War is described as having the best action scenes of any Marvel Studios film produced to date. In short, Civil War is poised to kick off the Summer 2016 movie season with a bang and is one of the must-see mainstream films that will be hitting theaters over the next few months. Buy your tickets asap!
The Nice Guys (May 20th)
Plot Summary: Down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March and hired enforcer Jackson Healy must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star in 1970s Los Angeles. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.
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The Breakdown: More Kiss Kiss Bang Bang than Iron Man 3, The Predator), has more of a cult following than a mainstream one. However, for those who have loved Black's work over the years, The Nice Guys looks to deliver everything you could ask for from a Shane Black "t": unabashedly dark humor, crackling energy between the two leads (Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe), and a fine knowledge of and appreciation for the pulpy Neo-Noir tradition (here with a comical touch and historical Californian setting, a la Inherent Vice). And yes, the film will probably take place around Christmastime, too.
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (May 20th)
Plot Summary: Now that Mac and Kelly Radner have a second baby on the way, they are ready to make the final move into adulthood: the suburbs. But just as they thought they’d reclaimed the neighborhood and were safe to sell, they learn that the new occupants next door are a sorority even more out of control than Teddy and his brothers ever dreamed of being.
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The Breakdown: Neighbors 2 is doing, to a degree. On the other hand, there have been comedy followups in recent memory that've found creative ways to riff on their familiar premise (see 22 Jump Street) and/or continue the franchise in a meaningful way from a storytelling/character development perspective (see Barbershop: The Next Cut). Perhaps Sorority Rising will prove to be another exception to the comedy sequel "rule"?
X-Men: Apocalypse (May 27th)
Plot Summary: Upon awakening after thousands of years, Apocalypse - the first and most powerful mutant - is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of mutants to cleanse humankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. It's up to the X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save humanity from complete destruction.
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The Breakdown: Director Bryan Singer's Star Wars: The Force Awakens). Apocalypse has understandably taken a back seat in the 2016 superhero movie discussion so far, behind heavy-weights like Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Captain America: Civil War. Nevertheless, for those who are fans of the X-Men films, Apocalypse is not only a cinematic "event" unto itself, it's also a chapter that will pave the way for the (increasingly intriguing) next era of the big screen X-Men franchise.
Alice Through the Looking Glass (May 27th)
Plot Summary: Alice returns to the whimsical world of Underland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter. We are also introduced to several new characters, including: Zanik Hightopp, the Mad Hatter’s father and Time himself, a peculiar creature who is part human, part clock.
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The Breakdown: Six years will have ed since director Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland grossed more than $1 billion in theaters, by the time that its sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass, arrives. The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted director James Bobin served at the helm on the Alice in Wonderland followup (with Burton producing), while the cast features both returning players from the first installment - Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, and the late Alan Rickman - as well as new additions, like Sacha Baron Cohen. Disney's Alice in Wonderland "brand" is strong enough on its own to ensure that the sequel will do well enough at the box office - but can Alice Through the Looking Glass also clear the bar for quality set by the last two Disney live-action fairy tale films (Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella and Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book)?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (June 3rd)
Plot Summary: After supervillain Shredder escapes custody, he s forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady, to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.
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The Breakdown: The 2014 reboot of the Krang (Fred Armisen) into the mix. In a year full of comic book movies where superheroes are either fighting each other and/or world-ending threats, a "superhero film" as unashamed of its own goofiness as TMNT: Out of the Shadows could be a breath of fresh air.
The Conjuring 2 (June 10th)
Plot Summary: Director James Wan brings this supernatural thriller to the screen with another real case from the files of renowned demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren - who, in one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits.
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The Breakdown: Horror movies often manage to turn a profit because they weren't all that expensive to make in the first place, but The Conjuring was the rare spook-fest to hit it big at the box office - grossing $318 million worldwide on a $20 million budget and earning lots of critical applause in the process, back in 2013. The Conjuring 2 reunites most of that film's main players on both sides of the camera - including, director James Wan as well as stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson - and is positioned to succeed as (scary) counter-programming to this summer's collection of big-budget tentpoles. Question is, will The Conjuring 2 managed to please filmgoers by delivering more of what they loved the first time around - or will it provide a different horror movie experience (a la Wan's previous horror film sequel, Insidious Chapter 2) and in turn leave audiences more split, as a result?
Warcraft (June 10th)
Plot Summary: The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people and their home.
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The Breakdown: Can Assassin's Creed to give video game fans hope, later this year.
Finding Dory (June 17th)
Plot Summary: Dory goes with her friends Nemo and Marlin on a search for answers about her past. What can she ? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?
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The Breakdown: Finding Nemo was released in theaters back in 2003 and it remains not only one of Pixar Animation's most beloved films, but also one of its most lucrative movies (with only Toy Story 3's worldwide box office take ranking higher than Finding Nemo's). Hence, Nemo co-writer/director Andrew Stanton has a high bar to clear - one he set himself - with his sequel noteworthy new additions. Disney/Pixar previewed 27 minutes of Finding Dory footage at the 2016 CinemaCon well ahead of the film's theatrical debut, which suggests that the studios are confident that Stanton's movie can live up to the lofty expectations surrounding it. Here's to hoping Finding Dory is indeed on the same level of quality as Toy Story 2 & 3, as far as Pixar movie sequels are concerned.
Central Intelligence (June 17th)
Plot Summary: The story follows a one-time bullied geek who grew up to be a lethal CIA agent, coming home for his high school reunion. Claiming to be on a top-secret case, he enlists the help of the former “big man on campus”, now an ant who misses his glory days. But before the staid numbers-cruncher realizes what he’s getting into, it’s too late to get out.
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The Breakdown: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has started to become synonymous with light-hearted summer movie escapism over these past few years (see Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, Hercules, San Andreas, and so on), while Kevin Hart has starred in multiple box office hit comedies released over the same period of time (Ride Along 1 & 2, Get Hard, etc.). Jumanji reboot (after having also co-hosted the 2016 MTV Movie Awards earlier this year), so hopefully their real-world chemistry will translate into them having comedic screen chemistry, starting with Central Intelligence this year.
