It’s a well-known movie fact: April showers bring May blockbusters. Think the original Avengers. Mad Max: Fury Road. Neighbors. The Hangover. Baywatch. King Arthur. Well … forget the last two. So while the weather may be (finally) heating up, this is the month to pretend to head to the movies and pretend popcorn has actual nutritional value. Enjoy and may the force (and farces) be with you.
1. Guess Who Gets a Solo Star Wars Movie?
Han Solo = Wily good times. That’s why LucasFilm producers decided to make Solo: A Star Wars Story, a spin-off movie based around the lovably cynical smuggler played by Harrison Ford in the original saga. In this flashback, relative newcomer Alden Ehrenreich (he played Cate Blanchett’s stepson in 2014’s Blue Jasmine) takes the Millennium Falcon controls and attempts to pull off a space heist. Along the way, he meets cool cat Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) and loyal co-pilot Chewbacca. No need for Darth Vader when you’ve got the entire criminal underbelly of a galaxy far, far away. (In theaters Friday, May 25)
2. The Snarky Wiseass Is Back. Super!
You loved him as a wayward would-be X-Man that lampooned Wolverine’s nether regions. Now Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool wants seconds. Here’s your Deadpool 2 tongue-in-cheek storyline: After surviving the bovine attack, disfigured cafeteria chef Wade Wilson struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his sense of taste. Apparently, Wilson/Deadpool battles ninjas, “sexually aggressive canines” and more. OK, but will he spoof Ferris Bueller’s Day Off again? Josh Brolin takes the villain role of Cable. (In theaters Friday, May 19)
3. Behold Four New Shades of Grey
The shamelessly hokey Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy was a guilty pleasure at best. Perhaps the rom-com Book Club, which centers around the S&M-tinged books series, will be just a pleasure. The cast is certainly an upgrade (er, no offense to Rita Ora). The venerable Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen plays lovelorn friends who partake in a monthly book club. Then a certain raunchy novel changes their lives, in and out of the bedroom. Oy. (In theaters Friday, May 18)
4. Melissa McCarthy Rules the School
Nobody works harder in a Melissa McCarthy comedy than Melissa McCarthy. In Life of the Party, the physically gifted actress plays Deanna, a veteran and unhappy housewife that decides to press the reset button and head back to the same college as her daughter. What happens next? She turns into “Dee Rock.” Also, see: Title of movie. McCarthy co-wrote the movie with her husband (and director) Ben Falcone. I’m guessing they’re both big fans of the similarly plotted 1986 Rodney Dangerfield classic Back to School. (In theaters Friday, May 12)
5. Three Letters, One Pioneer: RBG
All rise for a true heroine! The fantastic documentary and Sundance Film Festival gem RBG offers a rare intimate glimpse at Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the whip-smart 85-year-old United States Supreme Court Justice. And wait until you see the lithe feminist icon in action. With her wry sense of humor intact, Ginsburg takes time off the bench to plank at the gym, watch a video of Kate McKinnon parodying her on Saturday Night Live, rummage through her closet. No wonder she’s notorious. (In theaters Friday, May 4)
