The summer movie season officially begins this weekend with the opening of Will Ferrell's "Everything Must Go" and Judd Apatow's "Bridesmaids." Or maybe it started last week with "Thor." Or next week with the latest "Pirates of the Caribbean." How ever you slice it, the slate of blockbusters Hollywood has on tap for the next four months looks to be unprecedented in terms of sheer number, size, and box-office potential. There's a bunch of comic book origin stories, plenty of alien invasions, and some outrageous comedies that are trying to one-up "The Hangover 2." Unlikely. Anyway, here are 29 movies that are probably worth your $13 this summer.
Everything Must Go
Opening Date: May 13
In a departure from his usual fare, Will Ferrell goes a little more serious as a man who gets fired, then comes home to find his wife has left him — and thrown all of his stuff on their front lawn. Ferrell proceeds to live out on his yard, selling his belongings, and somehow through all of this, I'm guessing he grows as a person, meets a girl, and affects peoples lives. Personally, I prefer an "Anchorman" sequel but we'll see how Will handles a serous role.
Bridesmaids
Opening Date: May 13
Kristen Wiig of "SNL" fame stars as Annie, the maid of honor for her best friend's wedding who has to deal with an eclectic group of bridesmaids, including smoking-hot Rose Byrne. The movie might sound like a complete chick flick but considering Judd Apatow ("Superbad," "40-Year-Old Virgin," etc.) is behind it and from the looks of the trailer, this movie looks to be pretty funny, gnarly, and the anti-chick flick.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Opening Date: May 20
Johnny Depp reprises his role as Captain Jack Sparrow as he leads an expedition to find the Fountain of Youth. With Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom gone, Ian McShane and Penelope Cruz join the cast as Blackbeard the pirate and some sort of pirate wench, judging by her outfit.
Midnight in Paris
Opening Date: May 20
Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" was the opening-night hit of this week's Cannes Film Festival. It stars as a newly engaged couple Rachel McAdams and Owen Wilson, as they travel to Paris with her parents. For the Woody and McAdams fans out there.
The Hangover Part II
Opening Date: May 27
Following more or less the same plot as the first movie, except this time set in Thailand, the wolfpack get f*cked up and lose Stu's (Ed Helms) fiance's younger brother and have to backtrack through a night of debauchery in Bangkok to find him. It feels like there is a ton of similarity from this movie to the original but I'm sure this will still be funny as shit. Can't wait to see how they use the Bill Clinton cameo.
Kung Fu Panda 2
Opening Date: May 27
Jack Black and crew are back fighting the newest threat to kung fu. This may be a kids movie but if you've seen the first one (likely high at 3 in the morning), you are probably excited for the sequel.
The Tree of Life
Opening Date: May 27
Director/writer Terrence Malik ("Thin Red Line," "Badlands," "The New World") brings us the story of a young boy, his upbringing in the 1950s Midwest, and his relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). The movie continues to track the boy as an adult (Sean Penn) as he seeks answers in the complicated modern world. The movie is definitely deep and should boast Malik's patented stellar cinematography.
Check out the June openings on the next page…
