Talking fish. Genocidal aliens. Skilled assassins. Unhinged supervillains. These are the stars of this summer’s biggest movies, and The Daily Texan has compiled a list to watch out for.
“Finding Dory” – June 17
Pixar’s highly-anticipated follow-up to “Finding Nemo” tells the story of Dory’s (Ellen DeGeneres) search for her long-lost family. Her journey takes her to the Monterey Marine Life Institute, where she meets Bailey (Ty Burrell), a beluga; Destiny (Kaitlin Olson), a whale shark; and Hank (Ed O’Neill), an octopus.
“Finding Dory” will add emotional dimension to the lovable amnesiac fish from 2003’s “Finding Nemo” and reunite us with old friends Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence).
“Independence Day: Resurgence” – June 24
The aliens are back with a vengeance in Roland Emmerich’s sequel to his 1996 blockbuster. Leading the charge against Earth’s enemies are a band of fresh-faced heroes played by Liam Hemsworth, Jessie Usher and Maika Monroe.
Returning from the original “Independence Day” are Jeff Goldblum as computer expert David Levinson and Bill Pullman as the former President of the United States. Emmerich’s eye for large-scale destruction has been displayed in the trailers, but the question remains as to whether the script and characters can support the spectacle.
“The BFG” – July 1
Steven Spielberg adapts Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel with Mark Rylance as the big friendly giant – aka the BFG. When evil giants invade the human world, the BFG and an orphan girl, Sophie (Ruby Barnhill), team up to stop them.
Spielberg’s talents are perfectly suited for “The BFG.” Expect to marvel at the grand scope of Sophie’s adventure and revel in the whimsy and magic of this fantasy picture. Rylance, coming off his Supporting Actor win at the Oscars, may prove a comforting presence to children and adult viewers alike.
“Star Trek Beyond” – July 22
The USS Enterprise is marooned on a strange new world, forcing Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and their crew to fight against their most dangerous opponent to date.
The rebooted “Star Trek” franchise has always been more “Star Wars” than its predecessors, but its sense of fun and immediacy is hard to ignore. Director Justin Lin of “The Fast & the Furious” takes the reins of this installment from J.J. Abrams, and it seems he has taken to the captain’s chair quite well.
“Jason Bourne” – July 29
Years after his disappearance at the end of “The Bourne Ultimatum,” Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) returns to confront the demons of his mysterious past and elude capture by the CIA.
Paul Greengrass, who directed “The Bourne Supremacy” and “The Bourne Ultimatum,” returns to the series to helm this picture. The “Bourne” films have always been frenetic and gripping, and Bourne’s Las Vegas car chase might be one of the franchise’s most exciting action sequences yet.
“Suicide Squad” – August 5
In “Suicide Squad,” supervillains are tasked by the government to take down the nefarious Joker (Jared Leto). Comic fans will delight as they finally see Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) on the big screen.
Director David Ayer brings humor and self-awareness to the DC Extended Universe with his flashy sensibilities. But after two critical duds in the DC franchise, Warner Brothers needs Ayer to hit a home run.
