May movies kick off the 2013 summer movie season with a huge shot in the arm. From Iron Man 3 and The Great Gatsby to Star Trek: Into Darkness and Fast and Furious 6... it's a blockbuster month for the blockbuster movie season. Judging by what we have hitting screens this first of the summer months, look for Hollywood to have a record-breaking year.
Movie Fanatic gives you a sneak peek of the May movies -- when they're coming out, what they're about, and it's all in an effort to get you excited for what is shaping up to be one of the biggest months in movie history.
May 3
Iron Man 3: It's hard to believe it's been an entire year since The Avengers tackled the first weekend in May and went on to become the biggest blockbuster of 2012. Now Iron Man 3 takes that spot and although it probably won't hit Joss Whedon numbers, the third chapter in the Iron Man series promises to be leagues more compelling than the second film... proof of that arrived immediately with the first Iron Man 3 trailer.
This time out, Robert Downey Jr.'s alter ego is battling his longtime Marvel-spawned nemesis, the Mandarin. Although the Hulk was the scene stealer of The Avengers, it was Downey's Tony Stark and his ironized self that got all the laughs and much of the oohs and aahs.
The Iceman: Michael Shannon may be playing General Zod in Man of Steel later this summer, but he's got a whole other universe of pain he extols in The Iceman trailer. The true story finds Shannon as a for-hire assassin for the mob in New Jersey in the 1970s with Ray Liotta running the Mafioso show. Winona Ryder stars as Shannon's long-suffering wife, and Chris Evans (speaking of The Avengers) is a colleague/rival of Shannon's.
May 10
The Great Gatsby: Leonardo DiCaprio stars as the title character in one of Movie Fanatic's favorite books of all-time. The F. Scott Fitzgerald page-to-screen effort gets what appears to be its rightful due in the hands of movie magician Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge). The man ignores time period when it comes to his score, but the costumes, production design and feel of 1920's debaucherous America is uncanny.
Tyler Perry Presents Peeples: Craig Robinson continues to blow up, just in time for his show The Office to head off into TV retirement. His talent is all over the This Is the End trailer and it's awesome to see him get a shot at playing a leading man in the latest film from Tyler Perry's production company. His co-star is equally as exciting... Kerry Washington (currently rocking in Scandal!). The family comedic drama that follows the often hilarious moments that ensue when bringing home a potential "the one" has serious promise.
May 17
Star Trek Into Darkness: J.J. Abrams. Star Trek sequel. Benedict Cumberbatch as a Khan-like revenge-driven villain. Chris Pine's Kirk leading the crew. What is not to like? Frankly, put this on the everyone-must-see-this-movie list for the entire year!
May 24
Fast and Furious 6: Even moviegoers that weren't fans of The Fast and Furious franchise were drawn to Fast Five. And now, given the plot of the latest... we are expecting even more from the series. Dwayne Johnson made quite a splash in Fast Five, thus earning his name of "franchise viagra," as a federal officer chasing our favorite drivers all the way to Rio. This time out, he needs their help and after giving them all complete pardons... Johnson, Paul Walker and Vin Diesel all join forces in what promises to be another Furious and explosive film.
The Hangover Part III: The Wolfpack have had quite the series of adventures and with the third film in The Hangover movie series, creator Todd Phillips promises it's the final chapter. Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis, as shown in The Hangover Part III trailer, are sucked into John Goodman's gangster's search for Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong). The journey will take them from LA to Tijuana and then back to where it all began... Las Vegas.
Epic: The world of the forest possesses tiny secrets and that is the crux of the plot of the animated film from the makers of Ice Age and Rio. Check out the Epic trailer and try to admit this is not a world that is seriously compelling.
Ed Helms is a scientist who has a strained relationship with his daughter (Amanda Seyfried). When she comes to visit to try to patch things up, he is in the middle of a discovery that he promises will change the world. He believes that there is a race of tiny beings that protect the forest and an army of equally small evil-doers who seek to destroy it. The effort becomes personal when his daughter is shrunk down to the size of the forest protectors and she joins the fight to save their world.
May 31
The Purge: Imagine a world where there is virtually no crime. Sounds good, no? But... at what cost? In The Purge, that small crime rate is due to the national night of mayhem known as the Purge where there are no laws. There are no police, fire or any emergency services. It's an evening of utter madness that apparently keeps the country sane the other 364 days of the year.
Ethan Hawke stars as a family man who thinks he and his kin will be fine locked inside their palatial home. As shown in The Purge trailer, a stranger approaches the house in need of help... and all hell breaks loose.
Now You See Me: The FBI tracks a group of illusionists who use their magical skills to pull off bank heists. See, it's all part of the show! The magicians rob the banks during their shows and subsequently give the dough to the audience! Sounds like a fascinating idea from director Louis Leterrier. The film features an all-star cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and the legendary Michael Caine. Check out the Now You See Me trailer for more!