If the essence of this spring’s movies were to be put into one megablockbuster, the product would likely be a dark, gritty reboot of a story once shared fondly by families gathering at the theater. It would be filled with superheroes – mostly young actors riding the success of their origin movies into newer, bigger legacies. And, most importantly, it would be striking and exotic, a tale that stretches from the Amazon rainforest to an old Viking civilization to Jump Street. Unfortunately, a hybrid of this nature is absurd. But here are a few of the upcoming films that would have made up that fanciful blockbuster that will never be.
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
Directed by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo and Joss Whedon
Walt Disney Pictures
April 4
Three months ago, after a positive screen testing of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” for audiences, impressed Marvel Studios executives signed on directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo for a third Captain America film, despite the “threequel” not being officially green-lit yet. Marvel executives probably have nothing to fear of their early decision – no installment of the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe has, so far, been poorly received. “The Winter Soldier” is the first of two new entries this year, and while summer’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” seems to fulfill Marvel’s humorous, quirky needs, the return of Chris Evans as the hardened Captain America appeals to the darker, more serious side of battle. He just may be the hero we need to lighten the initial spring movie fog.
“Rio 2”
Directed by Carlos Saldanha
Twentieth Century Fox
April 11
Blu and Jewel (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway), two macaws who thought they were the last of their kind, are back in Rio de Janeiro for round two of “Rio,” along with the new addition of their three young kids. This time, however, they must venture away from the comforts of city life and into the Amazon jungle, where an entire flock of macaws have been discovered. There, they unexpectedly find Blu’s father-in-law (voiced by Andy Garcia), and all the while they must face the revenge of Nigel (voiced by Jemaine Clement), the primary villain in the first film. While “Rio 2” has kept most of its all-star cast from the first rendition, including leads Eisenberg and Hathaway, as well as George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Clement and many more, it also comes with some new voice talent from Bruno Mars, Kristin Chenoweth, Andy Garcia and others. This huge celebrity cast may very well be the only thing going for this sequel; however, with its musical and colorful South American landscape and flair, “Rio 2” has the potential to be just as vibrant and memorable as the first.
“The Amazing Spider-Man 2”
Directed by Marc Webb
Sony Pictures
May 2
Director Marc Webb’s first “The Amazing Spider-Man” was an odd retelling of a not-so-old story. Though the costume was altered with a few cosmetic touches and the face was changed – Andrew Garfield taking the reins of a role that made Tobey Maguire a star – little about the reboot’s story was different from what audiences had seen in the previous Spider-Man trilogy only a decade earlier. The rift between the two series is getting a little wider, with a new Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan) and a new girlfriend (Emma Stone) with whom Peter Parker is now in a full-fledged relationship. Despite the changes, a looming origin story about Parker’s past, as well as a crowd of villains, including Jamie Foxx as Electro and Paul Giamatti as the Rhino, make “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” look more and more like the original trilogy with every passing trailer. Though that may not necessarily be a bad thing.
“Godzilla”
Directed by Gareth Edwards
Warner Bros. Pictures
May 16
In 1954, Ishiro Honda made a film about a terrifying monster that symbolized the fear of atomic destruction and the chaotic, rampaging spread of war. In the following years, films like “Son of Godzilla” made the creature a more family-friendly, theatrical figure, selling Godzilla off as the occasional kid’s toy. A Hanna-Barbera cartoon in the late ’70s gave Godzilla a sidekick cousin named Godzooky. Even as recent as 1998, Roland Emmerich made the monster a satirical figure of CGI overabundance and predictability. Now, with Scottish director Gareth Edwards, it seems the original Godzilla is back, and it’s sick and tired of being made fun of. With the most intense trailers in recent memory, a likening to the recently popular gritty reboot style and Bryan Cranston, “Godzilla” isn’t here to mess around. True believers should begin getting excited – or start running.
“X-Men: Days of Future Past”
Directed by Bryan Singer
Twentieth Century Fox
May 23
Bryan Singer, who hasn’t directed an “X-Men” film since 2003’s “X-Men 2,” is assembling an ensemble cast so massive that it threatens to bend time and space. Mostly time. Basing his new film on an “Uncanny X-Men” series that had Kitty Pryde going back in time to warn the X-Men of the past of their upcoming dystopian future, Singer seems to be remaining faithful to the old storyline – though he has replaced Kitty’s role with his own breakout character, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. “X-Men: Days of Future Past” gives Singer an excuse to bring together both his original cast (Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry), the cast of “X-Men: First Class” (James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence) and Peter Dinklage. With a grim future and overbearing cast, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” looks to be a chaotic take on the superhero genre. But with as much ripe action and effects as ever, it should definitely not be a film to ignore.
“Maleficent”
Directed by Robert Stromberg
Walt Disney Pictures
May 30
The reinvention of classic fairy tales has held a prominent role in the movie industry in recent years, and “Maleficent” is one of those reinventions that has built up much anticipation. Revisiting the classic “Sleeping Beauty,” Walt Disney Studios takes us on a journey to discover the untold truth about the daunting Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) and the reasons surrounding her dark desire to curse the young princess, Aurora (Elle Fanning). Directed by Robert Stromberg, known for his work in “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Hunger Games,” the film presents itself as a chilling fantasy, full of dark magic and monsters, complete with a haunting performance by Oscar-winning actress Jolie. This being Jolie’s first onscreen performance in three years, it will be interesting to see her take on one of the most iconic female villains of all time.
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
Directed by Dean DeBlois
Twentieth Century Fox
June 13
“How to Train Your Dragon” was released in 2010, and now just four years later, “How to Train Your Dragon 2” is hitting theaters with the same dazzling animated world in which dragons and Vikings are able to coexist and thrive. Now that both species have befriended one another, Hiccup’s mother has returned to warn the Vikings of a great threat coming their way. With the film starring the voice talents of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler and Jonah Hill, it is hard to say whether or not the sequel’s plot will live up to the success of its predecessor, but it is apparent that there is still much we don’t know about the Isle of Berk and the world of dragons. If nothing else, the animators have put a lot of work into making this film as realistic and mesmerizing as possible, and it should be worth watching.
“22 Jump Street”
Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Sony Pictures
June 13
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are back as the Jump Street undercover cop duo, Schmidt and Jenko. This time, however, they have moved across the street to “22 Jump Street,” and instead of taking down high schools, they’re going to college. A sure-to-be rambunctious comedy, “22 Jump Street” also features performances by Ice Cube and Nick Offerman, and is intended to appeal largely to the college crowd. While the plot does seem a bit redundant, and the sequel is almost never better than the original, the combination of Tatum and Hill thrust into countless comedic scenarios may just prove to produce some hilarious entertainment.