YOUTH Magazine| Must Watch Movies this Summer!

Fun Summer Movies
by Dan Simcock and Cassandra Raposo

                        Can't handle the heat this summer? Take a break and head to the

                                    theaters! Here are 8 movies you don't want to miss.

MARVEL'S AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (May 1)

            The Marvel dream team is back, so it's time for us to assemble – in the movie theater, that is. Even though this movie isn't premiering during summer break, it is impossible to leave out of this list. The first Avengers made every comic book fan's dreams come true with its incredible cast of heroes: Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johanssen), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Now, with Joss Whedon as director again, revisit your favorite characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in Avengers: Age of Ultron. This time, instead of battling Loki and his Chitauri army, they're up against a different kind of foe: a man-made one. Specifically, Tony-Stark-made. Ultron, an AI created by Stark to help the Avengers with their Avenging, goes rogue and decides he needs to cleanse the Earth of all humans. The first trailer for the film – with its creepy version of Pinocchio's “I've Got No Strings,” brooding characters, and doomsday imagery – suggests a darker and grittier tone than the first Avengers. If you've been keeping up with the MCU's Phase II films (e.g. Captain America: The Winter Soldier), you'll notice that this is a recurring theme. But while this film may not be as lighthearted as the first film, I can guarantee that it will be just as epic, if not more so.

PITCH PERFECT 2 (May 15)

            Aca-awesome! The Barden Bellas, America's favorite collegiate a capella group, are competing again. After being suspended and replaced by a German a capella group, the Bellas have to fight to reinstate themselves – this time in an international competition that no American group has ever won. No pressure though! But foreign competition is not all that is on the Bellas' minds. Now seniors, the Bellas we've come to know (played by Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Hana Mae Lee, etc.) have to pass the a capella torch on to some new Bellas, while also facing what every college student must face eventually: adulthood. Will their friendship stand the test of graduation? Fans of a capella should also be sure to look out for real-life a capella groups Pentatonix, the Filharmonic, and Penn Masala.  Amongst the sentimentality will, of course, be the Pitch Perfect humor we remember from the first film, plus new music.

INSIDIOUS III (June 5)

Time to shield your eyes and hold your breath once again because “into the Further we go.” The next installment of the Insidious franchise promises all the spine-tingling suspense and terror of its predecessors and much more. Presenting an origin to the events that unfurled in Insidious I and II, Insidious III follows Elise Rainier, a parapsychologist with psychic abilities, whose encounters with the supernatural leads her to the aid of a teenaged girl targeted by demonic spirits. And as usual, meddling with the supernatural ultimately leads Rainier into the shrouded depths of the ghostly realm, the Further. Although fan favorite actors, Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson, will not reprise their roles as the loveable Lambert couple, Insidious III is sure to haunt casual moviegoers and die-hard fans alike.

JURASSIC WORLD (June 12)

Need an exciting getaway for the break? Why not try out Jurassic World, the new family friendly resort located on the exotic Isla Nubar, full of futuristic thrill rides, incredible gift shops and Paleolithic terror! Threatened by financial ruin, Misrani Global Corporation seeks to lure tourists into Jurassic World with a new attraction -- a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur known as Indominus rex. But when Franken-dino escapes, all hell breaks loose! It is up to Owen Grady, dinosaur behavioral expert, and Claire Dearing, park operations manager, to restore balance and save the day. With Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard leading the herd, Jurassic World promises to bring the Jurassic Park franchise out of extinction and into the 21st century.

INSIDE OUT (June 19)

Ever wonder what goes on inside that head of yours? Well, Pixar’s Inside Out is for you! Meet Riley, a seemingly ordinary young girl, and her extraordinary brain. Under the guidance of five anthropomorphic emotions -- Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear -- at the control panel of her mind, Riley lives as normal a life as you and me. However, when Joy and Sadness find themselves separated from the control panel, leaving Anger, Disgust, and Fear in charge, life turns inside out for Riley. To restore peace, Joy and Sadness must navigate the nether realms of Riley’s brain -- Long Term Memory, Imagination Land and who could forget, Dream Productions. With Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, and Mindy Kaling providing their voice talents, Inside Out is sure to be a piece of comedy gold.

MINIONS (July 10)

Time to channel your inner villain because the minions are back and here to serve! Witness the origins of Stuart, Kevin, and Bob -- three adorable little banana flavored tic-tacs -- in their arduous search for a master. Dismayed by their dwindling choices after witnessing the demise of masters like T-Rex and Count Dracula, the minions find themselves in attendance at Villain-Con, a convention for the dastardly and the dangerous to showcase their talents. There, they fall under the spell of villainess, Scarlett Overkill, who recruits them as assistants in her plot to take over the world. With Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, and Michael Keaton providing their voices, Minions promises to be a devilishly good treat for moviegoers regardless of age.

PAPER TOWNS (July 24)

            When Quentin “Q” Jacobsen's neighbor and chilhood friend, Margo Roth Spiegelman, shows up at his window in the middle of the night, asking for his help in a “revenge plot,” he couldn't be happier. See, he has a bit of a crush on Margo. And then when she goes missing the next day, Q makes it his mission to follow the clues that she left behind and find her. Q is eventually joined by his and Margo's friends, and what ensues is a fun adventure with an air of mystery. It is easy to dismiss this film as just another teen romance, as the creative team behind it is the same that was behind 2014's The Fault in Our Stars. But as someone who has read the novel by John Green that this film is based on, I can tell you that it is more than just a story of a young man searching for the girl of his dreams. You'll just have to watch it yourself to see what I mean! With Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne playing the leads, I have a feeling that this coming-of-age story will surprise you.

FANTASTIC FOUR (August 7)

            If you've seen the 2005 Fantastic Four and its sequel, you might agree that the franchise deserves a reboot. That reboot is coming this summer, with a younger cast and a slight change to the origin story of the characters. Miles Teller plays Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic; Kate Mara plays Sue Storm, a.k.a. Invisible Woman; Michael B. Jordan plays Johnny Storm, a.k.a. The Human Torch; and Jamie Bell plays Ben Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing. The four young scientists participate in a teleportation experiment that goes wrong – it transports them to an alternate dimension, which somehow results in their superhuman abilities. From what we know about the movie so far, Doctor Doom is likely to be the villain again. It seems that the reboot also differs from the original in tone; while the original was lighthearted and fun, the trailer makes the reboot look darker and more serious. Whether or not that will make for a better movie is up for discussion, but it will be worth it to find out. Fans of superhero movies are in for an interesting re-imagining, even if it's just to forget that Chris Evans has played two Marvel characters.