May the Fourth be with all who celebrate.
I’m most likely celebrating with catching “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3” here in Mount Vernon before we head into Chalk the Walk weekend. I know it’s not a Star Wars film, but it’s a space opera and for me that counts.
And this summer movie season is already looking like it is going to be packed with a lot of great movies.
Guardians kicks off the summer, then we have “Fast X,” Disney’s live action “The Little Mermaid,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” Pixar’s “Elemental,” “The Flash,” “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One,” “Barbie,” “Oppenheimer” and a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated picture. And those are just the big tentpole blockbusters. There are also plenty of indie films that will trickle out this summer as well that are on my “list to catch if I get a chance.”
I know I mentioned it last column, but the Bijou being open again is a great relief, as at least four of the films I mentioned above are tentatively slated for their screens this summer, saving me miles to Cedar Rapids. Every movie I see with the good popcorn and with my neighbors in this community gets instantly better. And I keep trying to get schedules to line up for niece and nephew to see a film this direction, so at least two of those are on the “I will hold off seeing this until we can see it together” list.
I know I double-dipped to see “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” in theatres, since the Bijou had “The Super Mario Brothers Movie” held for three weeks and I had a Tuesday where I could catch it if it didn’t make it here. Was even better the second time. I love John Francis Daley’s previous film “Game Night,” one of the better comedies released in the past decade because of great comedic turns by Rachel McAdams and Jesse Plemons wry deliveries of lines like “How can that be profitable for the Frito Lay company?” And this new Dungeons and Dragons film doesn’t disappoint. Great use of both practical effects and a blend of CGI, terrific characters, fun setting and heist dynamic and even at two hour run time, it really flies by.
Of course, we’re also at the start of festival season, graduations, state events for spring sports, pool opening and the kick-off of summer sports, too.
It’s nice to have options of things to do right in our two small towns to keep this editor bustling.