By Damien Barreiro

So, you just finished watching Endgame and now you are wondering what to do with the rest of your summer. That movie was epic and summer is not even here yet. My prediction is that 2019 will be the biggest grossing movie summer ever. Here is why, in release order:

10 – John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (released May 17)
If action movies are the stuff of summer fun, then why not check out a summer movie that offers Keanu Reaves saying “Guns. Lots and lots of guns.” Reaves returns in the third installment of the John Wick series, with a $14 million price tag on his head. He killed a member of the international assassin’s guild, and now is facing assassins everywhere. That should create enough action for anyone. If it is, anything like the first two then is will serve the adrenaline junkies well.

9 – Aladdin (released May 23)
If all out action is not your thing, and perhaps a love story, with magic and music is, then what would a summer be without a selection of Disney movies? No plot summary is necessary because Disney has been in the process of remaking all their iconic animated movies in live action. Beauty and the Beast was first, and now there is Aladdin. Instead of Robin Williams as Genie, the first character to sign on to make this film was Will Smith. He should be able to carry off the role with his comedic credentials. There is also a little tribute to the original Genie, Robin Williams, who recently passed. This is definitely a film to take a date.

8 – Godzilla: King of the Monsters (released May 31)
It has been a long time coming, but monster fans will finally be able to see the sequel to the 2014 Godzilla movie (yes, five years ago). This film offers more chances for the audience to just “let them fight”. It is also the 35th movie in the Godzilla franchise. That is a lot of city destruction. While some markets get this movie as Godzilla II, it is actually the third film in the legendary franchise. King Kong was the second, which was sort of a Vietnam era, prequel to these Godzilla movies. It also sets up the king of the monsters for a long awaited rematch with King Kong. Yes, that battle is already in production and slated to be released in March 2020. Godzilla and King Kong fans will be picking their sides for this major battle.

7 – X-Men: Dark Phoenix (released June 7)
Three summer films were mentioned and it did not include a super-hero movie. That seems strange after the release of Avengers: Endgame. However, there is Dark Phoenix, which is the next installment in the rebooted X-Men series. Coming in after X-Men Apocalypse, these heroes must face the full power of Phoenix, after a mission goes badly. If you remember the events from X-Men: Last Stand, Phoenix is a world shattering power, but she was defeated by those who were closest to her, Wolverine finishing her off, even though he was in love with her. The Days of Future Past installment erased that time line, which is confusing, but also liberating because we get to see a new take on the powerful Phoenix.

6 – Men in Black: International (released June 14)
A “sidequel” is a film that is part of the same universe but not necessarily in the same series. Men in Black: International takes Thor and Valkyrie, (sorry, just cannot stop thinking about Endgame), and actually it is Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, to join the MIB. In this sidequel, The Men in Black are based in London, instead of New York, to fight off yet another alien invasion. The preview looks hysterical, especially when Hemsworth has a hammer that does not do exactly what he expected.

5 – Toy Story 4 (released June 21)
Another sequel that has come along after, way after, its predecessor is Toy Story 4. In case you forgot, Toy Story 3 was release in 2010, nine years ago. Four picks up where three left off, where Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear have found new life after Andy gave them to Bonnie. (Yes, you can stop crying now.) The new “toy” is a spork named Forky, and they need to go on a road trip to save the toy. It is PIXAR so it will be good.

4 – Spiderman: Far From Home (released July 2)
Now that Peter Parker has been resurrected in Endgame, he is free to go back to school, and even go on a field trip to Europe. Spiderman will face threats from the multi-verse, fighting alongside Nick Fury and Mysterio. This is the first film post-Endgame, so there is a great deal of interest about where the franchise will go now that there is an evident multi-verse that can lead the Marvel heroes anywhere.

3 – The Lion King (released July 19)
From that very first note, everyone knows that Simba is being born. Another Disney remake in live action rather than its original animated masterpiece is The Lion King. The story should be easy to remember, and it looks as if this edition hasn’t changed it much. It is a great plot and should be a great film.

2 – Dora and the Lost City of Gold (released August 2)
Yes, this seems to be the summer of cartoons getting live action remakes. This one is Nickelodeon though. This adventure film is adapted from the “Dora the Explorer” TV show. Isabela Moner is the title character, which is odd because she is too old for the role. They must be doing a teenage version of Dora, which just seems wrong, but could be funny. Dora goes on adventure, after exploring the jungle, now she must navigate high school.

1 – Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw (released August 2)
Perhaps the surprise of the summer is the action comedy from the Fast and Furious franchise. This seems different from the other movies from this series. While it is billed as a buddy cop movie, it seems like anything but from the trailer. They seem to detest each other, but do not worry; they will probably work it out by the end of the film, if they do not kill each other first.

So, this summer will end like it began with a great action flick, and isn’t that what summer movies are all about? Enjoy!

Honorable mentions that did not make the list:
Doom: Annihilation
Brightburn
Shaft