See original article published on Common Sense Media
MAY MOVIES
- Iron Man 3 (May 5)
Target Age: Older Tweens and Teens
Buzz Factor: As usual, the summer movie season kicks off with a big-budget action flick; this time it’s the much-anticipated third film in the Iron Man franchise. Robert Downey Jr.‘s Tony Stark is back to face his toughest foe to date — one who has the power to destroy the one thing Tony loves more than himself: his beloved Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Expect the usual mix of explosive action and arrogant humor, with fewer playboy antics than in previous installments.
- The Great Gatsby (May 13)
Target Age: Teens
Buzz Factor: Baz Luhrmann is the sort of stylish director who can make any material sparkle and shine with vivid colors and unforgettable music, so it’s no wonder even teens who’ve yet to read The Great Gatsby are eager to see Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire star in this adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel. But be prepared, given the literary source and Luhrmann’s love of drama, for loads of passion and a good bit of violence, as well as a lot of social drinking.
- Star Trek Into Darkness (May 15)
Target Age: Older Tweens and Teens
Buzz Factor: The second installment in director J.J. Abrams‘ phenomenally successful Star Trek reboot finds Chris Pine‘s James T. Kirk settling, with a great deal of uncertainty, into his captain’s chair. But the real buzz is the guy on the other side of the viewscreen: Benedict Cumberbach‘s ultrasuave ultravillain has the message boards lit up with rumors that he’s playing Khan, the nemesis from 1982’s Star Trek II. Expect lots of sci-fi action violence and peril.
- Epic (May 24)
Target Age: Young Kids
Buzz Factor: The summer’s first big animated adventure is a nature lover’s dream, courtesy of the team responsible for Ice Age and Rio. Teen protagonist Mary Katherine (voiced by Amanda Seyfried) is the daughter of a kooky professor (Jason Sudeikis) who’s convinced there are miniature guardians of the forest. She finds out he’s right when she’s magically shrunken and encounters the Leafmen and their enchanted world. Mary Katherine could be this year’s Merida as she helps the Leafmen defend the woods from evil.
- Fast & Furious 6 (May 24)
Target Age: Teens
Buzz Factor: There’s no end in sight for this 12-year-old high-octane racing franchise. After five movies that concentrated on the underground car racing scene, Fast 6 features a broader, around-the-world action-adventure that promises military-grade explosions more typically seen in the Bond or Mission: Impossible series. Wrestler-turned-movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson co-stars as the agent assigned to reassemble the team.
- The Penguin King 3D (May 24)
Target Age: All Ages
Buzz Factor: What is it about the adorable black-and-white birds of Antarctica that we find so irresistible? No matter how many documentaries or animated movies come out about them, everyone still yearns for more about penguins and their lifestyle. David Attenborough‘s documentary follows a male King penguin as he attempts to keep his baby fledgling alive, and we can guarantee penguin cuteness overload (as well as the strong possibility of some poignant moments).
- Now You See Me (May 31)
Target Age: Teens
Buzz Factor: Combining the satisfying suspense of a heist thriller, the outsized personalities of an ensemble cast, and the promise of something more — out-of-this world science? actual magic? — Now You See Me follows four young stage magicians who manage to rob a Parisian bank while performing in a Vegas auditorium. Jesse Eisenberg, a member of the magician’s quartet, reprises his fast-talking performance from The Social Network.
- After Earth (May 31)
Target Age: Older Tweens and Teens
Buzz Factor: Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith reunite on screen for the first time since The Pursuit of Happyness. They play a stern general and his mischievous son in a post-apocalyptic future where humans have taken up residence on a planet light years away from a ruined Earth. In addition to the Smiths, the big reason to see After Earth is to find out whether director M. Night Shyamalan can redeem his reputation with a commercial or critical success. Expect sci-fi action and some intense moments.
