Ten for the Summer: Ripping Good Movies

Here's my list of the ten most promising movies of the summer.  Yes, it is chock full of ripping good yarns - sorry, the art house favorites and tea house darlings are not on this list.

But if you want a ripping good yarn, with great characters and an exciting plot - here's my best bets:

10)  Dark Places, premiering August 7th, is another great adaption of a novel by Gillian Flynn (writer of Gone Girls).  Expect dark suspense and a stellar performance by Charlize Theron as Libby Day, setting out to discover whether her brother is innocent of the murders of the rest of her family.

9) Vacation, premiering July 31, brings back into the the world of Clark Griswold.  Rusty is all grown up now, and played by the very funny Ed Helms.  I loved the original and am looking forward to its return!

8) Tomorrowland, premiering May 22nd, centers on a utopia designed by such great minds as Jules Verne and Nicolas Tesla.  This film has some great writer/director cred behind it, and for my female rippers so inclined, it also stars George Clooney.

7) Fantastic Four, premiering August 7th, has a somewhat controversial reputation among comic book fans.  As a reader of Fantastic Four since the early 60s, I can tell you yes, it's going to depart from prior tellings of this story.  SO WHAT!  It looks awesome anyways, and is directed by Josh Trank, who directed the great movie Chronicles.

6)  Pitch Perfect 2, premiering May 15th, and like, wait...what?  How did this movie get on this list?  I couldn't help it.  The first movie was such infectious good fun, I am ready for a second helping.  It probably doesn't hurt that I was in Glee Club in college.

5)  Mad Max: Fury Road, premiering May 15th, is on this list because it is being done by the same director, George Miller, who did the original movies. And it has a bald Charlize Theron.

4) Minions, premiering July 10, is my one best animated bet for the summer.  Oh, yeah, I think this is gonna be fun.

3)  The Man From U.N.C.L.E., premiering August 14th, is the movie I've waited the longest for.  I loved this TV series as a kid, and I'm hoping this remake will do it justice.

2) Jurassic World, premiering June 12th, is the movie closest to my birthday so, oh yeah, I know what I want for my present!  The trailer looks lush and exciting, and the star, Chris Pratt, is like the Harrison Ford of the 2010s - he's everywhere, man!

1) Avengers:Age of Ultron, premiering May 1st!  Did anyone doubt that I would list this first?  Whedon...Marvel....great actors from top to bottom....BRING IT!  This is the reason they make movies, this is what it all led up to!

As usual, my little proviso that I will still probably get to less than half these movies at the theater, but when I am able to go, these movies will be my top priorities.

Happy movie going, everyone!