"Jurassic World Dominion" finally gives us a Jurassic World, where dinosaurs are rapidly expanding across the earth. Turns out the Tyrannosaurus Rex has no respect for cinema. Photo Courtesy Universal.
Summer is really here. This June brings blockbuster movies, multiplayer video games, and the most exciting new hero to grace our screens in years.
Theatergoers are certainly the best fed of us all this month, with a reason to get out to the movies almost every single weekend. There’s the conclusion to the Jurassic Park story in “Jurassic World Dominion,” Pixar’s latest: “Lightyear,” a return from “The Great Gatsby” director Baz Luhrmann in the form of “Elvis” and even an exciting horror film from director Scott Derrickson: “The Black Phone.”
Of course, horror fans should also be excited by “The Quarry,” the long-awaited successor to video game sensation “Until Dawn.”
Even despite all of that, my most anticipated release this month is “Ms. Marvel,” which finally introduces the iconic Pakistani-American superhero/teenager Kamala Khan to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Film Headlines
“Jurassic World Dominion” is the sixth installment in the “Jurassic” franchise and is being marketed as the big finale of a story that began in 1993. Following the events of 2018’s “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” the promise of the “Jurassic World” title has been fulfilled, and the entire earth hosts creatures that ought to have gone extinct millions of years ago. The iconic leads of the original “Jurassic Park” trilogy join with the new characters introduced when the franchise was rebooted as “Jurassic World” in 2015 for what is hopefully a thrilling and emotionally resonant finale. Of course, Universal isn’t playing coy about the fact that while this film ends the current story, it will also set the stage for the next chapter when it releases exclusively in theaters on June 10.
“Lightyear” is a spinoff of “Toy Story” showing the science-fiction hero that Buzz Lightyear the toy was based on. After Buzz Lightyear, played by Chris Evans, is marooned in space and time, the young astronaut must find his way home and also save the universe from a familiar evil mastermind. All of Pixar’s animated wizardry is on full display, and like their other films, this should be a great watch. The film releases exclusively in theaters on June 17.
“Elvis” is the latest film from director Baz Luhrmann, known for directing films with strong music elements like “The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!” and “Romeo + Juliet.” “Elvis” is primarily a biopic about the life and career of the legendary singer, with a focus on his relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Reviews have been positive, especially concerning the portrayal of Elvis Presley by actor Austin Butler. The film releases in theaters on June 24.
“The Black Phone” is a horror film by Scott Derrickson, the director of “Sinister” and “Doctor Strange.” It stars veteran actor Ethan Hawke as a kidnapper who poses as a magician and takes children. His sixth victim finds a disconnected phone through which he can speak to his deceased predecessors and form a plan to escape. This film looks deeply unsettling, but also completely fascinating. It feels like it’s been a while since horror fans have had a hit at the cinema, but “The Black Phone” should satisfy when it releases on June 24.
Gaming Headlines
“The Quarry” is the latest from Supermassive Games, which exploded into mainstream recognition in 2015 with “Until Dawn,” a video game described as a playable slasher film starring Hollywood actors like Hayden Panettiere and Rami Malek. Though they’ve chased that success ever since they haven’t hit those marks. “The Quarry” is being positioned as the true successor to “Until Dawn,” with a splashy cast that features David Arquette, Brenda Song, and other recognizable faces as camp counselors trying to survive their last night at camp. The game is again a playable slasher film, with cinematic presentation and decisions that determine which characters see the sunrise. Supermassive’s horror games are great at parties, and I’ll certainly be having folks over to play through “The Quarry” when it releases on June 10.
“Mario Strikers: Battle League” is a Mario soccer title with attitude. Nintendo is usually pretty particular about its characters and their family-friendly demeanor, which is why it’s so shocking that we’re getting another “Mario Strikers,” 15 years after the last. Mario and his friends spend as much time throwing punches at one another as kicking soccer balls in this series, and it has its fans. This should serve as a solid addition to any multiplayer library when it releases on June 10.
“Fall Guys” is a different kind of battle royale. Whereas the titans of the battle royale space are shooters like “Fortnite” or “Apex Legends,” “Fall Guys” emulates a game show, where players compete in silly events as cute and funny little bean dudes. The last player standing takes the crown. The game actually came out originally in August 2020, but only for PlayStation 4 and PC. On June 21, it finally comes to all consoles, and it will also be entirely free to play, with cross-play and cross-progression. Fall Guys is spectacular fun, and it’s a great family pick. Especially now that it’s free.
Sonic the Hedgehog is bigger than ever thanks to two great films in recent years. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to dive into the blue blur’s history and origin in video games. “Sonic Origins” is one step towards fixing that, remastering and packaging the excellent first four games in the series into one title, bridging their narratives with new animated cutscenes, and lowering their difficulty by removing the life system. This will also be the first time in many years that the best version of “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” “Sonic 3 and Knuckles,” will be released and playable. If for “Sonic 3 and Knuckles” alone, I’ll be picking this up when it releases on June 23.
Streaming Headlines
Since Disney+ announced its slate of Marvel Cinematic Universe series, one has been my most anticipated. “Ms. Marvel” finally brings Kamala Khan into the universe. Kamala Khan is an exciting character from the comics, a personal favorite. She was introduced in 2013, relatively recently compared to many of her peers who date back to the early 60s. She is an exuberant fan, a Pakistani-American teenager who has to navigate high school and superpowers, effectively a fresh take on the Peter Parker dynamic. She has quickly become a major character in the comics and in video games.
The Disney+ series will be an origin story, showing her first getting her powers, though at this time we have no idea what villain or other adversaries she will be up against. Early reviews of the show are praising the performance of Khan by newcomer Iman Vellani, a 19-year-old Pakistani-Canadian actress and a Marvel fan herself. This is also the first MCU series we know will be required viewing for an upcoming film ahead of time, with Vellani already announced to reprise the role in the 2023 theatrical release: “The Marvels.” The series premieres June 8, and will mark the first time that Disney+ has two of its franchise series running concurrently, with the series overlapping with the already in-progress “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
In addition to “Ms. Marvel,” Disney brings “Baymax!” a spin-off of “Big Hero Six” and the first of many series by Disney Animation Studios on June 29. It features the return of the huggable Baymax, as he gets up to shenanigans around San Fransokyo, what’s not to love?
Netflix hosted a live national comedy festival in April and May of this year, and several of its performances will be added to the platform this month. These include several comedy specials hosted by comedians like Pete Davidson, Snoop Dogg, Amy Schumer, Bill Burr, and others, as well as larger pieces, like “Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration,” which features “the largest-ever gathering of LGBTQ+ comics.” These performances will be released throughout the month, beginning June 6, and then daily until June 23.
Amazon Prime is premiering the third season of one of its largest series, “The Boys” on June 3. “The Boys” is a bloody parody of superhero films and entertainment corporations, that has so far been very good, if sometimes disgusting.
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