Commentary: New Blockbusters Power Summer Movie Season

Summer blockbuster season rolls on this weekend with some great options if you are headed to the theater.

The highly anticipated live action version of “How to Train Your Dragon” opens this weekend and has a very solid 80% on Rotten Tomatoes when it comes to critic’s scores. This is the fourth installment of the franchise, but the previous films have all been animated. The franchise has been solid with the first three films all pulling in the 90s on Rotten Tomatoes.

In the live-action film, the cast is led by up-and-comer Mason Thames and the already very-much arrived Gerard Butler. 

“Materialists” is the latest material from Studio A24. The rom-com stars Dakota Johnson as a New York City matchmaker caught in a love triangle between her ex and what she considers a perfect match. Who doesn’t love a data-driven love story?

“Materialists” is written and directed by Celine Song. Song also wrote and directed the Oscar nominated “Past Lives” in 2023. That alone should make you wanna see “Materialists” which is drawing an 87% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

If you’re in the mood for some science-fiction with a dose of drama and a dash of fantasy, check out “The Life of Chuck,” which goes from a limited release to wide release this weekend. Tom Hiddleston stars as Chuck Krantz whose life story is told in three chapters.

The film is directed by known horror director Mike Flanagan and is based on a short story by known horror writer Stephen King. This is a bit of a departure, genre wise for both men which probably makes this a perfect pairing that you should definitely check out. It also doesn’t hurt that the film is reviewing well at over 80 percent on the Rotten Tomato meter. 

And if you’re in the mood for a Western, check out “The Unholy Trinity.” The movie stars Samuel Jackson and Pierce Brosnan. According to IMDb Pro, the film tells the story of buried treasures, dark secrets, and revenge and is set in Montana in the 1870s.

Tread cautiously, folks as the studio hasn’t let film critics get even a whiff of this film yet, which is never a good sign. When it comes to this new Western, I’m shooting from the hip here, but I’m betting there will be lots of gunfights, decent acting given the cast, and cheesy dialogue and one-liners resulting in a very mediocre Trinity, if not completely unholy. But hey, the other three aforementioned films are all kicking butt with critics so … let’s go to the movies!

Editor’s note: For more movie and entertainment talk, join Pete Schwaba weeknights from 6. to 8 p .m. for “Nite Lite” on the Civic Media radio network.