From the king of the food chain to the king of rock ‘n’ roll – and much more! These films are not to be missed in June.
Elvis isn’t dead – and neither are the dinosaurs! June breathes new life into the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll from Mississippi and the king of the food chain from the distant past, at least on screen. Thanks to Buz Luhrmann’s (59) biopic “Elvis” and the conclusion of the “Jurassic World” trilogy. If you like it more colorful and also want to take your children to the cinema, you can look forward to the “Toy Story” offshoot “Lightyear”.
“Jurassic World 3: A New Era”, June 8
The dinosaurs have been living free on the mainland since the events on Isla Nublar – with expected catastrophic consequences. Coexistence between humans and dinosaurs seems impossible. In addition to the new warriors Owen Grady (Chris Pratt, 42) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard, 41), it is up to three true “Jurassic Park” veterans to find a solution to this dilemma: Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern, 55), Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum, 69) and Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill, 74), who had to make acquaintance with T-Rex and Co. 30 years ago.
Assessment:
With a new film series, turn the nostalgia regulator to the limit by bringing back the old warriors from previous films – at least since the latest “Star Wars” trilogy, this trick should not be missing in any game book of the dream factory. But it is also extremely heartwarming to be able to marvel at the heroes of youth once again on the big screen. Provided that they are not mere means to an end and that they are given due time. It is unlikely that Goldblum, aka Ian Malcolm, will be allowed to muse about chaos theory again. But seeing him again with Dern and Neill will also please Jurassic Park fans who haven’t warmed to the new dinosaur franchise. It’s true: life (or Hollywood) finds a way.
“Lightyear”, 16. Juni
The astronaut Buzz Lightyear takes off into the vastness of space with his space shuttle. But is the young Ranger, who is sent on the exciting mission as a rookie from Star Command, up to the dangers and tasks in space? In any case, his ordeal by fire doesn’t get any easier when an army of hostile robots appears on the scene. But Buzz doesn’t let this get him down: brave and courageous, he begins his mission, which is supposed to take him to the infinity of the universe – and much further.
Assessment:
A toy that thinks it’s not a toy – but a space ranger. It’s been 27 years since “Toy Story” was the first fully computer-animated film to be released in cinemas. And with him Buzz Lightyear, said toy in the identity crisis. The new film from Pixar is now dedicated to the “real” Buzz, so to speak, the space pioneer in whose honor the action figure was built. As is typical for Disney’s animation company, “Lightyear” will once again have plenty of slapstick for the little ones and enough allusions for adult moviegoers up its sleeve.
“Elvis”, June 23rd
The young singer Elvis Presley (Austin Butler, 30) from Tupelo, Mississippi, becomes the biggest sensation in the music business almost overnight. His lascivious way of performing on stage attracts huge crowds of fans and almost as many guardians of morals who fear that Elvis will be the personified ruin of youth. The complicated relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks, 65) is increasingly affecting Elvis – what are the true intentions of the mysterious man?
Assessment:
There are plenty of films with Elvis and films about Elvis. Just think of the 1979 TV movie “Elvis” – by horror legend John Carpenter (74) and starring Kurt Russell (71). But it took until 2022 for the first high-gloss biopic for the cinema about the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Visually, Austin Butler was a good choice and his stage presence also seems worthy of that of Elvis, at least in the trailers. It remains to be hoped that director Luhrmann will be able to add new facets to the all-too-common mechanisms of a cinematic biography of musicians.
