May is generally the month when the summer Movie season begins to heat up. That's no different in 2017, though cinema fans may be disappointed at a number of franchise films hitting theaters in the coming month. Some are surefire hits waiting to happen, while others may have been best left to the scrap heap of history. Time will tell if this month was the start to an epic blockbuster season or the beginning of a disappointing period of movie releases.
4. 'Alien: Covenant'
Ridley Scott is the one thing "Alien: Covenant" has going for it. The original franchise director is back in the saddle, the third time including the most recent movie in the franchise, the prequel "Prometheus." Beyond that, it's not really clear why the beat keeps marching on for this franchise.
This one could've been left in the distant past and retained its reputation as a great horror/thriller franchise. Nevertheless, the latest installment comes out on May 19.
3. 'Baywatch'
This one probably should've been left alone too. This looks like a part-and-parcel remake of the original, replete with hot people running around in little clothing. We could just as easily look at a modeling magazine and have our thirst quenched. This version stars Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, splashing into movie theaters on May 25.
2. 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales'
Jack Sparrow is back! It's the first movie in the franchise since "On Stranger Tides" came out six years ago. It also marks the anticipated returns of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley to the franchise.
The trailers for the film feature Javier Bardem as the villain and an extremely dark tone, with a light sense of mischievous humor. Johnny Depp and the seafaring universe will be hitting theaters on May 26, 2017.
1. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2'
"Guardians of the Galaxy" is the only sequel of the month people should actually be looking forward to watching.
The original film changed the narrative around Marvel, showing the company's films can be both humorous and nostalgic. The sequel should provide more of the same, though more self-assured about the potential success of the premise. A soundtrack has already been released, adding to the hype of the film. The whole cast of the original returns, with Chris Pratt now leading the way as a bonafide Hollywood superstar. The latest Marvel movie featuring Star-Lord and Baby Groot crashes into theaters very soon - May 5.
