Summer at movies is darker

NEW YORK - This summer’s style tip from Hollywood: Dark is the new light.

If you’re looking for breezy, escapist fare this summer, you’ll find plenty. Judging by the trailers, however, you’ll also find themes of social collapse, apocalyptic scenarios and inner turmoil. The sun may be shining outside, but inside theaters, Iron Man has insomnia, Superman feels alienated and Captain Kirk is leading his crew on a Star Trek Into Darkness. You’ll see Will Smith wandering through After Earth and Brad Pitt battling zombies in World War Z. And could any story be darker than The Great Gatsby, a tale of money and unhappiness scheduled for release in the merry month of May?

Granted, most of the season’s movies are going for action and spectacle, not profound messages. Hollywood is probably just following an angsty fashion trend set by the successful Dark Knight movies. Still, there are hints of doomsday even in some of this season’s comedies: Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill will face the apocalypse in This Is the End, while Simon Pegg and Nick Frost will seek alcohol-fueled oblivion in The World’s End.

The summer won’t be a total bummer. Possible angst-free bright spots include The Heat, a buddy-cop flick with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, and chipper-looking children’s films like Despicable Me 2 and Disney’s Planes (a spinoff of Pixar’s Cars). And surely there won’t be much hand-wringing in Fast & Furious 6.

Here are the 25 biggest movies of the summer:

Iron Man 3

Robert Downey Jr. returns as billionaire superhero Tony Stark, with Ben Kingsley as new villain The Mandarin. Directed and co-written by Shane Black.

The Great Gatsby

Will this fifth adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel about wealth and scandal on Long Island be the first to become a hit? Leonardo DiCaprio takes the title role,supported by Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire. Jay-Z collaborated on the music. Directed by Baz Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge”).

Peeples

Craig Robinson plays an underachiever trying to impress his girlfriend’s posh family during a weekend in Sag Harbor. With Kerry Washington.

Star Trek Into Darkness (May 17)

The youthful crew of the USS Enterprise returns in J.J. Abrams’ ominous-looking sequel. With Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana and Benedict Cumberbatch. Opens in IMAX and 3-D May 15.

Epic (May 24)

A computer-animated adventure about a human girl who shrinks to a tiny size and discovers a whole new micro-world. With the voices of Amanda Seyfried and Josh Hutcherson.

Fast & Furious 6 (May 24)

With movie No. 6, this car-flick franchise is becoming almost as venerable as James Bond. With Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Michelle Rodriguez.

The Hangover Part III (May 24)

Members of the Wolf Pack come full circle to Las Vegas for their final(?) blowout. With Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Ken Jeong. Directed by Todd Phillips.

After Earth (May 31)

Will Smith and his son, Jaden, play father and son onscreen as well in this sci-fi adventure set on a not-quiteabandoned planet. Directed and co-written by M. Night Shyamalan from a story by the elder Smith.

Now You See Me (May 31)

Four illusionists, whose act includes bank robbery, plan their biggest trick yet. With Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher and Woody Harrelson. Directed by Louis Leterrier.

The Internship (June 7)

Two unemployed salesmen (Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson) talk their way into a Google internship, then find themselves competing with whiz kids half their age.

This Is the End (June 12)

Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Danny McBride and many others play versions of themselves trying to survive an apocalypse in Los Angeles. Directed and written by Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Superbad).

Man of Steel (June 14)

The long-awaited Superman reboot, with Henry Cavill - a Brit! - in the title role. With Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Michael Shannon (Take Shelter) as General Zod. Directed by Zack Snyder (Watchmen).

Monsters University (June 21)

The prequel to Disney-Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. goes back to the college days of monocular Mike (Billy Crystal) and fuzzy Sulley (John Goodman).

World War Z (June 21)

Brad Pitt plays a UnitedNations employee trying to stop a global zombie pandemic. Based on the novel by Max Brooks (son of comedy legend Mel Brooks and actress Anne Bancroft) and directed by Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace).

The Heat (June 28)

A humorless FBI agent (Sandra Bullock) and a volatile Boston cop (Melissa McCarthy) team up to crack a case. Directed by Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids”).

The Lone Ranger (July 3)

Johnny Depp makes for one strange-looking Tonto in this update of the classic Western yarn. With Armie Hammer (J. Edgar) in the title role.

Grown Ups 2 (July 12)

Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade and Kevin James return as old friends still hanging out and learning life lessons. Dennis Dugan directs again.

Pacific Rim (July 12)

The big-budget sci-fi spectacle from director Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) is about human-controlled robots battling giant aliens. With Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Ron Perlman and Rinko Kikuchi.

Red 2 (July 19)

Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and John Malkovich return as AARP-aged secret agents in this sequel to the 2010 action comedy Red. With new addition Anthony Hopkins.

The Wolverine (July 26)

Hugh Jackman is back as the mutton-chopped X-Man, this time battling foes in modern-day Japan. Directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line).

Disney’s Planes (Aug. 9)

An airborne spinoff of Cars, with Dane Cook as the voice of Dusty, a little plane who is afraid of heights. With Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Stacy Keach.

Elysium (Aug. 9)

In 2154, downtrodden earthling Max (Matt Damon) must reach Elysium, a space station reserved for the wealthy. With Jodie Foster, William Fichtner and Sharlto Copley, reteaming with District 9 director Neill Blomkamp.

Kick-Ass 2 (Aug. 16)

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is back as a do-it-yourself superhero, along with Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) and a new colleague, Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey).

The World’s End (Aug. 23)

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) star in a comedy about old friends trying to re-create a youthful pub crawl. With Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) and Rosamund Pike.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (Aug. 23)

A normal-seeming New York teenager (Lily Collins) discovers Downworld, an “alternate New York” populated by vampires and werewolves. Based on Cassandra Clare’s young-adult novel.

MovieStyle, Pages 29 on 05/03/2013

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