Monster franchise films and a true-life adventure story have
all secured June release dates in China. Catch these five films in
theaters around town this month.
June 2: The Lost City of Z
Based on the acclaimed book by New Yorker staff writer David Grann, The Lost City of Z chronicles the adventures of explorer Percy Fawcett, who disappeared with his son in the Amazon rainforest in 1925. Fawcett, who is played by Charlie Hunnam in the film (Sienna Miller and Robert Pattinson also star), devoted his life to searching for the fabled ruins of a city in Brazil that he called 'Z,' which some believed to be El Dorado. Critics have taken issue with the director's romanticization of this colonial figure, but the film has been praised for its lush cinematography and engrossing adventure story.
June 2: Wonder Woman
Years after Batman and Superman got their dues on the big screen, the first Wonder Woman film finally hits theaters in China (and the rest of the world) this month. The film depicts Wonder Woman’s origin story, which “comes straight out of feminist utopian fiction,” according to the New Yorker. An Amazonian princess named Diana lives with her clan of warrior women on an island paradise until a WWI pilot crashes his plane there and recruits her for the cause, bringing her to London in 1918, which is rife with social unrest and moving toward women’s suffrage.
June 9: The Mummy
This reboot of The Mummy, a franchise that extends beyond the 1999 Brendan Frasier flick to the original 1932 film starring Boris Karloff, tells the story of doomed Princess Ahmanet, who was buried alive after she killed her father for refusing to allow her to ascend the throne because she was a woman. In present-day Egypt, the American army, including a rather haggard Tom Cruise, discovers and opens Ahmanet’s tomb, and she proceeds to wreak havoc on the entire world as payback. Algerian actress and hip-hop dancer Sofia Boutella stars as fierce, fearsome Ahmanet.
June 16: Alien: Covenant
Alien: Covenant is the sixth installment in the Alien franchise, and the third Alien film directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Michael Fassbender and Katherine Waterston, Covenant follows the crew of a ship who land on an undiscovered planet and discover (surprise!) a bunch of murderous aliens. Fassbender has been especially praised for playing two androids with different personalities. The general consensus from critics has been that while Covenant doesn’t break any new ground for the franchise, it will satisfy fans of the original movie more than previous installments did.
June 16: Cars 3
Lightening McQueen returns as a now-aging racer in the third installment of Disney-Pixar's Cars franchise. Conflicts arise when a bro-y young racecar named Jackson Storm (subtle) beats McQueen in several races. After McQueen gets into a major crash, he trains with race technician Cruz Ramirez (played by acclaimed Latina comedian Cristela Alonzo), and attempts to take back his title. Expect hijinks, hardship, character growth, and (probably) ultimate triumph.
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