Spring Films Worth the Theater Ticket

We could all use a movie night sometimes, and 2014 is shaping up to be a good year for film. While I don’t mind waiting to rent most movies rather than blow half my paycheck on a theater ticket, there are a few that are best viewed on the big screen. From tearjerkers to butt-kicking, here are a few films you don’t want to miss.

Godzilla

Yes, this is still the classic “man vs. nature” tale of a big ugly dinosaur terrorizing the city, but this one looks to be a step up from past renditions with just the right amount of CGI and a new take on the monster (think Cloverfield, except you actually get to see more of the beast). Directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters) and starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick Ass and Savages) and Elizabeth Olsen (Oldboy and Silent House), Godzilla opens this Friday, May 16. My advice? Spend the extra bucks and see it at your local IMAX.

Maleficent

Watch Disney’s 1959 classic come to life in this live-acted version of Sleeping Beauty. Told from the perspective of Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), this film follows her story of placing a curse on the king’s newborn daughter Aurora (Elle Fanning). Once grown, Aurora finds herself caught between the forest world she has grown to love and the human world she was born into. Maleficent must take drastic measures that could change both worlds upon realizing Aurora holds more power than meets the eye. Catch the revamped fairy tale in theaters May 30.

The Fault in Our Stars

Based on the best-selling novel by John Green, The Fault in Our Stars introduces you to Hazel (Shailene Woodley, The Descendants), a girl not only struggling with being a teenager but being a teenager with cancer. She meets Gus (Ansel Elgort), who is currently in remission, at her support group. Not unlike 50/50 and A Walk to Remember, this film follows the thought-provoking story of young people learning to live somewhere between life and death. A love story mixed with humor and quick-witted characters, this film is sure to have you reaching for the box of tissues. See it in theaters June 6.