The Best Movies In May

Although summer is the true blockbuster-movie season, this month also has a lot to offer, with hunky stars, poignant dramas and a remake of a classic TV series. Here’s a closer look:

LOL (May 4)

Demi Moore, who has had some well-publicized marital and substance-abuse problems lately, plays mom to Lol (Miley Cyrus), a rebellious high-school student who’d rather party than study. In true girl-fantasy style, she and her friends manage to hop a plane to Paris even though they have no money and no visible passports.On the upside, Demi gets a guy.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (May 4) “Downton Abbey” fanatics can get their fix this month while waiting for the series’ next season, which airs in January: The movie reunites Maggie Smith, who plays the acerbic Duchess of Grantham, and Penelope Wilton, better known as Matthew Crawley’s mother Isobel. They’re part of a group of elderly Brits who decide it will be a lot cheaper to retire in India. But even though they’re a bit disappointed in their destination, the Marigold Hotel, they learn to live in India, and to love it. With Bill Nighy, the memorable, aging rock star in “Love, Actually.”

The Avengers (May 4) Robert Downey Jr. returns as the Iron Man in another tale of violence, vengeance and victory. Accompanied by Captain America (Chris Evans), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), he defends Earth against the evil god Loki. You’ll probably end up taking your grandson to this. So sit back and enjoy the spectacularly buff Downey. All superheroes should look that good.

Dark Shadows (May 11) Fans of the afternoon soap opera “Dark Shadows” shouldn’t expect a reverent remake of the series, which ran from 1966 to 1971. After all, director Tim Burton (“Edward Scissorhands,” Beetlejuice”) is in charge. It’s 1972 and the vampire Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) has returned to his family two hundred years after he died. To restore his name to its former glory, he decides to open a disco in the family’s super-creaky mansion. From its humorous exploration of dysfunctional family dynamics to the cheesy dance music playing in the background, this is one “horror” movie that won’t frighten even the most squeamish.

Battleship (May 18) Like Robert Downey Jr., Liam Neeson seems to have become an action star in the past few years (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Wrath Of The Titans”). Here, he plays a U.S. Navy Admiral drawn into defending Earth from terrifying aliens. Another one the grandkids will want to see, especially since superstar Rihanna makes her movie debut here.

What To Expect When You're Expecting (May 18) The interconnected stories of five couples living out the most harrowing and happiest months of their lives. Whether they’re a relentless crusader for mommyhood (Elizabeth Banks), a globe-trotting photographer (Jennifer Lopez) or a celebrity wondering how to balance fame and fatherhood (Matthew Morrison), the parents-to-be soon learn that in pregnancy, it’s better to go with the flow. Based on a best-selling nonfiction book of the same name, and with an all-star cast that includes Dennis Quaid and Cameron Diaz.

Men In Black 3 (May 18) The reliably entertaining MIB series, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, has a couple of new angles: time travel and pop stars. Agent J (Smith) has to go back to the late 1960s to prevent his future partner, Agent K (Jones) from being killed. Otherwise, the course of history will be altered. (No pressure or anything.) Josh Brolin plays the young Agent K, while Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga are, of course, themselves.

Moonrise Kingdom (May 25) Bruce Willis abandons his hardboiled-guy persona and plays a small-town police chief on the hunt for two 12-year-old summer campers who have run off together. They can't be found, and a terrific storm is gathering. Can the chief and his volunteers find the kids before it’s too late? Directed by critical favorite Wes Anderson (“Mount Rushmore,” “The Royal Tenenbaums”).