When I was a child, Summertime meant only one thing – playing with my toys outside and gathering with my friends to play video games until dawn every night. We spent so much time crashed out on the couch, we would almost miss the much-loved Saturday Morning Cartoons or weekday animated adventures of our favorite heroes.
That was many decades ago in the 1980s. But you wouldn’t know it looking at the multiplex this summer here in 2026! The main headline grabbing films read like the wish list of a Generation-X kid who was all hopped up on sugary cereal as he sat in front of the tube on a Saturday morning in June of 1987.
First up we had the much-anticipated release of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. And having seen that film three times at the theater I can tell you this thing was worth the wait. Now, true, people don’t ordinarily associate Star Wars with cartoons – especially not the Mandalorian culture first made famous by Boba Fett in the summer of 1980 with the release of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. But did you know that the character of Boba Fett’s first appearance, and therefore the first appearance of a Mandalorian, was part of an animated segment of the Star Wars Holiday Special in 1979? So, I’m counting him as part of our cartoon nostalgia matinee.
Next up we had the release of the first live-action Masters of the Universe film in theaters since Dolph Lundgren grabbed the Sword of Power as He-Man in 1987. And while THAT film was … cheesy goodness in its own way … the latest release from Mattel is much better! It isn’t exactly high cinema as Martin Scorsese would remind us, but it is great popcorn fun and family-friendly. Plus there are some great lessons about positive masculinity in the new millennium. I’m glad I went to see it and not just for nostalgia’s sake.
And finally, in July we are going to have Spider-man: Brand New Day released from our friends at Sony and Marvel. The MCU crew has not been hitting it out of the park as much lately as they did last decade, but there’s still going to be plenty for kids to revel in with nostalgia as well as new characters interacting with everyone’s favorite web-head wonder. Spidey has to deal with a strange magical enchantment from Dr. Strange that has made everyone he ever knew forget all about him. Not only do they not know that Peter Parker is your friendly neighborhood Spider-man any more, but they don’t even know who Peter Parker is!
So if you’re trying to recapture that feeling of amazement and wonder you had during your summers in the 1980s, or if you’re just trying to beat the heat and get into some AC for a while, grab a bucket of popcorn and head to the local cinema in Forest City for some great summer fare.
