Summer Blockbusters

This weekend is Memorial Day, which kicks off the official Summer Blockbuster movie season, although several big films like Thor and Pirates of the Carribbean 4 are already out. A couple weekends ago, I went to see Bridesmaids with Angel and PM. The advertisements for summer films made me realize I have no real clue what's coming out. So I did a little research and thought I'd share what I found.

Seems like a summer of sequels. Thor & Captain America are both follows on to Iron Man and precursors to The Avengers coming out next summer. Pirates 4, Kung Fu Panda 2, The Hangover 2, Harry Potter 7.2, X-Men First Class, Cars 2, Transformers 3... They're even doing a prequel to Planet of the Apes. Seems like we might need some fresh ideas in Hollywood. But here's the five that caught my eye and just might catch my ticket revenue.

#1. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part II (Release July 15th)

School is out for good; the time for preparation is over. Harry Potter and his steadfast friends Ron and Hermione have reached the end of their journey, and all roads lead to a confrontation between Harry and that reptilian cheater of death, Lord Voldemort. The final installment begins with a journey back to Hogwarts to locate the last pieces of Voldemort's soul, and quickly escalates into a careening, non-stop, action-packed, headlong rush toward destiny.

I know I will see this movie, but there's a part of me that doesn't want to. I haven't even watched part 1, but I will before I go to the theater. I don't want the magic to end, but I also don't want some of my favorite characters to die. Unfortunately, me not going won't change that.


#2. Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides (Released May 20)

Captain Jack Sparrow finds himself thrown for a loop when he runs into Angelica, a mysterious woman from his past. Before he can sort out her motives, she outmaneuvers him and forces him to accompany her on an expedition to find the Fountain of Youth. The ship that will take them is none other than the "Queen Anne's Revenge," captained by the most infamous of pirates: Blackbeard. The crew will encounter dangers both from within and without as they sail the high seas in search of immortality.

I love me some Captain Jack. I'll miss the Elizabeth Swann / Will Turner storyline, but let's be honest... I watch it for Jack. And Geoffrey Rush is great, too.



#3. X-Men First Class (Release June 3rd)

Long before Charles Xavier is known as "Professor X," he's just a troubled young man who can read minds. His best friend Eric understands what it means to be a mutant and an outsider. Together, Charles and Eric try to organize fellow mutants and foil the plans of the Hellfire Club, an elite society bent on dominating the world. But the two young men's different worldviews drive them farther and farther apart, pushing them toward their respective destinies as archenemies Professor X and Magneto.

Little known fact: I have always been a fan of X-Men. Way before the movies came out, I collected the trading cards and watched the cartoons that came on Saturday mornings. I've enjoyed the other X-Men movies, they were well done, and I'm looking forward to more mutant excitement. If nothing else, I've always found it to be an interesting dialogue about civil rights. No really, it was written in the sixties as a metaphor for civil rights struggles. Deep for a comic book, eh?

#4. Cowboys Vs. Aliens (Release July 29th)

Picture a gritty, bleak Arizona town named Absolution, in 1870. An unwelcome stranger with a mysterious past wanders into a saloon, and immediately sparks a rivalry with the hard-bitten Colonel who runs the town. Then... spaceships attack. Yes, you heard right. This stranger, Jake Lonergan, has no memory of his past, but he possesses a weapon which is the town's only hope against these demons from the sky who seem intent on wiping out humanity.

I know. But it has Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig. It can't be all bad. Seriously, how can you see that title and not want to know what the heck is going on.




#5. Bad Teacher (Release June 24th)

If you think you've had a bad teacher, you've never had Elizabeth Halsey. Foul-mouthed, drunk, and disorderly, she skates through her day job and waits for her sugar daddy to pop the question. When he dumps her instead, Elizabeth decides to save up for some "enhancements" to attract the eye of a new rich substitute. To get the dough she needs, she is forced to turn her class around so that she can earn a hefty bonus. The trouble is, her goody-two-shoes rival is competing hard for the bonus and for the boy!

The preview sold me on this one. It looks hysterical. Crude, but funny. Definitely a departure from a summer filled with super 3D alien effects.

What are you excited to see at the theater this summer?
SP