Written by: Dan Geer
This summer is yet another great one to look forward to. While we’ve been subject to movies with not a lot of hype like Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, Knowing, Mall Cop, etc., and movies with a lot of hype but not much of a response from the movie-going public such as Race to Witch Mountain and Watchmen, I’ve been desperate to see movies that will obviously satisfy my fanboy cravings. That satisfaction usually comes from the Summer blockbuster season. Not to say that the movies that have come out so far have been bad, but let’s be honest – the summer is bringing the movies we really want to see.
So here are my top 10 movies I am dying to see this summer:
10. Inglourious Basterds – August 21st
Plot Summary (From ComingSoon.Net):
“Inglourious Basterds” (sic) begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema.
Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as “The Basterds,” Raine’s squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own…
I’m not a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino. I think many times he’s too over the top, or just too crass in his films. I did enjoy Kill Bill Vol. 1 (haven’t actually seen Vol. 2) quite a bit though.
This new film of his seems to be much different from his usual flare of films. The story just looks cool, and Brad Pitt is always awesome in everything he’s in. Any story about killin’ Nazis is one for the books in my opinion.
Rating: 
(out of four)
9. Public Enemies – July 1st
Plot Summary (From ComingSoon.Net):
In the action-thriller “Public Enemies,” acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard in the story of legendary Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger (Depp)—the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover’s fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public.
No one could stop Dillinger and his gang. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone—from his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression.
But while the adventures of Dillinger’s gang—later including the sociopathic Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi)—thrilled many, Hoover (Billy Crudup) hit on the idea of exploiting the outlaw’s capture as a way to elevate his Bureau of Investigation into the national police force that became the FBI. He made Dillinger America’s first Public Enemy Number One and sent in Purvis, the dashing “Clark Gable of the FBI.”
However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis’ men in wild chases and shootouts. Only after importing a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly baptized as agents) and orchestrating epic betrayals—from the infamous “Lady in Red” to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti—were Purvis, the FBI and their new crew of gunfighters able to close in on Dillinger.
Depression-era robbers? Johnny Depp? Christian Bale? Coming to us from the same “Mann” (Michael Mann, that is) who brought us Heat? How can this movie possibly go wrong? This is only not in the top 5 because I’m just not that into bank robber/heist films like I am sci-fi, fantasy and horror. We’re talking about the Summer movie season here. The season when geek hype thrives the most. Saying that, this looks like this will be an amazing film.
8. District 9 – August 14th
Plot Summary (From ComingSoon.net):
“District 9” depicts a fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa.
This movie comes off like a blend of V: The Miniseries, 28 Weeks Later and Cloverfield to me, and that’s not a bad thing at all. I love the look of this film in the trailer. Also, Peter Jackson is producing it, which gets me pumped! The plot description isn’t much, so to get an idea of what the movie is about, you should watch the trailer.
Rating: 
(out of four)
7. Drag Me to Hell – May 29th
Plot Summary (From ComingSoon.Net):
Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is an ambitious L.A. loan officer with a charming boyfriend, professor Clay Dalton (Justin Long). Life is good until the mysterious Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) arrives at the bank to beg for an extension on her home loan. Should Christine follow her instincts and give the old woman a break? Or should she deny the extension to impress her boss, Mr. Jacks (David Paymer), and get a leg-up on a promotion? Christine fatefully chooses the latter, shaming Mrs. Ganush and dispossessing her of her home.
In retaliation, the old woman places the powerful curse of the Lamia on Christine, transforming her life into a living hell. Haunted by an evil spirit and misunderstood by a skeptical boyfriend, she seeks the aid of seer Rham Jas (Dileep Rao) to save her soul from eternal damnation. To help the shattered Christine return her life to normal, the psychic sets her on a frantic course to reverse the spell. As evil forces close in, Christine must face the unthinkable: how far will she go to break free of the curse?
I’m only interested in this horror movie above all the rest this year (besides The Wolfman, coming out November 6th) is because Sam and Ivan Raimi wrote it and Sam Raimi is directing it. Sam Raimi, of course is the creator of Darkman as well as the Evil Dead and Spider-man series. I’m a huge, huge fan of the Evil Dead movies, and feel they are some of the more interesting horror movies of the 80s and early 90s. Raimi has a wacky way of directing at times when it comes to horror. I hope he utilizes some of that style in this new movie.
Rating: 
(out of four)
6. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – August 7th
Plot Summary (From ComingSoon.Net):
Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, whose previous collaboration was the worldwide blockbuster “Transformers,” join forces with Spyglass Entertainment for another extraordinary action-adventure “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos. “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” is directed by Stephen Sommers (“The Mummy,” “The Mummy Returns”).
Stephen Sommers doesn’t have the greatest track record. The Mummy movies were entertaining and fun, but lacked the charm and atmosphere of the original 1932 Boris Karloff film that inspired them. Sommers even stated in behind-the-scenes documentaries that out of all the Universal Studios “Monsters” that were created, the “Mummy” was the only one that really scared him. So I always wondered why he didn’t take the scary approach when making the first two. And don’t get me started on Van Helsing (actually, I enjoyed some of it).
So I have little hope that this real life G.I. Joe movie will be great. But it might be fun. I was a fan of the TV series and the toys in the 80s, so I’m sort of obligated to see this.
5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – July 15th
Plot Summary (From ComingSoon.Net):
Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
I love the Harry Potter movies. I really think they get better and better as the characters get older and the movies get darker. I’ve never read the books, so I cannot say how close they are to the source material. But I do know that I constantly hear whiny Harry Potter book fans complaining about how they didn’t see this character in a movie, or how they changed something or left something out.
To me, the movies are a different breed altogether. You can’t have everything, especially when you can only make a 2-2.5 hour movie. You simply have to capture the essence, or spirit of the book and the main plot points that are essential to tell the main story. In my opinion, they are very entertaining fantasy films. And with the delay of the film’s release, I’m sure fans are anxiously awaiting this movie.
Rating: 
(out of four)
4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine – May 1st
Plot Summary (From ComingSoon.Net):
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” the first chapter in the X-Men saga, unites Wolverine with several other legends of the X-Men universe, in an epic revolution that pits the mutants against powerful forces determined to eliminate them.
The X-Men films are some of the best comic-book to film adaptions out there. They’re no Dark Knight or Iron Man, and they’re not the most faithful to the comics. However, they have a stellar cast, interesting plots and kick-butt action.
I have a bit more faith in Wolverine being more faithful to the comics, however, because they’re able to focus on one main character this time around rather than 10 billion like in the previous X-Men films. And Wolverine is clearly the coolest character in the X-Men franchise. Hopefully this movie will kick-start the summer blockbuster season with a bang!
Rating: 
(out of four)
3. Star Trek – May 8th
Plot Summary (From ComingSoon.Net):
The greatest adventure of all time begins with “Star Trek,” the incredible story of a young crew’s maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with action, comedy and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind.
The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock (Zachary Quinto), was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before!
I’ll be right up front with this one. I’m a Star Wars fan. I’ve been to two Star Wars conventions now. I’ve been in a StarWars.com online documentary about the journey of the fan phenomenon from 1977-2005 (appropriately titled The Journey). I’ve met many Star Wars actors and got their autographs. I have no interest to do anything Trekky-ish.
However, I have enjoyed most of the Trek movies (especially Wrath of Khan, The Undiscovered Country, and First Contact) and think the TV series’ that have come and gone have been pretty decent for what they are. I just never really got into them. But this new flick by J.J. Abrams seems to be different than any of the films that have come before it. It is reinventing the wheel so to speak. This actually looks a lot more like a Star Wars film.
It’s new. It’s fresh. And I think it’s time that Star Trek get the attention it deserves after all these years. This definitely looks like the type of Trek film that was made for me.
Rating: 
(out of four)
2. Terminator: Salvation – May 21st
Plot Summary (From ComingSoon.Net):
In the highly anticipated new installment of “The Terminator” film franchise, set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.
People knock the third Terminator movie. And yes, it does have its flaws. But it wasn’t a bad action flick, and the ending set up the franchise to be something entirely new for once: a post-apocalyptic Terminator franchise. When it ended, I was like, “Yeah, now we can get to the meat of the story.” We can fight the Terminators after Judgement Day.
The previews look awesome. What else can I say?
Rating: 
(out of four)
1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – June 24th
Plot Summary (From ComingSoon.Net):
In the highly-anticipated “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” debuting June 24, 2009, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) again joins with the Autobots® against their sworn enemies, the Decepticons®. Michael Bay directs from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger & Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman.
I loved the cartoon as a kid. I loved the 1986 cartoon movie and 2007 live-action movie. I actually got to be a movie extra when Michael Bay was filming the first one in Detroit, MI for two days. I’m one of the dudes running away from Megatron and Optimus Prime down the alleyway towards the end of the movie. It was great fun being an extra in the movie, and it was one of the coolest sci-fi/action movies I have ever seen.
This one looks like the first one, but on steroids. And for this type of film, that’s not a bad thing. More robots. More action. More Michael Bay awesomeness. What more can we ask for?!
Rating: 
(out of four)
Notable Mentions:
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – May 22nd
Up – May 29th
Land of the Lost – June 5th
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs – July 1st
They Came from Upstairs – July 31st
The Time Traveler’s Wife – August 14th
H2: Halloween 2 – August 28th
Not worth seeing at all:
Dance Flick – May 22nd
(Do we really need another “Let’s make fun of a movie genre” flick?)
