Star Trek (May 8)Early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive and, from the looks of the trailer, J.J. Abrams is poised to deliver a shiny new Star Trek filled with great effects, action, and acting. George Lucas, you might want to pay attention to that last one. I've never even seen an episode of Star Trek, but that won't stop me from lining up for what looks to be not only one of the most exciting movies of summer, but one of the smarter ones, too.
The Brothers Bloom (May 15)Honestly, I don't know a whole lot about The Brothers Bloom, but critic after critic has been raving about this snappy little con flick. The great cast promises top-notch acting and don't you think people will need a break between all of the explosions of Star Trek and Terminator?
Terminator: Salvation (May 21)Christian Bale looks to continue his incredible run with the latest entry in the Terminator franchise. Bale always brings his A-game, but I'm a bit skeptical of McG as a director. After all, this is the guy who brought us the Charlie's Angels films (if you can even call them films). That said, the trailers look intriguing and Bale is probably the best actor today at picking scripts. Can you even remember the last bad movie this guy was in?
Up (May 29)Pixar. Honestly, at this point that should be all any self-respecting film fan needs to know. As expected, early buzz is pointing towards Up being yet another triumph along the lines of Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Wall-E.
Moon (June 12)Sam Rockwell stars as the lone worker on, you guessed it, the moon. It's a tall task to ask any actor to carry an entire movie largely by himself. Luckily, Sam Rockwell has acting chops to spare. Add gorgeous visuals and a mind-bending sci-fi story to what is sure to be a great performance and you have, along with Star Trek, the summer's can't-miss science fiction film.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (June 24)Yes, Michael Bay is the polar opposite of such respected auteurs as Fellini, Coppola, Scorsese, and Mann. That said, there is one thing that Bay does better than just about anyone else on the planet. He blows stuff up. He uses copious amounts of slow motion. He blows stuff up. He discards all elements of proper storytelling. Did I mention he blows stuff up? Seriously, the first film was beyond stupid, but it was also a whole lot of fun. The sequel promises more gratuitous robot action and more gratuitous shots of Megan Fox. Questions, anyone?
The Hurt Locker (June 26)All you have to do is check out my preview below for what I hope is the best modern war film since Black Hawk Down. Jeremy Renner, Guy Pierce, David Morse ... what a great cast. It's refreshing to see a different take on the tired war genre. I'd imagine there aren't many movies out there about bomb squads in Iraq. Along with Moon, this is the lowest-profile film on the list, but that shouldn't discourage you from seeing it. It's quite possible that they will be the two best films of summer when all is said and done.
Public Enemies (July 1)Depp. Bale. Mann. This is my most anticipated film of the summer. Period. It's been too long since Johnny Depp played it cool. He's given us three rounds of Jack Sparrow (two too many), a bizarre take on Willy Wonka, and a homicidal barber since his last truly slick role as George Jung in Blow. Now I understand that Johnny Depp is the king of weird, but he can also play it cool better than just about any actor working today. This is why I'm so excited to see his take on John Dillinger in Michael Mann's latest crime epic. Throw in Christian Bale and an excellent supporting cast consisting of Billy Crudup, Channing Tatum, Marion Cotillard, David Wenham, Giovanni Ribisi, and Stephen Dorff and you have the recipe for the first flat-out crime drama masterpiece in several years.
Bruno (July 10)Sacha Baron Cohen is back. 2006's Borat was over the top, controversial, and absolutely hilarious. I don't know if I've ever laughed harder during a movie. Borat has been retired, but only to make room for another character that long-time fans will be familiar with: Bruno, the flamboyant Austrian fashion writer. The buzz is that Cohen went even further than Borat with this film, putting himself in genuinely dangerous situations (think the rodeo scene from Borat multiplied by 1,000). Bruno is my pick for the best comedy of the summer, although some Apatow guy might change that a few weeks later (see below).
Funny People (July 31)At long last, the third film from newly crowned comedy god Judd Apatow is here. Featuring an incredible cast, including Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Eric Bana, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, and Jason Schwartzman, Funny People promises to continue Apatow's unrivaled blend of comedy and heart. The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up both had something relatively unique with the genuinely good-natured undercurrent that ran beneath all of the weed jokes, nudity, and Munich references. Combine the can't-miss Apatow brand with Adam Sandler getting back to adult comedy and you have an unstoppable summer hit. While it might not be the most gut-bustingly hilarious film of the summer, I can guarantee three things about Funny People right now: It's going to be funny as hell, it's going to have way more heart than your typical comedy, and it's going to make a boatload of cash.
Inglorious Basterds (August 21)A perfect finish to what looks to be a great summer of movies, Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds is the only film that I'm looking forward to as much as Public Enemies. A Tarantino-directed World War II film starring the always excellent Brad Pitt about a small squad of Jewish soldiers tasked with killing as many Nazis as possible. I ask you, how can that go wrong? Now, I know that there are those who hate, and I mean absolutely detest, Death Proof. I can understand this, but even if you hated Death Proof, just take a look at QT's oeuvre: Reservoir Dogs (classic), Pulp Fiction (classic), Jackie Brown (criminally underrated classic), and the Kill Bill films, which while not classics, were still excellent and well-made pictures. Brad Pitt is quickly turning into the movie star of his generation and this looks to be another great film for both Tarantino and Pitt.
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