Most Anticipated
1. "Iron Man 2"(May 7): Following on the heels of the break-out hit of summer 2008, this sequel looks to be more of the same as far as action, humor, and building suspense towards the team-up film. The loss of the actor who played Rhodey is a small price to pay for the inclusion of Samuel Jackson, Scarlett Johannson, and Mickey Rourke. The summer may be all downhill from here.
2. "Toy Story 3"(June 18): The most-anticipated sequel audiences didn't know they wanted. It's been over a decade since the first sequel, yet the talent at Pixar looks to have created another winner here. In this story, the boy is grown up and going to college, so what is to happen to the toys. Anything less than excellence would be a surprise for this talented studio which started their run with the original "Toy Story."
3. "Twilight Saga: Eclipse"(June 30): Only a little more than six months after "New Moon," the third movie in the series comes to theaters. Supposedly, there is more action in this episode of the series; the inclusion of David Slade as director ("30 Days of Night") seems to attest to more vampire fighting. The fans are likely to be clamoring at the doors come the end of June and so far, the studio has satisfied that appetite.
4. "The A-Team"(June 11): For a remake of an old television show, this one seems like a no-brainer. Action and comedy are a potent mixture in the early trailer and the talented cast speaks well of the care put into the production. The director, Joe Carnahan, is familiar with the action genre but he's never done a film on such a large scale. Hopefully, he will get the mixture just right for this band of ex-military misfits.
5. "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time"(May 28): Disney and producer extraordinaire Jerry Bruckheimer are trying to get another adventure series off the ground to supplement and eventually replace the "Pirates of the Caribbean." This video game influenced film has a pumped up yet human Jake Gyllenhaal starring, with plenty of sword fighting and magic set in ancient Arabia. The choosing of family and action film director Mike Newell ("Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire") speaks well of the quality of the finished product.
6. "Letters to Juliet"(May 14): A charming looking little rom-com at the beginning of the summer season, starring Amanda Seyfried ("Mamma Mia!"). She finds an old love letter in Europe and tries to find and reunite the now senior lovers. What transpires next is likely a fun trek across the old country, likely to appeal to young and old alike. Seyfried is charismatic and with the experienced rom-com director, Gary Winick, should be able to win with this well-placed counter-programming.
7. "Robin Hood"(May 14): Another story about the saucy rebel with the green tights? How long ago was that Kevin Costner version, anyway? This new take on the story, however, appears to be more "Gladiator"-esque with Russell Crowe starring and the incredibly talented Ridley Scott directing. An older but very talented cast will supposedly tell the full story of that man who dared defy a king.
8. "Shrek: The Final Chapter"(May 21): If not for "Shrek the Third" this fourth film would have been much more anticipated, but with the mediocrity of the second sequel the series has fallen off the pop culture radar. Still, the early previews show an intriguing time-bending premise and a return to the hilarity of the first two films. Having the film in 3D should help bring in families too.
9. "Jonah Hex"(June 18): Another comic book adaptation, this one set in the Civil War era. Hex is a scarred Rebel gunfighter with newfound abilities looking for justice against those who wronged him. The mixture of fancy steam-punk technology and humor concerns me that this film will go down the creative well that "Wild, Wild West" did. The inclusion of Josh Brolin as the main character is likely to benefit this movie, but will the addition of Megan Fox be a detriment? The movie appears to have a darker approach more akin to "V for Vendetta" than that Will Smith cowboy film. Let's hope so.
10. "Marmaduke"(June 4): Yes, this appears to be a computer-generated "Beethoven" knock-off. Yes, the biggest casting is in the voice talent instead of the on-screen actors. But the trailer looks funny in a goofy, family-friendly way and Owen Wilson's vocal talents as the Great Dane may put the picture over-the-top in quality. The director, Tom Dey, is familiar with comedy and is likely to give viewers something to laugh at. And who doesn't like dogs?
5 Films Most Likely to Fail
1. "The Karate Kid"(June 11): A remake of the classic that introduced audiences to Daniel-san and Mr. Miyagi. This new version moves the story to China, casts Jackie Chan as the mentor, and a much younger actor, Jaden Smith, as the apprentice. Actually, there doesn't appear to be much similarity between the prior film and this new one other than the characters' names. And with the director of such questionable fare as "Pink Panther 2" and "Agent Cody Banks" at the helm, this adaptation appears destined to fail.
2. "Grown-Ups"(June 25): Adam Sandler used to be really funny. Now, his films are either so outlandish they are no longer humorous or completely unoriginal and played out. With a string of poorly executed comedies following him into this new film and the director of those bad comedies, Dennis Dugan, continuing to film all of Sandler's films, there is little hope that this movie will break the cycle. Despite the large cast of former Saturday Night Live alums, the early trailer leaves me cold and uninterested.
3. "Killers"(June 4): A comedic-action romp starring Ashton Kutcher as an undercover spy? Pass. Despite the inclusion of Katherine Heigl, who can't necessarily carry a picture alone, the direct competition with the Tom Cruise similarly-plotted film "Knight and Day" is likely to hurt the box office of both. And, God help me, I'd rather see Cruise as a lovable spy than Kutcher.
4. "Get Him to the Greek"(June 4): A spin-off film of the mediocre and tastelessly rude "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," this comedy hopes you like the strange rock star played by Russell Brand enough to follow him for an entire movie. The Judd Apatow production machine is running dry and the former king of rude comedy may be further watering-down his brand with this picture.
5. "MacGruber"(May 21): Based on a Saturday Night Live skit, often begets moans and groans from audiences. How can a 15 minute sketch be sustained for an hour and a half movie? It has happened successfully a few times but there are more failures to talk of. The early trailers for this "MacGyver" parody are supposed to be funny, but I'm not feeling the humor. Maybe I should see the skits first.