Summertime is upon us, which means it's time for over-produced movies with hundred-million-dollar budgets and tons of special effects.
This summer is again dominated by sequels, with only a few original works coming out.
Here is your guide for which movies are a must-see in theaters, and which you can wait to watch on an airplane.
"X-Men Origins: Wolverine"-In Theaters
Hugh Jackman reprises the role of mutant Wolverine in the summer's first blockbuster.
With a budget of around $140 million, it is ironic that the biggest downfall is its seeming lack of any production value.
The special effects in the movie are cheesy with the biggest offender being Wolverine's claws, an important part of the character.
His claws look fake throughout the entire movie. It's tough to get into the movie when the main character's weapons are a supreme let down.
The movie also suffers from one of the main problems that plagued "X-Men: The Last Stand," too many mutants for too little time.
Instead of concentrating on a core group of mutants, the movie haphazardly throws as many on screen as possible, and none of them get enough screen time.
These criticisms aside, the movie doesn't skimp on action or explosions, and Liev Schreiber's take on Sabretooth is fantastic. He does an excellent job of being both animalistic and human.
Taylor Kitsch's portrayal of Gambit is also well done and deserved more screen time than he got.
"Star Trek"-In Theaters
The first must-see movie of the summer comes in the form of the series restart of "Star Trek."
Reintroducing all the original crew of the Enterprise, this film uses the concept of time travel to wipe the series' slate clean, conveniently allowing the new Spock and Captain Kirk to continue their adventures without worrying about stepping on the toes of the older movies.
As for this movie, "Star Trek" is tons of fun from start to finish. It manages to throw enough nerd factor in to satisfy hard core Trek fans while also keeping it simple enough to not throw off any casual moviegoers.
With plenty of action, the movie rarely lets off and seems to fly by. It can get a little confusing during some parts of the time traveling, but for the most part it's all about flying around in space and shooting things.
Director J.J. Abrams does a great job keeping the film going, and the special effects are top notch. Great action, good acting and enough laughs make this movie worth seeing in theaters, maybe even more than once.
"Angels and Demons"-May 15
The next movie starring Tom Hanks as mystery-solving professor Robert Langdon is actually a prequel to "The Da Vinci Code."
In "Angels and Demons," Langdon races against time to stop an ancient secret organization called the Illuminati from destroying the Catholic Church.
Langdon rushes through Rome, going from ancient tombs to centuries-old churches in order to solve this latest mystery.
Hanks' portrayal of Langdon in "The Da Vinci Code" seemed completely phoned in, and hopefully he will change his attitude a bit and put a little more acting flair into "Angels and Demons."
It is doubtful that this movie will cause as much of an uproar as "The Da Vinci Code."
Which is really too bad because I enjoyed wading through the religious zealots to purchase my ticket to watch a fictional story play out on the big screen.
One thing that everyone can be thankful for is his horrendous haircut has been shaped into something a little less jarring to the eye.
If you are into adventure movies or garner enjoyment at watching Tom Hanks do his best Indiana Jones impression, then this is the film for you.
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"-June 24
After a nice break from sequels, we jump back on board with "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."
The sequel to the 2007 piece of eye candy that was "Transformers," "Revenge of the Fallen" picks up where the other movie left off.
Shia LeBeouf returns as young Sam Witwicky, who, after helping defeat the evil Megatron, decides that he wants to go to college.
So he inexplicably decides to leave his transforming car and smoking hot girlfriend, played by Megan Fox, behind and head off to get an education.
Of course, that doesn't last long and soon more robots arrive on Earth to wage another epic battle.
With more robots and more fighting, there is sure to be plenty of awesome action. Director Michael Bay promises that when they were writing the second movie, they went for broke.
I really can't imagine that Michael Bay could put any more explosions into his movies, but it looks like he is going to try.
"Public Enemies"-July 1
Christian Bale's second big release of the summer, "Public Enemies" also has mega-star Johnny Depp.
Depp plays unstoppable and charismatic bank robber John Dillinger who takes on the Feds, headed by Melvin Purvis, played by Bale.
The American public has no sympathy for the banks that have plunged the country into depression, so they fall in love with Dillinger, who has an irrepressible personality and undeniable charm.
The movie will be an excellent opportunity for Depp and Bale to show off their ample character acting abilities, and will certainly be a treat for moviegoers.
"Year One"-June 19
The first big comedy of the summer stars heavy-hitters Michael Cera and Jack Black as cavemen living in a primitive caveman village.
When they are banished from the village they go on an epic journey throughout the ancient world.
There is no denying that this film borrows heavily from "Mel Brook's History of the World: Part I," "National Lampoon's Stoned Age" and "Cavemen," but that shouldn't be viewed as a criticism.
The best form of flattery is imitation, and it's hard to get any funnier than Mel Brooks. "Year One" looks to be a genuinely enjoyable comedy.
If you are looking to save cash, you could probably skip this one in theaters and wait until the DVD. Comedies usually don't lose too much in the theater to DVD transition.
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"-July 15
One of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the summer is the sixth movie in the Harry Potter series.
After originally being scheduled for release on November 21, 2008, Warner Brothers pushed the date back in order to have a stronger summer line up which caused the anticipation for the movie to grow.
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" continues the series' delve into darker fare.
In the sixth installment, romance among the students becomes a more integral part of the film.
And as Voldemort continues his rise to power, Harry must face becoming a man with less guidance from Dumbledore.
Mysteries will be revealed as one of the most popular film series draws nearer to its penultimate chapter.
So now you know what movies will be stealing all your hard earned allowance money this summer, all that's left is to get to the theaters
"Up"-May 29
Next on the non-stop blockbuster list is the latest Disney/Pixar collaboration, "Up."
Pixar has an incredible track record with every film they make, excluding "Cars," becoming an instant classic. However, "Up" will be the first movie to have humans as the main characters.
The story focuses on 78-year-old Carl, who finally fulfills his desire for adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his roof and takes off for South America.
His fun is cut short when he realizes that an overly enthusiastic kid has stowed away on his porch.
While it doesn't have the immediate appeal of "Wall-E," it is a Pixar movie, so it will most likely be worth seeing.
Terminator: Salvation-May 21
It's hard not to get excited when talking about the next Terminator movie.
Christian Bale is humanity's last hope as he fights self-aware machines in a dystopian future.
Set in 2018, the film focuses on John Connor's continuous fight to defeat the evil computer network Skynet.
Connor will face many different obstacles, including a new type of Terminator that is almost completely human.
Updates to the Terminator series have been sporadic. The first movie was released in 1984 and now the fourth film is coming out 25 years later.
The movie certainly has star power with Christian Bale, who is arguably the hottest actor in Hollywood. The success of this movie could also decide the fate of the Fox show "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles."
If the film is successful enough it might save the show. This is a movie that should be experienced on the big screen.
"Inglorious Basterds"-August 21
The final blockbuster of the summer is Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds," which focuses on a group of undercover Jewish soldiers that engage Nazi's in targeted acts of retribution.
Led by Lieutenant Aldo Raine, played by Brad Pitt, and known as "The Basterds," the squad's duty is to spread terror and discord throughout the Third Reich by committing acts of unspeakable violence against the Nazis.
Tarantino writes and directs which guarantees that there will be plenty of violence and swearing. This movie is not for children.
"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian"-May 22
The next "Night at the Museum" film will most likely be the highest-grossing film this summer due to the fact that it is testing incredibly high with families.
The movie returns Ben Stiller as museum guard Larry Daley who sneaks into the Smithsonian in order to rescue some pieces from his museum that were shipped there by mistake.
Of course, once he gets there everything in the Smithsonian starts to come to life.
Look for the movie to have more over-the-top antics, including Stiller being slapped in the face by two mischievous monkeys instead of one.
"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" will most likely be a tolerable movie; it probably won't have much appeal for adults. t&c;
