Sizzling Summer

NEWS & VIEWS

Boffo box office should continue as a crowd-pleasing slate of films arrives

By Lori Hoffman

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Apr. 30, 2009

With box office receipts already at record highs for the first few months of the year, the movie moguls are unleashing their tent-pole summer flicks, and what a splendid assortment of escapism they have devised for movie fans. I love big, bold summer movies, especially the ones that deliver the action with a side of intelligent dialogue and interesting characters. Here is a list of the 10 movies I'm most looking forward to seeing this summer.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Hugh Jackson is out of his tuxedo and back with his claws in this prequel. With Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth, and Danny Huston as William Stryker. May 1

Star Trek

Chris Pine is James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto (Heroes) is Mr. Spock in what looks like a fabulous take on how the young crew of the Enterprise developed into the heroes we've loved for the past four decades. With Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Karl Urban as Bones McCoy, Anton Yelchin as Paval Chekov and Eric Bana as the bad guy. Leonard Nimoy makes a cameo appearance. May 7

Angels & Demons

Good news: Tom Hanks' hair looks better in this sequel to The Da Vinci Code, directed by Ron Howard. The Vatican hires Robert Langdon to find the secret society that wants to bring down the Catholic Church. With Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgaard. May 15

Terminator Salvation

Christian Bale helped save the Batman franchise. This time he tries to inject life in the Terminator franchise that was run into the ground and left for dead with the terrible third installment in 2003. Directed by McG, with Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard and Helena Bonham Carter. May 21

The Brothers Bloom

This was one of my favorite films at last September's Toronto film festival. Rian Johnson (Brick) directs a delightful plot about a couple of orphaned brothers (Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody) whose latest mark is an eccentric and rich orphan (Rachael Weisz). May 29

The most anticipated animated film of the summer, from Pixar. An old man (voiced by Christopher Plummer) attaches balloons to his house and takes off for a tour of South America. May 29

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

A remake of an excellent thriller from 1974 starring Denzel Washington as the cop (played by Walter Matthau in the original) determined to outwit the terrorist (John Travolta) who hijacks a New York City subway train. June 12

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