[IMG:L]Reboots, sequels and a helluva lot of action — these 10 summer blockbusters (in the order we’re most excited to see) pack a mean punch …
Star Trek
(May 8)
Who’s in It? Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana
What’s the Deal? The prequel to the original series chronicles the early days of the friendship between James T. Kirk (Pine) and Spock (Quinto) and the first outer space mission of the USS Enterprise. J.J. Abrams‘ epic pre-telling is as much of an homage to the legendary series as it is an invitation for new fans to join the Trekkie universe.
Why It’s a Must: Abrams equals box-office gold, and we have waited a long, long time to see this movie. Will all the secrecy pay off? In dollars, we know it will.
KEEP READING: Return of the Decepticons!
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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
(June 24)
Who’s in It? Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel
What’s the Deal? In this second epic battle for the universe, the Decepticon forces return to Earth to take Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) prisoner, after he learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers.
Why It’s a Must: Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the writers of Star Trek, are the masterminds behind this screenplay as well. And who would want to miss the robots getting down to the Pussycat Dolls’ “Jai Ho”?
KEEP READING: Skynet vs. John Connor!
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Terminator Salvation
(May 21)
Who’s in It? Christian Bale, Bryce Dallas Howard
What’s the Deal? This post-apocalyptic sequel to the previous Terminators, set in 2018, follows John Connor (Bale) as he leads the human resistance against Skynet. After Skynet destroys much of humanity, Connor struggles to keep the machines from finishing the job.
Why It’s a Must: As if Bale’s on-set rant that was captured on tape isn’t reason enough to be curious, seeing if the ending remained unspoiled should be interesting.
KEEP READING: A real American hero!
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G.I. Joe
(August 7)
Who’s in It? Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller
What’s the Deal? Set ten years from now, an elite military unit consisting of special operatives known as G.I. Joe takes on the evil Cobra organization led by a notorious arms dealer.
Why It’s a Must: If this movie doesn’t have a plotline simple enough for a three-year-old to follow, we would be genuinely surprised. Now, if your three-year-old is into senseless violence and gratuitous cameos, it’s a win-win situation.
KEEP READING: Will Ferrell gets some action!
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Land of the Lost
(June 5)
Who’s in It? Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride, Jorma Taccone
What’s the Deal? Pompous paleontologist Rick Marshall (Ferrell) gets sucked into a space-time vortex alongside his research assistant (Friel) and a redneck survivalist (McBride). In a world full of dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures, their only ally is a primate named Chaka (Taccone). But how will they make it back home alive? And will this discovery of an alternate universe redeem our disgraced hero?
Why It’s a Must: Because it’s Will Ferrell. In the hands of any other actor, this movie could easily be a disaster.
KEEP READING: John Dillinger, meet Johnny Depp!
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Public Enemies
(July 1)
Who’s in It? Billy Crudup, Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard
What’s the Deal? It’s the true story of Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger (Depp), the charismatic criminal whose lightning raids and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to the American public and made him the top target for the FBI and its top agent Melvin Purvis’ (Bale).
Why It’s a Must: Despite being set in the 1930s, the film’s themes could not be more current. And although the movie hasn’t even premiered, there is already Oscar buzz for Depp.
KEEP READING: “Dark and difficult times lie ahead …”
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
(July 17)
Who’s in It? Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
What’s the Deal? In the sixth Harry Potter installment, our three heroes work on unlocking Lord Voldemort’s defenses as the evil wizard continues his rise to power.
Why It’s a Must: The Harry Potter franchise has never disappointed, and there is no reason to believe Half-Blood Prince won’t live up to its royal lineage. Plus, hello, the infamous death of you-know-who …
KEEP READING: In case you missed the leaked version …
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X-Men Origins: Wolverine
(May 1)
Who’s in It? Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber
What’s the Deal? In the prequel to the X-Men trilogy, we visit a darker time in Wolverine’s life as he seeks revenge against his half- brother Victor Creed/ Sabretooth (Schreiber) for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately ends up having his skeleton bonded with the indestructible metal adamantium.
Why It’s a Must: Explosions, superheroes and a shirtless Jackman — what more can you ask for in a summer blockbuster?
KEEP READING: Hanks returns for more Catholicism controversy!
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Angels and Demons
(May 15)
Who’s in It? Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgard
What’s the Deal? When Harvard symbolist Robert Langdon (Hanks) is called to help solve the murder of a physicist, he discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati, who are set to destroy the Vatican City. When Langdon learns that the clock is ticking on an unstoppable Illuminati time bomb, he embarks on an adventure through Rome’s sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs and deserted cathedrals — following the trail of ancient symbols that mark the Vatican’s only hope for survival.
Why It’s a Must: If you read, saw and analyzed The Da Vinci Code to death, this sequel will have you mulling over the myths and legends that the Catholic church call “malicious.”
KEEP READING: A-listers go mano a mano!
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Taking of Pelham 123
(June 12)
Who’s in It? Denzel Washington, John Travolta
What’s the Deal? In the remake of the 1970s film, armed men led by former mercenary Bernard Ryder (Travolta) hijack a New York City subway train, holding the passengers hostage in return for a ransom. Subway dispatcher Zachary Garber (Washington) tries to negotiate with the hijackers and offers his surrender to Ryder in exchange for the hostages aboard the train.
Why It’s a Must: Previous collaborations between director Tony Scott and Washington have been consistently entertaining, and Travolta gets to redeem himself as a bad guy – and we can forget the disastrous Swordfish.
More:
THE 2009 ULTIMATE SUMMER GUIDE
The Best of the Rest | 5 to Skip | Celeb Flick Picks
Merchandise You Gotta Have | Quiz: Guess the Movie!
Summer Hotties | Villains of Summer | Action Stars of Tomorrow
