Joss Whedon's king-sized superhero blockbuster, "The Avengers," kicked the summer movie season off in a big way, drawing fans in to the record-breaking tune of $207 million on its opening weekend. The previous mark had been held by "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II."
Here's a list of some more can't-miss movies this summer, where the studios role out their tent-pole films in hopes of lining up audiences around the block.
"Battleship," Friday
This film, based off the classic board game, represents one of the stranger products of the summer. It's hard to figure a film based off a board game so simple could be entertaining, but it is produced by Hasbro, the same company that gave us the "Transformers" franchise, so perhaps it could make some money.
The movie deals with a race of aliens who have invaded Earth, while a naval brigade lead by Liam Neeson and Taylor Kitsch moves to stop them.
Chirpmeter (1/5) - This movie looks loud and heavy on the special effects, but the plot seems tired and shapeless. None of the trailers promise much and if the "Transformers" movies are any indication, this will be another visually appeasing, but very empty film.
"Men In Black 3," May 25
Will Smith returns to the secret government agency as Agent J, only this time he has to travel back in time to find his partner Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones; Josh Brolin).
Chirpmeter (2.5/5) - The first "Men in Black" was actually quite good, but the second was pretty disappointing. It's been nearly 10 years since the last film in the franchise, and it's hard to imagine there being a lot of fresh creative juices flowing.
"Moonrise Kingdom," May 25
Wes Anderson's latest movie tells the story of two children who fall in love and run away and the offbeat search party who goes looking for them.
Chirpmeter (4/5) - This has all the markings of an Anderson film: the offbeat style, the stellar ensemble cast and a very retro visual style. The only concern would be if Anderson has worn out his welcome a bit, but otherwise "Moonrise Kingdom" should be the indie hit of the summer.
"Snow White and the Huntsman," June 1
This is the year's second feature film concerning the Grimm fairy tale. However, this film take a decidedly dark gothic approach to the classic Snow White tale.
Chirpmeter (3/5) - The new approach to telling this story actually does feel refreshing and the trailers do seem to have some cool visual effects. As long as the story comes through, this could be a sleeper hit.
"Prometheus," June 8
The crew of the spaceship "Prometheus" sets out to investigate a planet that may hold the truth to mankind's origin, but instead they find something far more sinister.
Chirpmeter (4.5/5) - This movie is loaded with intrigue. Despite director Ridley Scott's statement that this isn't a prequel to the "Alien" films, the trailers suggest otherwise, giving us brief glimpses of images consistent with the "Alien" universe. If "Prometheus" represents Scott's best work with sci-fi, expect a classic genre-bender. If not, expect one of the most disappointing films this summer.
"Brave," June 22
Pixar's latest film is about a young girl who bucks tradition in search of great adventure in a medieval world.
Chirpmeter (3.5/5) - For whatever reason, I just haven't been excited about "Brave." Granted, I thought the same thing before "Up." It is Pixar, which means it will probably be great, but for now I remain tentative about it. Look for Pixar to rebound after the disappointing "Cars 2."
"The Amazing Spider-Man," July 3
Marvel re-boots their superhero franchise of less than a decade ago with a new story featuring Andrew Garfield as the web slinger.
Chirpmeter (3/5) - I really do like the choice of Garfield as Peter Parker and I think using The Lizard as the film's villain is a solid choice, but the previews have been uneven and rebooting a franchise so soon is strange. Right now, I am very tentatively optimistic.
"The Dark Knight Rises," July 20
The trilogy of films by director Christopher Nolan concludes with this film, featuring a new threat to Gotham in the form of a villain named Bane.
Chirpmeter (5/5) - This is the movie I am most excited to see this summer. Each trailer has looked progressively more exciting and any time Nolan and Christian Bale are teaming up is cause for optimism. Tom Hardy also looks sensational as Bane, with Anne Hathaway also new as Catwoman. Look for this to be the one film to challenge "The Avengers" box office and critical acclaim. With a solid outing, this would wrap up the greatest superhero series of films ever. Let's hope Nolan and company pull off the big finale.
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