Summer Movie Preview 2010

As far as I'm concerned the lull in between the Oscars and the beginning of may is the dullest of the year in terms of movies. If it's not a "tentpole" intended for summer hype, or something that might win an award (winter), studios tend to dump these films during the spring months. Last April, The Soloist was pushed out the back seat of the car, and left to fend for itself against Wolverine a week later, while Paramount and Dreamworks peeled away in the other direction. So while we wait for more interesting things to come back to theaters (unless you really wanna see The Last Song) here are the top ten most anticipated movies of summer 2010.

10) Salt - Tom Cruise was originally intended to star, dropped out, and with a quick re-write...Angelina Jolie? Judging from the trailer, it's looks to be a rather exciting action flick with a more than predictable plot (but hey, it's an action movie). Angelina Jolie has proven herself as the quint-essential female action star, but this time she's going it alone (ie. no Daniel Craigs or James McAvoy's along for the ride). It will make considerable money in its late July release, going up against Shrek 4, from audiences tired of this un-neccesary four-quel.

9) The Expendables - Coming out late August, Stallone's action power house will round out the summer, with Jet Li, Jason Statham, Syllvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, *breath*, Bruce Willis, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Arnold Schwarzenegger (cameo). Action fans are expecting the story to be more than forgettable but are hoping that the cast is a sign of super-awesomeness. It will either be "that action movie" OR That Action Movie.

8) Toy Story 3 - Even though its been 10 years since the last installment in this series, it's never too late to bring back the characters that put Pixar on the map. All the favorite voices are back, plus a few surprises, and judging from the trailer, they've got a pretty good idea for a story. Plus, Tim Allen could use the paycheck.

7) Twilight Saga: Eclipse - Everyone besides giddy teenage girls were ready to write this one off the list until David Slade( 30 Days of Night, Hard Candy) was announced to direct. No doubt, of course, to bring the series back to its darker roots, and attract in a throng of fans that previously wouldn't even give it a thought. Slade promises this one will be more forboding and less laughable, and judging from the last vampire movie he made (a seriously scary movie) - we believe him.

6) Jonah Hex - Has been talked about for literally thirty years, ever since first published as a comic in the 70s. It's set in the wild west, with over tones of dark magic. A no-nonsense cult following will turn out to help make this movie a considerable amount of money, but whether it's a hit or not depends on Josh Brolin's performance. He's a talented dramatic actor making a turn in comic book movies. Can he pull it off? He's paired with Meghan Fox, who we all know can't act, but has other things going for her.

5) The Little Fockers - Although it was disappointing to hear Hoffman quit due to his heated temper towards the studio, at least De Niro is still there, and the prospect of Streisand, Stiller, and Polo still along for the ride is keeping everyone's spirits up. Plot details are under wraps, and all we know Greg Focker now has fiver year old twins, and God only knows what De Niro's character will be up to. The summer is going to be dry on comedy, so the studio has dropped this at the end of July, right when audiences will be ravenous for one.

4) Sex and the City 2 - Not for me, but there is a huge audience out there waiting for this movie. And everyone in that said group of viewers won't be interested in ANY of the other movies this summer, so prepare to be wowed by the money this brings in - unbelievable I know, but it will happen...watch.

3) Robin Hood - It seems like this story is tired of being made, but look closer, this story could really benefit from being made WELL! And the trio of Ridley Scott, Russel Crowe and Cate Blanchett seems to be the ticket. Scott has never let us down before (turning our back on A Good Year), and he's dynamite when he works with Crowe. Judging from the adverts, this could be their next Gladiator.

2) Inception - Two things: One - Has Christopher Nolan made a bad movie yet? And two - is "a thriller set within the architecture of the mind" the best tagline ever? Some are saying everyone has a flop sometime, and this is Nolan's turn, but my guess is, we're not even ready for how mcuh this movie is going to BLOW US AWAY!

1) Iron Man 2 - With the anticipation for this sequel starting immediately after the first one, plus the steadily exploding fan base, expect this second Downey Jr. starrer to make Dark Knight-esque ticket sales. Not only did the first one garner reputation as one of the best comic book movies ever (which is a lot, seeing it won its success the same summer as said other comic movie), but audiences are intrigued to see Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johanson as the villains. Only thing to take heed of is the screenwriter switch. Hopefully, the movie's witty flavor won't be lost - something we liked about number one.