By Jeff Holder and Tom Snyder
Summertime means movie time as the studios line up to release their biggest “tent pole” movies once the kids are out of school.
The summer of 2010 is no exception and the potentially blockbuster movies are hitting the theaters about every week starting in May.
Here’s a quick overview of some of the movies that are set to release. As always, check back on the release date to read Movieguide®’s review to find out about a movie before you and your family take the trip to the local cineplex.
The studios are playing it very safe this summer by releasing movies that are either sequels of established hits or stories based on another medium. The thinking is that audiences will want to see what they have liked before. And, with most of these movies costing $100 million or more, it presumably helps the studio executives in Hollywood sleep better at night.
The Major 2010 Summer Movies:
IRON MAN 2
May 7
The man in the metal suit is back and IM2 promises to be one of the bigger movies this summer. The first IRON MAN was named one of Movieguide®’s top movie for Mature Audiences in 2008. You can read the review of the first installment HERE and watch the trailer of the sequel HERE.
ROBIN HOOD
May 14
Directed by the legendary Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe leads the band of Merry Men in Sherwood Forest. Crowe and Scott were together last for GLADIATOR. This promises to be a powerful movie, though we don’t yet how family friendly it may be, or if it contains any revisionist history like GLADIATOR.
SHREK: THE LAST CHAPTER
May 21
Everyone’s favorite big green ogre is back as Dreamworks brings the Shrek franchise to a close. The first SHREK, SHREK 2 and SHREK THE THIRD were named among Movieguide®’s Top Ten Family Movies. We will see if the tradition continues. You can watch the trailer HERE.
PRINCE OF PERSIA
May 28
Based on the videogame of the same name, this Jerry Bruckheimer (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movie promises to be a hit but the content is not yet known.
MARMADUKE
June 4
From the pages of the Sunday comics comes the biggest Great Dane to hit the screen. Voiced by Owen Wilson, this live action movie should prove family friendly.
KARATE KID
June 11
Sony is dusting off this classic from the 80’s to try to find an audience for a new generation.
THE A-TEAM
June 11
Warner Bros. is taking this 1980s television series and giving it the big budget treatment. Despite all the machine guns and explosions in the TV series, nobody got killed. It remains to be seen how Hollywood will treat the violence in this big screen adaptation.
TOY STORY 3
June 18
The toys are back in town. After over a decade from the release of the first movie that put Pixar on the map, Woody and Buzz are off on a new adventure. You can read reviews from TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2. TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2 each won Movieguide®’s Crystal Teddy Award for Best Family Movie.
KNIGHT & DAY
June 25
Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz team up in this action comedy. The trailers make KNIGHT & DAY look like a fun movie, but who knows how family friendly it will be?
GROWN UPS
June 25
This is the new Adam Sandler comedy, co-starring Kevin James of PAUL BLART MALL COP, HITCH and TV’s KING OF QUEENS.
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE
June 30
The third movie in this popular teenage vampire series contains occult content and strong scary violence. You can read the reviews of the first movie, TWILIGHT and the sequel THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON.
THE LAST AIRBENDER
July 2
Based on the Nickelodeon animated series, this movie about Eastern mysticism is directed by M. Night Shyamalan, director of THE SIXTH SENSE and SIGNS.
DESPICABLE ME
July 9
Universal is releasing this quirky animated feature about three orphan girls who cause a villain to rethink his plan to steal the moon.
THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE
July 16
Nicolas Cage plays a sorcerer in this Disney movie who takes on a young apprentice.
INCEPTION
July 16
Leonardo DiCapri stars in this mysterious thriller that sounds somewhat nominalistic from DARK KNIGHT director Christopher Nolan.
RAMONA AND BEEZUS
July 23
This is a live-action family movie of the popular children’s series about two sisters.
SALT
July 23
Angelina Jolie stars in this action thriller about a female spy who’s accused of being a traitor and has to defend her loyalty.
CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE
July 30
The new CGI and 3-D technology has inspired a sequel to the original CATS & DOGS movie, a minor hit from 2001. You can read the review of the original CATS & DOGS.
THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU
July 30
Matt Damon stars in this science fiction romance about mysterious forces keeping two lovers apart.
STEP-UP 3-D
August 6
Disney tries to turn urban dance competitions into a 3-D spectacle.
THE OTHER GUYS
August 6
Will Ferrell co-stars in this action comedy with Mark Wahlberg.
EAT, PRAY, LOVE
August 13
Julia Roberts stars in this romantic comedy based on a popular New Age book about searching for the meaning of life.
THE EXPENDABLES
August 13
Sylvestor Stallone’s next action thriller is about a group of mercenaries who get in and out of trouble.
NANNY MCPHEE & THE BIG BANG
August 20
Emma Thompson stars in this sequel to her movie about a mysterious nanny with special magical powers. This time she helps out an English family during World War II.
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