The Endless Summer

According to Hollywood, summer begins this Friday, May 6, with the release of Thor (unless you accept the release of Fast Five last weekend as the beginning of movie summer. I have trouble accepting April as the beginning of summer even under such a ludicrous stretch, and have trouble accepting the Fast and the Furious franchise). I've already seen Thor, but a press embargo says I can't post a review until Friday. The following is a list of the top ten summer films I most eagerly anticipate.  (And no, Transformers: Dark of the Moon doesn't make the cut):

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
It will be hard to see this series end, but, if the book and the first Deathly Hallows film are any indication, it will be a glorious ending.

2. Cowboys and Aliens -  If the talent behind the camera weren't enough (Iron Man director Jon Favreau, with Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard producing), if the talent in front of the camera weren't enough (Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford together would sell me on just about anything), if the delightfully odd premise and title weren't enough, well, I'd have to just rely on the most entertaining trailer I've seen in a long time to sell me on this one.

3. Super 8 -  J.J. Abrams teams with Steven Spielberg to create a tribute/throwback to Spielberg's classic 70s and 80s films. Anyone who knows instant sees that this would appeal to me, and the early trailers have been extremely promising  (the shot of the red light at the train crossing screams Close Encounters of the Third Kind loudly enough to put me in Spielberg geek heaven). I just hope Abrams pays tribute to Spielberg more effectively than Simon Pegg and Nick Frost did. But, coming off of Star Trek, I have a fair ammount of faith in Abrams.

4. Cars 2 - Okay, Cars was one of Pixar's lesser films. That's a little like being one of the less talented Marx Brothers or Bronte sisters. I still found it charming and enjoyable, and Pixar is hands down the most reliable name in film today. Plus, the added bonus of this being the first movie my 6 year-old nephew Carson is obsessively anticipating makes it likely to be one of the best moviegoing experiences of my life.

5. Winnie the Pooh -  More than another cheapie, glorified Saturday morning cartoon like the Pooh movies of the 90s and 2000s (which i admit I found mostly enjoyable on their level), this is a return to Milne's original stories, and a production from Disney's A-list talent.

6. Captain America: The First Avenger - I'm a little ambivalent about Marvel Studios, and about their "Avenger Initiative", but recent events (which I'll discuss on Friday) make me more optimistic about the direction they're taking. And the choice of director Joe Johnston, who made the delightful The Rocketeer, to helm this WWII era superhero flick, is a great one. And again, the trailer is a lot of fun, giving a sort of Batman meets Indiana Jonesand I've actually read some of the comics, so vibe (or, in essence, The Rocketeer).

7.  X-Men: First Class -  I absolutely love the first two Bryan Singer "X-Men" movies, and was profoundly disappointed in the two Singer-less followups. Even if he's not directing, Singer is producer and story writer for this prequel, and the trailer makes me hopeful for a return to form.

8.  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Yes, I'm a bit skeptical. The sequels weren't nearly as much fun as the first, and I'm a little burnt out on Johnny Depp. But I still retain a considerable soft spot for this franchise, and the trailer is, again, a lot of fun. I also hold out hope that Penelope Cruz and director Rob Marshall will breathe new life into the franchise. And, for whatever reason, I like mermaids.

9. Green Lantern - In theory, I have no problem with the CGI suit. It's part of the his powers, it should look more ethereal than spandex. But, I admit it looks a little off in the trailer. I'm not entirely sold on Ryan Reynolds in the title role (it looks to me like they've molded the character a little too much to his bad boy persona), but director Martin Campbell gave us two of the best James Bond movies, and The Mask of Zorro. My biggest concern about this one is the same as the other comic book films, namely that Hollywood is laying the whole superhero thing on a bit too thick. But Green Lantern was one of the Super Friends, so the superhero fan in me wins out over the superhero weary critic.

10. Everything Must Go -  Will Ferrell's films are hit and miss. Elf was great, Stranger Than Fiction flirted with greatness, and Anchorman and The Other Guys were guilty pleasures that offered big laughs. Much of the time, I don't bother with his films. But, I truly enjoy his talent  When he's on, in the right project, he really shines. And this one not only promises a departure, it's based on a short story, Why Don't You Dance?, that inspired one of my favorite short films.