User blog:Ceauntay/Summer movie releases: Cowboys, aliens, and more

Once upon a time, summers belonged to Steven Spielberg. Now they belong to franchise serials that unfold with all the earnest shmaltz of a soap opera. From the last round of Harry Potter to the return of Captain Jack Sparrow and the motivational exposé of the X-Men, the summer of 2011 finds plenty of familiar faces urgently competing for your attention.

The Bold and the Beautiful

The big summer movies that will be impossible to overlook:

Thor (May 6): It’s got Anthony Hopkins and Rene Russo starring as superhero mom and pop, so this action spectacle directed by Shakespearean expert Kenneth Branagh has automatic credibility — which is always helpful when you’re telling a story of a superpowered alien who falls to Earth via a wormhole and wields a big honkin’ hammer.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20): Captain Jack just can’t stop getting into trouble, and that’s lucky for us, as he returns to the big screen alongside Penelope Cruz and an array of 3-D equipment. Rob Marshall directs this yarn, which also features an encore from Keith Richards as Sparrow Sr.

X-Men: First Class (June 3): Didn’t we always want to know what makes a mutant tick emotionally? Of course we did, which is why we’re getting this prequel featuring James McAvoy as a young Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as the still-immature Magneto.

Green Lantern (June 17): It ain’t easy being a green superhero. Just ask Seth Rogen. This time around, it’s fellow Canuck Ryan Reynolds donning the skin-tight suit as the good guy facing down all sorts of baddies. Tim Robbins, Peter Sarsgaard and Blake Lively co-star.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon' (July 1): Despite a broken reference to Pink Floyd, Michael Bay isn’t known for pushing any boundaries or creative envelopes in his eardrum-blasting oeuvre. Shia LaBeouf’s stardom seems to be fading, but the franchise about alien robots seems indestructible.

Jane Hoop Elementary: The Final Rush: Part Two (July 8): The final chapter of the Jane Hoop Elementary will be awated this summer taking Danny into face-to-face with her catsuited nemesis, Catwoman. Experience the entire huge final in a IMAX theater near you.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two (July 15): The most anticipated movie of the summer, the last instalment of the Harry Potter franchise will finally bring Harry face-to-face with his snake-faced nemesis, Voldemort. Hollywood needs Potter magic in a big way, so get ready for a lengthy spell of Potter publicity before this one disappears in a puff of smoke.

Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22): It’s already got a colon in the title, suggesting this is the first of a franchise. Though Captain America isn’t one of the most popular superheroes out there, he’s got period appeal as he battles Nazis.

Cowboys & Aliens (July 29): Even though it feels like an idea borne from a cocktail napkin, this big-ticket spectacle features two rock-solid leads in Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, so even if director Jon Favreau (Iron Man) cooks up a mess of genre in this story of cowboys meeting aliens, it’s going to be a notable car wreck — or the biggest movie of the summer.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Aug. 5): Because what would summer be without a little James Franco by the bedside? In this prequel, we find out why the apes took over. It’s all politics and banana republics, as Franco stars opposite Freida Pinto and Andy Serkis in hairy costume.

One Life to Live

Wedding bells ring, best friends fight and someone masquerades as someone else:

'Something Borrowed (May 6): Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin play best friends who blow out after Miss Nicey Nicey seduces her best friend’s fiancé. Nasty!

Bridesmaids (May 13): Eager to create the same kind of bad-boy magic Judd Apatow conjured for boys, Paul Feig pulls together a crack cast of hilarious women to poke fun at chick ritual. Kristen Wiig is a cake-shop owner who’s never the bride, and Maya Rudolph is the horrible best friend who abandons her when romance blooms. Jon Hamm also stars.

Monte Carlo (July 1): Selena Gomez and a gaggle of gal pals head to Monte Carlo for some European fun, but romance awaits when Gomez is mistaken for a bad-girl princess. Get ready for the shoe montage.

All My Children

Silly rabbits, crazy pandas, dancing penguins, blue trolls, Winnie the Pooh and Cars for the kids:

Kung Fu Panda 2 (May 26): What’s black and white and furry all over? No. It’s not a mould-covered newspaper, it’s Kung Fu Panda! Jack Black returns to the role of a martial-arts dragon warrior with Gary Oldman playing the evil peacock.

Super 8 (June 10): J.J. Abrams pays tribute to his early days as a filmmaker in this kids’ reel about a junior shoot that stumbles into an alien.

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (June 10): Heather Graham gets a chance to show off her comic chops in this quirky kids’ comedy about living on the edge.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins (June 17): Jim Carrey adopts a group of penguins and opens his freezer drawer of love. Think Happy Feet meets Ace Ventura.

Cars 2 (June 24): The first one was weird, but now that we’re used to cars having turbo-charged romances with each other, this globe-trotting sequel might not feel like a missed gear shift.

Winnie the Pooh (July 15): We hope there’s still lots of honey left in the jar, so Pooh and his pals feast on golden bee nectar instead of bottom-of-the-barrel franchise dregs. John Cleese and Craig Ferguson offer voice talent.

The Smurfs (July 29): Neil Patrick Harris and a curious troupe of small blue trolls make their way through Manhattan — without turning a single head.

Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (Aug. 19): Jeremy Piven and Jessica Alba square off in this return to the James Bond Jr. universe.

'The Young and the Restless

Debauchery, sex and sophomoric humour for the hot and bothered:

The Hangover Part II (May 26): Being an idiot for one night is an excusable lapse in judgment. Being a drunken fool with life-altering consequences twice in a period of two years is a bit tougher to excuse, but, one hopes, it will make for good comic fodder as the Wolfpack reunites for one more very ugly morning in Bangkok.

Bad Teacher (June 24): Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake reunite for some onscreen hijinks in this comedy about a very, very bad educator. Imagine the opposite of Michelle Pfeiffer’s Dangerous Minds performance, combined with the memory of your worst homeroom experience — and voila! Bad Teacher.

Horrible Bosses (July 8): Anyone who works for a big company knows there’s no such thing as a horrible boss — just stupid employees who insist on taking credit for the brilliance of their superiors. This scenario of cruel, lying frauds in glass offices has no bearing in reality — obviously — but it does feature Jason Bateman and Kevin Spacey, so how wrong can it be?

As the World Turns

Every summer brings movies that find middle-of-the-road themes such as everyday romance, heartbreak and moving on:

The Beaver (May 20): Jodie Foster’s cryptic comedy about a man with severe depression and a beaver puppet is probably the biggest curiosity of the season, thanks to star Mel Gibson and the name on the director’s chair. Foster is always interesting, so this potential freak show is already a must-see for cinephiles.

The Art of Getting By''' (June 17): Originally titled Homework, this Emma Roberts-Freddie Highmore high-school romance hits real beats as it shows kids drinking and carousing in the big city.

Larry Crowne (July 1): Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts attempt to re-ignite their rocket-powered careers in this high-profile romantic comedy about a perpetual optimist and a curmudgeonly female prof.

One Day (July 8): Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess play lovers who try to make it work in this sexy Scotland-set drama.

Friends with Benefits (July 22): Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis take over from Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman in this story of friends who share a bed, with problematic results.

Crazy, Stupid, Love (July 29): Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Steve Carell and Emma Stone connect in the name of romantic comedy in this promising outing from the men who brought you I Love You Phillip Morris.