ENTERTAINMENT
Welcome to the summer of superheroes and sequels. Summertime means big Hollywood blockbusters, and the fun’s already started.
Let’s be honest, going to the movies is an expensive venture. Aside from the overpriced ticket, you could easily blow a week’s salary at the concession stand. But seeing a movie like Transformers on the big screen or in IMAX makes for an experience like no other.
Every movie on this list, aside from the ones already out, are definitely on the UP’s must see list. So kick back and grab some popcorn. We’re counting down this year’s top ten summer blockbusters.
10. Super 8
Basically, in the summer of 1979 a group of kids decide to film a movie on a Super 8 video camera that they found. While filming, they witness a crazy trail wreck that sets loose a crazy monster that begins to terrorize the town. If that doesn’t get you interested, this movie is brought to us by writer/director J.J. Abram who was behind works as Star Trek and Lost. If you own the video game Portal 2 then you may have gotten a sneak preview of this movie along with a really interesting interactive virtual trailer.
09. Cowboys and Aliens
This movie is about exactly what the title says: Cowboys and Aliens dueling in the old west. Director Jon Favreau basically took a story concept that sounds like it came from a five year old boy and made it into a movie. But don’t let the title fool you. This movie looks amazing. Guns, explosions, aliens, lasers and an old Harrison Ford as a cowboy? This sounds good to us.
08. X-Men: First Class
The X-Men movie franchise has a little bit of ground to make up this year. X-Men: The Last Stand was…well…bad to say the least. Although entertaining, X-Men Origins: Wolverine didn’t do much better. This movie, however, might be the answer to Marvel’s mutant movie woes. X-Men: First Class is basically the origin story of everything, and we could not be more excited to see it. But let’s keep our fingers crossed. X-Men fans might rise up in anger if this one bombs.
07. Green Lantern
The time gap between DC comic movies seems to be pretty big, but if the Green Lantern can deliver as well as the recent Batman movies, the wait might be worth it. Ryan Reynolds is double dipping in the comic world, as he also plays Deadpool from X-Men in the Marvel universe. This seems to be a common theme among actors these days, but a Green Lantern origins movie was a long time coming. All we need now is a Justice League movie setup…please DC?
06. Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon
Was the second movie way too long? Just a tad. Did it have racist connotation? Yes… Yes it did. Were there lots of explosions and heart pounding moments? Indeed there were. Are we jacked up about seeing it happen all over again? Damn straight. When it comes to action, no one does it better than director Michael Bay. Based on the movie trailer for Transformers 3, this movie looks like its budget was more than the national debt. Ten bucks to see it in theaters will definitely be worth our money.
05. Captain America: The First Avenger
It may seem odd that actor Chris Evens portrays both Captain America and the Human Torch, which creates quite the confusion in the Marvel Comics world, but we don’t care. Captain America continues The Avengers movie subplot and inches us even closer to one of the most anticipated superhero movies ever. But before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s kick back and enjoy the origin story of Mr. Avenger himself, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America.
04. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Jack Sparrow is back. Honestly, that should be all the explanation needed. While some critics may argue another Pirates movie is a bad idea, we say nay, nay. Sparrow is like that drunk friend at a party who makes you laugh when he says and does clumsy things. You know it’s a problem, but you want to keep him around to see what he does next.
03. Thor
Despite mixed reviews, this is a must see for anyone who has been following the Marvel movies since the first Iron Man in 2008. You may be wondering how much of a dude slinging a hammer you can take, but this movie does not disappoint. It stays relatively true to the Thor origin story from the comics, and packs quite a punch when it comes to the action sequences. Make sure you stay till the end of the credits for a preview of the next Avenger movie.
02. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 2
This movie hits the number two spot for two reasons: One, we will finally get closer to arguably the best book and movie in the series. And two, hardcore Harry Potter fans would hold us hostage if we put this any lower on the list…seriously. Still, this movie looks amazing. The only problem is we will all be craving more when it’s finally over. Television series anyone?
01. The Hangover Part II
The hangover gang returns for a second bachelor party as Stu (Ed Helms) is getting married. This time the location is Bangkok, Thailand, and once again the guys find themselves in a post-blackout mess. Repetitive? We don’t think so. Part one was so entertaining that watching it happen all over again in a new location is fantastic. Is it wrong that we memorized the words to the tiger dream song? Nope.
THE BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK….
Cinemark – $7.50 before 3:55 p.m.
Regal – $8.00 before 3:55 p.m.
AMC – $8.00 Every Thursday for students, $9.00 before 3:55 p.m.
