McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - There always is great anticipation for the slate of big-budget movies that fill local movie theaters during the summer.
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Why? Just look at what was in theaters last summer: "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man," "Speed Racer," "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," "Sex and the City," "Kung Fu Panda," "Wall-E," "Get Smart," "Hancock," "Hellboy 2," "Mama Mia!" and "The X-Files: I Want to Believe."
This summer's offerings will be released between May 1 and Labor Day. And the lineup may take as big a drop as the economy.
It starts with "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," a fourth dip in the mighty mutants movie pool. Even if "Wolverine" lives up to its highest potential, it just doesn't look to have the punch of last year's big comic book movies.
"Wall-E" showed last year that a tiny robot could be a big hit. It is hard to imagine moviegoers showing the same enthusiasm about the grumpy old man star of this summer's big animation offering, "Up."
Sure, this summer has the eagerly awaited "G.I. Joe" movie. But look what else is on tap: yet another "Terminator" movie; a remake of "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3"; Will Ferrell starring in a big-screen version of "Land of the Lost"; and sequels to "Night at the Museum" and "Transformers." We've been there, seen that schedule.
It could have been an even worse summer lineup. The updated version of "Star Trek" and the latest "Harry Potter" films were pushed back from their original scheduled release dates last December. Because of their loyal fans, the two films should stack up to be the big hits of this summer.
Here's a look at some of the movies you can expect the next few months:
Friday:
_"Ghosts of Girlfriends Past"
Director: Mark Waters
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Breckin Meyer
The plot: A committed bachelor is shown the errors of his dating ways by a trio of ghosts.
Prediction: This film will haunt the cast for years to come.
_"X-Men Origins: Wolverine"
Directed by: Gavin Hood
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston
The plot: Wolverine's past is revealed.
Prediction: Franchise is not as sharp as it was.
_"Battle for Terra"
Directed by: Aristomenis Tsirbas
Voice Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Wilson, Justin Long
The plot: Peaceful inhabitants of the planet Terra come under attack from the last surviving members of humanity adrift in an aging spaceship.
Prediction: Storyline sounds a little heavy for animation crowd.
May 8:
_"Star Trek"
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Chris Pine, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood
The plot: A look at the early years of the James T. Kirk crew of the Enterprise.
Prediction: It will boldly go to box-office heights.
May 15:
_"Angels & Demons"
Directed by: Ron Howard
Cast: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer
The plot: Harvard religious expert Robert Langdon helps the Vatican solve a mystery.
Prediction: You may need a scorecard to keep all of the players and plots straight.
May 21:
_"Terminator Salvation"
Director: McG
Cast: Sam Worthington, Christian Bale, Bryce Dallas Howard
The plot: John Connor leads his army against Skynet and its army of Terminators in 2018.
Prediction: The lack of interest in the Fox TV series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" could be a bad omen for the film.
May 22:
_"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian"
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Cast: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Hank Azaria
The plot: Museum exhibits come to life in a new building.
Prediction: Should be a big family attraction.
May 29:
_"Up"
Directors: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
Voice Cast: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger
The plot: A 78-year-old balloon salesman finally fulfills his dream of a great adventure.
Prediction: Doesn't look warm and fuzzy enough to keep kids coming back to the theater.
June 5:
_"The Hangover"
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham
The plot: A Las Vegas bachelor party goes bad.
Prediction: Could be this year's "Forgetting Sara Marshall."
_"Land of the Lost"
Directed by: Brad Silberling
Cast: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, John Boylan
The plot: A scientist and two aides are pulled back through time.
Prediction: Year's biggest disaster.
_"My Life in Ruins"
Directed by: Donald Petrie
Cast: Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, Maria Adanez, Sheila Bernette
The plot: A woman seeks a new lease on life while working as a travel guide in ...
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