Summer movies come in one of two varieties: epically bad or epically good. With this guide, you will know which ones to avoid and which ones you should buy tickets for in advance.
Iron Man 2: May 7
Robert Downey Jr. returns to reprise his role as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2. The thought of a sequel has enticed the press and public since the first Iron Man debuted to surprising massive critical and audience approval. Director Jon Favreau satiates these desires with the second installment, featuring new obstacles and new villains - most notably a butt-kicking Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Though living up to the first's hype will be no easy feat, Favreau seems to have a firm grasp on the direction and development of the Iron Man story, so we can probably be rest assured that Iron Man 2 will be carefully crafted and just as entertaining as the first.
Sex and the City 2: May 27
Once again, Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte dress in semi-outrageous but fabulous clothing, travel to a gorgeous exotic location, and struggle with men, children and everything else middle-aged women struggle with. If it were not for the surprise appearance of Carrie's steamiest ex, Aidan, the second film would appear to be nearly identical to the first.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time: May 28
Disney teams up with Jerry Bruckheimer to deliver an action-packed, video game-based Prince of Persia, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and his perfect facial hair. With a plot somewhat reminiscent of Lord of the Rings - bad guys vying for a crazy-powerful object that could destroy the world if used improperly - and some heavy hitters in the acting world, Prince of Persia could turn out to be quite entertaining.
Karate Kid: June 11
Another 1980s treasure finds itself getting a whole new spin this summer. This time, the kid has to move all the way to China to learn from the master. Starring Will Smith's adorable son, Jaden Smith, who also is notably much younger than Ralph Macchio, and Jackie Chan - of all people - as Mr. Han, the new Karate Kid does not seem to be nearly as cool as the original. And want to know the silliest part? The kid does not even learn karate - he learns kung fu.
Toy Story 3: June 18
The kid with those adorable talking toys grew up with us. Now, Andy is going off to college and must give up Buzz and Woody, along with all the other toys we fell in love with all those years ago. The toys end up at day care center with a whole new set of problems that are thankfully much less terrifying than that totally freaky kid who burned and destroyed his toys. Although the first fans of the series are too old for toys now, Toy Story 3 will certainly benefit from the big, warm and fuzzy spot the first two left in their hearts.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: June 30
Team Edward and Team Jacob have another chance to duke it out. Bella (Kristen Stewart)is still human; Edward (Rob Pattinson) is still a vampire; Jacob (Taylor Lautner) is still a werewolf. Millions of teenaged girls (and their mothers and younger sisters) will line up in droves to squeal and cry out at the melodramatic plot. So basically, nothing has changed. Way to go, Summit Entertainment.\nSalt: July 23
Angelina Jolie takes a break from saving the planet and supposedly fighting with Brad Pitt to play a potentially two-faced CIA agent in Salt. Accused of being a Russian spy sent to kill the president of the United States, Evelyn Salt goes on the run and makes her colleagues question her innocence even as she tries to prove it. We already know Jolie has effectively played a gun-wielding, gravity-defying action hero in the past, but now that she has six kids and the life of a goodwill ambassador, is this really the kind of fare anybody would believe her in?
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