Yidio Summer Blockbuster Guide: The Movies, Trailers, Release Dates and More (Page 2)

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“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
Release Date: June 29

Prospects: It probably won’t matter what critics say. “Dark Of The Moon” will bring home some serious bank. That’s been the hallmark of producer Steven Spielberg and director Michael Bay’s babies so far.

The first 2007 movie scored an unimpressive 68%-fresh rating from RottenTomatoes.com, a 61 percent Metacritic.com rating – for those keeping score, that’s a solid “D” or “D+” rating between the two – but grossed $709,709,780 worldwide on a $150 million budget. The 2009 sequel, “Revenge Of The Fallen,” hauled in an incredible $836 million worldwide on a $200 million tab, despite being absolutely beaten mercilessly by critics with nearly every single review. That makes for a combined $1.5-billion-plus gain from two movies getting so-so to nightmarishly bad reviews.

Well, here we are now. Bay says this is his last dance with Optimus Prime and the boys. Starlet Megan Fox so openly loathed working with Bay, that she was dropped in favor of unknown commodity British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, the first two films’ writers bid farewell after the second movie and this one ups the ante into 3D.

It would take something that takes bad filmmaking to unprecedented levels of awful for this not to make money, whether critics hate it or not. It had better, since Paramount and Hasbro have expressed their interests in riding the franchise long after Bay trots off into the sunset.

Watch the Trailer for “Transformers: Dark Of The Moon”: 

"Horrible Bosses"
Release Date: July 8, 2011

Prospects: Summer is always a good time to debut a lighthearted, fun loving comedy. It’s the time of year when people are more carefree so it seems that early July is the perfect time for Warner Bros. to release “Horrible Bosses.”

The comedy, with an A-list cast, has a relatable premise; every employee, everywhere has once wished that their boss would just disappear. The trailer for the film looks hilarious and features a sinister Jennifer Aniston, showing more than a little skin. Hopefully taking the romance out and leaving the comedy in will make “Bosses” a hit.

The timing, genre and cast will boost tickets sales for this film; we just hope the funniest parts are not the ones we have already seen in the trailer.

Watch the Trailer for "Horrible Bosses"

Film: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
Release Date: July 15

Prospects: Do you really have to ask? This is the sequel to end all sequels, as it’s the second part of the seventh movie of the series. Two things in life are certain: taxes, and people lining up around the block to see a “Harry Potter” movie.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" could have an even bigger draw, as it carries the weight of being the last film in this long-running series. Plus, all of the fighting and wandering around was covered in “Part I,” so this movie (and its undoubtedly lengthy runtime) should be non-stop action: the break-in to Gringotts will be exciting, and the final battle is sure to be the most epic sequence of the entire series.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I” earned about $295 million at the box office, without the boost of 3D. With “Deathly Hallows: Part 2” releasing in 3D, IMAX, and even D-Box, it should easily exceed $300 million…as sure as the Chudley Cannons will place last in the league.

Watch the Trailer for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”:

"Captain America: The First Avenger"
Release Date: July 22

Prospects: Forget about it. If anything this summer can’t miss, it’s this one.

That lucky ol’ Cap has it easy, in one sense. When Marvel released “The Incredible Hulk” in 2008, the 2003 Ang Lee turkey “Hulk” was just fresh enough in everybody’s mind for a reboot to be dubbed a gamble. Luckily for Marvel Studios this time, “Captain America” will arrive riding the lightning of four consecutive blockbusters from the studio since 2008 that all set the table for 2012’s “The Avengers.”

Plus, this “Captain America” couldn’t be more completely removed from the 1990 disgrace starring Matt Salinger.

Speaking of being distanced from failure, Chris Evans has let enough time lapse since two bad “Fantastic Four” movies that the stink should be off him by now, especially since he’ll be acting alongside Tommy Lee Jones as the gruff Army colonel that brings Steve Rogers into the fold and fan-boy fave Hugo Weaving as murderous nemesis Red Skull.

It’s Marvel Studios making their own “Captain America” movie. You tell me a realistic way this could be expected to tank.

Watch the Trailer for "Captain America: The First Avenger":

"Cowboys & Aliens"
Release Date: July 29

Prospects: This one looks good on paper. The title tells you anything about this you could conceivably need to know: cowboys Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Sam Rockwell throw down with extra-terrestrials in 1873 Arizona.

Between those three, there’s rough-and-tumble action cred to spare and it’s a dumb-fun concept that could be a nice breather after all this summer’s other heavy-duty comic franchise adaptations like “Captain America: The First Avenger”, “Green Lantern” and “Thor.”

It’s directed by Jon Favreau of “Iron Man” renown, who not only treats graphic novel/comic adaptations like this one with a fan’s love, but as a director who gets the formula effectively telling great comic stories on the big screen. As said already, on paper, it’s a winner that could catch curious audiences by surprise. However, between “Wild Wild West” and “Jonah Hex,” Westerns with a futuristic bent don’t have a glowing history.

Watch the Trailer for "Cowboys & Aliens":

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
Release Date: August 5

Prospects: Will this science fiction film, pitting man against ape, be any good?

If one were to base that question on visual effects alone, the answer would be, absolutely. The effects team who brought "Avatar" and "Lord of the Rings" to life is behind this prequel to the 1968 classic, “Planet of the Apes.”

James Franco and Freida Pinto costar in the film but the real standout will be the CGI ape that is said to deliver an unprecedented emotional performance.  The film carries a massive budget and maybe a slight chip on its shoulder after the pitiful 2001 “Planet of the Apes” remake from Tim Burton. We see things going far better for this film, but it won’t be the blockbuster of the summer.

Watch the Trailer for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes":

"Conan the Barbarian"
Release Date: August 19, 2011

Prospects: With a slew of 3D hero flicks due out in the summer months, can Conan conquer the box office?

This upcoming 3D film is a new take on the character originally created by Robert E. Howard, not to be confused with the Arnold Schwarzenegger films of the 80’s. The movie has been a long timing coming as it spent 7 years in development before going into production.

Conan will be played by Jason Momoa who is relatively new to the big screen, having been on “Stargate: Atlantis” and “Baywatch.” He is a talented actor and has the body to pull off the part but whether he will sink or swim remains to be seen. The trailer looks promising so we hope to be pleasantly surprised by the full length feature.

Watch the Trailer for "Conan the Barbarian":

Contributors: Andy Neuenschwander, Scott Nye, Sleepless Colin, and Allie Basilica contributed to this story.