FILM | Chuck Koplinski

The summer movie season is upon us and, for the most part, that means one thing when going to the cinema is concerned – check your brain at the door, grab a big bucket of popcorn and prepare to be wowed. For the past 30 years, the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day has become the time when Hollywood’s ledgers go from red to black as they release the movies that have the highest potential audience appeal, sporting simplistic stories festooned with so many special effects and pieces of eye candy that viewers run the risk of contracting diabetes watching them. To be sure, there are exceptions to this rule. Some of these high-concept pictures are driven by timely subtexts (The Dark Knight) while some studios employ smart counter-programming and release some adult fare (The Devil Wears Prada) amid the teen fodder.

There’s a great deal of artistic potential on tap but, make no mistake, the studios want to make hay while the sun is shining and this summer has the potential to be a record-setter at the box office. Much anticipated sequels and superhero films will be battling for the filmgoer’s dollars. What follows is a comprehensive rundown of the movies set for release over the next 14 weeks, a roster that has this critic feeling more optimistic about the summer months than I have been in years. That being said, as always, “caveat emptor” is the best advice I can give anyone going to the movies this summer.

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