While I'm in a Summer Mood. . .

Okay, it might be early to do this list. But while the weather is warming up and I'm still in a summery mood from Florida, I'm going to kill some time by making a list of the summer films coming up and my comments on them. There are 10 I am dying to see; 5 that I'm curious about that could be fun or terrible, and 2 that I refuse to get anywhere near. This will probably change, but here we go.

The Ten Big Ones (In No order)

Van Helsing:This looks like a big fun, scary, loud movie. I love the old movie monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolfman and it's fun to have them back. Hugh Jackman's Wolverine was the best thing about the X-Men movies and this might be another great role for him. And it's directed by Steven Sommers who did the Mummy Movies which were great fun (please, though, no dirigibles or smart alec kids in this!!)

Troy: If you've seen the previews, you don't even have to ask why this is on my list. That shot of a thousand ships is simply draw dropping. And the pedigree behind this film is great: Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom and Eric Bana can all hold their own in action films. And director Wolfgang Petersen has a great action track record: In the Line of Fire, Air Force One, and The Perfect Storm to name a few. Add the fact that I'm a sucker for epics like Braveheart and Gladiator, and this shoots to the top of the list.

Shrek 2:Shrek was one of my very favorite films of 2001 and is one of my favorite animated films ever. Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy as Shrek and Donkey are hilarious. My only regret is it's dependence on slightly crude humor--Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc. proved you don't have to get crude to get laughs and are superior films. But still, I'm looking forward to this. Eddie Murphy's Donkey should be hilarious again and I'm looking to see how they further skewer fairy tales. Plus Antonio Banderas as Puss-In-Boots? I'm there!

The Day After Tomorrow: I love end of the world disaster movies. I have a soft spot in my heart for Independence Day. And this film from that director looks to be phenomenal. The scenes of monstrous storms hitting L.A., a tidal wave overtaking New York, the Statue of Liberty buried under snow--wow; it looks amazing! And actors like Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhall can probably carry this film pretty far.

Spiderman 2: It's Spiderman 2. Enough said.

Anchorman: I believe Will Ferrell may seriously vie against Ben Stiller as the funniest man alive. From his crude frat boy in Old School to a so-funny-I-was-crying starring role in Elf, his movie work has delivered on the promise that SNL gave. And this should be another funny flick. . . a spoof of the '70s and Newsanchors. Is it just me or is that trailer with the phrase "I love scotch. . . scotchy scotch scotch. . . here it goes down, down into my belly" the funnier than most comedies?

The Terminal: I was under the impression that this wouldn't be out until Christmas, so I was so happy to learn that June 18 is when we get to see this. Two things got me interested before trailers even came out: Tom Hanks acting; Steven Spielberg directing. It's automatic. . . if one of those two is involved, it's a law you have to see and love it. Then I saw the previews. Tom Hanks returning to comedy? Spielberg displaying the light touch he showed with the great Catch Me if You Can? Catherine Zeta Jones?? This could be a great, fun romantic comedy. And it could redeem Hanks for making me disappointed in him with The Ladykillers. But Steven. . .get to work on Indy IV!!

I, Robot: Ah, July. Burgers, fireworks, roller coasters, and the latest Will Smith film. To be honest, I didn't think much of it when I first saw the preview. . . the robot looks a bit odd. But it's grown on me. Looks like it could be a fun little ride with some good sci-fi ideas. The director did The Crow, which I loathed, but I'll admit had an intriguing look to it. . . so if he lightens up with this, it could be a fun lil flick.

The Manchurian Candidate: Never saw the original, but I love a good conspiracy thriller. Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep? The director of Silence of the Lambs back in thriller territory? Yup, I'm there.

The Village: M. Night Shyamalan is a great, scary filmmaker. The Sixth Sense and Signs were incredible thrillers. Unbreakable was an underrated drama that told a wonderful story and actually had Bruce Willis' best performance in years. I'm a bit worried about his taking place in the 1800s (not a big period fan here.) But when his name is attached to a movie, I trust him.

Five Films that Could Be Great but Could Suck:

The Chronicles of Riddick: I loved Pitch Black, which this is a prequel to, so this could be a good fun sci-fi adventure. When Vin Diesel is at his best, (as he was in Pitch Black) he's awesome and-in my opinion-the only competition for The Rock with heir to the Ah-nold throne. And Judi Dench gives it some credibility. But the trailer doesn't do much for me. . . just looks a bit cheesy. But we'll see. I'll give it a shot. Can't be near as bad as XXX.

Alien Vs. Predator: First off in the negative area: no Sigourney Weaver. How do you do an Aliens film without her!? Second Paul Anderson is directing. While he didn't do bad with Resident Evil, he hasn't inspired in me the confidence that he can tackle such a series with a great legacy as Aliens (especially when my Halloween screening of the original was a terrifying reminder of how great the movie is.) But the trailer is promising. And I loved last years match up of Jason and Freddy, so this could be another fun battle.

King Arthur: I'm in love with Kiera Knightley, so seeing her decked out in battle garb is what's getting me into the theater. I also like Jerry Bruckheimer's films. But the trailer looks a bit drab to me. . . kind of a Braveheart ripoff. The King arthur story just has never interested me that much (unless Monty Python's involved.) But Antoine Fuqua is a promising filmmaker (Training Day, Tears of the Sun and The Replacement Killers were all good movies.) So I'm torn.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story: The preview for this was very funny. Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller are always great fun to watch. It looks like it could have that silly Zoolander vibe. But, like all comedies that try and go for over-the-top silly, you can either have Zoolander (which I love) or The Waterboy (another story.)

Around the World in 80 Days: Every fiber of my being wants to dread this movie. It's a silly, Disney adaptation masquerading as a Rat Race type comedy with slapstick comedy and adventure. But the trailer made me smile. Jackie Chan is always a great deal of fun to watch. Arnold's cameo looks very funny. And Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson as the Wright Brothers is a hilarious idea. So even though I don't want to like it, I think it could be a Shanghai Noon type of surprise.

Two films that prove summer has gone to the cats. . .and that's a bad thing. . .

Catwoman: Halle, Halle, Halle. Where did we go wrong? You have an Oscar. You have been in great movies. You've already gotten the comic book thing going with Storm in X-Men. You got the cheese out of your system in Swordfish. You were already in The Flintstones. . . so your bad movie days should be beyond you! You're one of the most talented actresses out there. Why are you doing Catwoman? Why is anyone but Michelle Pfeiffer doing Catwoman? Why is there a Catwoman movie without Batman!!?? Why does your costume look so silly? Why am I wasting time and brain cells thinking about a movie I will never see?

Garfield: Bill Murray is the only saving grace this movie may have. He's the perfect voice for the fat cat. And after his wonderful role in Lost In Translation, he's allowed to wallow in some crap. But this, like Scooby Doo before it, is a desecration of my childhood? The CGI Garfield is so ugly. I refuse to believe that the stupid dog dancing around is Odie. Brecking Meyer as John Arbuckle. . . okay, that's alright. Jennifer Love Hewitt is the female Freddy Prinze Jr. . . a talent vacuum. If they touch The Smurfs I'm going to cry.