2011 Summer Movie Guide

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Like any other recent summer, the mix of movies being offered up is heavy on the Action/Adventure movies (11) and Comedies (10). There's also plenty of offerings for Kids/Families (8).

What's new this year is the addition of more R-rated comedies, thanks in no small measure to The Hangover's runaway success two summers back. The season also kicks off sooner than ever before — nearly a month before the Memorial Day Weekend. Then again, it's been a long, brutal winter, so we're certainly not complaining.

April 2011 Movies[+] Show Month

29		Dylan Dog: Dead of Night Adaptation of the popular Italian detective comic book Dylan Dog was already released there on March 16 to reviews ranging from "it's a good B-movie" to "it's far worse than any bad expectation." Stars: Brandon Routh, Peter Stormare, Sam Huntington"	Horror	» watch trailer » view photos
		Fast Five Originally set for a June release, the fifth movie in the Fast and Furious series kicks off the 2011 summer movie season in April. Vin Diesel is back with Paul Walker and joined by newcomer Dwayne Johnson, whose most recent contract requires that he star only in movies containing "fast" or Faster in the title. Stars: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Paul Walker	Action/ Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
		Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil Six years after the original Hoodwinked!, including several delays due to Weinstein & Co. financial troubles and a premature Burger King kids meal media campaign, the sequel is finally hitting theaters. Whether it's worth the wait probably depends on if you're old enough to remember the original and how attached you were to Anne Hathaway as Red. Stars: Hayden Panettiere, Patrick Warburton, Joan Cusack	Kids/ Family	» watch trailer » view photos
		Prom Walt Disney's non-threatening take on the high school ritual, targeted at those attending prom at about this time, starring a bunch of people you've never heard of (but might hear of again in a couple years). Stars: Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, Kylie Bunbury	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos

May 2011 Movies[+] Show Month

6		Thor Summer's first big comic book movie, starring Australian hunk Chris Hemsworth as the god of thunder and directed by Kenneth Branagh. The teaser trailer shown at Comic-Con last July was leaked and then promptly pulled, forcing fans to wait for the Super Bowl to see it. Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman	Action/ Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
		Something Borrowed Best-selling love-triangle novel by Emily Giffin gets adapted for the big screen in season's first rom-com, and obvious Thor counterprogramming. Stars: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, Colin Egglesfield	Romance/ Chick Flicks	» watch trailer » view photos
13		Bridesmaids Jud Apatow-produced wedding comedy starring SNL alums Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph plus Melissa McCarthy, who looks to be the female version of Zach Galifianakis. Stars: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos
		Priest 2010's Legion was pretty awful, so we didn't expect another religiously themed horror/thriller by director Scott Stewart and starring Paul Bettany, like, ever, but here it is. By the looks of the trailer, it features especially grotesque and terrifying vampires that look an awful lot like aliens. Stars: Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q	Horror	» watch trailer » view photos
20		Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides The Pirates franchise was running on fumes with 2007's extremely disappointing At World's End but the pic still made more than $300M, meaning the temptation to make another sequel was irresistible. Perhaps with the addition of Penelope Cruz and 3-D, the fourth time will be a charm, much like it was for Shrek Forever After. Stars: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane	Action/ Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
26		The Hangover 2 The Hangover is the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in movie history so a sequel was a certainty. Heather Graham doesn't return, but Ken Jeong (the hilariously profane Mr. Chow), Mike Tyson, and the Wolfpack do. The trailer was pulled in April because it insinuated a monkey nibbling on a penis. Stars: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos
		Kung Fu Panda 2 Marketed as "the continuing adventures of Po," this sequel to the popular 2008 kid pic Kung Fu Panda returns the stellar voice cast, however the director is major league rookie Jennifer Yuh, whose previous directorial filmography includes "unknown episodes" of the 1997 TV series Spawn. Stars: Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen	Kids/ Family	» watch trailer » view photos

June 2011 Movies[+] Show Month

3		X-Men: First Class This Marvel comic book adaptation is a prequel to the first three X-Men movies. Fans can only hope it will be as fun to watch as the drama involved in making the movie, with Bryan Singer jettisoned as the director (much to some people's pleasure) in favor of Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass), and Vaughn having to re-write part of the script after seeing Inception. Stars: Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Alice Eve	Action/ Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
10		Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer Megan Jo McDonald's book series about the humorous adventures of 3rd grader Judy Moody, who has an abundance of individuality and attitude, comes to the big screen. Stars: Jordana Beatty, Heather Graham, Preston Bailey	Kids/ Family	» watch trailer » view photos
		Super 8 This sci-fi pic, directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg, was originally thought to be a sequel to 2008's Cloverfield, but Abrams dismissed down those rumors and told critics to go watch the trailer. We did, and it has us extremely intrigued. Stars: Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Gabriel Basso	Thriller/ Mystery	» watch trailer » view photos
17		Green Lantern Another comic book adaptation, this time from the DC universe, featuring a power ring-wearing superhero played by Ryan Reynolds. Like X-Men: First Class, the pic has been in "development hell" for years so fans are excited to see if all the off-screen drama and waiting was really worth it. Warner Brothers is betting "yes" since plans for a sequel are already in the works. Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard	Action/ Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
		Mr. Popper's Penguins Popular children's book series gets live-action, big-screen treatment with Jim Carrey starring as Mr. Popper, who inherits six penguins and tries turning his apartment into a suitable habitat for them. Noah Baumbach was originally set to direct and Ben Stiller to star, but both dropped out, which is an ominous sign. Stars: Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino, Angela Lansbury	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos
24		Bad Teacher Suspend your disbelief that Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake star as high school teachers, and this extremely foul-mouthed pic could upset both The Hangover 2 and The Change-Up as this summer's funniest movie. Stars: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Jason Segel	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos
		Cars 2 With the exception of Toy Story Pixar doesn't do sequels, and Cars seems like an odd choice since it's arguably the weakest of all the Pixar pics. At any rate, director John Lasseter is back, this time with help from Brad Lewis (Ratatouille). Sadly, a voice replacement for Doc Hudson, mayor of Radiator Springs, was required. Stars: Owen Wilson, Dan Whitney, Michael Caine	Kids/ Family	» watch trailer » view photos
29		Transformers: Dark of the Moon Director Michael Bay and star Shia LaBeouf have both acknowledged the crappiness of Transformers 2 and promised Transformers 3 will be better. While that bar is set pretty low, they'll have to do it without the services of Megan Fox, who was unceremoniously dropped from the series in favor of 23-year-old Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Stars: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel	Action/ Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos

July 2011 Movies[-] Hide Month

1		Larry Crowne Strong Transformers 3 counterprogramming comes in the form of a Tom Hanks–Julia Roberts rom-com, directed by Hanks and co-written by him and Nia Vardalos, most famous for her work on the Oscar-nominated My Big Fat Greek Wedding nearly a decade ago. Stars: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Cedric the Entertainer	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos
		Monte Carlo Pop star, actress, and Bieber-bait Selena Gomez stars in this fantasy rom-com about three girls posing as socialites in Monaco, which leads to their falling in love with a couple of the hot local guys. Stars: Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, Katie Cassidy	Romance/ Chick Flick	» watch trailer » view photos
8		Horrible Bosses A Jennifer Aniston–Jason Bateman rom-com about a woman who impregnates herself with the wrong sperm ... uh, nevermind ... that was last summer's Aniston-Bateman rom-com, The Switch. This summer they reunite for Horrible Bosses about workers who conspire to kill them, in what sounds like an Office Space update. Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Isaiah Mustafa	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos
		The Zookeeper Fans of anthropomorphic flicks are hoping that 2011 is their year, as Furry Vengeance, Marmaduke, and Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore were three of the biggest turkeys of 2010. Kevin James essentially plays mall cop again, but in a zookeeper costume, adding an A-list of voice talent as the animals. Stars:Kevin James, Sylvester Stallone, Adam Sandler	Kids/ Family	» watch trailer » view photos
15		Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Well, this is it, Potter fans. It will be hard to see the long-running series end, but try taking it better than star Daniel Radcliffe has. Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson	Action/ Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
		Winnie the Pooh Already released in the UK to middling reviews, this Disney reboot of Pooh hits the big screen as the 51st full-length animated movie starring the lovable, honey-loving bear. Stars: Jim Cummings, Bud Luckey, Craig Ferguson	Kids/ Family	» watch trailer » view photos
22		Captain America: The First Avenger Superhero pic focuses on the early days of the Marvel Universe when sickly Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into Nazi-fighting Super Soldier Captain America. Allaying fears he wasn't big enough for the role, Chris Evans showed up at Comic-Con with bulges his shirt could barely contain. Stars: Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Hugo Weaving	Action/ Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
		Friends with Benefits Rom-com starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake recently made news because it was rumored Timberlake and Kunis were real-life friends with benefits after his split from Jessica Biel. Directed by Will Gluck, who had a hit last year with Easy A. Stars: Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos
29		Cowboys and Aliens A sci-fi western based on the graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, it's been newsworthy due to Robert Downey Jr. dropping out for scheduling reasons and Olivia Wilde apparently going full-frontal. Directed by Iron Man's Jon Favreau, who likes dropping production bits from his Twitter account. Stars: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde	Action/ Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
		Crazy, Stupid, Love. A-list-star-studded rom-com about a shlubby 40-something guy stunned by his wife's desire for a divorce who gets back in the game with help from a studly 30-something wingman. Stars: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore	Romance/ Chick Flick	» watch trailer » view photos
		The Smurfs Not to sound like a bunch of Grumpy Smurfs, but putting an '80s cartoon about small blue creatures to the big screen seems a big demographic miss. What's next? A Snorks movie? If anyone can help save it, it's '90s television star Neil Patrick Harris (and also Katy Perry as the voice of Smurfette). Stars: Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Katy Perry	Kids/ Family	» watch trailer » view photos

August 2011 Movies[-] Hide Month

5		The Change-Up A Freaky Friday-style body-swap flick, this time with a married middle-aged guy switching places with a young, single lothario. Oh, yeah, and an R-rating. Directed by David Dobkin, perhaps best known for making the classic dude pic Wedding Crashers. Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, Leslie Mann	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos
		Rise of the Planet of the Apes Prequel to the original 1968 Charlton Heston Planet of the Apes and a cautionary tale against genetic engineering, as a doctor's tinkering leads to enhanced ape intelligence and then, of course, a battle against humans for planetary dominance. Direction from sci-fi rookie Rupert Wyatt is raising red flags far beyond enlarged ape brains. Stars: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow	Action/ Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
12		30 Minutes or Less Action-comedy about two criminals who kidnap a pizza delivery man and force him to rob a bank within 30 minutes. Hence the title. This is the first movie directed by Ruben Fleisher since his 2009 hit Zombieland (which also starred Jesse Eisenberg). Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari	Comedy	» watch trailer » view photos
		The Help Adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's wildly popular novel by the same name, about a white writer who causes controversy by interviewing and writing about black maids in the heavily segregated Mississippi of 1962. Stars: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard	Drama	» watch trailer » view photos
		Final Destination 5 Just like in 2009, another Final Destination movie closes out the summer movie season. Will it be the grand finale or the crew picking up the elephant poop? Stars: Nicholas D'Agosto, Miles Fisher, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood	Horror	» watch trailer » view photos
19		Conan the Barbarian A project that has been in development since the 1990s finally hits theaters as a new adaptation of the 1984 version that turned Arnold Schwarzenegger into a household name. Whether it turns title star Jason Momoa into a household name remains to be seen. Stars: Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang	Action/ Adventure	» watch trailer » view photos
		Fright Night Remake of the 1985 horror movie about a teenager who discovers his neighbor is a vampire, but not before his mother falls under his spell. Stars: Anton Yelchin, Colin J. Farrell, Toni Collette	Horror	» watch trailer » view photos
		Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World It's been seven years since the brutally bad Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over clearly signaled it was Game Over for the kid spy series. But director Robert Rodriguez, spurred on by sons Rocket, Racer, Rebel, and Rogue revives the franchise with #4, giving Jessica Alba another good shot at a Razzie win. Stars: Jessica Alba, Alexa Vega, Jeremy Piven	Kids/ Family	» watch trailer » view photos
26		Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Remake of the 1973 made-for-TV horror movie about a girl who warns her dad and girlfriend that there are evil creatures living in the basement, and they start believing her after strange things keep happening in the obviously haunted house. Trailer takes the prize for scariest and creepiest of the 2011 summer movie season. Stars: Guy Pearce, Katie Holmes, Bailee Madison	Horror	» watch trailer » view photos