Ripping Good Yarns: Tom's Top Ten Summer Movies

It's summer movie season!  Less frou-frou and more melodramatic action.  The best movie season for Rippers!

This is my personal list, so it may be a little top heavy with science fiction and fantasy, but there you go,  Please comment any additional movies that you are anticipating that I did not including.

Just missing the list are Monsters University (a prequel to the delightful Monsters Inc voiced by Billy Crystal and John Goodman), The Wolverine (if I knew for sure that Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde was in it, this would be in my top ten - it probably is in Alison's and our friend Karissa's as it features their favorite Hugh Jackman), and White House Down (interesting concept, but I have little faith in the Director Roland Emmerich nor have I been much impressed with the lead Channing Tatum).

I probably will only see two or three of these at the theater   The rest I will catch over the next year or so on DVD or streaming.

10)  This looks very imaginative, like a MIB movie, except with ghosts and the supernatural rather than aliens.  Jeff Bridges looks like he plays a two-eyed version of Rooster Cogburn from Tue Grit. Scheduled premiere date for R.I.P.D. is July 19th.

9)  Why do rate a third sequel, The Hangover Part III so high?  Because I've seen the previews, man!  The giraffe is one of the awfullest sick humor jokes I've seen since Animal house.  Looks like free spirited fun and black comedy chaos! Scheduled premiere date is May 24th.

8)  Giant mutant monsters vs.  giant man-powered robots!  Need I say more?  Okay , how about this?  The Director is the brilliant Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth).  Pacific Rim's Scheduled premiere date is July 12th.

7)  How can I miss one that stars two of my favorite comediennes  Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy?  Answer?  I frigging can't!  The Heat is burning your way June 28th!

6)  Wasn't too sure about this one, until I saw that M. Night  Shyamalan  (The Sixth Sense, Signs) was directing, and Will Smith usually selects quality science fiction projects.  This one also feature his son, Jadyn Smith (The Karate Kid), a quality actor in his own right. After Earth premieres June 7th.

5) Elysium...see where it says from the director of District 9?  Nuff' said.  Premieres  August 9th.

4) Brad Pitt takes on the zombie apocalypse.  I read the book that this is based on, written by Max Brooks (Mel Brook's son).  Looking forward to seeing this visualized.  World War Z starts June 21st.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

3) The previews for this are so good, it makes me almost shiver with anticipation.  The imaginative and brilliant Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) directs and it's themes ring out well for our own times.  The Great Gatsby premieres May 10th.

2)  J. J. Abrams revival of Star Trek a couple years back was off the chain awesome, and this looks even BETTER.  The premiere date of Star Trek Into Darkness is not the one listed on this early poster, but is right around the corner - May 17th! 

1)  I am a number one, big time Superman fan, so this is definitely at the very top of my list.  My understanding is that efforts are made to make Superman a little bit more accessible and not quite so all powerful   There is a great cast and director around this movie, so I await with great anticipation.  Man of Steel premieres June 14th.  I hope to be there, in the theater, that day, watching the never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American Way!