Summertime: It's all about the blockbusters

Summer is fast approaching and that means we are soon to be faced with the lovely summer rays (we hope), fun days out at the beach and a whole host of box office hits.

Yes, summer is the time of year when the film companies battle it out to see who can achieve the biggest blockbuster and this summer is no different as we have some solid contenders emerging onto the big screen.

From next month, we will see the madness begin as Disney launch the first challenger, Hannah Montana (released 1st May), a film adapted from the small screen about a girl leading a secret double life as a pop star that will be a huge hit with teenage girls everywhere. With it appealing to a limited audience it is unlikely to blow us all away but, the kids will love it. Next we have Angels and Demons (released 14th May) the sequel to The Da Vinci Code starring Tom Hanks; there hasn’t been much hype about this one yet but, it might be a dark horse. May also sees the release of Night at the Museum 2 (released 22nd May), and this one’s probably going to be a bit of a stab in the dark. Yes, the first movie was entertaining enough but, do we want to see another one? Not really. Definitely not a contender for the summer 2009 blockbuster title although, again it will be a hit with the kids.

June sees the film industry up their game as Terminator: Salvation is released on 3rd June and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is released on 24th June. It’s lucky these two are spaced apart as the battle between them is going to be fierce. These will be a huge hit with the blokes and even the ladies might like to get in on the action. I have my doubts about Terminator though, it just won’t be the same for most people without Arnie on screen.

July brings yet more kid’s films just in time for their school holidays. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is released on 1ST July and is guaranteed to be one of the favourites this summer as it follows the misfit group of friends through another historical era.

Johnny Depp will be back on our screens from 3rd July as he stars with Christian Bale in crime film Public Enemies; this one won’t steal the limelight but, will undoubtedly be a great film.
Next we have Bruno (released 10th July)which will take us on another of Sacha Baron Cohen’s bizarre adventures, this time as camp Austrian TV presenter; it’s unlikely this one will rake in the biggest ratings either but, it will definitely be worth a look.

Now for the big one … drum roll please ... July 17th sees the release of one of the year’s most anticipated films as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is out after an agonising 8 month delay. My prediction is that this film will sweep the board with everything else and will be this summer’s biggest blockbuster; I personally can’t wait to see it. With so much hype though and with it being based on such an important book, there is the possibility that many fans of the Harry Potter novels will be disappointed with the film adaptation. Nevertheless, it is guaranteed to be a brilliant watch.

Things start to quieten down a bit in August though with G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (7th August) being released at the beginning of the month and Tarantino’s new film Inglorious Basterds (21ST August), about a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as ‘The Basterds’ who set out to scalp and kill the Nazi’s, being released at the end of the month.

So, there you have it. That’s the summer hits in a nutshell. Perhaps, there aren’t as many sure fire successes for this season as we have seen in previous years but, it still looks set to be a pretty good summer film-wise and at least if the weather does let us down (when doesn’t it?) there will be plenty to keep us entertained indoors.