Feature: Summer 2011 Preview

It's late April, which means we're mere days away from the start of the official summer movie season (May to August). This year, we get a lot of superheroes, a lot of sequels, several reboots or remakes, and even one or two originals. Here's my list of what's on my radar for the months ahead in order of personal anticipation, with embedded trailers from YouTube for your delectation. The release dates refer to the UK.




10. Cowboys & Aliens - 12 Aug - One of those blockbusters where the title basically is the plot, Jon Favreau's upcoming sci-fi/western hybrid surely deserves a watch based purely on that barmy premise, and a good cast led by Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford.



9. Conan the Barbarian - 19 Aug - Arnie's Conan is semi-iconic but neither of his outings in the horned helmet were that great (the first one is fun though). Perhaps someone can finally nail the tone? Somehow I doubt the new Conan, Jason Momoa, will quite have Arnie's presence, but you never know.



8. Attack the Block - 13 May - The tagline of this British movie is "Inner City vs. Outer Space". Tells you all you need to know, I think. It could be great, could be awful - I'm willing to give it a chance.



7. Thor (27 Apr)/Captain America (29 July)/Green Lantern (17 June) - I know, it's a cheat to put these three together, but I see them in the same light - three attempts to launch new superhero franchises. Both Thor and Lantern have major sci-fi trappings which intrigue me, while Cap's World War II setting gives some variety.







6. Water for Elephants - 4 May - The pairing of Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson screams chick flick, but the plot of the film sounds interesting (involving a travelling circus in the 1930s). It'll certainly look nice, if nothing else - Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, Constantine) knows how to shoot a pretty film.



5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - 18 May - Call me an optimist. Despite At World's End's major suckage, I think this new Jack Sparrow tale could be good. A new director and an apparent willingness to learn from past mistakes has me hoping that this repeats the form of the original. Somehow, I don't have the same optimism for Transformers.



4. Hanna - 6 May - An intriguing-sounding concept, Hanna has been likened to Bourne, except its lead is a teenage girl (Saoirse Ronan). The promising Joe Wright directs - anyone who can make a version of Pride & Prejudice that I love deserves major kudos.



3. X-Men: First Class - 2 June - "Young X-Men" sounds like an awful idea, but in the hands of Matthew Kick-Ass Vaughn it looks like we might have a winner. Set in the 1960s, it shows how mutants were involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and according to the director, has the feel of a vintage Bond film. Sign me up.



2. The Tree of Life - 4 May - Terrence Malick will always be an acquired taste, but for me, it's a guaranteed ticket sold. The Tree of Life sounds like one of his most ambitious and plain "out there" films yet, and no-one knows quite what it's about. I also wouldn't be surprised if the release is moved back even at this late stage.



1. Super 8 - 19 Aug - J.J. Abrams' homage to Close Encounters-era Spielberg is typically mysterious, and the trailer shows huge promise. It's clear Abrams is making something close to his heart, akin to the films he grew up with in the 1980s. He's a master at promotion too - I don't really know what to expect, but I know I have to see it.