Green Lantern (June 17)
“In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might, beware my power, Green Lantern’s light!” So goes the motto of the Green Lantern. One expects Ryan Reynolds will utter those lines at least once in the movie. To not do so would be unforgiveable. The trailer didn’t exactly blow us away, but who hasn’t been dying to see a big space epic like “Green Lantern” on the big screen? This will probably be the first superhero movie that leaves Earth for the wild frontier of intergalactic adventure. Look, crazy looking aliens with power rings! Martin Campbell directs. Full Preview Page.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (July 1)
I don’t care what anyone says: “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” did exactly what I expected it too — it amped up the action and robot fighting and even threw in a little dose of racist comedy to boot. You can’t buy that for a buck just anywhere, you know. The third “Transformers” movie, “Dark of the Moon” has a silly title, but promises to be even bigger and more epic in scope. The teaser trailer didn’t reveal much, but it was enough to leave us wanting more. The loss of Megan Fox as the female lead is disappointing, but swapping her with a Victoria’s Secret supermodel was genius. Michael Bay, who has directed every film in the franchise so far, directs again. Full Preview Page.
Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22)
Who hasn’t been waiting with bated breath to see Captain America smash some Nazi scum on the big screen in a proper big-budget Hollywood movie? Even moreso than “Thor”, the Star-Spangled Avenger will set the stage for many of Marvel Studios’ upcoming slate of movies, including next year’s sure-to-be epic “The Avengers” movie. Chris Evans as the good Captain will take some getting used to, but as “Sunshine” proves, Evans is by no means a one-trick pony, even if he has stereotyped himself in goofy comedic/action roles in recent years. Slinging that shield should change all that. Joe Johnston directs. Full Preview Page.
Cowboys & Aliens (July 29)
Hard to believe, but “Cowboys and Aliens” may just end up being the sleeper hit of 2011. It’s got a mega cast, a mega director calling the shots, but there seems to be very little buzz for it. And what the hell is it about anyway? The title sounds silly, and if you’ve read the original comics, the whole thing does come across as very silly. But if you’ve seen the trailer, you realize that Jon Favreau has not made a silly movie, but a pretty damn serious one about aliens invading the Old West. Now that’s a premise! Full Preview Page.
Conan 3D (August 19)
This is my own personal pick for the sleeper hit of the year. I don’t know why, but I just think it could surprise some people. The cast is pretty solid (arguments about the new Conan’s appropriateness notwithstanding), and the film will enter theaters with almost no real pressure to succeed. Yes, there are huge Conan fans out there, but let’s face it, there isn’t nearly enough of them to make or break this film. When it comes right down to it, an August release date is the way to go, and “Conan” could very well end up making quite the splash. Full Preview Page.
Honorable Mentions:
I am Number Four (February 18)
Source Code (April 1)
Scream 4 (April 15)
The Hangover 2 (May 26)
X-Men: First Class (June 3)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (July 15)
Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (December 16)
Sherlock Holmes 2 (December 16)
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