Summer Movie Picks: June

Must See: Moon (June 12, Limited Release)

The Deal: Sam Rockwell (Frost/Nixon, The Green Mile) plays Sam, an astronaut finishing up his 3-year contract on the moon mining Helium-3, Earth's primary energy source. It's a lonely job made worse by a downed communications satellite, leaving him with no one but the on board computer (voiced by Kevin Spacey). Two weeks shy of completion, Sam starts seeing and hearing strange things, and discovers how his employer actually intends to replace him.

Why: Great science fiction films are rare, and good ones are uncommon, but the early buzz for this movie has been overwhelmingly positive. The visuals look beautiful, and the early word is that Rockwell's performance is excellent. Kevin Spacey rarely disappoints, and I think he'll be very interesting playing a computer. This has been the one film I've been counting down to for the last few months more than any other. I want this to be amazing, and it sounds like it just might be. 

Sleepers

The Hangover (June 5): This comedy completely flew under my radar up until a few weeks ago, at which point I started hearing good things about the film. It boasts a familiar comedic cast including Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers), El Helms (The Office), Justin Bartha (National Treasure), and Zach Galifianakis (Tru Calling). The previews look fairly funny, and the word is that the production company has already green-lit a sequel. It must be decent if a second one is coming before the first has even arrived.

Year One (June 19): It's some what of a toss up between this and Land of the Lost. I don't think either will be that great, but they have the casts to make them successful. I'm going with Year One because I'm tired and annoyed of Will Ferrell, but not of Michael Cera and Jack Black. The biggest plus for this film is the supporting cast which includes the always funny Paul Rudd and David Cross, as well as the emerging beauty Olivia Wilde. If it delivers a few good laughs, it should prove to be a decent option for an overly hot summer day.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (June 24): Michael Bay is known for one thing, and one thing only, giant explosions. He's the master of his craft when it comes to giant things blowing up. The first Transformers, though not a masterpiece of cinema, boasted exactly what it promised- big giant robots fighting and lots of explosions. The second installment promises more of the same, and looks to be be bigger, badder, and more adrenaline fueled than before. It doesn't need to have a sound story to fill the theater, because the visuals alone are what carries the film.