Upcoming Releases — June

Well, one down three to go for summer movie months. May had its fair share of pleasant surprises. Now it's time to hope June can do the same! Here's a look at what to expect this month.

Friday, June 1:
Snow White and the Huntsman — The second "Snow White" film of the year, this is the one that looks like a prize. The trailer is awesome and, Kristen Stewart aside, the cast looks pretty awesome too. Charlize Theron can play a good villain, and she looks to be in her element here. Chris Hemsworth, meanwhile, is having quite a spring and summer. He was in the excellent "Cabin in the Woods," reprised his role of Thor in "The Avengers" and now looks to play the hero in this film. In other words, his year has been the opposite of Taylor Kitsch so far. Look for that to continue. This may be one of the better, more fascinating films of the summer.

Piranha 3DD — Um, yeah... not so much. The first Piranha was overly graphic, overly sexual, and attempted to diminish the legacy of "Jaws." This one looks worse. These are the kind of films that get dumped on us during summer sometimes...

Battlefield America — Cool name, lame concept. This film features little kids from the hood, a guy trying to do as little as possible to satisfy his community service sentence, and a dance battle/competition. So, yeah, I think we know what to expect here.

Friday, June 8:
Prometheus — This comes from director Ridley Scott and, in some way, connects to his work on the legendary film "Alien." The details of the plot and story have been closely guarded, but the trailers look pretty awesome. It has a great cast — Theron, Idris Elba, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, and Logan Marshall-Green — and comes from writer Damon Lindeloff, who was an executive producer on "LOST." This could be one of the most fascinating films of the summer.

Madagascar 3 — Our first big animated feature of the summer. This features the familiar cast and crew doing some familiar things. This summer's biggest animated features are all sequels... save for the Pixar entry.

Friday, June 15:
Rock of Ages — Here comes a musical, using rock of the big hair era of the 1980s. The film features a stellar cast — including Alec Baldwin, Julianne Hough, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul Giamatti, and Tom Cruise — and looks like it could be fun. Or it could be a disaster. It comes from "Hairspray" director Adam Shankman, and either way it's the biggest gamble of the summer season.

That's My Boy — Somebody please help Adam Sandler. He has made a string of awful films, and this one looks like it will join that company. "Jack and Jill" seemed like a low point, but watching the trailer for this film helps you realize Sandler might not yet have hit bottom.

The Woman in the Fifth — A creepy looking thriller starring Ethan Hawke and Kristen Scott Thomas. Could be good. Definitely looks weird. Not your typical summer release...

Friday, June 22:
The Brave — This is the latest film from Pixar, and it's sure to be one of the better animated features of the year. After bottoming out with "Cars 2" last summer, the animated geniuses at Pixar are looking to rebound in a big way with this tale of an unorthodox princess.

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter — This historical fiction piece is based on the novel from Seth Grahame-Smith. It looks like it will be one of the most inspired, fun action films of the summer. It comes from producer Tim Burton and the trailers look pretty nifty.

Seeking a Friend at the End of the World — This dramedy, featuring Steve Carrell and Kiera Knightly, looks like a bit of summer fun. It's got a unique premise, and the trailers look promising.

Friday, June 29:
Magic Mike — This is the tale of a group of male strippers. It is loosely based on Channing Tatum's life. Um, yeah, that's all I have to say about this one.

Ted — This film comes from "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarland. It stars Mila Kunis and Mark Wahlberg and looks hilarious. It is jumping up from its original July release date and, as far as I know, doesn't feature any male strippers. That makes it a good alternative to "Magic Mike."

Madea's Witness Protection — Tyler Perry goes back to his roots with another Madea tale. This one features Denise Richards and Eugene Levy too. If you like Madea movies, this one is for you.