Looking forward to summer box office hits

You can feel it in the air. The rain is not as cold anymore, the air is crisper, and you can see that one leaf on the tree outside your dorm room. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, spring is in the air. Spring marks the beginning of the best time of the year for movies. Sure, you get most of your Oscar worthy films in the later months of the year, but spring marks the beginning of the summer popcorn movie onslaught. The year of 2009 definitely has some hits in the making coming up. Let's take a look at some of the ones worth talking about.

"Fast and Furious"

Release Date: April 3

They took the "the" out of the title and put back all the original cast members in this ailing franchise. When "The Fast and the Furious" debuted, it was a fresh and unique take on action films, especially ones regarding cars. The film has spawned two sequels and a host of copycats but nothing ever really lived up to that that first ride with Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. This new addition to the series hopes to change all that with what appears to be a return to form for the series. Paul Walker and Vin Diesel's on-screen pairing are sure to bring the spark back to those engines. The trailers also displayed some pretty ambitious action sequences so let's hope this film isn't all bark and no bite.

"Dragonball Evolution"

Release Date: April 10

The long-awaited live adaptation of the insanely popular anime/manga "Dragonball" series. Justin Chatwin and James Marsters star in what is already proving to be an extremely divisive film. Fans all over the Internet have been screaming over the inconsistencies between the movie and the manga, and the sad part is that these fans may be right over everything. Many times, fanboys tend to scream and yell and overreact to everything that goes on with their beloved series, but this time it seems they might be on point. The trailer of the film seems to share nothing with the anime except the names of characters. Time will tell if these fans are right.

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine"

Release Date: May 1

After the critical blunder of the third X-Men film, Hugh Jackman desperately wanted to do something with his favorite comic book character to return him to prominence. "Origins" tells the beginnings of Logan and his relationship to Sabertooth and the Weapon X program. The trailer has already shown Wolverine being portrayed as grittier and more like his comic book counterpart than any of the X-Men films before have shown. The trailer has also revealed a slew of new and old mutants include Gambit, Cyclops, and Deadpool (Portrayed by Ryan Reynolds). Live Schreiber joins Jackman as the antagonist Sabertooth. "Origins" may prove to be the invigoration this franchise desperately needs right now.

"Star Trek"

Release Date: May 8th

J.J. Abrams is attempting to do the impossible. He has recast all the original Trek characters and is making a reboot of the entire franchise with a budget that could support a small third world nation. For those who believe the trailer takes itself too seriously, think again. This is exactly what this franchise needs in this era and Abrams is doing an admirable job of making Trek respectable and epic again. The effects look great and should cater to both fans and newbies alike. Also look out for Eric Bana as the main Romulan villain, he is unrecognizable.

"Terminator Salvation"

Release Date: May 21st

It seems like this summer is full of reboots, but this film is actually a continuation. For anyone who follows the "Terminator" franchise, this takes place in the future after doomsday with John Connor leading the resistance. The trailer looks chock full of action and some really cool moments. Christian Bale should add some gravitas to the movie with his role as John Connor while newcomer Sam Worthington looks to be a rising star on his own right. This film will surely spawn sequels.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

Release Date: June 26th

We all knew Michael Bay could not stay away from the crazy explosions and robot wars. Optimus Prime will be shining his hood for this summer's sequel to the mega-hit "Transformers" from two years back. For those who saw the teaser during the Superbowl, be excited. While Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox are back, fans can be put at ease by the fact that this movie promises a lot more robot action than human dialogue. That's what we all want, right? This is Transformers, not Shakespeare. Who doesn't want to see some giant robots duke it out on expressways? This is probably another surefire success.

"Public Enemies"

Release Date: July 1st

Director Michael Mann ("Heat", "Collateral") has taken two of the biggest actors in the industry and pitted them against each other. Johnny Depp plays Johnny Dillinger; a gangster/thief from the 1930's who is being chased by government agent Melvin Purvis (Bale). The manhunt for Dillinger, lead by Purvis eventually gave birth to the FBI. It should truly be a great film with some great acting and great directing. This is the summer film with the best resume.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

Release Date: July 17th

This franchise has gotten darker and more accomplished with time. "Prince" has been hotly anticipated since last year and when Warner Bros. delayed the film to this summer, they only added fuel to the fire. The whole cast is back yet again in this film that promises to be darker and more epic than any Potter story that has preceded it. The actors have grown up and matured both personally and in their acting abilities as the series progressed. This film should showcase the very best these young actors have to offer.

Other Notable films

"GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra"

"Inglorious Bastards"

"Bruno"

"Angels and Demons"