Helluva Season - Summer Blockbuster 2012 Lineup

Well ladies and gentlemen, the 2012 summer blockbuster season is here and let me tell you it's going to be a helluva summer. There are so many great films back to back to back this year. I'm extremely thankful that I have my newspaper movie review gig that way I'm forced to go to the theatre every week. For more than a decade now I've tried to see every summer movie that has come out. In all that time, I don't think I've ever actually caught all the big summer movies on my list. This summer will be different, I will see all of them. One of the benefits of living in a smallerish town is that our local theatre rarely opens more than two movies per week. There are a lot of less mainstream films that are also going to open this summer, but the major ones all make it here.

There is really something magical about the summer movie season. There's no feeling in the world like being able to escape the heat, see an awesome film, and then be bombared with a heat wave and blinded by the light of day when you leave. Summer is a freaking candy store to fans of comic book movies and action films, but all the same there is a lot to be said for films that are just plain fun. There's always a couple of 'high quality/Oscar caliber' films that open, but the real splendor of summer is the pure, unfiltered fun that can be had. Films like G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra a couple years ago was by all rights a terrible film, but I had a great time at it.

In honor of the summer movie season I wanted to provide you with three lists. First is a list of all the major summer films opening this season. Second, I will provide my best guesses for the highest grossing films of the summer. Third, I will provide a list of what I anticipate to be the greatest/most enjoyable movies of the summer and my best guesses for how I will eventually rank them.

Summer Movie Release Schedule

• May 4 - The Avengers


• May 11 - Dark Shadows


• May 18 - Battleship


• May 25 - Men in Black III


• June 1 - Snow White and the Huntsman


• June 8 - Prometheus / Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted


• June 15 - Rock of Ages


• June 22 - Brave / Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter


• June 29 - G.I. Joe: Retaliation


• July 3 - The Amazing Spider-Man


• July 13 - Ice Age: Continental Drift / Ted


• July 20 - The Dark Knight Rises


• July 27 - Step Up Revolution


• August 3 - Total Recall / The Bourne Legacy


• August 10 - The Campaign


• August 17 - Expendables 2


• August 24 - Premium Rush


• August 31 - Lawless

Highest Grossing Summer Movies (Domestic Box Office Gross from May - August Only)

1. The Avengers


2. The Dark Knight Rises


3. The Amazing Spider-Man


4. Prometheus


5. Men in Black III


6. Brave


7. Battleship


8. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted


9. Snow White and the Huntsman


10. G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Highest Rated Summer Movies (Listed in Order of Expected Greatness/Enjoyment)

1. The Dark Knight Rises


2. The Avengers


3. Prometheus


4. The Amazing Spider-Man


5. Total Recall


6. Snow White and the Huntsman


7. Men in Black III


8. Brave


9. G.I. Joe: Retaliation


10. Expendables 2

Please keep in mind that these are only guesses. I could be way off base with some of these, but that's part of the fun of summer - seeing what comes out on top. By far the hardest thing for me when making these lists was the placement of Dark Knight Rises and Avengers. I believe the Dark Knight will resonate with me on a more emotional/intellectual level, but Avengers was just so damn awesome. Furthermore, in terms of Box Office gross for the summer, The Avengers has the lead film position and has all three months to earn money, The Dark Knight Rises only has six weeks. I really hope I'm surprised, but I think Avengers will take the cake on earnings. I grant that I should have had this article in the can before watching The Avengers, but meh, it's not that much foreknowledge of grosses and it doesn't help for multi-film comparison.

What are your lists for this summer? Anyone out there disagree with my Dark Knight Rises/Avengers rankings? Sound off in the comments below!