This is the last update for movies from the Daily News for the school year, so let's not dwell on the past.
Instead, let's jump into the greatest movie season of the year: the summer.
Being out of school means turning off your brain and relaxing. The perfect companion to that is the mindless, fun action that the summer film blockbusters offer.
The first film that is a must-see for the summer comes out the last day of finals. It is "Iron Man 2" with Robert Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau returning to the adventures of the man in the metal helmet.
If May wasn't amazing enough with the "Iron Man" sequel, the rest of the month is packed with one hyped release after another. The following week is Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood." Russell Crowe portrays the prince of thieves in this epic retelling in only the way that the men behind "Gladiator" could.
On May 21, "Shrek Forever After" will be the last journey for the giant, green ogre. Waging battle with the ogre is the "Saturday Night Live"-inspired film "MacGruber," which looks hysterical and action-packed enough to satisfy the blockbuster hunger.
Ending May is another epic adventure, but this time it's based on a video game. "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" has just enough stylized action to end the month right. For women, also out that weekend is "Sex and the City 2," which finds the girls traveling to Morocco.
June brings the comedy with "Get Him to the Greek" opening the first weekend of the month along with "Marmaduke," which is aimed at the family crowd. "Greek" follows the rocker from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (Russell Brand) on his own adventure, while "Marmaduke" brings the comic dog to life to wreak havoc.
On June 11, take your choice of fugitive action with "The A-Team" or the remake of the beloved classic, "The Karate Kid."
The next weekend brings my most anticipated family film of the summer to theaters, "Toy Story 3." If Pixar doesn't win over the adult crowd on the 18th, then the Western comic adaptation "Jonah Hex" just might.
To end the month, take your pick of either "Grown Ups," the comedy with a lineup of many of today's most popular comedians, or "Knight and Day." In the latter, Tom Cruise returns to the screen for the first time in almost two years for this action film.
July starts off with probably my least favorite of pop films, but I'll give it credit for building a fan base: "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse." The film probably going to be left in the box office wake is M. Night Shyamalan's new work "The Last Airbender," which is based on a cartoon.
Dreamworks' launches "Despicable Me" July 9 along with the reboot of "Predators."
The following week has Disney returning to interesting adaptations with Nicolas Cage starring in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." Skip that one to see my most anticipated summer release: "Inception." Christopher Nolan follows up "The Dark Knight" with this twisted thriller about the architecture of the mind.
On July 23, comedy and action do battle again. Both "Dinner with the Schmucks," starring Steve Carell and Paul Rudd on an awkward dinner date, and "Salt," starring Angelina Jolie in a spy thriller, open that day.
July 30 looks like the weakest weekend of the summer with only "The Adjustment Bureau" opening. This film reteams Matt Damon with a scribe from "The Bourne Ultimatum" in a story about a politician falling for a ballerina, only to find forces keeping them apart.
I have to say that even with July's weak ending, August starts off right with the Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg comedy about office-bound detectives dreaming of the real action on the streets in "The Other Guys."
Just before school starts back up, you have a chance to catch one last great film in the summer with "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World." If you haven't seen the trailer, look it up immediately because Edgar Wright and Michael Cera join to make a film that looks amazing.
If these films aren't enough to spark your interest, just look up the several others I didn't have room for. Enjoy your summer at the theater.
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