Summer ‘10 Preview: Beach Blockbuster Bingo

Sequels! We got sequels! Get your red-hot sequels here!

If the 2010 Summer movie season sounds familiar it’s because you’ve seen much of it before.

The film industry’s reliance on sequels, remakes and reboots is about to hit a fever pitch, and there’s not a dang thing movie fans can do about – except have faith that a “Godfather, Part II” is lurking out there, somewhere.

“Iron Man 2” (May 7) – Go See It: “Iron Man” proved the perfect blend of savvy filmmaking and popcorn movie elegance, and Robert Downey, Jr.’s career renaissance began the moment he invented that gun-metal gray suit. On Second Thought: Too many new characters threaten to squelch the real man of steel’s mojo, and the early reviews say the sequel can’t compare to the giddy original.

“Sex and the City 2” (May 27) – Go See It: The sassy, sexy foursome return for all-new adventures, hoping to prove Grrl Power is still alive and well at the cineplex. This time around, Carrie and co. go to Dubai and run into the too good to be true Aidan (John Corbett) along the way. On Second Thought: The first “Sex” wasn’t all that memorable, pandering to the female fan base while leaving the original show’s sophisticated storytelling in the dust. Can part 2 realistically reverse that trend?
“Toy Story 3″ (June 18) – Go See It: Buzz, Woody and the gang are back for all-new adventures. Do you really need to hear anything else? On Second Thought: Could the all powerful Pixar actually create another “Toy Story” as good as the first two installments? Just how much Pixie Dust does this studio actually possess?
“Shrek Forever After” (May 21) – Go See It: Mike Myers’ best role isn’t Austin Powers, it’s playing the voice of the irrepressible green ogre. And with “Shrek 3″ disappointing critics and fans alike, the franchise is itching to end on a high note: On Second Thought: Can fans realistically expect a creative rebound for a series running on fumes the last time ’round? And the new film’s reliance on an “It’s a Wonderful Life” gimmick seems like a reboot within a remake.
“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” (June 30) – Go See It: Edward and Bella appeared ready to take their relationship to the next level, as the kids are wont to say, at the tail end of “New Moon.” But that pesky, hunky Taylor Lautner keeps getting in the way. “Twilight” faithful don’t need to hear another syllable. On Second Thought: Director David Slade is a steep step down from either Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight”) and Chris Weitz (“New Moon”). And how are they able to crank out these Twi-sequels so quickly?
“Predators” (July 9) – Go See It: Casting an Oscar winner like Adrien Brody in the leading role is a fine way to ground some silly sci-fi fun. On Second Thought: Danny Glover proved in “Predator 2″ he was no replacement for the Governator. Will Brody suffer a similar fate? And will the foul taste left by the two “Alien vs. Predator” films hurt this reboot?