Summer 2009 Has Its Share Of Blockbuster Movie Potential

Is there anything more enjoyable during the hot summer months than escaping to the cool confines of an air conditioned movie theater? Maybe you like to take the family to an old fashioned Drive-In and watch a movie under the stars. No matter what kind of theater you like to go to, going to the movies in the summer time is a long-standing American tradition.

2008 was definitely a banner season thanks to the overwhelming success of "The Dark Knight," the latest installment in the Batman series. What's on tap for summer 2009? Here's what to watch for.

"Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian" will make its debut during the traditional start of summer: Memorial Day weekend in May. It no doubt promises to be a bit of fluff, like its predecessor: a whole lot of active fun and mayhem without demanding too much thinking from its audience. Nearly the whole cast from the original is returning, and this film will be the first movie of summer geared specifically for the whole family.

"GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra" is a cartoonish live action escapist thriller due out in August. There was some controversy with this movie from the start because the original script called for Joe to be part of an international force of law-keeping operatives. After complaints were registered, some from the military, GI Joe was once again turned into an all-American hero figure! The cast includes Dennis Quaid and Sienna Miller.

"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" is the latest in the popular series of movies from Blue Sky Studios starring Manny the Mammoth, Sid the Sloth, and other assorted prehistoric friends.

Like the two movies before it, this film plays fast and easy with paleontological facts, but who really cares? It's just a lot of fun. Unlike other flicks aimed at kids, there is enough intelligent humor in this series to keep parents interested as well. According to early reports, this installment apparently "feels" like this is the last one of these the studio will make

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" brings back hot young actor Shia LeBoeuf as Sam Witwicky along with a cast of shape-shifting robots. The first movie was a surprise hit last year because, for one thing, it didn't take itself too seriously. This movie continues that tone by pairing breathtaking action with plenty of laughs.

Yes - summer movie time is almost here, and with the economy in the dumps, folks across the country will flock to the theaters to escape their woes, have some laughs, and enjoy a great time with their families: it's an American tradition.