Summer Movie Preview

The glorious beginning of summer brings an abrupt end to just about everything else. The end to sleepless nights spent plowing through mountains of homework, the end of weeks spent with unnecessary levels of stress or for some, the end to doing nothing. What is the one thing that won't come to an end? Hollywood's unlimited supply of summer blockbusters. We here at SCO are your guide to this summer's selection of promising films that are sure to be the highlights of 2011!

Super Eight – June 10
Mystery fills the air in this small Ohio town. Set in the summer of 1979, "Super 8" follows a group of friends as they film a movie using a Super 8 mm film camera. While filming, the friends witness a train crash and consequently discover locals who start to disappear while other strange events take place throughout the town. Determined to uncover the truth, the town deputy sets out to find the cause of these bizarre events, but he returns with answers that no one in the town saw coming. "Super 8" has a young cast including Elle Fanning, AJ Michalka and Kyle Chandler. These newcomers, along with Hollywood veterans J. J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg working behind the production, ensure that "Super 8" will be the sci-fi film this summer.

Cars 2 – June 24
America's most lovable group of cars returns this summer for the sequel to Disney Pixar's 2006 film, "Cars." Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), the head of the pack, and Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), the hilariously adorable tow truck, put their friendship to the test when they travel abroad to vie for the title of "world's fastest car" at the World Grand Prix. With Mater's loyal assistance, McQueen seems like a shoo-in for the competition – until Mater becomes distracted by a secret spy mission that could threaten McQueen's chances. Now, Mater must choose between helping his friend achieve glory and becoming involved in international espionage. Look out for outstanding 3D computer animation and a lively "all-car" cast that will have audiences laughing for hours.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon – June 29
Shia LaBeouf reprises his role as Sam Witwicky in the final installment of the "Transformers" trilogy. The story chronicles the space race between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. and focuses on LaBeouf's role as Optimus Prime's ally. One noticeable change in the movie will be Carly Miller (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) who replaces Mikaela (Megan Fox) as Witwicky's love interest. Fox is not the only one absent from this film; Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the writers of the last two films, also did not return. Hopefully, the film's special effects and fresh cast members, such as Ken Jeong, will be enough to compensate for the changes.

Monte Carlo – July 1
Audiences will be swept away by director Tom Bezucha's new romantic comedy "Monte Carlo." Three friends (Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy) embark on their dream vacation to Paris, but when they arrive in the City of Lights, they find that their supposed paradise is not at all what they expected. When one of the girls is mistaken for a British heiress, the three girls pose as socialites and travel to Monte Carlo so that they can experience the vacation – and romances – of a lifetime. With a young cast and adventurous plot, "Monte Carlo" is a light-hearted rom-com that can entertain everyone in the family.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – July 15
It's been a long and drawn out seven months since the first half of the final "Harry Potter" film was released. This summer, the highly anticipated conclusion of the "Harry Potter" series will hit theaters. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) embark on a journey to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's horcruxes – the objects that allow him to become immortal – before Voldemort gets the chance to destroy Harry. As with the past few "Harry Potter" films, director David Yates will certainly not disappoint. The film's engaging plot and the chance to witness the actors' final performance together since they began in 2001 will make this "Harry Potter" an epic that audiences will not want to miss.

Captain America: The First Avenger – July 22
Chris Evans is Captain America in the superhero event of the summer. After Steve Rogers (Evans), who is physically unfit for the military, volunteers for a highly confidential military project called Project: Rebirth, he is granted super human abilities and deemed Captain America. Along with his sidekick Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Captain America must fight the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) to defend America's values. Producer Kevin Feige, Evans and Weaving have all had previous experiences with superhero films and the combination of their talent is sure to make "Captain America: The First Avenger" a film to look out for.