By Chrystal Lopez

Staff Writer

Beating the summer heat has always been a challenge, especially here in Savannah. So instead of going to a public pool where you risk seeing old men in tight speedos, save the strain of your eyes and watch something more pleasant. I am speaking of course about summer movies.

There are a plethora of opportunities to catch a movie in the summer of 2012. So there won’t be a lack of date opportunities to woo a summer love interest (without having to talk). Plus theatres provide air conditioning that you won’t have to pay extra for.

Here are some of the most anticipated movies to be released this summer:

June 8: “Safety Not Guaranteed”

From the producers of “Little Miss Sunshine” comes another off-beat comedy. It starts with an ad stating “*WANTED* Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.” Three magazine employees investigate the man whom posted this classified for a partner in time travel.

June 15: “That’s My Boy”

While still in his teens, Donny (Adam Sandler) fathered a son, Todd (Andy Samberg), and raised him as a single parent up until Todd’s 18th birthday. Now, after not seeing each other for years, Todd’s world comes crashing down on the eve of his wedding when an uninvited Donny suddenly shows up. Trying desperately to reconnect with his son, Donny is now forced to deal with the repercussions of his bad parenting skills.

June 22: “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter”

This nation’s vampire craze isn’t quite over yet. And now the 16th president of the United States has been deemed a hunter of the bloodsucking beasts. It’s his mission to eliminate them from our country before they prevail in their plan to take it over. Find out how Lincoln handles these vampires on top of what seems like lesser diplomatic issues in comparison.

June 22: “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World”

Set around an incoming asteroid threatening to end life on Earth, Steve Carell stars as a man whose wife leaves him amidst the ensuing panic. This prompts him to seek out his high school sweetheart, who yearns to be with him when doomsday arrives. Keira Knightley plays the female lead, a neighbor of Carell’s character who accompanies him on a romantic road trip to find her.

July 3: “The Amazing Spider-Man”

It’s time to twist another Marvel tale; this one in the vision and direction of Marc Webb. “The Amazing Spider-Man” is the story of Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be that person. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

July 13: “Ted”

This movie follows John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish … and has refused to leave his side ever since. Seth MacFarlane donates his talent, direction, and voice to create a vulgar little bear who keeps his owner in a childish state, with adult humor. Similar tastes in humor is a test to romantic relationships; this movie would be a good date movie to put it to that test.

August 3: “The Bourne Legacy”

The fourth installment of the Bourne franchise based on an original story, (but Matt Damon isn’t in this one). As writer/director Tony Gilroy said to members of the press, “This is not a reboot or a recast or a prequel. No one’s replacing Matt Damon. There will be a whole new hero, a whole new chapter…this is a stand-alone project.” Jason Bourne will not be featured in the film; Jeremy Renner will play another assassin trained in the same program as Bourne. The new assassin; Aaron Cross. And with the initials of A.C. it will be a challenge to live up to the bad-ass agents of the initial J.B.’s (Jason Bourne, James Bond, Jack Bauer).

August 10: “The Campaign”

With the amount of comedic entertainment going on in the real political world right now, why not hit the theatre for an intentionally funny depiction of elections. When long-term congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) commits a major public gaffe before an upcoming election, a pair of ultra-wealthy CEOs plot to put up a rival candidate and gain influence over their North Carolina district. Their man: naïve Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), director of the local Tourism Center. At first, Marty appears to be the unlikeliest choice possible, but with the help of his new benefactors’ support, a cutthroat campaign manager and his family’s political connections, he soon becomes a contender who gives the charismatic Cam plenty to worry about. As Election Day closes in, the two are locked in a dead heat, with insults quickly escalating to injury until all they care about is burying each other.

August 17: “The Expendables 2”

The Expendables are back, and this time it’s personal. Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) – with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard – are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time — six pounds of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that’s nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother. Warning: this amount of awesomeness is not for the faint-hearted.

August 31: “Lawless”

During the Prohibition era, a moonshine gang operates in the bootlegging capital of America: Franklin County, Virginia. The three brothers eventually are shot down in December 1930 after they refuse to join the illegal cartel set up by the Commonwealth’s attorney Carter Lee, grandnephew of Robert E. Lee. Carter Lee is subsequently tried for conspiracy. During all of this, a writer is on the trail of the bootlegging story, reports on the moonshine trade and the trial for “Liberty” magazine and even does research for his novel.

After topping off the summer with a Prohibition tale, it will serve as a reminder that school is back on but no worries, there will be no shortage of alcohol to celebrate the bittersweet moments of summer’s end. But, for now, we have the whole summer ahead of us; and the adventures of summer are coming soon … to a theater near you.

Contact Chrystal Lopez.
Editor’s note: District does not condone the consumption of alcohol by minors.