Summer Movie Preview: Superheroes to the rescue

The public's appetite for comic book superheroes already gave us great films like "Spider-Man," "The Dark Knight" and "Superman: The Movie."

Now, Hollywood is ready to crank out a bevy of colorfully clad heroes to entertain us this summer.

Will Summer 2011 be remembered for kick-starting a half dozen new franchises, or the moment when audiences started tuning out these colorfully clad avengers? We’ll have to see. But for now each of these superhero films brims with sequel potential.

• “Thor” (May 6) – Marvel Comic’s golden-locked hero arrives with plenty of wind at his back. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, a relative unknown who wowed audiences during his big early scene in the 2009 film “Star Trek.” The man behind the camera isn’t an MTV video alum but a Shakespearean-trained actor/director, Kenneth Branaugh. And the actress by our hero’s side is the Oscar-certified Natalie Portman. Will that be enough to sell a hero with less star appeal than Batman or Spider-Man? Never bet against a big man wielding a very big hammer.
• “X-Men: First Class” (June 3) – Movie prequels often fail to replicate the greatness of the original. Remember “Hannibal Rising?” “X-Men: First Class” should avoid such a fate. Director Matthew Vaughn proved he could deliver a dynamic super adventure with “Kick-Ass,” and the film’s main characters couldn’t be better cast. James McAvoy, playing a young, hirsute Charles Xavier, radiates braininess in every role he plays. And “First Class” should be the movie to make a fully-fledged movie star out of Mr. Magneto, Michael Fassbender. Setting the origin story in the turbulent 1960s could be enough of a wrinkle to separate the film from the flock.
• “Green Lantern” (June 17) – Ryan Reynolds seems born to play a superhero. He’s got that handsome mug, a way with a quip and abs that could deflect bullets before any super-empowering takes place. But “Green Lantern” seems the riskiest bet this season. The trailer is CGI drenched, and not in a positive way, and few outside the inner circle of Geekdom are familiar with the title character. The super ace in the hole may be Martin Campbell, the veteran director who brought the Bond franchise back from the dead with “Casino Royale.”
• “Captain America: The First Avenger” (July 22) – Chris Evans has the most experience playing a superhero. He flamed on as Johnny Storm in the mediocre “Fantastic Four” features. Here, his assignment is far more daunting – embody a superhero known as much for his moral certitude as his physical brawn.
• “Cowboys & Aliens” (July 29) – A few years ago few people would applaud letting director Jon Favreau have a crack at a super franchise. The guy from “Swingers?” What does he know about action adventure? Favreau’s “Iron Man” films changed virtually everyone’s minds on the subject. This adaptation of the 2006 graphic novel couldn’t be in better hands. And with veterans like Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford ready for action, “C&A” could be the late summer movie to beat.

Christian Toto is a veteran journalist and film critic whose work appears in The Denver Post, The Washington Times and PajamasMedia.com. His movie reviews are heard on WTOP radio and "The Dennis Miller Show," and he blogs on film at What Would Toto Watch? Read more of Christian's work at Movies in Toto in the Communities at the Washington Times.