Comic Book Heroes, Steve Carell, and Shakespeare's Resurrection

Summer is (almost) officially here, and that means the blockbuster onslaught is as close as a worst acting by Nicolas Cage contest between National Treasure and all other Nicolas Cage movies.  I thought I'd celebrate the release of movies I'm genuinely excited about by highlighting the top five films I'm psyched to see.  (I don't know whether I'll write a companion "Movies I'll Be Avoiding like the Plague" list, so just in case I have to ask why Eddie Murphy is still allowed to act.  Is anyone honestly going to see Meet Dave?)  Carrie Bradshaw's bizarre wedding gown and hideous feather headdress sadly did not make the cut...

1.  Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (05/23)

Yeah, Harrison Ford is old and yeah, both Spielberg and Lucas have been delivering less than their A-game lately.  But it's Indiana Jones!  And from the looks of the trailer, Crystal Skull had the potential to rank right up there with Raiders of the Lost Ark (I mean hello, they even brought back Marion).  The action sequences look pretty impressive, even with Ford's *ahem* advanced age, and I just want to hug the casting director who got Cate Blanchett to play the commie villain.  Like everyone else, I'm dying to know whether Shia LaBeouf's character is Indy's secret son, although I have to doubt the legitimacy of the name Mutt Williams.  I suppose we'll have all the answers in just a few short days, and I am so excited for it (I'm not even remotely excited, however, for the inevitable Star Wars: The Clone Wars trailer.  I'm starting to think that not even a nuclear holocaust will stop this franchise's continued, and completely unjustified, expansion).  

2.  The Incredible Hulk (06/13)

I have to admit that I could only sit through 10 minutes of Ang Lee's 2003 bomb, but I think (and hope) this version will make us all forget that excruciating experience.  The first and most obvious sign of the film's step in the right direction is Edward Norton.  The man has played everything from a neo-Nazi to a conflicted Catholic priest with ease; a quick look at his resume assures us that he has tortured souls down pat.  The story's alterations also look promising; a focus on the misunderstood hero on the run from the military is sure to be more entertaining than the weak family backstory of its predecessor.  Besting Ang Lee is no mean feat, but come June 13th, I think relative newcomer Louis Leterrier will have earned those rather exclusive bragging rights.

As much as I'd love to just wrap this up now, I suspect that would put me in the running for longest blog post ever.  Look out for the rest of the list (which constitutes the "Steve Carell" and "Shakespeare's Resurrection" sections of the title) in the next few days.