The summer of 2011 promises a plethora of films that are so varied, just about everybody should be looking forward to at least one of these releases.  Which movies are you most looking forward to?  If you need a refresher on what’s coming out when and which movies you should be looking forward to, look no further.  Each summer month will be it’s own separate blog post.  Here’s my Summer Film Report – starting with May:

(click on movie titles to see the trailer)

The Beaver
Release Date: May 6th (limited)
Cast: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin (Star Trek)
The Beaver is a film about Walter, a man who remedies the problems of his mental breakdown by creating an alternate personality with a Beaver puppet.  The beaver helps Walter get his life back on track, but soon his friends and family want the real Walter, not the Beaver.  This bizarre movie reminds me of Lars and the Real Girl – another film with a strange concept that never really made it clear whether it was a comedy or drama.  But where Lars turned out to be an enjoyable film with a lovable leading man (in Ryan Gosling), The Beaver looks like a bomb with Mel Gibson at the helm.  After Gibson’s catastrophic real-life breakdown, this movie looks like a lame attempt to resurrect his career by telling the story of a character who has similarly “lost his way in life.”  No matter how compelling Walter’s comeback is, I’m doubtful the American public will be willing to give Mel Gibson a chance to do the same.

Hobo with a Shotgun
Release Date: May 6th
Cast: Rutger Hauer
Hobo with a Shotgun is the second of  the five fake trailers attached to Tarantino’s Grindhouse to be made into actual films, the last of which was Machete. This latest trailer-to-feature transformation follows a vigilante hobo as he wreaks havoc on wrong-doers with his trusty shotgun.  2010′s Machete ended up raking in over $26 million, more than twice it’s cost of production, so no doubt the makers of Hobo with a Shotgun are looking for a similar turnout.  If you’re looking for a certain type of comedy, action, and excessive violence, this could be just the film you’ve been waiting for.

Something Borrowed
Release Date: May 6th
Cast:  Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson
Another summer, another expected batch of chick-flicks, starting with Something Borrowed.   Does this synopsis sound familiar at all?  ”Friendships are tested and secrets come to the surface when terminally single Rachel falls for Dex, her best friend Darcy’s fiancé” (source: IMDB.com).  Apparently some people are excited about this film because it is adapted from the book by  New York Times’ Best Selling Author Emily Giffin.  For the rest of us, this will most likely be a rom-com we end up passing on.

Thor
Release Date: May 6th
Cast: Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Anthony Hopkins
The summer superhero blitz begins with Thor, Marvel’s latest action-packed adventure based on it’s long line of comic book heroes. Chris Hemsworth plays Thor, a powerful warrior god who is banished from his home in mythical Asgard and forced to live with the humans on Earth.  After bonding with them, Thor must come to their defense when evil forces sent from his home world of Asgard threaten to destroy the world.  This movie is just a slice of Marvel’s much bigger pie – The Avengers. Thor is one of the many superheroes that comprise the evil-thwarting dream-team, which also includes Iron Man, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, and others.  So if the summer of 2011 isn’t kind to Marvel and both Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger do poorly, it could be a rough turnout for 2012′s The Avengers as well.  Personally, I have little-to-no interest in either Thor or Captain America – do you?

Bridesmaids
Release Date: May 13th
Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Jon Hamm
Holy festering turds, Batman.  After seeing the trailer for this movie, I already know that I’d rather see Something Borrowed ten times before seeing Bridesmaids once.  The premise for this movie seems to be that Wiig’s character is forced to face the difficulties of being her best friend’s maid of honor, which include dealing with her own insecurities, her best friend’s colorful family and friends, and all the wacky things that come with preparing for a wedding.  I’ve never found Kristen Wiig to be very funny on SNL or in her movie appearances (she was OK in Whip It), so maybe that bias is making me overly-harsh on this movie.  If anybody out there is actually looking forward to Bridesmaids, I would love to know why in a comment at the end of this article…

Everything Must Go
Release Date: May 13th
Cast: Will Ferrell, Rebecca Hall
At least in the trailer, this movie doesn’t look like it will be the typical Ferrell comedy that so many people have come to love (and hate, lately).  Everything Must Go is a dramedy about a man who, after experiencing the worst day of his life, decides to start living on his front lawn.  In the process, he develops an unlikely friendship with a neighborhood boy who may be the one person who can help him get back on his feet.  I’m very hesitant to let my guard down and allow myself to be interested in a Will Ferrell movie, but this one does catch my interest.  I definitely plan on waiting a week or so after it’s release to see what the general consensus is about it, and if most people like it, maybe I’ll check it out.

Hesher
Release Date: May 13th
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman
I have no idea what to make of Hesher - all I know is that I want to see it.   The story details about this movie aren’t very clear.  Based on the trailer, it appears to be about an unlikely friendship between a boy, TJ, and a rebellious wacko named Hesher.  And as plainly as the trailer tells us, “TJ is sad” and Hesher “can help.”  I admit that part of my interest in Hesher stems from me being a big fan of Gordon-Levitt’s.  I thought he was excellent in (500) Days of Summer and Inception (not to mention Angels in the Outfield), and I’m sure he’ll be great in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming The Dark Knight Rises.  Lately he’s made wise decisions about the movies he wants to be in, so I’m gonna trust him on this one.  Hesher will be getting my 11 bucks.

Priest
Release Date: May 13th
Cast: Paul Bettany, Maggie Q, Karl Urban
Priest is a sci-fi/fantasy action flick that pits a renegade priest against vampires who kidnapped his niece.  The film is based on the popular graphic novel of the same name by author Min-Woo Hyung.  Hopefully the fan-boys show up for this one in hoards, because I’m not sure average movie-goers will.

Beautiful Boy
Release Date: May 2oth (limited)
Cast: Michael Sheen, Maria Bello
Beautiful Boy is about the agony and struggles of two parents when their son goes on a shooting rampage at his college before taking his own life.  After a number of recent similar real-life tragedies, this movie could be an interesting take on one aspect we don’t typically think about – how the parents handle such an unfathomable situation.  This film could be very good, or it could be a mediocre moving hoping to attract audiences with it’s uncomfortably realistic story.  Keep an eye out for this one and see what people are saying about it before you head to the theater.

Midnight in Paris
Release Date: May 20th (limited)
Director: Woody Allen
Cast: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Michael Sheen, Marion Cottilard
Woody Allen’s latest film is “a romantic comedy about a family traveling to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better” (source: IMDB.com).  Besides having a big-name director attached to it, Midnight in Paris also boasts an impressive cast.  I know that Allen is one of Hollywood’s greatest directors, but based on the fact that its a rom-com and what I felt was a boring trailer, I’m unenthusiastic for this movie.  Do you think that the Owen Wilson – Woody Allen pairing will work?  Leave it in the comments below.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Release Date: May 20th
Cast: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane
This summer brings us the latest update to Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.  When On Stranger Tides is released this summer, it will be just shy of eight years since the last film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, was released in July of 2003.  Over those eight years, the franchise most notably shed itself of two of its biggest stars – Orlando Bloom as Will Turner and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann.  But in losing those two major stars, Disney gained another by bringing Penelope Cruz on board, who plays Angelica in the new film.  In Stranger Tides, Jack Sparrow finds himself on a new quest to find the fabled Fountain of Youth, which is exactly what Disney is hoping the film will be to its aging movie saga.

The Hangover: Part II
Release Date: May 26th
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zack Galifianakis, Ken Jeong
The Hangover: Part II is possibly one of the most anticipated films this summer.  After the unexpected smash-hit of The Hangover, the gang is back for another wild adventure, this time with Thailand as the backdrop.  The trailer makes it clear that fans of the first movie can expect much of the same in the sequel.  Well, almost exactly the same, some might say.  Some people have complained about the fact that The Hangover: Part II looks to be too much of a carbon-copy of the first film, with the plot being practically identical.  The group must search the streets of Thailand for a missing friend, the same predicament (just different setting) facing the characters the first time around.  Still, I have a feeling that fans of the last installment wont care too much about Part II distancing itself from the original.  All people will be looking for is a consistency in the humor, and that seems to be a given.

Kung Fu Panda 2
Release Date: May 26th
Cast: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogan
Po and the crew are back for another adventure in this sequel to the 2008 movie that went on to gross more than $600 million worldwide.  In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po and his friends must face a new villain who uses a weapon that is capable of defeating Kung Fu.  I never saw the first Kung Fu Panda, but I’m told its a great movie.  Based on how well the first one did, I bet Dreamworks is in for another trip to the bank this summer.

The Tree of Life
Release Date: May 27th
Cast: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn
Not much is known about The Tree of Life, director Terrence Malick’s latest film.   The trailer makes it clear that the movie will center around a family in the 1950′s, and will possibly focus on the relationship between father and son.  IMDB offers this as a plot summary: “the eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence.”  It looks like a beautifully shot film, so I’ll be interested to hear more about it once it’s released and we know more about it.