Star Trek Into Darkness: It's been four years since J.J. Abrams' flashy Enterprise reboot and this time a newly minted Captain Kirk and crew must face off against one of their own as he wages a ruthless war of terror on Earth. While I wasn't a fan of the first film's snoozer of a villain or rewriting of established Trek lore (destroying Vulcan? C'mon, you can't have Star Trek III or IV without Vulcan), this new one does look edgier and undeniably more fun. I mean it's a Star Trek movie. They make 'em and we boldly go. End of story. (May 17)
Man of Steel: Hard to believe it's been over 30 years since we've had a halfway-decent Superman film. This new retelling of Krypton's favorite son is loaded with big stars (Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner) and takes a decidedly darker turn as young Clark Kent struggles to embrace his otherworldly abilities. No surprise with Watchemen's Zack Snyder directing and The Dark Knight's Christopher Nolan producing. Throw in General Zod and the spunky Amy Adams as Lois Lane and this one appears to be a reboot with legs. Granted, red-booted legs but legs nonetheless. (June 14)
The Lone Ranger: Here's another iconic character we haven't seen in a worthwhile film in over 30 years (well, more like 50 if you discount 1981's ill-fated The Legend of the Lone Ranger starring one Klinton Spilsbury). This new big-budget retelling features The Social Network's Armie Hammer as the left-for-dead Texas Ranger John Reid as he seeks revenge against the dreaded Canvendish gang. Helping Reid in his plight is of course his faithful companion Tonto (played by Johnny Depp, complete with war paint and a stuffed crow stuck on his head). As to whether this version can revitalize the 80-year-old Masked Man, one just has to look as far as director Gore Verbinski, whose 2011 animated Western Rango not only jump-started the genre but ended up being one of the best films of the year. (July 3)
Pacific Rim: Granted, at first glance this one could be mistaken for another mind-numbing Transformers/Gobots debacle, but dig a little deeper and you find Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy) of all people pulling the strings. What does that mean? Well, for starters: great visuals, intricate storylines and engaging characters. I know, you're bored already. (July 12)
The Wolverine: Yes, I know X-Men Origins: Wolverine had its problems but this one does away with all the backstory baloney and places Logan (Hugh Jackman) in a contemporary tale set in Japan soon after the events of 2006's X-Men Last Stand. This time he's battling ninjas and organized crime (kind of an X-Men meets Black Rain) instead of Magneto and company. Helping give things a much-needed boost is the presence of director James Mangold (3:10 To Yuma, Copland). Should be fun as long as Logan doesn't start belting out Valjean's Soliloquy. (July 26)
