Summer Flicks to Hit

The heat of summer is fast approaching, and all Angelinos know that the temperatures that scorch Southern California are something best avoided. In the face of this, there is nothing more tempting than lounging at the movies and taking in a blockbuster. This summer, there are quite a few gems that are worth your $13.

Two years after the release of "Transformers," Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox are back together June 24 in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) is off to college, but his peace and quiet doesn't last, with Transformer drama sending him off to explore where Transformers really came from (could it really be Earth?). With a much bigger budget than its predecessor, expect to see more Autobots and Decepticons fighting it out, as well as director Michael Bay's favorite movie effects - explosions and loud noises.

Fantasy stories are the best kind of escape from the heat, and the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" on July 17 is timed perfectly to do so. Harry, Ron and Hermione begin their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with war brewing in the Wizarding world. "Half Blood Prince" is a decidedly darker chapter in young Harry's life, with death and despair unavoidable the closer to the credits you get. One thing fans will be aware of is how much the film deviates from the book (and how much Quidditch is featured), but no matter how much it strays from the original tale, Potter will work his magic on you.

Quentin Tarantino is back after the disappointment of "Grindhouse" with the Aug. 21 release of "Inglourious Basterds," a look at the effort of Jewish- American soldiers to instill fear in the Third Reich with brutal murders. Brad Pitt stars as Aldo Raine, the head "Basterd" charged to roam across Nazi-occupied France, with Eli Roth in a supporting role. Tarantino spent almost a decade working on this script, according to Imdb.com. Let's hope it lives up to the likes of "Kill Bill" and "Pulp Fiction."

It may be 2009, but it can't hurt to take a step back to "Year One," set to be released June 19. Michael Cera and Jack Black team up as hunter-gatherers who are banished from their village, due to their inevitable hi-jinks. Though they are both funny men in their own right, go in knowing that this could just end up as an hour and a half of Tenacious D and "Superbad" combined. But, even if it is, it can't be that bad to laugh at a few silly jokes and eat some popcorn.

Summer is always littered with movies, both good and bad. It can be a tough decision, divining what films are worth your hard-earned cash, but the next few months look like any flick is a good investment.