Dominic Baez

You’ve all seen the sight before: outrageously long lines trailing from cinema entrances, children crying about being tired, teenagers trying to act sexy. And yet, we continue to suffer and wait in those same lines to watch what we believe will be movies worth seeing.
This summer was no different. With anticipated films such as “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” and “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” released this summer, it’s no surprise. Here are the Review’s picks for the summer’s hottest flicks:

“The Hangover” — While this film wasn’t slated as a summer blockbuster, that’s exactly what it became. “The Hangover” was by far one of the funniest movies of the summer, earning $420 million worldwide and making it the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in the United States.
The movie follows four friends on a trip to Vegas for a bachelor party who wake up the next morning and remember nothing. Worst of all, they’re missing the groom, whose wedding is scheduled for the next day.
The film received critical praise all around: Critic Roger Ebert gave it three and a half stars out of four, saying, “Now this is what I’m talkin’ about. ‘The Hangover’ is a funny movie, flat out, all the way through. Its set up is funny. Every situation is funny. Most of the dialogue is funny almost line by line.”

“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” — “G.I. Joe” injected some desperately needed new blood into its franchise this summer with this much anticipated release.
The story follows two American soldiers, Duke and Ripcord, who join the G.I. Joe Team after being attacked by Cobra troops. What follows is an explosion of stunning visual effects, kickass swordfights and a plot that’s not completely devoted to violence and sex.
Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, “G.I. Joe” opened as number one at the box office. This movie is appealing for both sexes: an action movie with a love story woven right in.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” — The lines for this flick seemed endless at most theaters, and considering most theaters had midnight releases for the film, that’s quite an accomplishment.
This sequel to Michael Bay’s incredibly successful “Transformers” stars Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox, who team up with the Autobots to once again defeat the Decepticons.
Seeking revenge for their previous defeat, the Decepticons return to Earth and attempt to take LeBeouf prisoner as they try to destroy all life on Earth.
Despite being a predicted box office smash, the film received poor reviews overall, most of which argue that the insanely beautiful computer graphics were not enough to overcome the film’s overly vague plot.

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” — The latest installment in the ever-popular Harry Potter series finds Harry mourning the recent loss of his godfather and continuing his fight against Lord Voldemort.
In the sequel Harry battles not only Death Eaters but homework and girls as well. A bit darker than the previous films in the series, the movie sets the stage for the tale’s remaining installment, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” opened to critical acclaim and instant commercial success, breaking the records for biggest midnight opening gross of all time, as well as biggest single-day worldwide gross of all time. The film made $391 million in five days, breaking the record for biggest five-day worldwide gross in history. It is also the highest-grossing film of 2009, breaking the $916 million mark.

“District 9” — Peter Jackson jumped into the deep end of the science fiction pool with the release of “District 9,” masterfully incorporating social commentary into its fantastical plot.
District 9, an area inhabited by aliens who landed 20 years ago in Johannesburg, South Africa, has evolved into a slum where the aliens are exploited and killed.
At the beginning of the film, the government is trying to relocate the aliens. Things go awry when the man in charge of this relocation is exposed to alien chemicals, then thrown head-first into a race against time as he battles not only for his own life, but the lives of many of the aliens as well.
This is not an action movie, so don’t expect to see any outrageous fight scenes. Still, the plot is solid and the ending will leave you wondering, “What happens next?”