It’s that time of year again—the season every die-hard movie lover looks forward to. It’s summer blockbuster time! Now that the warmer weather is here there will be throngs of people choosing to escape the heat by heading into the air-conditioned movie theater for some great summertime entertainment.
This summer could very easily be called “The Year of the Sequel” as many if not most of the biggest summer blockbusters scheduled to be released are sequels, prequels or movie franchises. If you can’t get too much of a good thing—this is definitely a great summer for movies. We’ve compiled our list of the best of the sequels not to be missed this year.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20, 2011)
Johnny Depp is back for the 4th installment of this ever-popular Disney franchise as well as Geoffrey Rush. Penelope Cruz joins the cast in an adventure that has Jack Sparrow seeking out the Fountain of Youth. Blackbeard (played by Ian McShane) is a new addition to the cast that shares the same quest. It looks like Disney has definitely done it again!
The Hangover: Part II (May 26, 2011)
This movie has some big shoes to fill as the original Hangover was a surprise mega hit back in 2008. The entire crazy gang is back to create more mayhem in this sequel that is bound to be a huge hit or a bad case of a “been there, done that.”
Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom (May 27, 2011)
The big, chubby Panda Kung-Fu martial artist returns for more crazy fun. This animated adventure stars the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
X-Men: First Class (June 3, 2011)
Professor X forms a school for mutants and becomes a mortal enemy of Magneto in this prequel to the series. James McAvoy plays the future professor.
Cars 2: World Grand Prix (June 24, 2011)
Owen Wilson stars as the voice of Lightning McQueen who with Mater the incredible tow truck, (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take on the World Grand Prix. The journey isn’t going to be easy—lots of pit stops, detours and hilarious shenanigans along the way will make this Pixar film a sure fire summer kid favorite.
Transformers: Dark of The Moon (July 1, 2011)
Shia La Beouf, Tyrese Gibson, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand and Ken Jeong star in this latest installment of this action packed and very noisy movie franchise. Shia La Beouf and his giant robots discover all sorts of crazy stuff going on over there on the dark side of the moon.
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part II (July 15, 2011)
This is the final installment of this film franchise-one of the most popular and lucrative of all time. Even though we will be sad to see an end to Harry Potter and his Hogwort associates, this finale is bound to be a huge hit as well as a sentimental favorite this summer. Harry and the gang try to find Voldemort’s horcruxes and Voldemort himself and destroy them once and for all in what is bound to be all out war.
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (August 5, 2011)
This ancient franchise has been exhumed again for a new generation to behold. The setting is modern-day San Francisco and there is an epic battle between the now intelligent apes created by modern scientists and man. The film stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow and starring as the big ape, Andy Serkis.
Spy Kids 4: All The Time In The World (August 19, 2011)
The fourth installment of the hit movie franchise, Spy Kids 4 is set to be released in some theatres in 3D. Jessica Alba stars as a retired secret agent who is now a wife and mother. She is called back into action when a crazy Timekeeper threatens to take over the planet.
Final Destination 5 (August 26, 2011)
You can’t beat death…or can you? We thought the final destination had been reached after the first film but apparently there is enough ways to beat up, mangle and hack up doomed teenagers to inspire this 5th film in the series.
We’ve all seen the bumper sticker that reads, “If you can read this, thank a teacher!” Passion for reading as well as the love of books is something many of us have and can probably trace back at some point to a dedicated teacher or two. On March 2nd, 2011 the National Education Association is once again sponsoring an event that encourages both the love of books and reading. “Read Across America” day is designed to get both kids and adults excited about the joy found in reading. This special day takes place (not accidentally of course) on Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Dr. Seuss is obviously one of the most beloved authors of children’s books. Many of the unique characters from his books are so memorable that they are forever imprinted on our minds. Who could ever forget the quirky Cat In The Hat? Celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday with an event that encourages children to read is not only a perfect combination but it also serves a very noble purpose. 
