It’s that time of year again, when superheroes fill the skies, aliens threaten and explosions abound. This year’s blockbusters look to be a strong selection (at least Michael Bay has real people in his movie this time), so let’s hope for a hot summer that will make staying in the air-conditioned theater a good option. Check out what movies our staff is most excited about.–Cadenza Staff

“Star Trek Into Darkness” (May 17) – Kayla Hollenbaugh

The sequel to 2009’s J.J. Abrams-directed franchise reboot of “Star Trek,” “Star Trek Into Darkness” is one of the most anticipated blockbusters of the summer. As can be expected with such a hyped film, the higher-ups have been pretty cagey with plot and character information, and still not much is known about the plot of “Into Darkness” besides the fact that the crew of the Enterprise returns home to Earth to find a villain wreaking havoc on the planet’s civilians. Vastly outnumbered and facing superior technology, the crewmembers must fight to save Starfleet and their own planet. It’s indicative of the secrecy surrounding this movie that we don’t even have a definite name yet for the diabolical supervillain played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Initial reports that he may be rebooting the infamous role of Khan have been rebuffed but not denied outright. It seems Abrams wants to keep audiences on their toes. Recently released trailers, however, promise the same beautiful cinematography, grandiose space battles and classic bridge scenes that Star Trek fans have come to love. Other than Cumberbatch, many of the same actors and crew return for “Into Darkness.” Expect the familiar faces of Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto as Captain James T. Kirk and Spock, respectively, and Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg and the rest of the gang as the familiar bridge crew. It’s guaranteed to be one of the most talked-about movies of the summer, and if the film lives up to the caliber of Abrams’ 2009 reboot, it will be a must-see.

“Iron Man 3” (May 3) – Katharine Jaruzelski

Iron Man is back, and this time he’s looking for revenge. When we last saw snarky billionaire-turned-superhero Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), he and his superhuman buddies had just saved the world from Loki’s destruction in last summer’s “The Avengers.” Now, this third installment in the “Iron Man” series finds Stark struggling under the pressure of his high-profile superhero job. Meanwhile, a terrorist who calls himself the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) has been wreaking havoc across the country, so the government calls in Iron Man for help. Things get personal when the villain begins targeting Stark’s girlfriend and business partner, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), leaving Stark with the responsibility of saving both the country and his personal life from ruin. Judging by the trailer, “Iron Man 3” seems to take on a more sinister tone than that of its predecessors. We can still probably expect to see plenty of Stark’s trademark dry humor and playboy antics, but overall, it looks like this film focuses on the darker side of the “Iron Man” experience. This tonal shift makes sense given the film’s change in direction. Shane Black, the director of “Iron Man 3,” comes from a more action-adventure background while Jon Favreau, the director of the first two movies, has more experience in comedy. Black has also already confirmed that Downey Jr. will be returning for a fourth film, so it will be interesting to see what “Iron Man 3” does to advance this Marvel series.

“Man of Steel” (June 14) – Trevor Leuzinger

This movie goes into the “too soon for a reboot, but I’ll see it anyway” category along with last summer’s Spider-Man movie. I’m not the biggest fan of Superman (I prefer superheroes with weaknesses to overcome), but I will make an exception for this flick. That is based almost entirely on the fact that Christopher Nolan is producing the movie, and his style is apparent in the trailer. The story looks like it will focus on Clark Kent’s (Henry Cavill) struggle to discover his past and himself. Amy Adams plays Lois Lane, and the movie is directed by Zack Snyder, who, if nothing else, has proven himself capable of directing guys wearing capes (in “300” and “Watchmen”). In the end, a superhero movie is only as good as its villain, and with General Zod played by the incredible Michael Shannon, “Man of Steel” has the potential to be great.

“Monster’s University” (June 21) – Elena Wandzilak

Ah, childhood. If yours wasn’t filled with Pixar movie after Pixar movie, then I am sorry, and if I had a time machine, I would send you back to relive mine because my world revolved around these hilarious and heartwarming tales of lost fish, talking toys and my favorite: scary yet loveable monsters. We all watched as Pixar came out with “Cars 2”—huge mistake—and we all saw the final installment of the “Toy Story” trilogy. But as a girl who fell in love with one-eyed Mike Wazowski, James P. “Sulley” Sullivan and pig-tailed Boo, when I heard they were making a prequel to “Monsters Inc.,” I just about died. And if the simple fact of another “Monsters Inc.” doesn’t excite you, how about the fact that it takes place when these characters were in college? Or how about the fact that they have created an entire website that looks exactly like a real college website, complete with admissions videos and a campus bookstore? (Check it out; you will not regret it—http://monstersuniversity.com/edu/index.html) Or how about the realization that John Krasinski, Nathan Fillion and Helen Mirren have joined the cast as new monsters? In “Monsters University,” we get to see the beginning of Mike and Sulley’s relationship as well as meet a whole new cast of characters. I am beyond psyched in every way possible.

“Elysium” (August 9) – Trevor Leuzinger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzilnRyMWE8

Did you see the best alien movie of 2009? No, not the one with blue, dreadlocked aliens. “District 9,” the sci-fi allegory for Apartheid, blew “Avatar” out of the water but was overlooked by the majority of viewers. Writer/director Neill Blomkamp is back and up to his old tricks. The year is 2154, and while the wealthiest people now live on a space station named “Elysium,” Matt Damon plays a character fighting to bring equality to the ravaged Earth. The trailer is filled with a gritty realism that belies the sci-fi nature of the film. Blomkamp is one of my favorite up-and-coming directors, and this flick looks like it will combine great sci-fi and action with real social issues just like “District 9” did. It has me looking forward to the end of summer already.

“The Way, Way Back” (July 5) – Trevor Leuzinger

There’s nothing quite like teenage angst. Combine it with a girl your family doesn’t like, and you have “Romeo and Juliet.” Add a water park and Steve Carell, and you have “The Way, Way back.”. If at some point you get sick of superheroes and aliens at the theater, this movie looks like it will offer a brief, sweet respite. A boy doesn’t get along with his stepfather (played by Carell), so he takes a job at a water park where he becomes friends with the manager (played by Sam Rockwell). Along the way, he kisses the girl next door and gets into plenty of other high jinks. Written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (who co-wrote “The Descendants”), it looks like it should have a fair amount of heart. At the very least, it should have some laughs; the deep cast includes comedienne Maya Rudolph. “The Way, Way Back” could be the perfect summer comedy.

“The Great Gatsby” (May 10) – Katy Park

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaBVLhcHcc0

I’m sure Baz Luhrmann’s striking adaptation of “The Great Gatsby,” the only book I ever liked (or read) in high school, will be the movie of the summer. His bombastic style is the perfect match for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel about the Jazz Age and its marvelous parties. Filled with an all-star cast including Leonardo DiCaprio (“Inception”), Carey Mulligan (“Drive”) and Tobey Maguire (“Spider-Man”), there is practically no way this movie will not dominate the box office. And even if the acting doesn’t live up to your expectations, you can always fall back on the incredible soundtrack, through which artists like Beyonce, Jay-Z and Florence and the Machine will make sure you get your money’s worth.

“Now You See Me” (May 31) – Trevor Leuzinger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNfiXZzmhjw

All it took to sell me on this movie were the names Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Morgan Freeman. Eisenberg and Harrelson have proven to be great acting partners before (in the wonderful comedy “Zombieland”), and Freeman is just Freeman. So what is this movie actually about? The trailer lays out the basics: Eisenberg and Harrelson are part of a troupe of magicians (of the sleight-of-hand variety, not Gandalf-style, presumably) that robs banks. Seeing as this is a heist movie and a movie about magic, there will be numerous plot twists; hopefully, they all make sense. But even if the story doesn’t always make sense, the acting should be great as Mark Ruffalo plays an FBI agent and Michael Caine plays one of the bank-owning victims.