Moviegoers disappointed by this summer’s diverse selections

Over summer vacation, some people went to other countries, some religiously watched MTV's “16 and Pregnant” and some went to the movies. If you did the latter of the three, you probably found more entertainment in watching underage girls get knocked up than seeing the disappointing summer films Hollywood had to offer. While there were a few gems amongst the garbage, it's safe to say this summer was not the best for moviegoers.

The summer didn't exactly start off on the right foot with X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The movie fell under the category of “Summer Films That Epically Failed to Live Up to Their Hype.” With its terrible computer-generated images (CGI), goofy dialogue and overall boring storyline, it was easy to lose interest. Sure, Ryan Reynolds was hilarious as the dual sword wielding Dead Pool, but it was not enough to save the movie. There was even a twist so terrible that M. Night Shyamalan would've shaken his head.

Another movie that fell under this same category was Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. This movie furthered director Michael Bay's stereotype as the guy who likes to blow stuff up. There were so many scenes filled with explosions that it was hard to tell what was happening. There were also major plot holes and a moment where Shia LaBeouf goes to robot heaven. Bay also added new Transformers, including the obnoxious smart cars Mudflap and Skids, placed in the movie purely for comic relief. Unfortunately they were more annoying than funny and the list of disappointments in the movie goes on and on.

Some summer movies were terrible, despite a great performance from one particular actor. The best example of this was Michael Mann's Public Enemies, where Johnny Depp aptly portrayed the infamous bank robber John Dillinger. Mann tried to bring his shaky Cops-style camerawork into this period film and it stood out like a supermodel at a Star Trek convention. Every male character also had a hilariously large moustache because according to Michael Mann everyone in the 1930's had one. Depp however knocked the role of Dillinger out of the park. He was tough, smooth and arguably one of the coolest bank robbers in movie history. It's a shame that such great acting went to a surprising waste since Mann's films are typically successful.

G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra failed to come close to the success of Transformers (not that it had any hope to), but it did have martial arts expert Ray Park who played the ninja Snake Eyes. The movie was full of bad dialogue, but every scene with Snake Eyes was great. It incorporated the action Park brought to the table, from his swords to his flips to the scene where he walks across the room on his fingertips.

Most other films in the summer followed suit. Terminator: Salvation brought back Christian Bale’s raspy Batman voice from The Dark Knight, along with a CGI version of the California governor. Fast & Furious was no longer a gritty street crime drama, but a test to see how many crazy stunts could be placed into a movie. Brüno was pretty much the same as Borat except less funny and more graphic — I wasn't aware R rated movies could show all of that. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince wasn't necessarily a bad film, but the excitement of the first few films was lost  — possibly because there have been so many or because Harry Potter fans have moved on to Twilight. Brad Pitt’s hilarious character in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds was unfortunately surrounded by scenes of heavy, boring dialogue and subtitles. Some people may have said that this movie was better than Pulp Fiction, but that’s nearly impossible, as Inglorious Basterds didn't have Samuel L. Jackson. Enough said.

So which summer films were winners? It would have to go to Star Trek, UP, The Hangover, 500 Days of Summer, District 9 and The Hurt Locker.

Star Trek was an action-packed space adventure filled with plenty of references for fans as well as lines used in many memorable parodies.

UP in 3-D may have been one of Pixar's darkest animated films, but it was still filled with all the humor and heart we've come to expect.

The Hangover, a film about one of the craziest nights in Vegas four guys could have, was created by the same guys who made Old School and will likely be quoted throughout the school year.

500 Days of Summer was one of the most original comedies made in quite some time and if you don’t already have a crush on Zooey Deschanel or Joseph Gordon Levitt, you will after seeing this film.

District 9 was a strange mock-umentary about extraterrestrial refuges, but it was one of the most suspenseful and eye-catching movies of the summer.

The Hurt Locker, a film about a military bomb squad leader in the Middle East and the drama that comes with it, wasn’t hyped at all. While it may not be a well-known film, it was shot beautifully. Every scene where the main character has to defuse a bomb will have viewers the edge of their seat wondering if he would succeed or be blown to smithereens.