Spider-Man spun another wide web over audiences, Captain Jack Sparrow successfully delivered more box office gold to "Pirates of the Caribbean" fans seeking treasure, and the Silver Surfer hung 10 for a fantastic "Fantastic Four" sequel.
No, you're not reading a tidy summary of the summer blockbuster movie season -- merely half of it with the major releases that drew moviegoers to theaters in May and June.
But action flicks weren't the only films to rule the roost. The comedies and crime capers have made a mark, too, in the form of "Knocked Up," "Evan Almighty" and "Ocean's 13." And that lovable ogre Shrek rolled in more green with the third film in the series.
And while the animated comedy "Ratatouille" and the adrenaline-filled fourth "Die Hard" installment both broke out with healthy debuts to end June, it's a mere jump-start to what you're going to see in the next couple of weeks as the box office is sure to become scorching hot with two of the most-anticipated releases of the year.
One of them is the '80s toy and cartoon phenomenon-turned-high-octane action flick,
"Transformers" (PG-13). Including select early Monday night showings, the film through Tuesday already made $36 million, according to movie gross tracker BoxOfficeMojo.com. And with the extended Fourth of July weekend ahead of it, the biggest fireworks for the Michael Bay action opus are yet to be launched.
Next, of course, is the hotly anticipated film in the "Harry Potter" film series,
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (PG-13), which will soar into theaters and play on IMAX screens starting July 11.
Traditionally "Harry Potter" films have become box office behemoths all by themselves. But with the intense buzz surrounding the July 21 release of the seventh and final book in the J.K. Rowling series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the "Order of the Phoenix" film is sure to benefit even more.
The great thing about the movie schedule for July and August is that there's much more than meets the eye than "Transformers" and "Harry Potter." Here's a peek at some of the others coming to your multiplex.
July
"License to Wed" (PG-13): Robin Williams stars in this romantic comedy as an eccentric reverend who forces a blissful engaged couple (Mandy Moore and John Krasinksi) to go through his foolproof marriage classes before the nuptials. --in theaters.
"Captivity" (R): Elisha Cuthbert, used to peril as Jack Bauer's daughter on "24," stars as a woman held captive by a serial killer. The film's marketing campaign came under intense fire earlier this year as its poster art showed in phases the graphic fate of a kidnap victim. --July 13
"Rescue Dawn" (R): "Batman Begins" star Christian Bale and Steve Zahn ("Sahara") co-star as a pair of Vietnam-era POWs in Laos who attempt a daring escape through the jungle. --July 13 (limited release)
"Talk to Me" (R): Don Cheadle stars as true-life '60s-era disc jockey Ralph "Petey" Greene, who turns from an ex-con to a force on the radio and community activist in Washington, D.C. --July 13 (limited release)
"Hairspray" (PG): John Travolta dresses in drag and dons a fat suit to become Edna Turnblad in this big-screen version of the smash Broadway musical, which was originally a John Waters cult hit. Other members of the all-star cast include Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, James Marsden, Allison Janney, Amanda Bynes, Brittany Snow and "High School Musical" star Zac Efron. Nikki Blonsky makes her big-screen debut as Edna's daughter Tracy Turnblad. --July 20
"I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" (PG-13): Funnymen Adam Sandler and Kevin James star as Chuck and Larry, respectively, a pair of straight Philadelphia firefighters who pretend to be a gay couple to qualify for domestic partner benefits to help out Larry -- a widower with two kids. Jessica Biel also stars as the lawyer representing them and the object of Chuck's affection. --July 20
"Sunshine" (R) Director Danny Boyle (the filmmaker behind the rage virus thriller "28 Days Later" and sequel "28 Weeks Later") takes to the stars for his later doomsday film, this time by sending a team of astronauts to re-energize a dying sun. "Batman Begins" villain Cillian Murphy and "Fantastic Four" Human Torch Chris Evans star. --July 20
"Goya's Ghosts" (R) Natalie Portman stars as a muse of 18th-century Spanish painter Francisco Goya (Stellan Skargard) who is accused of being an atheist and is subsequently brutalized as a result. Javier Bardem stars as her accuser whom she encounters years later. Oscar winner Milos Forman ("Amadeus") directs. --July 20
"The Simpsons Movie" (PG-13): The Simpson family -- Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta), Marge (Julie Kavner), Bart (Nancy Cartwright) and Lisa (Yeardley Smith) move Springfield (the exact state the city is in is yet to be determined) to the big screen. Also along for the ride are Moe (Hank Azaria), Ned Flanders (Harry Shearer) and the town's numerous other residents. --July 27
"I Know Who Killed Me" (R): Lindsay Lohan may or may not be out of rehab in time to promote her latest film, a thriller about mixed-up identities as a woman (Lohan) wakes up after a violent encounter and claims somebody else is living in her body. --July 27
"No Reservations" (PG-13) Catherine Zeta-Jones stars in this romantic drama about as Kate, an uptight chef whose life drastically changes when she's suddenly becomes responsible for raising her niece ("Little Miss Sunshine" Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin). Aaron Eckhart ("Thank You for Smoking") co-stars as Kate's love interest. --July 27
August
"Underdog" (PG): A talking pet adventure based on the classic canine superhero cartoon stars Jason Lee ("My Name is Earl") as the voice of a hound who gains superpowers after a lab accident. Alex Neuberger, Amy Adams ("Junebug"), Peter Dinklage ("The Station Agent"), Patrick Warburton and James Belushi co-star. --Aug. 3
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (R) Matt Damon returns as spy Jason Bourne in the third chapter of the "Bourne" film series, directed by the first film's director Paul Greengrass ("United 93"). The espionage thriller also stars Joan Allen, Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn and Albert Finney. --Aug. 3
"Hot Rod" (PG-13) "Saturday Night Live" cast member Andy Samberg leaps to the big screen as Rod Kimble, an accident prone daredevil who plans on making a jump to help save his abusive stepfather ("Deadwood" star Ian McShane). Isla Fisher ("The Wedding Crashers") and Sissy Spacek co-star. --Aug 3.
"El Cantante" (R) Singer Marc Anthony plays real-life Salsa music pioneer Hector Lavoe in this musical biopic that co-stars Anthony's wife Jennifer Lopez. --Aug. 3
"Becoming Jane" (PG): "The Princess Diaries" star Anne Hathaway becomes a young Jane Austen as the budding romance novelist begins a romance of her own with a young Irishman (James McAvoy). --Aug. 3
"Bratz: The Movie" (PG) "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul executive produces and co-stars in this live-action based on the Bratz fashion dolls. --Aug. 3
"The Ten" (R): Jessica Alba, Paul Rudd, Famke Janssen and Winona Ryder head up an all-star cast in this comedy that tells 10 stories that are inspired by the Ten Comandments in the Bible. --Aug. 3 (limited release)
"Rush Hour 3" (PG-13): Director Brett Ratner reunites Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker for the third film in the "Rush Hour." The action comedy this time finds the pair of mismatched detectives traveling to Paris to take on the Chinese underworld. --Aug. 10.
"Stardust" (PG-13): Relative newcomer Charlie Cox stars in this romantic fantasy about a young man who tracks down a falling star (Claire Danes) in a mystical land to his crush's (Sienna Miller) hand in marriage. Michelle Pfeiffer plays a witch vying for the star to restore her youth and Robert DeNiro plays against type as a sky pirate with a closet full of secrets. --Aug. 10
"Daddy Day Camp" (PG): Cuba Gooding Jr. steps into Eddie Murphy's shoes in this sequel to the hit comedy "Daddy Day Care" as a man who expands his day-care business into a camp. Fred "The Wonder Years" Savage directs. --Aug. 10
"Superbad" (R): A pair of teenage losers (Michael Cera, Jonah Hill) attempt to live up their one of their last nights in high school by trying to supply the liquor for a party thrown by the popular kids in school. --Aug. 17
"The Invasion" (Not yet rated): Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig star in this alien epidemic thriller where humans fall victim to the extraterrestrial infection only if they fall asleep. --Aug. 17
"War" (R): Jason Statham stars as an FBI agent who seeks revenge against an assassin (Jet Li) who killed his partner. --Aug. 24
"Resurrecting the Champ" (PG-13): Josh Hartnett stars as a sports reporter who rescues a homeless man (Samuel L. Jackson), and comes to discover that the man may be a former boxing champion believed to be dead. Kathryn Morris, Teri Hatcher and Alan Alda co-star. --Aug. 24
"Mr. Bean's Holiday" (PG): Rowan Atkinson reprises his role as Mr. Bean in this British screwball comedy about how Bean gets caught up in the frenzy of the Cannes Film Festival in France. --Aug. 24
"Balls of Fury" (PG-13): This sports comedy finds a former ping-pong pro (Danny Folger) recruited to infiltrate an underground tournament to face off against villainous organizer of the event, Mr. Feng (Christopher Walken). George Lopez, Masi Oka ("Heroes"), Maggie Q and Patton Oswalt co-star. --Aug. 31
