Was this the best summer ever for movies, or a dud?

I've seen more movies than usual this summer, and there are still many many more I want to see out there. I thought I'd give my 2 cents worth on the ones I've seen.

1. Spiderman 3: Spiderman has been my favorite series for a while. The actors in the movie are wonderful, the cheesiness of the characters is hammed up well, the action is tremendous, and the effects are spectacular. Having said all that, I thought the 3rd installment of this run was a bit of a dud. It was extremely too long, and very predictable. Plus the idea of using Topher Grace as a bad guy? Come on, get real. I give Spiderman 3 a total of 3 stars ***

2. Shrek 3: From the lovable first two, I was expecting the best out of the third. There were of course some humorous moments from the voice of Mike and Eddie, and Antonio as the cat/donkey was funny, but when the theater I'm in is full of kids, and none of them are laughing...you realize maybe they should have stopped at 2. The hype of the third one was so much better than the actual movie. I give Shrek 3 a total of 2 stars **

3. Pirates 3: I'll admit, I hated the first of the Pirate movies. However, the second one was brilliant. So imagine the excitement when the 3rd installment was released. Pros and cons. Con- this movie was WAY too long. Pro- Even though I don't agree with Johnny Depp on any of his political ideas, he is a tremendous actor, and he continued in this movie. I love following the adventures of the Pearl. Another pro- the ending. Even though my wife hated the ending, I loved the twist, and I for one thought it was the best way to end the series. I give Pirates 3 a total of 4 stars ****

4. Oceans 13: As we wind down the movies that have ventured to their 3rd episode, Oceans 13 was a welcome relief to the ho hum conundrum. It has been my favorite movie of the summer. After a complete disaster in Ocean's 12, 13 was remarkable. It echoed the same wittiness and banter of the original Ocean's 11. I was constantly on the edge of my seat. I give Ocean's 13 a total of 4 and a half stars

5. Evan Almighty: This movie, unfortunately, flopped. If it were up to me it would win lots of awards, but alas, it just didn't reach out like it was supposed to. I read one critic who stated "Evan Almighty forces religion on you and takes away from the humor". Hello? Did you not see the previews? Didn't you have a clue it was going to be a God type movie? The liberal media hated it because of its pro religion message, and the conservative Christians approached it carefully because of blasphemous thoughts. I thought it was hilarious, but then again, I think Steve Carell is wonderful. I give Evan Almighty 5 stars *****

6. 1408: One afternoon, I had the day off and my friend Jason wanted to see a movie after we had lunch. I wanted to see Die Hard 4, and he mentioned seeing 1408. I had never heard of it. I was reluctant, but when he said it was suspenseful, I knew my wife wouldn't go see it with me. I agreed, and I'm glad I did. This was an "Intelligent" suspense movie in my opinion. Cusack is a gifted and talented actor, especially in this genre of film. I give 1408 4 stars ****

7. Transformers: As a child, Transformers was one of my favorite tv shows. I was so ecstatic when I saw the first trailer for the movie about a year ago. I had to go see this one by myself, as I couldn't get anyone interested in going to see it. Michael Bay is a tremendous director, and never disappoints. This movie had every aspect of being a guy movie: Cars, guns, busty young lady, nerdy guy who ends up dating the busty young lady, robots, military lies, and so much more. Sure it was cheesy in some parts, but the action was amazing, and the Special effects were to die for. I give Transformers 4 stars ****

Movies I am looking forward to seeing and reviewing:

The Simpsons Movie: Long time fan, after all these years, its coming. I have no doubt it will be the highest grossing film of the summer.

The Bourne Ultimatum: Love the Bourne series, hope this one won't disappoint.

So, anyone disagree with my reviews, or seen a movie that needs to have a mention?