CO said:With all due respect guys, I don't even bother seeing these movies anymore, as the summer movie these days is a joke.

Termimator Salvation, Transformers 2, Wolverine, GIJoe, all stuff that appeals to the 'action and CGI' crowd, and I am not a part of that crowd.

That's where I am on the whole summer blockbuster thing these days as well. In fact, it's where I've been for a long long time. Seems like maybe Matrix might have started the visuals-over-story trend, or at least that seems to be where it really became the go-to.

Once studios realized they could create films without sets, locations, and often times without a need for more than a few cast members (yes, George - I'm speaking of the prequels also), they were all over it. Once they realized they could make millions in revenue off of these two-hour advertisements for the software that created them - they sold their souls.

I haven't seen any of the movies CO mentioned, but I've seen plenty of trailers and clips. All the CGI-fests seem to have the two requisite shots;

1. Something huge moves through the air (with little regard for actual physics) and someone narrowly avoids being crushed by it - often times as they use it as a stepping stone while it's in motion - again, with little or no regard for physics.

2. The gold standard - real time to sudden slow motion, then back to real time shot. Thank you Matrix.

I really thought that second one would have become passe by now, but I see it's alive and well - and even makes an appearance in the trailer for the new Tron film.

I only go the movies maybe three times a year, so you guys have more knowledge of current films than I do. I may be off on my observations. They're just what it seems like to someone whose only real exposure is trailers.