Hard to believe May has already arrived. Wasn't it just yesterday that Ben Affleck dared to don red leather and Crispin Glover unleashed those squirmy rats upon his enemies? May signifies the start of the four-month summer movie season, where virtually every other film is either a big-budget extravaganza or a sequel to a previous hit picture. Still, summer releases usually include some interesting flicks to choose from. Ten of these 2003 offerings stand out as must-see movies for me. They are:

1. The Matrix Reloaded (May 15).  After two years of filming, a few production snags, and four years of waiting,  the first of two sequels to The Matrix will be in multiplexes   soon. Keanu Reeves returns to play Neo, the one destined to save the world from the evil computers by way of martial arts, nifty special effects, and, as Neo said in the original film,  "Guns...Lots of guns." With a trailer boasting mind-bending martial arts sequences, new characters, and enough special effects to put George Lucas to shame (let's see Jar-Jar live up to the creepy-looking "twins"), The Matrix Reloaded promises plenty of intelligent sci-fi material to ponder over while guns are a-blazin' on the big screen.

2. X2: X-Men United (May 2). 2003 is the year of the comic book fan, and after how well Daredevil fared at the box office and with audiences, Fox has high hopes for this sequel. X2: X-Men United just might be bigger, better, and more impressive than the original. All of the X-Men are back, from Hugh Jackman's Wolverine to Patrick Stewart's Professor X, teaming up with new mutants like Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler to combat a psycho (Brian Cox) who wants to wipe mutants off the face of the planet. "X-Men" was one of my favorite comic books growing up, and the first film lived up to everything I dreamed a screen adaptation could be (except for Halle Berry as Storm, a role I'm convinced Angela Bassett would have played perfectly).

3. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (July 11). The premise behind this graphic novel's film adaptation sounds a bit on the odd side: literary characters such as Allan Quartermain, the Invisible Man, and Tom Sawyer team up to combat the forces of evil in your typical, superhero fashion. Some are predicting LXG will be the summer's biggest bomb, but I have immense faith in this project. It might not appeal to everyone, but judging from the trailer, LXG contains lots of action/adventure. Come opening night, I'll be there watching Sean Connery, Jason Flemyng, and a cast of character actors in all their glory. 

4. 28 Days Later (June 27).  In a summer dominated by explosive actioners, 28 Days Later emerges as contender for  sleeper-hit status. Already popular in England, the latest picture from Trainspotting director Danny Boyle hits American cinemas in June. The trailers thus far reveal very little about the story, only that it revolves around a virus ravaging the country. Twenty-eight days after first exposure, a man wakes up to find himself virtually alone...aside from the occasional zombie. Simple, scary, and looking as freaky as all get-out, 28 Days Later could end up being the summer's #1 horror selection.

5. The Hulk (June 20). Director Ang Lee is one versatile dude. What other filmmaker has gone from Civil War drama (Ride with the Devil) to martial arts epic (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and then to adapting one of the most beloved comic books of all time on the big-screen? Lee's versatility should serve him well in helming The Hulk, a release that aims to mix philosophy and intelligence with a green, CGI Hulk (purple pants and all) who smashes stuff, jumps miles through the sky, and does the hammer throw with a tank. 

6. Freddy vs. Jason (August 15). The horror fan inside me can't help looking forward to the ultimate clash of  these horror titans. Between them, slashers Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees have been in dreams, Hell, outer space, summer camp, Hollywood, and New York City. After many  years in development, their team-up has at last happened. Razor glove vs. machete? Burned face vs. hockey mask? This horror flick already has my $5 for opening weekend. But I can't help wondering what's next. Michael vs. Pinhead?Chucky vs. Leprechaun? Talk about scary.

7. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (July 2). Once again, here's a sequel that's taken a few years to be completed. It's going to be tough to top the first two films in the classic Terminator series, but director Jonathon Mostow plans to deliver an explosive and entertaining actioner. Ahnuld comes back to play the robotic protector of future resistance leader John Connor (In the Bedroom's Nick Stahl) from a new sort of assassin: the TX, a powerful female Terminator with super-speed and enough other attachments to put Robert Patrick's T-1000 to shame. 

8. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl  (July 9). - This flick is a throwback to Errol Flynn movies and old-fashioned adventures like The Count of Monte Cristo. Johnny Depp plays a gentlemanly pirate leading blacksmith Orlando Bloom on a mission to rescue Keira Knightly from evil pirate Geoffrey Rush and crew members who turn into skeletons in the moonlight. Of all the action movies this summer, Pirates of the Caribbean appears to provide the most appeal for both genders: the guys will love the adventure, the action, and the excitement, whereas the women will be there for Legolas himself, Orlando Bloom. 

9. Down with Love (May 16). Hey, even us action nuts need a break once in a while. I'm hoping to find the softer side of  summer in the colorful and positively great-looking Down with Love, a '60s-style romantic comedy about a journalist (Ewan McGregor) set on proving an author (Renee Zellweger) wrong about her claim that love is over-rated.  

10. The Italian Job (May 30). My gut tells me I should be fearing this remake of a '60s caper favorite, but the picture's action-filled spirit and intriguing premise (a gang of thieves plot to steal the loot a double-crossing former member ran off with) are too good to pass up. I fear for Mark Wahlberg after watching him sleepwalk his way through The Truth About Charlie, but the movie also stars Charlize Theron as the femme fatale, Edward Norton as the villain, and The Transporter's Jason Statham as one of Wahlberg's crew, who use Mini Coopers to pull off the heist of their careers. 

Other See-Worthy Pictures on My List:

Bruce Almighty (May 23). Jim Carrey as God for a week? Oh, Lord...
Buffalo Soldiers (limited release July 25). Joaquin Phoenix stars in this controversial military satire.
Finding Nemo (May 30). Pixar's reign over animation continues in a funny flick about fish.
Highwaymen (August 27). Brooding Jim Caviezel hunts his wife's killer in this suspense/thriller.
Hollywood Homicide (June 13). Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett play cops with quirks.
Jeepers Creepers 2 (August 29). The Creeper is back for more in the sequel to 2001's sleeper success.
Matchstick Men (August 8). Nicolas Cage plays a quirky con man in Ridley Scott's latest.
S.W.A.T. (August 8). Baddest-of-the-bad Colin Farrell and Samuel L. Jackson play cops on a mission.
Shaolin Soccer (August 8). Martial arts? Soccer? Now there's a World Cup match that looks interesting.
Wrong Turn (May 30). Eliza Dushku, cannibalistic mountain men...what's not to love?