Bobby Tulsiani [Posted by Bobby Tulsiani]

Well you wouldn't know it from the weather in New York today, but Summer movie season officially starts today.  Fittingly, a superhero movie, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", kicks off the season and has already felt the effects of technology and piracy.

I don't think the piracy effect will impact the box office too much, but Fox studios may want to about the 37% rating on rotten tomatoes. With that, here are my official top 5 for summer 2009 (with thanks to some friends who helped debate the list last week):

  1. Transformers: Michael Bay knows summer movies
  2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: With a late start date, it will own July and August
  3. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs: Will Smith is taking July 4th off this year, and Ice Age grabbed the weekend
  4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine:  A superhero movie has to make it in to the top 5..
  5. Up:  Pixar and Disney haven't missed yet, and this year should be no different

Other favorites I'm looking forward to for the summer Star Trek (JJ Abrams style) and the Bruno movie (Sacha Baron's Cohen's follow up to Borat).  Overall, I think even though Hollywood has had held up nicely these first 5 months of 2009, I think it will be hard pressed to beat 2008 when you had Batman breaking all kinds of records.  It should be interesting…let me know what you think in the comments!