I think Iron Man and TDK this summer were pretty good but usually going into a summer movie being overhyped only leads to disapointment.

e.g. Star Wars Prequel, Indiana Jones Crystal Skull.

Terminator 2

Batman ('89)

The Dark Knight is the first summer movie in a long time (I missed Iron Man) to live up to the hype for me. Last year was just atrocious.

Batman '89 was the textbook definition of "overhyped": a ton of pre-release buzz, overloaded and omnipresent merchandising and tie-ins, and a disappointing, mediocre (IMHO) movie.

Not a popular choice, but from last summer I'd say Transformers was the best of the popcorn bunch. After a most disappointing trifecta of Shrek 3, Pirates 3, and Spidey 3 (a more craptacular grouping of threequels, I've never seen), Michael Bay's ode to the inner 12 year old boy in everyone was a refreshingly enjoyable ride. Great movie? Nah. But for what it *promised* to be, it delivered in abundance.

Couldn't disagree more. Batman easily lived up to the hype - it was a critical success, Box Office blockbuster, and a great movie to boot (IMHO).

I was 10, so Batman 89 lived up to the hype.

In the Internet age (and maybe just being older and harder to please), a movie actually living up to the hype is getting very hard.

That said, TDK and Iron Man are two this year that definitely lived up to and exceeded the hype.

Terminator 2, Independence Day, Speed, True Lies.

I'm only 20 years old, so I haven't been around to be "hyped" for some other releases. I'm sure T2 would have been incredible. Here are some ones remember being excited for and turned out just great:

Transformers
The Matrix Reloaded
The Dark Knight
The Bourne Ultimatum

"Batman Begins".

hype could be positive or negative. this was a movie that was going to restart a franchise that was thrown into the toilet.

i don't think fanboys or the movie going public gave it much of a chance. i don't really remember the buzz, but i am sure it was similar to the hesitation that surrounded this summer's "The Incredible Hulk" .

i think word of mouth, utter astonshiment, surprise, and an incredible movie propelled BB to the status it is today. yes, TDK maybe the superior film story and acting wise, but Begins IS what started the hype for the new one.

I disagree 100%. Transformers could have easily been much better. But considering that nearly everything in it reeked of corporate filmmaking (more product placement! Too many robots, more humans!) it was one gigantic compromise with great special effects.

Jurassic Park

2008
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man

2007
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Simpsons Movie
Live Free or Die Hard

No summer blockbuster in 2006 lived to the hype in my estimation.

2005
War or the Worlds
Batman Begins
Star Wars Episode III

2004
Spider-Man 2

2003
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
X2: X-Men United

2002
Signs
Spider-Man

Every summer blockbuster from 2001 was flawed in some way.

2000
The Perfect Storm
X-Men
Gladiator

1999
The Mummy (though there wasn't THAT much hype

1998
Saving Private Ryan
The Mask of Zorro

1997
Men in Black
Face/Off

There was no blockbuster from '96 that I LOVED, including ID4.

1995
Batman Forever
Die Hard With a Vengeance

1994
The Lion King
True Lies
Speed
Forrest Gump

1993
Jurassic Park
The Fugitive

1992
Batman Returns

1991
T2

1990 was BAD summer.

1989
Batman (though it is very flawed)
Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade
Lethal Weapon 2
Ghostbusters II

Ok Ghostbusters 2, Episode 3, Live Free and Die Hard, and Matrix Reloaded were horrible.

I think a better title would be:

"Summer movies that actually lived up to the hype for you..."

Otherwise it'll turn into a pissing match. I can see some tinkling has already begun...

This year has seen two so far that met or exceeded my expectations:

Iron Man
The Incredible Hulk

If you didn't love Ghostbusters II, then I'm going to have to guess you're not a child of the 80's. Or you didn't enjoy the original, either.

Episode III is THE prequel that people were waiting for. Some of the acting and dialogue is bad, but the story, action, and f/x are all top-notch, and worthy of the original trilogy.

Again...I'm guessing not a child of the 80's...because this was a good old fashioned action movie, with a solid story, ridiculous action, funny one-liners, and a great return to form by Bruce Willis.

And if you look closer, you'll see I didn't mention The Matrix Reloaded, because I thought it sucked, too.

Really only T2 for me. Of course, I was an impressionable lad of 14 when it came out, but I remember being absolutely blown away by the special effects. It was truly a revolutionary film in that respect.

Independence Day, Iron Man have lived up to the hype.

I love 80s movies Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters, Pretty In Pink, Raiders, are all some of my fave. Just Ghostbusters 2 as well as Men In Black 2 and the Stars Prequels will forever be blocked out of my mind due to their crappiness. I guess its just an opinion though so to each his/her own.

I'll just stick to this summer. I've enjoyed everything I've managed to see this year. Caspian, Indy, Wall-E, Wanted, Forgetting Sarah Marshall & even Leatherheads. There hasn't been one I hated yet. I've been lucky.

I really like all four of those films. I loved the latest Die Hard, it was definitely a return to form. It was only marred by the excessive dubbing for the PG-13 rating.

The Matrix Reloaded is a solid film. It's not what everyone was expecting so it didn't live up to the hype. No sequel could have. Everyone had their own notion as to what should have happened. It was destined to fail, just like the Star Wars prequels. It is however, a solid entry in the franchise.

I was a child of the 80s and still thought Episode III was horrible. Good god was that a boring, cheese-laden movie. I would have rather had Lucas remake Jedi into a good movie than the horrendous prequels he offered up.

Ghostbusters II though? Classic.

I saw Batman'89 in when I was in highschool, and always thought it was overrated, and it was one of those movies that you had to see regardless of whether you were a fan or not. Those type of movies come around every 5 years: Jaws, Star Wars, ET, Batman, Titanic.

Kinda of remembering how all of my friends felt towards the movie back in '89, we were definitely split. Many liked it at the time, but just as many of us thought it was OK. I did watch it with my nephews the other night, and I still feel it is an entertaining movie, but still not that great.

One thing The Dark Knight did was show how shallow and superficial almost everything else we've seen this summer really was.

It certainly makes a movie like Indy IV look like nothing more than a cartoon, that's for sure.

Jaws: 1975
Star Wars: 1977
E.T.: 1982
Batman: 1989
Titanic: 1997

Somebody's math is a little off. I get what you mean though. I would slide Jurassic Park (1993) (or maybe Forrest Gump '94) in between Batman and Titanic. After Titanic though? Maybe Spider-Man 2 (2004).