It was the best of summers; it was the worst of summers. Really, more of the latter. As one big-budget sequel after another proved a disappointment to everyone but the accountants, moviegoers looking for good entertainment were forced to find it in unexpected places.

‘Spider-Man 3’
The first one was good, the second one was better and the third one stunk royally. Simultaneously over-plotted and watered down, this threequel was an anemic, convoluted excuse for a movie that made hands across the U.S. itch to slap Peter Parker and tell him to get over himself.
THUMBS DOWN

‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End’
Call it the “X-Files Effect.” Somehow, after only five hours of story, “Pirates” managed to become so bogged down in its own mythology that it forgot to be fun. An improvement over the ponderous second installment, the capstone of the trilogy was still too long. However, any movie with Captain Jack, terrific sea fights and the most exciting wedding scene in recent memory can’t be all that bad.
THUMBS DOWN

‘Transformers’
We expected wickedly cool robots saving the world while some kid with a funny name hogged valuable screen time. We got Shia LaBeouf being kind of awesome while the robots spouted some of the worst dialogue ever committed to film. At least the special effects looked good.
THUMBS DOWN

‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’
Adapting a 700-page book is a tall order, and it showed. Despite the emotional and political ambition, despite the terrific acting and well-developed atmosphere, the film was choppy and oddly stagnant. No matter how effectively a movie portrays its characters’ growth, a plot is nice.
THUMBS DOWN

‘Hairspray’
The surprise of the summer, this ebullient musical proved that summer fun can pack both warmth and wit. Not just catchy tunes and dynamite dance sequences, “Hairspray” combined casting nirvana, gloriously oblivious political incorrectness and brilliant sly humor in a sort of styling product alchemy.
THUMBS UP

‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry’
Gay people may be offended by the blatant and tone-deaf stereotypes populating this film. Straight people should be offended by the insult to their intelligence. No matter your sexual orientation, anyone would be scarred for life by the 300-pound man in a Speedo thong.
THUMBS DOWN

‘The Simpsons Movie’
Even if the TV show has gone downhill during the past few years, Groening et al. still managed to turn out a pretty decent movie, answering the prayers of millions of fans across the nation to not screw it up. Despite some shockingly sappy moments, the trademark biting satire and witty social commentary saved Springfield’s big-screen debut from having to eat its shorts.
THUMBS UP

‘The Bourne Ultimatum’
Taut, tense and by far the best action movie of the summer, “Ultimatum” was the rarest of creatures: a sequel that’s actually good. Bourne ruled in an unrelenting onslaught of hard-hitting, visceral suspense. Perfectly atmospheric, deftly acted and completely engrossing, this film can be comfortably watched from a stool: the edge of your seat is all you need.
THUMBS UP

‘Stardust’
This one has “future cult classic” written all over it. By turns sweet and bizarre but always clever, “Stardust” is equally effective as a fairytale that’s decidedly for adults and as a wickedly funny skewer of the fantasy genre. Call it “The Princess Bride” on British crack.
THUMBS UP

‘Superbad’
Somewhere, the filmmakers’ mothers are telling them, “If you put the talent and wit that went into ‘Superbad’ into something that doesn’t make people cringe so much they feel sick, you’d have piles of Oscars by now.” They should listen.
THUMBS DOWN