The sun’s finally shining in Syracuse and the temperature has been hovering somewhere above sub-arctic. But it’s not just the weather that’s looking up. Movie prospects are finally getting good.

It’s time to be honest. The films of 2013 have been pretty disappointing so far. “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters,” seriously? I admit to wanting to hate-watch it, but it’s sad that mocking a film is the only reason to go to the cinema lately.

The top five grossing movies of the year are “Oz The Great And Powerful,” “The Croods,” “Identity Thief,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” and “Olympus Has Fallen.” That group has produced nothing that can make a college student shell out at least $10. One is a family movie and the others are so forgetful, they’re worth the wait for DVD release. Bruce Willis and the G.I. sequel aren’t going anywhere.

Luckily, this week, four trailers were released that will actually return our faith and hard-earned cash to theaters. Sunday’s MTV Movie Awards brought cool peaks into “Iron Man 3,” “Star Trek Into Darkness” and “Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” while the newest “Man of Steel” trailer was released Tuesday.

After a 1-2-3-4 punch like that, 2013 officially has more than just a glimmer of hope.

The “Into Darkness” and “Iron Man 3” trailers provide everything a solid summer movie should. Although it’s not intellectually elevated, there are the expected explosions, narrow attempts at escape and enticing fight scenes to get people into theaters.

As the follow-up to blockbuster gold – 2009’s original “Star Trek” and last year’s “The Avengers,” respectively — it’s impossible for these trailers not to whet people’s appetite.

The “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” trailer packed as big of a punch as “Into Darkness” and “Iron Man.” This is a franchise with a built-in, sprawling teen fan base. But the movie looks dark, intelligent and surprisingly realistic for a futuristic dystopic society.

Thankfully, there’s even more of heartthrob Liam Hemsworth in the sequel’s trailer than there was of him in the entire original “Hunger Games.”

These three films raise the stakes in a way fellow sequel “G.I Joe: Retaliation” failed to do. “Into Darkness” “Iron Man 3,” and “Catching Fire” took the characters that viewers already loved and made their obstacles bigger and the villains even more devious. “G.I. Joe” failed to feature Channing Tatum and instead focused on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Bruce Willis.

The “Man of Steel” reboot, on the other hand, has created a fresh new chapter for Superman. The newest trailer features classic Superman tropes like the red cape and classic “S” symbol, but elevates the character to a new, thoughtful level.

Reboots are only necessary if they’re adding to the mythology of an old story in a meaningful way. This trailer proves that “Steel” producer and “Dark Knight” mastermind Chris Nolan is back to his old superhero tricks in the best way possible.

These movies, as opposed to their 2013 counterparts, also have a name behind them that audiences trust. Critics panned James Franco’s portrayal of the wizard in “Oz,” and no one remembers the team behind “Olympus Has Fallen.”

But J.J. Abrams (“Star Trek”), the Marvel team (“Iron Man 3”), Oscar-winning Jennifer Lawrence and Nolan are all people to put your faith in. They’re not simply good at what they do, they’re visionaries.

It’s actually quite poor timing. Just when you were ready to hit the Quad, Hollywood is about to drag you back inside the theater for a few more hours.

Ariana Romero is a junior magazine journalism and political science major. Her column appears every week. She can be reached at akromero@syr.edu or followed on Twitter at @ArianaRomero17.

Published on April 18, 2013 at 1:20 am