The Summer 2010 box office has had some surprises, and now that it’s halfway over let’s take a look back and recap the hits and misses. The season officially began with the release of Iron Man 2, so anything released prior to that is not eligible for the list. Also, the recap consists of domestic grosses only.

THE HITS

TOY STORY 3 – Well, I predicted this film to be the second highest grossing movie of the summer, and it ended up being number one. Honestly, when I posted my box office predictions at the beginning of the season, I did think this film had a chance to take the top spot. Pixar/Disney continued their hot streak by not only creating the #1 film, but also producing, in my opinion, the best Pixar film so far. $301 million (and counting…will surpass Iron Man 2 and probably Alice in Wonderland to become the years top grossing film)

IRON MAN 2 – I liked this sequel more than a lot of people did, and even though it did make a lot of money this summer, a lot of the audiences were left unsatissfied. The original may have had a bit more charm than the sequel did, but the second installment was a success nonetheless, and sets up that is to come with the Avengers movie. One of the best films of the year, I recommend giving this one another view when it hits blu-ray and dvd later this year. $308 million (coming to the end of its theatrical run)

SHREK FOREVER AFTER – Maybe not quite what it once was, the Shrek franchise proved that their was still somthing left in the tank this summer by grossing a ton of money. While most people felt it was much better than the third installment, the fourth one won’t get near the mark set by part two. Doesn’t matter though, because ‘Forever After’ has done a nice job keeping the franchise in people’s minds until the release of the spinoff, Puss In Boots, next year. $232 million (coming to the end of its theatrical run)

THE KARATE KID – I have to admit…I called this one. This was a film for everyone, from young teens to adults. Jaden Smith broke out of the gate with his performance, and Jackie Chan gives what is probably the best performance of his career, in what nearly everyone thought was a must see film this summer. Cleverly marketed, positive word of mouth, and staying true to what made the original a hit was a great combination that won everyone over. Should do well on blu-ray and dvd as well. We will probably see a sequel by 2012. $151 million (and going strong)

TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE – Was their any doubt? This franchise is a beast and the third entry in this series debuted to numbers nearly as strong as its predecessor. The one positive with Eclipse is that it’s actually a better film than the first two. More action and a director who did a nice job cleverly combining all of the elements of the series. Get ready for two more films over the next couple of years…hopefully Breaking Dawn can be the ultimate Twilight film(s). $176 million (on it’s way to possibly $300 million)

LETTERS TO JULIET – Amanda Seyfried is not yet a huge box office draw, but maybe she will be someday. She is a very good actress, and her latest effort managed to turn a decent profit. On a relatively small budget of $30 million, the film which came out May 14 is still in the top 10 and should rake in even more when it hits dvd shelves in a couple of months. $50 million (with a little more left in the tank)

GET HIM TO THE GREEK –Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, and Diddy proved to be quite a comic force in this critically acclaimed film that proved a worthy successor to Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Another film that had a small budget of $40 million, Greek is one of those films that will also be huge on dvd…considering a lot of people might have passed on it in theaters due to it’s crude nature. Diddy was hilarious, Brand was on his game, and Hill was as funny as ever…result…the summer’s best comedy, and the best comic film since The Hangover. $60 million (could reach the $75 million mark)

GROWN UPS –Adam Sandler’s films make money…when he’s doing what he does best. Straight up comedy. Even though the film fell flat with critics and with me, the combination of Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade proved to be too irrestible for moviegoers. Hopefully, if they all get together again…the result will be a better movie. Looks like another $100 million film for Sandler, as he still proves to be one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood. $80 million (but still early in it’s release…lots more cash to come)

THE MISSES

JONAH HEX – NEVER…HAD…A…CHANCE. First of all, an action western is a hard enough sell as it is. Combine that with a star who has never carried a film (no offense Josh Brolin…I actually think you’re a great actor), horrible press from it’s co-star Megan Fox, a horrible script, and what do you have…a complete and utter mess. I’m not sure anything could have saved this picture, but it would probably would have done better with a release date out of the summer mix. Budget of $47 million…$10 million gross.

MARMADUKE – Marley and Me this was not. Even though Owen Wilson voiced the main character in the film, the film looked really silly in the trailers, and reviews were so bad that parents even refused to take their kids to see it. Caught between Shrek and Toy Story proved to be disastrous for this film aimed at families. It got totally lost in the shuffle. $50 million budget…just over $30 million gross.

THE A-TEAM – Not sure what went wrong here. The film was a fun time at the theater. Lots of action, good amounts of humor, and a great cast should have added up to a summer blockbuster. Well, something went wrong, and I think it was because audiences could not relate to the original television show. There wasn’t much of a built in audience for the film, and the marketing may have been a bit off. This is one of the best films of the year, but also one of the most disappointing in terms of box office grosses. On a budget of $110 million…should reach $80 million.

KILLERS – Ashton Kutcher has never been a huge box office draw, but putting him with Katherine Heigl made for an interesting pairing, at least on paper. The film looked like it did a good job of combining action with comedy, but did not do particularly well after it’s opening weekend. Negative reviews didn’t help things, and when it was all said and done, the film stalled. The marketing was very similar to Knight and Day, which was the better film. Budget of $75 million, with a gross of $45 million.

MACGRUBER – Should this film have been released in theaters? Probably not. It looked like it could have been funny judging by the trailers, but the end result left a lot of people unsatissfied. One of the weaker Saturday Night Live characters, MacGruber looked like it should have been a straight to dvd release. Being that it had only a $10 million budget, it’s $8 million gross doesn’t look that bad. I’m sure the studio had hoped for more.

KNIGHT AND DAY – I really wanted this film to be a hit. Tom Cruise has always been a favorite actor of mine, and I was rooting for him here. What we ended up with was a so-so film that should have taken more risks. Cruise was really good in the film, and I’m not placing the blame on him for this one. The public is forgiving, and with a slightly better marketing campaign, Knight and Day could have been a $150 million blockbuster. How can you not put your lead stars on the poster for this? Diaz and Cruise are nowhere to be found on the poster…not smart. With a $117 million budget, the film currently sits at $50 million and will probably top out around $75-80 million.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK

ROBIN HOOD – Possibly the most misunderstood film of the summer. This was not, and never claimed to be the Robin Hood that we all know. In fact, it was nothing even close to that. That combined with the been there-done that factor (resembling Gladiator) actually hurt the film’s domestic gross. I really enjoyed the movie, and appreciated the new take on the legend. Reason for it being in the middle, rather than the miss category, is because it has made $300 million worldwide (on a $200 million budget), and will probably do well on dvd. I recommend giving this film a chance when it hits shelves later this year. $105 million gross.

PRINCE OF PERSIA: SANDS OF TIME – Another film that may have benefited from a bigger name in the lead role. Word of mouth was decent for this action blockbuster that was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and distributed by Disney. However, for some reason the film just didn’t manage to find much of an audience past it’s opening weekend. Persia was trying to become the next Pirates of the Carribean, but lacked enough charm to get repeat business. Jake Gyllenhaal did a good job in his role, and the film was entertaining. It lands in the middle due to it’s ability to finding some love overseas, where it has grossed $230 million so far. $90 million domestic gross, bringing it’s worldwide total to $320 million…not Pirates, but not too shabby either.

SEX AND THE CITY 2 – I totally overestimated this one. Thinking the sequel would be a better film, and drag women back to see it over and over again, I projected a much higher gross that what it actually made. This sequel ended up being less of a fan favorite than the original, and the repeat business just didn’t happen. You can’t really call it a ‘miss’, because it has done quite well overseas and even managed to nearly make back it’s budget here in the States. No worries for this franchise though, as it will make lots more money with dvd sales. Budget of $100 million, with a domestic gross of $95 million. (Worldwide total = $265 million)

THE LAST AIRBENDER – This is a tough one to call. Airbender made a lot more in it’s opening weekend that I thought it would due to horrible reviews from not only critics, but early audiences as well. Somehow it managed to take in $70 million this past weekend and put up a strong number two spot behind Eclipse. I do think that word of mouth is eventually going to drag this one down, and with a $150 million budget, it’s going to have to rely heavily on overseas business to make that back. I’m putting it in the middle due to the large fan base which will give it life in other countries, and it will more than likely get close to the $115-125 million mark here in the U.S.

Halfway done…with a lot of possible hits to come. We still have a lot of films to look forward to this summer, starting with Despicable Me and Predators this weekend. Next weekend, we finally get to see if all the buzz about Inception is worth it. As far as comedies go, nothing looks funnier than The Other Guys, with Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell. Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd team up for Dinner With Schmucks, Angelina Jolie returns to kick some ass in Salt, and Zac Efron gets a chance to breakout in Charlie St. Cloud. Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney try for another hit with Nicolas Cage in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (getting a Prince of Persia feeling with this one!). Cats and Dogs 2 arrive in 3D at the end of this month, as does the third entry in the Step Up franchise. August 13 is shaping up to be an interesting date with the release as Sylvester Stallone’s action ensemble The Expendables, Michael Cera in the strange but cool looking Scott Pilgrim vs the World, and a film that I think is going to do really well…Eat Pray Love, with Julia Roberts. Mark my words…it’s going to be a great flick, and Julia will get an Oscar nomination.