Total Recall (Aug. 3)

Summer 2012 has been filled with a mob of action films — “The Avengers,” “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “Dark Knight Rises,” “Prometheus,” etc. “Total Recall,” a sci-fi action film starring Colin Farrell, joins the crowd Aug. 3.

“Total Recall” is a remake of 1990 film of the same name starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film takes place in 2084 in a world divided into two superpowers, Euroamerica and New Shanghai.

Douglas Quaid, played by Farrell, is a discontent factory worker who visits Rekall, a corporation that plants memories into its clients.

While at Rekall, Quaid finds out his memory was already erased, and he was previously a secret spy. With that knowledge, Quaid must run from those who are attempting to kill him.

Most remakes are awful, especially ones that originally starred Arnold Schwarzenegger (Remember the 2011 “Conan the Barbarian” remake? Neither do I). But “Total Recall” has a star-studded cast — Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bill Nighy and Ethan Hawke. The trailer also shows some awesome action scenes and set designs.

“Total Recall” might not be the best movie of the summer, but it will offer you some excitement before you get back to the daily grind of classes.

The Bourne Legacy (Aug. 10)

In addition to being the summer of action flicks, this summer has also been the season for remakes, reboots and other continuations of film series. “The Bourne Legacy,” the fourth installment of the Bourne film series, will continue this trend.

Five years after “The Bourne Ultimatum,” the third Bourne film, the series will take off again with “The Bourne Legacy.” The fourth installment will tell the story of how the CIA reacts to the events of “The Bourne Ultimatum.”

Jeremy Renner, who played Hawkeye in “The Avengers,” portrays Aaron Cross, an agent of Operation Outcome. Cross must try to stay alive as CIA agent Byer, played by Edward Norton, tries to assassinate him.

The Bourne film series, which was originally a book series, has garnered a lot of fans. Those fans will likely go to “The Bourne Legacy,” even without Matt Damon in it. The film will also gain the attention of action movie fans, who will probably still be rejoicing in the buffet of action movies they consumed this summer.

Bourne fans should breathe a sigh of relief because “The Bourne Legacy” was written and directed by Tony Gilroy, who also wrote the previous Bourne films. If Gilroy doesn’t do a complete 180, “The Bourne Legacy” should have a similar feel to the previous films in the series. So, with those films as precedents, there should be a lot of chases, gun shots and secrets in “The Bourne Legacy.”

The Campaign (Aug. 10)

Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis have become the kings of comedy, with both starring in several comedy movies in the past couple of years. In “The Campaign,” Ferrell and Galifianakis join forces to mock politicians.

Ferrell and Galifianakis portray two rival politicians in North Carolina. Cam Brady, played by Ferrell, is a cocky incumbent who must compete against rookie politician Marty Huggins, played by Galifianakis.

The release date for “The Campaign” is perfect timing for the upcoming U.S. elections.

From the trailer, it appears as if the movie is going to be a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of the over-the-top campaign antics of politicians.

The topic will be relevant because, when the movie comes out, politicians will likely be heavily campaigning.

Many people will go to the movie just to see Ferrell and Galifianakis act together, since it will be the first time the two have starred in a movie together. It will be interesting to see the chemistry between Ferrell and Galifianakis and how the two play off each other.

However, just because of the timeliness of the movie’s topic and the track records of the two stars, “The Campaign” may be a box office bomb. Political comedies with big-named stars may not translate into big box office numbers or critics’ approval — just look at “Man of the Year” starring Robin Williams or “Swing Vote” starring Kevin Costner.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green (Aug. 15)

Disney comes off the financial and critical success of “Brave” with the release of the fantasy drama “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.”

The movie tells the tale of a couple — played by Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton — who are unable to conceive a baby. So, they decide to write down on pieces of paper all the characteristics they want in a child, put those pieces of paper in a box and then bury that box in their backyard. During the night, a young boy, played by CJ Adams, appears in the couple’s house.

The boy, named Timothy Green, was born from the Earth. The rest of the film shows the couple and Timothy growing together and living as a family.

Peter Hedges, the director and co-writer of the film, also wrote “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” “About a Boy” and “Dan in Real Life.” Taking those movies in mind, “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” will probably have somewhat of a indie feel to it.

The movie will also likely be set in a suburban or rural location, which could reflect the fact Hedges is originally from West Des Moines.

“The Odd Life of Timothy Green” seems to be a feel-good film, which is perfect for students feeling sad their summer is ending.

Sparkle (Aug. 17)

The biggest reason why people are talking about “Sparkle” is because it will be Whitney Houston’s final film — she died three months after filming. However, the film deserves attention for its plot and other cast members, in addition to it being Houston’s last movie.

“Sparkle,” which is a remake of 1976 film of the same name, is a musical film inspired by The Supremes. The movie is about three sisters who form a girls’ singing group in the 1950s.

Jordin Sparks, season six “American Idol” winner, plays Sparkle, one of the three sisters. Houston plays Emma, Sparkle’s mom.

“Sparkle” will be Houston’s last and Spark’s first movie. If “Sparkle” to Houston is like “The Dark Knight” was to Heath Ledger, the movie will help Houston’s career. Furthermore, if “Sparkle” to Sparks is like “Dreamgirls” was to Jennifer Hudson, the movie will catapult Sparks into stardom.

Cee Lo Green also acts in “Sparkle.” He, Houston and Sparks all have songs on the film’s soundtrack. R. Kelly, Grammy Award-winning musician, served as the main producer for the soundtrack, and Curtis Mayfield, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, wrote songs for the film.