10 Best Summer 2008 Movies

The ten best summer movies of 2008 span a wide variety of movie types. Some, like "Get Smart", were based on old TV series. Others, such as "Kung Fu Panda," were truly original. But with this great group, it's hard to be disappointed with the best summer movies of 2008.

1. "Kung Fu Panda" -- Jack Black simply was the star panda in this show. He's also big, burly, and loveable, which made him perfect for this 2008 summer movie.
2. "Get Smart" -- Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart? Some may have a problem with another star inhabiting that famous Don Adams role. Yet Carell pulled it off in this 2008 action/comedy.
3. "WALL-E" -- This 2008 summer animated comedy was a futuristic story with heart. One could make the case that many animated movies are better than their live action counterparts. This summer film certainly stood right up there with the best.
4. "The Dark Knight" -- Batman is more alive now than ever. Most everyone has probably already forgotten the cheesy TV show. If you haven't forgotten that one yet, this 2008 summer film will help you erase the fat Batman image from your mind.
5. "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" -- "The Dark Knight" was better than the TV show, but this X-Files movie re-do wasn't quite up to snuff. Nevertheless, it made the list just because people were so glad to see their favorite alien hunters back on screen again.
6. "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" -- Who knew mummies would still be hip in 2008? They've since been replaced by zombies and vampires. But for a while there, people were quite wrapped up in mummy stories.
7. "Tropic Thunder" -- When you put actors into real world situations, it can be hilarious. Such was certainly true with this jungle war epic from 2008.
8. "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" -- Now this is some serious animation! Yes, not all 2008 summer animated films featured talking animals. Instead, the "Star Wars" story received the animation treatment.
9. "Pineapple Express" -- This film features lots of dumb drug humor. That may not fly during the more sober winter movie season, but in the summer of 2008, this was just laid back and cool.
10. "Mamma Mia!" -- Meryl Streep and Abba music may seem, on the surface, like strange bedfellows. But this film actually worked well on screen in the summer of 2008, just as it did on the live stage.