For more than 100 years, going to the movies has been a favorite pastime for many. Movies have changed dramatically since they were first invented, from special effects, to storylines, to the quality of actors. These days, the movies are bigger and better, and this summer, there is no shortage of good movies.

The summer kicked off with The Hunger Games and The Avengers, which will be followed by The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man and everything else in between. Weber State University students are excited for the blockbuster hits this summer.

Favorite movies of the summer so far have been The Avengers, Snow White and the Huntsman, Dark Shadows and Men in Black 3.

“I just saw Snow White and the Huntsman. That was pretty cool, and it had some really awesome effects,” said David London, WSU student. “I saw The Avengers. That was really cool as well.”

Student Dan Linford agrees that The Avengers was a must-see movie.

“I really liked The Avengers movie because there was a lot of character development from the other movies,” Linford said. “It was fun. There was a lot of action and explosions, so it was entertaining.”

Many of this summer’s biggest movies are sequels to other past blockbusters.

“Men in Black 3 was good because it was a little bit different than the other two. Still had the same plot and humor, but it drew more on the character of ‘K’,” said Debra Orgill.

The Signpost asked students on Facebook what movies they are most excited about. Arrakis Rasmussen shared that she was most excited for The Avengers, but she is also looking forward to Prometheus. David Robles also shared that he was “super excited for Batman and The Amazing Spiderman.”

IMDb.com has The Dark Knight Rises as No. 1 on the “Most Anticipated Movies of Summer 2012” list. Other most-anticipated movies are Prometheus (2), The Avengers (3), Moonrise Kingdom (4) and Brave (5).

London said he is excited for Brave, which comes out June 22.

“I am excited for Brave — that comes out at the end of the month — and I am excited for the new Batman movie,” London said.

Linford said Prometheus, the prequel to the Alien series from the ’80s, is the movie to keep an eye on. It comes to theaters on Friday, June 8.

“I am really looking forward to Prometheus, the Ridley Scott film,” Linford said. “I have watched all the other Alien movies, and this one looked really good when I saw the trailer.”

Other highly anticipated movie-release dates:

The Dark Knight Rises – July 20

The Amazing Spider-Man – July 3

The Bourne Legacy – August 3

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – June 19

The Expendables 2 –  August 17

Rock of Ages – June 15