Attack of the Summer Movies
By Geronimo Rodriguez
Daily Cougar Staff
Ah, summer movies. We don't know whether to love or hate 'em. Sometimes
when this time of year rolls round, the movie industry acts as if it despises
the idea of actually entertaining audiences.
If this summer proves to be identical to recent years, once the summer
heat simmers, Hollywood will have scored a hefty payday and a score of
filmgoers will be raising their fists, ticket stubs in hand, damning the
awful film they just paid to see.
But so long as there is a good sum of films that make for memorable,
time-worthy visits to the theater, this critic could care less about where
the
money trail ends. After skimming the list of releases, moviegoers need
not worry about summer flops.
As always, there are the bona fide blockbusters that come in the form
of the much-anticipated Spider-Man and Star Wars, which open May 3 and
May 16 respectively.
In George Lucas' Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (Fox Searchlight,
PG), Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) is placed in a powerful yet
dangerous position as Senator of her people.
Meanwhile, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), who is being trained
by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), struggles to maintain the Jedi
code and his love for the queen at the same time.
The lines will be long as moviegoers hope Lucas will provide an insurmountable
script to accommodate the stellar cast and overwhelming
hype.
Portman, Christensen and McGregor are all fine actors in their own right,
and if the computer-generated images intend to smother the spotlight
yet again, Yoda may want to look for another gig.
Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (Sony Pictures, PG-13) closely follows the comic-book
premise of Peter Parker becoming altered after being bitten by
a radioactive spider, acquiring the senses of a spider.
Tobey Maguire may have a subtle demeanor, but his performances are well
received.
It's hard to figure if Kirsten Dunst is actually washed up or she just
likes to play the part. This time, the actress will have to clean it up
a bit if she
hopes to play a compelling romantic interest.
Both Star Wars and Spider-Man are promising films that hope to gross
the most in ticket sales. Let us hope these filmmakers recognized that
a
film's quality lasts much longer than its sales figures.
For those who simply dread the smell of popcorn movies and digitally
enhanced films, there always are the more dramatically driven thrillers.
Let us take a chance and assume that Christopher Nolan's Insomnia (Warner
Brothers, R) will be just as unforgettable as his last film,
Memento.
It's impossible for Al Pacino to falter onscreen, and with Hillary Swank
having blossomed into a versatile actress, the only question is whether
Robin Williams will be believable enough to keep audiences awake.
On June 21, filmmaking genius Steven Spielberg releases Minority Report
(Dreamworks, not yet rated), a film that has the potential to withstand
the competition for best film of the summer.
For starters, it's based on Phillip K. Dick's short story of the same
name. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep was the basis of the sci-fi
classic Blade Runner.
When Tom Cruise strayed from the safer roles and took his memorable
part in Magnolia, he improved his acting appeal. Since then, Cruise
hasn't let audiences down, and his role in Report is sure to do the
same.
Spielberg directs the film, which takes place in the future and follows
how criminals are caught before they commit their crimes.
When The Bourne Identity (Universal, R) heads to theaters on June 14,
audiences will have much to look forward to. It doesn't hurt to have Matt
Damon leading the film with Doug Lyman behind the camera.
From the trailers, the film seems full of Lyman's sweeping sequences,
like those in his other film Go. As for the premise, which is based on
Robert Ludlum's 1980 novel of the same name, filmmakers intend to make
this a James Bond for the younger audiences.
It follows Jason Bourne (Damon), a master spy, and what happens when
he becomes an amnesiac after an accident.
On May 3, Woody Allen reveals yet another one of his paranoia-driven
plots with Hollywood Ending (Dreamworks, PG-13).
In the comedy, the writer/director/actor portrays a has-been director,
Val Waxman, who is offered a job that would allow him to regain his
prestige. The only problem is that all the pressure leads him to go
blind.
The Sum of All Fears (Paramount, PG-13), which opens May 31, is perhaps
the closest a film will get to portraying all that can go wrong in a
world driven by money and power.
It follows Jack Ryan (Ben Affleck), a young historian, who finds himself
in the middle of political endeavors and a bomb which causes the
possibility of World War III.
Affleck replaces Harrison Ford in the newest installment of Tom Clancy's
novels, which follow covert operations and at the same time let
audiences in on the inner workings of politics.
Tom Hanks stops in on the summer with Road to Perdition (Dreamworks,
R) which opens July 12.
He portrays an Irish gangster who takes things to another level when
his wife and son are murdered.
The film, which was written and directed by American Beauty's Sam Mendes,
stars Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Stanley
Tucci.
The end of the more dramatic summer releases is highlighted with the
release of M. Night Shyamalan's Signs (Touchstone, not yet rated),
which will be released on Aug. 2.
It would be a surprise if Shyamalan didn't end this film with one of
the grandiose endings he has become known for. It follows the mysteries
that
surround a family living on a farm in Philadelphia after they find
crop circles on their land.
Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix starring in the film only adds to its
level of entertainment.
For those who can't seem to get enough of summer sequels, Austin Powers
in Goldmember and Men in Black 2 should suffice.
On July 26, Austin Powers (New Line Cinema, PG-13) follows Mike Myers'
irreverent spy character, Austin, as he fights both Dr. Evil and Fat
Bastard in his ridiculous manner.
This time he finds another enemy in the form of Goldmember, and a love
interest, Foxy Cleopatra (Beyoncé Knowles).
The same day, MIB 2 (Columbia, PG-13) picks up where the first one left
off with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones saving the world from aliens.
What's summer without a love triangle?
From the director of Fatal Attraction, Unfaithful (20th Century Fox,
R), which opens May 10, follows how a husband's and wife's lives begin
to
change when the wife indulges in an affair.
Adrian Lyne directs Richard Gere and Diane Lane in the adult thriller.
Nowadays, it's always better when Jennifer Lopez finds her way into
the spotlight to entertain audiences.
On May 24, Lopez carries a dramatic role in this summer's Enough (Sony,
PG-13).
The premise is similar to Julia Roberts' Sleeping with the Enemy, but
the sexy Lopez just might keep audiences from forming such a
comparison.
The film, which is directed by Michael Apted, follows an abused woman
who plans to escape from her once charming husband.
Even if we want to, studios will never forget about films intended for
teens — one of their largest audiences, especially when school's out.
Deuces Wild (MGM, R), however, looks as if it takes on a more engaging
story, almost similar to The Outsiders.
Directed by Basketball Diaries' Scott Kalvert, it follows the clash
of two gangs, the Deuces and the Vipers, in Brooklyn. The film, which opens
May
3, stars Stephen Dorff, Brad Renfro and Drea de Matteo.
Scooby-Doo (Warner Brothers, PG) which opens June 14, is just the live
adaptation of the cartoon.
The potential flop stars real-life lovebirds Freddie Prinze Jr. and
Sarah Michelle Gellar.
With hopes of emulating the success of Fast and the Furious, director
Rob Cohen and actor Vin Diesel team up again to bring XXX (Columbia,
PG-13).
The film, which opens Aug. 2, follows Diesel, an extreme sports athlete,
who is recruited by the government to perform a special mission.
Last but not least, when the weather starts to act up or you and yours
just want to revisit old times and make out in the back rows of the theater,
date movies aren't a bad way to spend an evening.
Good-boy-turned-bad-boy-turned-good-boy-again Hugh Grant stars in About
a Boy (Universal, PG-13), coming out May 17.
The film, which is based on Nick Hornby's novel of the same title, follows
Grant's character, a selfish young man who eventually learns to grow
up.
Neil LaBute's Possession (PG-13) should get a few laughing on July 26.
LaBute tells the story of a pair of literary sleuths who fall under a spell.
The film, which is based on A.S. Byatt's novel of the same title, stars
Gwyneth Paltrow.
