Summer will be here before we know it and we all know what that means:
Summer blockbuster movies!
The complete lineup for summer 2002 is far from final, but some of its defining traits are clear: a maze of mega-budget sequels, several action films whose releases were delayed due to the events of Sept. 11 and a surprising number of star vehicles.
The summer of 2001 reaped a record $2.95 billion for the studios, and from the looks of it the summer of 2002 will be just as prosperous. From a Spidey adventure to Jedi mind tricks to the Men in Black, the upcoming summer lineup will be chock-full of things to excite and delight us once again.
Here’s a sneak peek:
Spider-Man
On Board: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Randy Savage, Kirsten Dunst. Directed by Sam Raimi.
Premise: Nerdy teenager Peter Parker (Maguire) gets an unexpected twist in life when he is bitten by a radioactive spider, resulting in a genetic alteration that allows him to scale walls and shoot a web-like substance from his wrists. Parker, aka Spider-Man, uses his newfound powers to fight evil and takes on mutated scientist Norman Osborn, aka the Green Goblin (Dafoe). Parker also works at the local paper and tries to win the love of his pretty neighbor, Mary Jane Watson (Dunst). It’s tough being a super teenage hero these days.
Our two cents: The summer officially begins! Even though many pooh-poohed the choice of Maguire to play the buff hero, the Spidey epic is surely going to bring in those die-hard fans of the comic book, and should make oodles of money it’s opening weekend. But can the film hold its own against the juggernaut that is Star Wars: Episode II? Doubtful.
Opens: May 3
Star Wars: Episode II – The Attack of the Clones
On Board: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor. Directed by George Lucas.
Premise: Set ten years after Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the galaxy has undergone significant changes. Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor), Queen Amidala (Portman) and Anakin Skywalker (Christensen) are once again thrown together, as Anakin–now an accomplished Jedi–and Obi-Wan are assigned to protect the queen from a faction of political separatists. A special bond grows between Amidala and Anakin, but the Jedi are not allowed to love. They each face choices that will impact not only their own fates but also the destiny of the Republic. [The music swells.]
Our two cents: Just like The Empire Strikes Back of the first Star Wars trilogy, this second installment sounds like it’s going to be the best one. It’s always a good thing to mix sex and love with heart-pounding lightsaber action. People are going to once again freely empty the contents of their wallets to see this.
Opens: May 16
Insomnia
On Board: Al Pacino, Hilary Swank, Robin Williams. Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Premise:A sleep-deprived big city detective (Pacino) is sent to a small Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a teenage girl. In the line of duty, however, he accidentally kills his partner. Unexpectedly absolved of blame, he is nevertheless wracked with guilt and is soon investigated by a local detective (Swank). There is also the matter of trying to solve the murder of that teenage girl…
Our two cents: This psychological thriller is a remake of the 1997 Norwegian film starring Stellan Skarsgard and directed by hot new auteur Christopher Nolan, who gave us the unbelievably unique Memento last year. We can look forward to some interesting twists and turns.
Opens: May 24
The Bourne Identity
On Board: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Julia Stiles, Chris Cooper. Directed by Doug Liman.
Premise: A man (Damon) is fished out of the Mediterranean sea, his body riddled with gunshot wounds and with no memory of the past. His only clues are a piece of microfilm implanted in his body, a Swiss bank account with several million dollars and the name Jason Bourne, which may or may not be his own. He soon finds himself a target and only a mysterious woman, Marie (Potente), can give him the answers Bourne needs to find his true identity.
Our two cents: Based on the Robert Ludlum novel, director Liman (Swingers) takes on the task of bringing this popular novel to life. Only one other Ludlum novel has been made into a feature film (1983’s The Osterman Weekend) so it’s uncertain whether the material has, say, the John Grisham golden touch. At least Matt Damon is in it.
Opens: May 31
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The Sum of All Fears
On Board: Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, James Cromwell, Liev Schreiber, Alan Bates. Directed by Phil Alden Robinson.
Premise: After two nuclear bombs are detonated, one in Eastern Europe and one in Baltimore on Super Bowl Sunday, young CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Affleck) must race against time and stop the terrorists bent on starting World War III.
Our Two Cents: Based on the action-packed Tom Clancy bestseller, good old Jack Ryan is at it again, but oddly enough he is getting younger. Guess old-timer Harrison Ford, who played Ryan in two Clancy adaptations (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger) after taking over the role from Alec Baldwin (Hunt for Red October), had to step down to let the wily Affleck become the new Ryan. Think Ben has any chance of filling those big shoes successfully? We shall see.
Opens: May 31
The Importance of Being Earnest
On Board: Rupert Everett, Judi Dench, Colin Firth, Frances O’Connor, Reese Witherspoon. Directed by Oliver Parker.
Premise: In this classic comedy of manners, two young gentlemen (Everett and Firth) living in 1890’s England use the same pseudonym on the sly. This works to their advantage until they–still using the same name–each fall in love with different women, leading to a massive case of mistaken identity.
Our two cents: Oscar Wilde’s hilarious turn-of-the-century play has been made into several television and film incarnations, but certainly not with the acting level of this crew of British thespian royalty. (Where’s Jeremy Northam?) Witherspoon and Six Feet Under‘s O’Connor make nice additions.
Opens: May 31
Scooby-Doo
On Board: Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Rowan Atkinson. Directed by Raja Gosnell.
Premise: Based on the popular animated cartoon, the intrepid gang–Fred (Prinze), Daphne (Gellar), Velma (Cardellini), Shaggy (Lillard) and, of course, Scooby–go to a hot college resort to try and solve a bona fide mystery, leading them into murky and supernatural waters.
Our two cents: The casting looks right. There’s a CGI version of the Great Dane himself. There’s the Mystery Van. Everything seems in place. But does anyone remember how excited we got when we heard they were making Josie and the Pussycats? Ruh-roh!
Opens: June 14
Mr. Deeds
On Board: Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder, John Turturro, Peter Gallagher. Directed by Steven Brill.
Premise: When Longfellow Deeds (Sandler) inherits the controlling interest in a media corporation from his deceased uncle, he’s quickly besieged by opportunists gunning for their piece of the pie. Babe (Ryder), a New York television tabloid reporter, is sent in to pose as an innocent small-town girl and get the goods on Deeds, but instead ends up falling in love with the lug.
Our two cents: In this remake of Frank Capra’s 1936 classic Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, do you think funny guy Sandler can really measure up to the quiet and powerful strength of Gary Cooper? How about whiny Ryder trying to fill the shoes of the spunky Jean Arthur? We have some serious doubts.
Opens: June 21
Minority Report
On Board: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Premise: Based on a Philip K. Dick short story, the film revolves around a futuristic world where a division of the police department can arrest killers before they commit the crimes through some fancy futuristic technology. One cop (Cruise), a pillar of the department, is suddenly accused of a future crime and does everything in his power to try and stop it before it can happen.
Our two cents: Spielberg has a thing for futuristic tales, doesn’t he? Last year it was the troubled A.I. and now this. Still, we all know the man has an eye for good material, and teaming up with superstar Cruise doesn’t hurt. This one should be an interesting addition to the summer lineup.
Opens: June 28
Men in Black 2
On Board: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Fiorentino, Rip Torn. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.
Premise: Agent J (Smith) needs help to rid the planet of some particularly nasty alien visitors. J must find Agent K (Jones), restore his memory and bring him back on board.
Our two cents: Thank God all the agents are back! The aliens on Earth have been getting a little out of hand lately. If the sequel has any of the charm of the original, this should make even more money than what’s already guaranteed.
Opens: July 3
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
On Board: Ellen Burstyn, Sandra Bullock, Ashley Judd. Directed by Callie Khouri.
Premise: This is a tale chronicling the lives of a group of lifelong friends living in a small Southern town. The most eccentric member of the group, Vivi (Burstyn), and her daughter, Siddalee (Bullock), are having a difficult time understanding one another. Trying to help, the other friends stage a rather unorthodox intervention to help Siddalee unravel the truth about her mother and her mother’s life in the 1930s, as well as find forgiveness and come to terms with her own painful past.
Our two cents: Director/screenwriter Khouri, who won the Oscar for her fabulous screenplay Thelma and Louise in 1991, is taken the directing reins for the first time and turning Rebecca Wells’ best-selling novel in a big screen adaptation. If you are a fan of the book, you know the casting sounds perfect.
Opens: July 12
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Reign of Fire
On Board: Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale. Directed by Rob Bowman.
Premise: In a post-apocalyptic world, the Earth is overrun by fire-breathing dragons. A fire chief (Bale) is responsible for keeping the beasts at bay so his small community can eke out a meager existence, until a hotshot American (McConaughey) comes around, claiming he can kill the dragons and save mankind.
Our Two Cents: Dragons overtaking the Earth? Bale and McConaughey? Count us in! If the special effects aren’t too cheesy and the story isn’t too melodramatic, this could very well be a surprise hit.
Opens: July 12
Austin Powers 3
On Board: Mike Myers (and Mike Myers), Heather Graham, Michael York. Directed by Jay Roach.
Premise: A prequel to the earlier Austin Powers films, Goldmember follows the adventures of the international man of mystery and secret agent Austin Powers, fighting evil all over the world. This time around Austin also tries to find his long lost parents.
Our two cents: The title is brilliant and if the tremendous success of the first two have anything to do with it, this newest Austin Powers installment should rake in the bucks. And why not? James Bond movies keep getting made. Why shouldn’t Austin be just as popular? Let’s just hope Myers doesn’t get too tired making them, seeing as he plays all the parts.
Opens: July 26
Signs
On Board: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
Premise: In Bucks County, Penn., a 500-foot array of circles and lines are found mysteriously carved into the crops of a family farm.
Our two cents: Coming from the director of The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, expect a weird twist–or four–somewhere in the movie.
Opens: Aug. 2
XXX
On Board: Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by Rob Cohen.
Premise: A tough extreme sports player, Xander Cage (Diesel), is co-opted by the government to infiltrate a Russian crime ring.
Our Two Cents: OK, this one is just an excuse to watch bigger and better explosions and high-flyin’ stunts–and to see Diesel once again kicking some major butt. Made by the director of The Fast and Furious, last summer’s surprise hit, we figure audiences are ready for some real action again.
Opens: Aug. 2
Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams
On Board: Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Daryl Sabara, Alexa Vega, Steve Buscemi. Directed by Robert Rodriguez.
Premise: Not much is known about the exact plot, but the adventures of super spy kids Juni and Carmen Cortez continue, with their supportive parents by their side.
Our two cents: Director Rodriguez probably never thought in his wildest dreams his film Spy Kids would turn into the sensation it did last year–but he’s not complaining. Let’s see if the sequel lives up to the original. (Unfortunately, they so rarely do.)
Opens: Aug. 7
The Adventures of Pluto Nash
On Board: Eddie Murphy, Randy Quaid, Rosario Dawson. Directed by Ron Underwood.
Premise: Set on the moon in the year 2087, this action comedy revolves around audacious nightclub owner Pluto Nash (Murphy), who finds himself in hot water when he refuses to sell his club to the local mob. (The gangsters are planning to take over the moon.) Joining Pluto in the danger and lunacy are Dina Lake (Dawson), a beautiful earthling who has traveled to the moon to further her singing ambitions, and Pluto’s bodyguard Bruno (Quaid), a robot quickly approaching obsolescence.
Our two cents: OK, it sounds funny, but these kinds of movies can be so hit and miss. Still, it’s a Murphy vehicle and he seems to be back on track in the comedy business, making successful movies left and right. We’ll give it a chance.
Opens: Aug. 16
And if you think that lineup is good, look what’s coming in the summer of 2003: X-Men 2, The Hulk, The Matrix-Reload and Terminator 3.
Summer is always the best time of year.
