This summer, there is something for everyone at the theaters. Sure, the usual onslaught of brainless sequels is on its way, alongside the explosive and moronic Jerry Bruckheimer and Will Smith action movies. But there is also a fascinating group of indie flicks and goofball comedies that are sure to do more than titillate the eyes.
Geeks will have their comic book adaptations, parents will have their adult comedies, teenagers their favorite farces, and pretentious college students should enjoy the spate of unnecessarily artsy movies.
The Rest of May
The Day After Tomorrow (May 29)
In what literally is the perfect storm, a combination of catastrophic meteorological events kills millions and submerges New York City in a deep freeze. This film focuses on the search by Jake Gyllenhaal ("October Sky") for his father (Dennis Quaid), amidst the frozen tundra formerly known as Manhattan. In other words, fifteen minutes of over-the-top digital effects followed by two hours of over-the-top acting.
Soul Plane (May 28)
In what was originally billed as an "urban version" of the screwball comedy "Airplane!" this film can only be a slim shadow of the Leslie Nielsen classic. Yet with Snoop Dogg as the titular aircraft's pilot and Tom Arnold as the unsuspecting white passenger on an airline geared toward black travelers, "Soul Plane" has a prayer at mirroring the enormous success of "Barbershop."
June
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (June 4)
Yup, it's time again for another "Harry Potter" film. There should be more buzz around this one, considering that it has a new director who is known for darker fare and that the third book was one of the best of the series. But it just seems like fans have gotten complacent, knowing that another "HP" is out and that more are on the way. It'll probably be good... but, well, been there, done that.
Garfield (June 11)
The trailers for this comics-page-to-silver-screen adaptation just looked god-awful. A CGI Garfield, voiced by Norm McDonald, harasses his human owner Jon Arbuckle, played by Breckin Meyer. It's a collection of failed sit-com actors. There is no possible way this movie cannot flop, which begs the question: "Was anyone really clamoring for a 'Garfield' movie?"
The Stepford Wives (June 11)
Here's a cast you can sink your teeth into: Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Christopher Walken and Bette Midler all headline in this remake of the 1975 suburban mystery. While the production of the film was mired in cast changes and tiffs with director Frank Oz, the juicy plot about husbands replacing their wives with sexually subservient and "perfect" robot wives should be interesting in these politically correct times.
The Terminal (June 18)
The Stephen Spielberg heart-warming machine is in full force with this crowd-pleasing film, which stars the one-two punch of Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Inspired by one of those oddball Yahoo! News stories, "The Terminal" follows Victor Navorski after he is forced to live in a New York City airport terminal because his home country is in civil war, therefore invalidating his passport and preventing either a trip back home or out into the United States where he would be an illegal alien. Implausible, yes. But with this cast and crew, there's little room for anything but a smooth landing.
Dodgeball: The True Underdog Story (June 18)
From the brilliant mind responsible for last year's hilarious "Terry Tate" commercials comes a comedy based on everyone's favorite recess pastime. Ben Stiller stars as the owner of a behemoth fitness center seeking to bully out a local gym owned by Vince Vaughn. To settle their duel, the two agree to do battle on the professional dodgeball court. Expect the zaniness of "Zoolander" combined with the amusing antics from "Old School." Never has the red rubber ball seemed like so much fun.
Spider-man 2 (June 30)
The big-event movie of the summer brings back Tobey Maguire as the web-slinging superhero and Kirsten Dunst as his sweetheart, Mary Jane Watson. With Alfred Molina as villain Doctor Octopus, director Sam Raimi ("Evil Dead") has again comforted the comic book fanatic and casual film buff alike. This will be the biggest ticket of the summer, so don't miss out. Oh, and if it is anything like the first Spiderman flick, the sequel may actually be good.
July
Before Sunset (July 2)
And on the other end of the sequel spectrum is this offering, coming nine years after Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise." Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke return in their roles as Celine and Jesse, respectively. Even though Linklater had recent success with "School of Rock," Hawke has to be wondering how he is stuck doing the same small films he was doing nine years ago. Men, watch out for this one, as the film screams "chick flick."
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (July 9)
In what could be another utterly ridiculous summer comedy, "Anchorman" follows the story of Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) and his kooky clan of fellow newscasters. As the film is set in the '70s, expect countless cheesy nostalgia jokes and, well, the antics for which Will Ferrell has become famous. After "Old School" and "Elf," the former Saturday Night Live actor is on the comedic roll of a lifetime.
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (July 9)
Last summer, "Spellbound" was the documentary of choice for movie-goers; this year, it is bound to be this eye-opening look at the famed heavy metal band. The film was the darling of the Sundance Film Festival as audiences got to see the band members fight bitterly over the production of their newest album, even going to filmed group therapy sessions.
The Village (July 30)
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that this film is going to have a surprise ending. This time, director/screenwriter M. Night Shyamalan ("The Sixth Sense") brings his mastery of the camera and pen to a nineteenth century Pennsylvanian village. While the trailers have revealed little about the plot, other than that there are scary beast-like villains, it should prove to be the scariest of his four films.
Garden State (July 30)
Yet another Sundance hit, this indie flick was written and directed by "Scrubs" star Zach Braff. The script tackles a variety of issues, including death in the family, mental illness, and what happens when one returns home. With an impressive cast that includes Natalie Portman and Ian Holm, "Garden State" could become the surprise hit of the summer.
