Like Michael Jackson and little boys, blockbuster films and the summer months go hand in hand. In fact, "summer movies" is a category all to itself, mostly involving high budgets and Will Smith. In preparation for the upcoming season, the Daily will handicap the field, previewing the most appealing of the bunch. If nothing else, enjoy the air conditioning.
Madagascar (May 27). These days it's not summer without Ben Stiller. In the first promising non-Pixar cartoon in a while, Stiller teams up with Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith to voice a quartet of pampered zoo animals shipped off to the wilds of - you guessed it- Madagascar. There they are forced to interact with the native animals, one of whom is voiced by Sacha Baron Cohen (better known as Ali G). Ali G and Ben Stiller sharing screen time? If nothing else, it should be commended for novelty.
Cinderella Man (June 3). For those seeking a film about boxing, the Depression Era, and Russell Crowe, the release of this film will be a red-letter day. Directed by Ron Howard, who was paired with Crowe in "A Beautiful Mind," the film is generating an Oscar buzz. Think of this movie as a mix between "Seabiscuit" and "Million Dollar Baby." Million Dollar Seabiscuit?
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (June 10). You know that show "Cheaters" on the WB? The one where suspicious spouses hire a camera crew to secretly follow their cheating partners around and videotape the adulterers in the act? "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" is pretty much the same concept, albeit with a larger budget, as rumors have abounded that the film was the real reason behind the end of Brad Pitt's marriage to Jennifer Aniston. Pitt and Angelina Jolie play married contract killers hired to kill each other. Will we be able to tell exactly when Pitt decided, "You know, I enjoy making out with Angelina a little too much..."?
Batman Begins (June 17). After Micheal Keaton departed, campy disasters followed. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the man at the helm of such dark thrillers as "Memento," the film will hopefully be a return to the franchise's equally dark roots. Christian Bale ("American Psycho") has toiled in semi-obscurity for too long while talentless clowns (see: Colin Farrell) have vaulted past him into stardom. Hopefully, this film will reverse both trends.
War of the Worlds (June 29). After a successful collaboration between Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg produced 2002's summer hit "Minority Report," the duo team up for the second time. Whether it be Will Smith, Mel Gibson or now Tom Cruise, watching humans battle aliens as cities explode never grows tiresome.
The Wedding Crashers (July 15). Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson go around crashing weddings to pick up chicks. Nothing more needs to be said.
Hustle & Flow (July 15). The only indie film on the list follows a pimp trying to make it as a rapper in the Memphis hip-hop scene. A huge favorite at Sundance, it could provide a nice change of pace from big budget star-studded films.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (July 15). At this point, many people would pay to watch Johnny Depp eat a bowl of cereal. Thankfully, he'll be doing more than that here. Weirdness king Tim Burton directs the remake, and word on the street is that the special effects are out of this world. Hopefully Depp manages to do for this film what he did for "Pirates of the Caribbean," making a good film great.
Bad News Bears (July 22). With the hilarity of "Bad Santa" in mind, Hollywood has realized any movie in which Billy Bob Thornton drunkenly cusses at young children is solid gold.
The Brothers Grimm (July 29). Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam is famous for writing and directing quirky high-budget flops. These failures include some of the most underappreciated films of the last 25 years, from "Time Bandits" (1981) to "12 Monkeys" (1995) to "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (1998). Starring Heath Ledger and Matt Damon as the famed fairy tale auteurs, "The Brothers Grimm" promises more of the same ... and that's probably a good thing.
The Dukes of Hazzard (August 5). Director/cowriter Jay Chandrasekhar, who directed and played Officer Thorny in "Super Troopers," promises to add an offbeat tinge to the familiar tale, as do Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville playing the Duke brothers. And Jessica Simpson wasn't just born to play Daisy Duke, she's been playing the part her entire life. And now she'll be wearing hot pants.
