Summer '03 Preview

What Are You Doing This Summer?

From superheroes to super sequels, this summer is destined to be a busy one. Of course, with all the films coming out something noteworthy could potentially fall through the cracks. Have no fear! The FilmGuru is hard at work making sure you have the inside scoop on the sizzling summer cinema.

May

X2: I've already seen this one, and it rocks! Everyone's favorite band of mutant superheroes returns, but the X-Men have to join forces with their old enemy Magneto to save Professor X and all mutant-kind. FGN Opinion: Must See (Read the Review)

Daddy Day Care: Eddie Murphy stars in this comedy about a man who starts a day-care after his business fails. Sounds like something other people might like. Not me. Murphy hasn't appealed to me since Beverly Hills Cop II. FGN Opinion: Stay Home

Matrix Reloaded: Neo (Keanu Reeves) and the rest return to the Matrix to save Zion (the real world outpost for human life) from Agent Smith. If you haven't seen the first one, you just won't get it. The geek fringe will guarantee that this one makes it big. FGN Opinion: Must See (Read the Review)

Down With Love: A quirky little love story about a writer (Renee Zellweger) whose book "Down With Love" is causing men untold grief. Ewan McGregor is the playboy reporter assigned to ruin her reputation by making her fall in love with him. Lots of great music from the Rat Pack era. FGN Opinion: High Possibilities

Bruce Almighty: After complaining about the world's injustice, an ordinary man is given the power and responsibility of being God. Because the man is Jim Carey, so don't expect a thoughtful diatribe on good and evil. This will be one long bad joke. Morgan Freeman plays God, and Jennifer Aniston is around for window dressing. FGN Opinion: Guilty Pleasure (Read the Review)

The In-Laws: A remake of the Peter Falk/Alan Arkin film from the 1970s. A dentist (Albert Brooks) meets the father (Michael Douglas) of his daughter's fiancee, only to discover he is in the CIA. Danger and silliness aplenty. My only complaint is the cast. I've never been a fan of Albert Brooks, and Michael Douglas just looks too old. This would have been funnier with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Curtis as a sequel to True Lies. FGN Opinion: Must Avoid

Finding Nemo: The latest computer animated flick from our friends at Pixar. This time a fish is searching for his son Nemo who was plucked from the waters of home and put into a fish tank. As always, the animation looks fantastic, but the plot seems a little short on substance. Probably great for kids and animation fans, but I'll need some good buzz to make me rush out and see it. FGN Opinion: Wait and See (Read the Review)

The Italian Job: After pulling off a stunning gold robbery, Charlie (Mark Wahlberg) and his crew find that one of their own has double-crossed them. Now the gang regroups to steal back what they stole. While the story sounds a little blah, the cast (including Ed Norton and Donald Sutherland) seems solid. FGN Opinion: Wait and See

June

2 Fast 2 Furious: Could a film about drag racing spawn a sequel? As strange as it sounds, the Fast and Furious crew returns, but this time without Vin Diesel. The action is switched from L.A. to Miami where Paul Walker plays a former cop given a chance to redeem himself by bringing in a drug runner tied to the underground racing circuit. Muscle machines and lots of speed, but not enough to get me to cough up $7.00 for a ticket. FGN Opinion: No Way

Prozac Nation: Christina Ricci plays a first-year Harvard student battling depression. This one has been in the works for ages, but it may finally make it to the big screen. Directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg who did the Norwegian film Insomnia. FGN Opinion: Wait and See

Dumb and Dumberer - When Harry Met Lloyd: The original Dumb and Dumber was so bad, I almost left in the middle of it. This one doesn't even have the original stars to give it pizzazz. Eric Christian Olsen and Derek Richardson star as Lloyd and Harry (respectively) in their high school days. Both are surprisingly reminiscent of Jim Carey and Jeff Daniels, but it looks like the same stupid humor that made me want to run from the theater the first time around. FGN Opinion: Sign of the Apocalypse

Hollywood Homicide: Harrison Ford co-stars with Josh Hartnett in a cop buddy movie? Hartnett is a cop who wants to be an actor. Ford is his by-the-book partner investigating a rapper's death. Is Ford that hard-up for work? Can't he just wait around for the next Indiana Jones movie? This one looks so bad, I can't believe it didn't go straight to video. FGN Opinion: Must Avoid

The Hulk: Director Ang Lee brings his deep understanding of character to one of the most recognized modern monsters. While the Hulk has had many incarnations in the comics, this is the mindless brute that began the story. Trailers have comic fans in a frenzy waiting for their favorite green giant to burst onto the big screen. Get your tickets early for this one. FGN Opinion: Hulk SMASH! (Read the Review)

Charlie's Angels - Full Throttle: The angels return to the big screen to take on a former employee (Demi Moore) of Charlie's who is determined to work for herself. This time Bosley is played by comedian Bernie Mac. Lots of razzle dazzle, but not much hype about the story itself. A sign that there's not much to talk about? FGN Opinion: Low Expectations (Read the Review)

28 Days Later: No, it's not a sequel to that bad Sandra Bullock movie from a few years ago. In this Sundance favorite, a virus infects the world over 28 days. A small group of survivors try to figure out what is going on while fighting off the infected population. The trailer is subtle but effective. I'm eagerly waiting for this one. FGN Opinion: High Expectations. (Read the Review)

July

T3 - Rise of the Machines: Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as a machine sent from the future to help defend the past. This time we get to see the so called "Rise of the Machines" that started the apocalyptic vision that began the whole story. Early trailers made this look like another T2: Judgment Day, but the latest trailers have really improved and shown that this film will shock and awe audiences everywhere. FGN Opinion: Must See

Legally Blonde 2 - Red, White and Blonde: As if one movie with this silly premise wasn't enough, Reece Witherspoon once again plays a ditzy blonde who uses her idiot savant-like understanding of law to make a difference. This time Elle is off to the nation's capital to shake up Congress. While the original film may have had an amusing moment or two, this is just more of the same. If you liked the first, you'll probably want to catch it. FGN Opinion: Wait for DVD

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: This "anti-hero" flick is for the literary set. The idea is simple, characters from English literature (Alan Quartermain, The Invisible Man, Dr. Jekell, Captain Nemo, and others) have been tasked with saving England from a madman. The original comic book was a big underground success, but sadly, I doubt the concept can reach the masses the way that X-Men or Spider-Man has done. FGN Opinion: See This Movie For Something Different

Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl: Based on the Disney ride of the same name (where do people get these ideas?), this story is a pirate story and a ghost story. Marked with some dazzling special effects, the movie follows a swashbuckler (Johnny Depp) who fights a shipload of pirates led by Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) trying to break an ancient curse. Excellent cast and Disney magic guarantee a new "classic" in the Disney vault. FGN Opinion: Don't Miss It

Johnny English: Although Rowen Atkinson failed to bring his English comedy to American audiences in Bean, he just might have something with this silly spy spoof. This time he plays an ambassador mistaken for a well-known British secret agent. I'll give this one a tentative recommendation. FGN Opinion: Wait and See

Lara Croft Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life: Unlike the videogame devotees, I didn't find the first Tomb Raider flick all that great. Sure there were special effects and action galore, but the plot was almost nonexistent. Having seen the trailers for The Cradle of Life, I'm expecting more of the same. The only difference is, my expectations will be lower. FGN Opinion: Guilty Pleasure

Spy Kids 3-D - Game Over: The Spy Kids franchise is cute, sure, but it's also clever. The saddest thing is that it has been overlooked by everyone who doesn't have kids of their own. In this final installment, Sylvester Stallone takes a turn as the bad guy, an evil toymaker who has captured Carmen in his virtual reality game. And yes, the title is true. Not only is this the last Spy Kids movie, it's also in 3-D! What more could anyone ask for? FGN Opinion: Guilty Pleasure

Seabiscuit: One of the few films slated for summer that doesn't have the teen crowd as its target audience. Toby Maguire (Spider-Man) plays a jockey. Academy Award-winner Chris Cooper plays a Mustang breaker. The two team up with a millionaire to make his undersized horse, Seabiscuit, into a legendary race horse. FGN Opinion: By the End of July, You Will Want to See Something Without Special Effects

August

S.W.A.T.: Samuel L. Jackson stars in this remake of the old television series about a S.W.A.T. team in Los Angeles. When the police can't keep a dangerous criminal behind bars, they bring in a veteran (Jackson) to organize a team to track him down. FGN Opinion: Medium Expectations

Shaolin Soccer: Imagine a bunch of martial arts experts who put their awesome abilities to use in the arena of world-class sports. The result is an outrageously funny film that combines kung fu and soccer into something that looks like a video game. I saw this trailer when I went to see Bulletproof Monk and laughed myself silly. A cross between Dragonball Z and Airplane! it looks like a great escape for martial arts fans. FGN Opinion: If You Like This Kind of Stuff, It's a Must See

Freddy vs. Jason: For a long time, the powers that be have been threatening (I mean... "promising") a crossover between the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th franchises. It looks like all the moral objections to such an abomination have finally been put to rest and the film is on its way. Is this what our civilization has come to? How sad. FGN Opinion: Couldn't They At Least Wait Until Halloween?

Jeepers Creepers II: The 2001 surprise horror hit has spawned an offspring. While the original film relied heavily on surprise and an unseen monster, the early trailers for this film show the bad guy all over the place. Chances are very good that this one won't be nearly as well-received. FGN Opinion: Couldn't They At Least Wait Until Halloween (II)?