Summer Movie Preview

The summer movie season is upon us. I thought I would take a short break from my regular reviews to give you a look at what’s coming up within the next couple of months.

Iron Man
Iron Man is a film adaptation of a Marvel comic book hero. The man behind the mask, Tony Stark, is played by Robert Downey, Jr. This is your classic good against evil fight and in the tradition of other comic book heroes, I expect that there will also be internal struggle within the heart of the main character. Directed by veteran actor, Jon Favreau (director, Elf), the highly anticipated, Iron Man is scheduled to release May 2.

Speed Racer
GO SPEED RACER!! I think I am looking forward to this one due to the novelty of it, but it might surprise everyone and actually be a good movie. Speed Racer is an adaptation from a Japanese animated series. The film is written and directed by the Wachowski brothers (The Matrix Trilogy). I just hope they don’t try to make this one a trilogy. Speed Racer begins May 9.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Disney productions takes us into the next book of the The Chronicles of Narnia series. Prince Caspian takes the Pevensie siblings back to Narnia where hundreds of years have passed since their last visit. The cast from the first film returns with the addition of Ben Barnes (Stardust) in the role of Caspian. Prince Caspian is set to begin on May 16.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
This is a sequel 19 years in the making. The last Indiana Jones movie was released in 1989 when I was nine years old. I can’t remember a time when Indiana Jones wasn’t a household name. Even if this movie doesn’t meet my expectations, I will still enjoy the ride. Harrison Ford is in the title role with Steven Spielberg directing him. Shia LeBeouf (Transformers) joins the cast and Karen Allen returns as Marion Ravenwood when Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is released on May 23.

Sex and the City
They’re back! Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha are still taking New York by storm four years after HBO called it quits for the series. Not much is known about this plot, but with all the Sex and the City fans out there, I predict it will be big during the weekend of May 30th.

The Happening
We’ve Sensed It. We’ve Seen The Signs. Now… It’s Happening. That tagline was way too good not to include. The Happening is M. Night Shymalan’s newest creation. This time he’s dragged Mark Wahlberg into his world. It’s about a large-scale natural disaster that people have to run from. That’s all we know going into it. What will the ‘twist’ be this time? I suppose we’ll find out June 13th.

The Incredible Hulk
Oh, Bruce Banner. You’ve been gone from the silver screen for so long. Oh wait, it’s only been five years. Seriously, this has to be some kind of record. Hulk was released in 2003 by director Ang Lee starring Eric Bana. This time Edward Norton is taking on the Hulk and pulling double duty as a co-screenwriter with Zal Penn (X-Men) and Transporter director, Louis Leterrier at the helm. I like the Incredible Hulk. I like Ed Norton. I just hope that it does well enough that the movie studios don’t remake it in another five years. The Incredible Hulk is also set to release on June 13th.

Get Smart
I’m familiar with the television series Get Smart, but I’m by no means any kind of fan of the series. I do, however, love Steve Carell. He is reprising the role of Maxwell Smart in this film adaptation of the TV show. By Carell’s side is Anne Hathaway portraying Agent 99 and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as Agent 23. Not knowing much about the franchise, I’m compelled to see this film based on the talent of the cast alone. Get Smart is starting June 20th.

WALL-E
Disney/Pixar’s latest creation WALL-E is set to take center stage on June 27th. It’s about a cute robot in the year 2700. The trailer is beautiful and it’s a Pixar film. That’s enough for me. Some of the voices will be played by John Ratzenberger, Sigourney Weaver, Kathy Najimy, and Fred Willard.

The month of the July is the month of sequels. The biggest releases in July include, Hellboy II, X-files 2, and The Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins. There will be more on those later along with a preview of the fall movie releases, which includes Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince.

In addition to the seasonal movie previews, I am also going to introduce a rating scale to my reviews. The scale is one through five (five being the highest) and is based off of whether or not it’s worth seeing in the the theater. Stay tuned…it’s going to be a big summer!