Another school year has come and gone. For many of us, this is a time of planning, of questions, of uncertainty. But isn’t it nice to know that the end of every spring semester brings the beginning of the year’s summer movie season?
This year, film fans have more to look forward to than they have in many summers past, both in quantity (over 130 releases between now and August) and in quality (lots of independents plus awards-friendly wide releases).
And there’s something even bigger on the horizon; something the studios aim for every summer but rarely achieve-sequels and franchise pictures people actually can’t wait to see.
But beware, dear reader, summer is destined to be full of just as many losers as winners. For every great “Bourne Supremacy,” there’s a tragic “2 Fast 2 Furious.” Ultimately, it all comes down to personal preference, which lurks in that gray area between good sense, bad taste and one’s unashamed love for movies that “blow stuff up real good.” With this in mind, here are some of the summer’s most anticipated releases, followed by a list of the 20 movies this critic can’t wait to see for himself.
For the kids there’s the computer-animated “Madagascar” (May 27) and the Lindsey Lohan vehicle “Herbie: Fully Loaded” (June 24). Bigger kids may dig “Fantastic Four” (July 8), the Will Ferrell soccer epic “Kicking and Screaming” (May 13) or the origins of skateboarding saga “Lords of Dogtown” (June 3).
Want an action movie? Check out the jet-engine thrills of “Stealth” (July 29), the kidnapping drama of Wes Craven’s “Red Eye” (Aug. 19) or the ludicrous pyrotechnics bonanza of “XXX: State of the Union” (April 29). A scary movie? Scream along with Jennifer Connelly in “Dark Water” (July 8) and Kate Hudson in “The Skeleton Key” (Aug. 12). A comedy? Make a date with Jane Fonda as the “Monster-in-Law” (May 13), Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn as the “Wedding Crashers” (July 15), Rob Schneider as “Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo” (Aug. 12) or Steve Carell as “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (Aug. 19).
If you’re a diehard fan of unnecessary remakes, you’re in luck, too. Make way for Steve Martin as Inspector Clouseau in “The Pink Panther” (Aug. 5),
Adam Sandler as Paul Crewe in “The Longest Yard” (May 27), Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville as Bo and Luke in “The Dukes of Hazzard” (Aug. 5) and, last but not least, Cedric the Entertainer as Ralph Kramden in “The Honeymooners” (June 10).
Now on to this critic’s Top 20:
20. “Crash”-An emotion-heavy ensemble drama from Academy Award nominee Paul Haggis (“Million Dollar Baby”), starring everyone from Don Cheadle and Sandra Bullock to Ludacris and Tony Danza. (May 6)
19. “Bewitched”-Admit it. You got interested in this after you read the cast list, didn’t you? Nicole Kidman as Samantha. Interesting. Will Ferrell as Darrin. Better. Shirley MacLaine as Endora. Sold! (June 24)
18. “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”-The action comedy that sparked a thousand tabloid cover stories. Forget about the sordid Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie affair rumors for a second, and realize that the director of this picture is the ever-cool Doug Liman (“Swingers,” “Go,” “The Bourne Identity”). (June 10)
17. “Happy Ending”-Writer/director Don Roos returns with “Opposite of Sex” star Lisa Kudrow in tow. Steve Coogan and Maggie Gyllenhaal co-star in this darkly comic look at love, sex and family ties. (July 15)
16. “Romance and Cigarettes”-Director John Turturro offers up a musical comedy starring James Gandolfini as a cheating husband who has to choose between sassy Susan Sarandon and dishy Kate Winslet. No other film this other summer promises the sight of a singing, dancing Christopher Walken. (Aug. 19)
15. “The Bad News Bears”-An unnecessary remake, sure. But Richard Linklater (“School of Rock,” “Before Sunset”) can do no wrong, and if anyone can fill Walter Matthau’s boozy shoes, it’s Billy Bob Thornton. Let’s cross our fingers and hope for a hard R rating. (July 22)
14. “Night Watch”-The first chapter in an ambitious Russian horror trilogy. Skeptics need only to check out the trailer to become true believers. (July 29)
13. “Howl’s Moving Castle”-More animated magic from Hayao Miyazaki, the genius behind “Spirited Away” and “Princess Mononoke.” (June 10)
12. “The Island”-Like it or not, Michael Bay is back, folks. (July 22)
11. George A. Romero’s “Land of the Dead”-Sure to be the zombie picture to top all zombie pictures! (June 24)
10. “Layer Cake”-Daniel Craig is one of Britain’s best actors (and the rumored frontrunner to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond), so here’s to hoping that American audiences will warm up to him in this zippy-looking crime caper from Matthew Vaughn, one of the brains behind “Snatch” and “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.” (May 13)
9. “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”-The first would-be blockbuster of the summer is only a few days away and it looks fun, fun, fun. (April 29)
8. “War of the Worlds”-The Steven Spielberg/Tom Cruise combo is enough to override any doubts over this martian invasion remake. (June 29)
7. “Kingdom of Heaven”-Ridley Scott’s in “Gladiator” territory once again with this sprawling Crusades adventure. Expect gushing head wounds, sandswept vistas and lots of loving close-ups of Orlando Bloom in a war helmet. (May 6)
6. “Broken Flowers”-Indie film icon Jim Jarmusch returns. Bill Murray heads a powerful cast, featuring Jeffrey Wright, Julie Delpy, Chloe Sevigny and Tilda Swinton. (Aug. 5)
5. “The Brothers Grimm”-Leave it to Terry Gilliam to turn the famed fairy tale authors into a pair of bumbling con artists turned reluctant ghostbusters. Matt Damon and Heath Ledger star. (July 8)
4. “Cinderella Man”-An Oscar bait film that’s getting a big jump on the competition. Russell Crowe (who hasn’t been seen onscreen since “Master and Commander”) is set to shine as the unlikely American hero at the heart of director Ron Howard’s ode to boxing legend Jim Braddock. (June 3)
3. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”-If you’ve seen the giddily trippy teaser, you already know what to expect. Visually stunning madness from Tim Burton and another gonzo character performance from a very bronze Johnny Depp. (July 15)
2. “Batman Begins”-Studio chiefs have let the star of “American Psycho” and the director of “Memento” take a stab at revitalizing the “Batman” franchise. It’s hard to list this as No. 2, but I have to since it’s pitted against… (June 17)
1. “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”-Whatever your feelings over the first two prequels, you know you want to see this. Let’s face it. If George Lucas can make this one soar, we’ll all grow closer to forgiving him for Watto and Jar-Jar. In a summer of big, big movies, this one is “the chosen one!!” (May 19)