Summer Movie Preview

1
Summer Movie Preview

• A very promising summer of blockbuster movies is
  on the way. Here are previews of some of this
  years chart toppers.

2
The Return of the Mutants

• X2 X-Men United
• The sexiest mutants since, uh, the first
  X-Men fight to save themselves from destruction
  at the hands of the evil Gen. William Stryker
  (Brian Cox). Director Bryan Singer got more money
  (120 million) this time, which means more
  action, more romance and more dazzling visual
  effects. The freaks never had it so good. Opens
  May 2.

3
Hes Back, For Part Three

• Terminator 3 Rise Of The Machines
• Entering naked is always a good way to
  attract attention. Entering naked on Rodeo Drive
  in Beverly Hills? Perfection. Kristanna Loken,
  23, does just that when she battles Arnold
  Schwarzenegger on July 2 in Terminator 3. Loken
  plays TX, a killing machine sent to destroy
  future resistance leader John Connor (Nick
  Stahl). She doesnt say much, says Loken. But
  then again, she doesnt really have to. Raised
  on a fruit farm in New York, Loken was a
  rough-and-tumble girl growing up, but acting
  invincible still messed with her head. I became
  way more physically aggressive. When she got
  locked out of her house, she punched through a
  window. What the hell was I thinking? she says,
  laughing. But the biggest casualty? I can never
  go down Rodeo Drive again and think of it the
  same way.

4
On a Lighter Note

• Down With LoveRenee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor
  reveal how to make a fab martini, and look fab
  doing it, in this retro-chic homage to the
  candy-colored comedies of Doris Day and Rock
  Hudson. Shes an author telling women that
  romance is for patsies. Hes the stud out to
  sweep her off her feet.Opens May 16.

5
Jim Carrey Tries Something New

• Bruce AlmightyJim Carrey plays a sad-sack
  journalist (is there any other kind?) who takes
  God to task for falling down on the job. So the
  Big Guy (Morgan Freeman) hands Bruce the reins
  for a few weeks, unbeknownst to Bruces
  girlfriend (Jennifer Aniston). Sure, there are
  divine perks, but being all-knowing aint easy.
  You have to decide everything, says director
  Tom Shadyac (Liar Liar). I dont want to sound
  sacrilegious, but its kind of like being a
  director. Opens May 23.

6
For the Kids

• Finding NemoPixar, the creators of Toy Story
  and Monsters, Inc., dive into the deep with
  this computer-animated tale of a timid,
  overprotective Clown Fish, Marlin (Albert
  Brooks), whose son is captured by divers. With
  the help of three vegetarian sharks and a Regal
  Blue Tang with no short-term memory (Ellen
  DeGeneres, in the films funniest role), Marlin
  sets off to rescue his son from a dentists
  aquarium. Marlin is very afraid to enter life,
  says director Andrew Stanton. We dont try to
  dispel that the world is a dangerous place, but
  if you want to live, youve got to engage. Kids
  will engage in droves. Opens May 30.

7
Can It Run Without Diesel?

• 2 Fast 2 FuriousVin who? Paul Walker teams up
  with Tyrese for this sequel to the 2001 hot-rod
  hit, which grossed 145 million. Original star
  Diesel and director Rob Cohen passed on a second
  lap after Universal refused to pony up 20
  million for the hunk. Director John Singleton
  (Shaft) hopped behind the wheel instead. Opens
  June 6.

8
Hartnett Test Drives a Ford

• Hollywood HomicideJosh Hartnett is out to prove
  how flexible he is, playing an L.A. detective who
  moonlights as a yoga instructor. Harrison Ford is
  out to prove he can still flex his box-office
  muscle as Hartnetts grumpy partner. Theyre on
  the tail of a rap-star killer, but the
  May-December odd couple are playing this for
  laughs. Opens June 13.

9
As If Once Wasnt Enough

• Legally Blonde 2 Red, White Blonde
• Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) takes that
  Harvard law degree to Capitol Hill, where she
  launches an animal-rights bill on behalf of her
  beloved Chihuahua, Bruiser. (Bruiser also gets a
  boyfriend and comes out of the closet.) But
  really, its all about the clothes, including a
  frosting-pink wedding dress for the finale, and a
  Jackie O-inspired pillbox hat, skirt and jacket,
  which designer Sophie de Rakoff Carbonell crafted
  from vintage 1960s fabric. Elles now a career
  woman, so it seemed appropriate to bring
  everything up a notch, Carbonell says. I dont
  know if people will get it, but theres also a
  Che Guevara outfit and a Barbara Bush. Opens
  July 2.

10
More Sequels

• Charlies Angels Full ThrottleThe first
  crazy-sexy-campy trip to the Angels world
  grossed 125 million, and this time around,
  director McG and stars Drew Barrymore, Cameron
  Diaz and Lucy Liu decided to dial up the action
  and the sex appeal. Its all about owning your
  own space and shaking what your mother gave you,
  McG says. In Full Throttle, which opens on June
  27, the Angels try to recover an FBI Witness
  Protection list, face off against fallen angel
  Demi Moore and pose as members of the Pussycat
  Dolls. (Think garter belts and pole dancing.)
  Still need convincing? Theres a great 80s
  soundtrack and assorted oddities. Cameron gives
  birth to a cow while Born Free is playing,
  says McG. Pause. Rather, she facilitates the
  birth of a cow, he adds with a laugh. She
  reaches in there and makes it happen. Doesnt
  she always?

11
Adventure Onboard

• Pirates of the Caribbean The Curse of the Black
  PearlBased on the Disney theme-park ride, this
  125 million Jerry Bruckheimer spectacle stars
  Lord of the Rings hottie Orlando Bloom as a
  blacksmith who, with the help of the mysterious
  Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), sets out to
  rescue his bonnie lass (Bend It Like Beckhams
  Keira Knightley) from the clutches of evil
  pirates (led by Geoffrey Rush). Thanks to a
  curse, nothing brings the pirates pleasure not
  wine, wenches or wealth. The rewards of their
  pillaging become pointless until they reverse the
  curse, says director Gore Verbinski, who
  recently made The Ring. Needless to say, that
  really pisses them off. That and no
  shuffleboard. Opens July 9.

12
Welcome Back Lara Croft

• Lara Croft Tomb Raider The Cradle of
  LifeAngelina Jolie reprises her role as
  adventure junkie Lara Croft, this time seeking
  Pandoras box, a treasure that holds the key to
  life and death. Directed by Jan de Bont
  (Speed), the film features a spectacular flying
  jump from the top of a Hong Kong sky-scraper. The
  stunt, shot without special effects, required air
  traffic to be shut down over the city, while two
  stuntpeople in suits with winglike webbing leaped
  without wires from the worlds third tallest
  building. They actually fly for several miles
  before they land on a moving freighter in the
  harbor, says de Bont. Its kind of dreamlike.
  Ive never seen anything like it. Opens July 25.

13
More Comic Book Action

• The HulkAdd another name to the list of hot
  Australians blowing up on American screens. After
  a pivotal role in Black Hawk Down and an
  acclaimed star turn in the little-seen Chopper,
  Eric Bana gets some big-studio celluloid all to
  himself when The Hulk smashes into theaters on
  June 20. Bana, 34, plays scientist Bruce Banner,
  who, through exposure to gamma rays (and some
  unresolved psychological issues), morphs into a
  not-so-jolly green giant when his temper flares.
  Director Ang Lee, whos best known for Crouching
  Tiger, Hidden Dragon, picked Bana for the role
  after only one meeting and no screen test. The
  actors biggest hurdle may have been flattening
  out his Aussie lilt to play a Yank. Theres the
  American accent that sounds good to the average
  person back home, and then theres the accent
  that sounds good to you guys, he says. To get
  it really, really good takes a bit of work. If
  were going to come into your country and steal a
  job, it better be bloody good, you know?

14
Yet Another Sequel

• Bad Boys IIBad Boys II, opening July 18, paid
  250,000 to blow up a 39 million mansion slated
  for destruction. You open your mouth so your
  lungs can take the concussion, says director
  Michael Bay. He laughs. Its sick that a
  director knows this stuff. Sick, but so cool.

15
Enjoy the Summer

• These mentioned are but a hand full of the many
  movies coming out this summer. If you are an
  avid moviegoer you should have some entertainment
  almost every weekend, just remember to go outside
  and get some sun this summer.