Summer Blockbusters, Or Just Plain Busts?
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10 ARTS 06.10.08 The RetrIever Weekly Summer blockbusters, or just plain busts? Erica Balanc film advertised in the trailer sets the I’ve never seen the 1960s Mel one, but even then, I just don’t think smart summer comedy. CONTRIBUTING WRITER audience up for something differ- Brook’s television show Get Smart slap-stick is making a come-back JUNE 27TH ent than what they get. Signs looked but according to my mom, Steve anytime soon. Summer films are all about the big like it was a movie about aliens, but Carell looks a lot like his character, WALL-E THE LOVE GURU action or comedy blockbuster. The low and behold it was about exactly Maxwell Smart. So there’s a start. Director: Andrew Stanton first half of summer ’08 is offering what the title tells you: signs. People We’ve seen the TV show-turned Director: Marco Schnabel Animated movie-goers just this, but you may went to see The Village hoping for a mov-ies; there was Bewitched, Mi- Cast: Mike Myers, Jessica Alba Rating: G want to save some titles for a rainy horror movie about some strange ami Vice — and we saw how those Rating: PG-13 Disney & Pixar. Not much else day and play outside in the sunny creature tormenting the shel-tered turned out. And I’ve read online There are smart comedies and stu- needs to be said. This time we have weather instead. Other titles you inhabitants. What was it about? (based on some advanced screening pid comedies. The Love Guru looks the story of a robot in the year 2700. may want to avoid completely. The actual village. Directors playing reviews) that the film isn’t too funny. to be the latter. Nothing about the What’s great about this family of “funny games” with their audiences But with the hilarious Steve Carell trailer seems funny, the MTV promo- Disney & Pixar movies is that there JUNE 13TH isn’t anything new (ie. Funny Games, (who doesn’t like him?), the charm- tion isn’t funny, and the plug during is always a good, heartfelt story that THE INCREDIBLE HULK directed by Michael Haneke). Shya- ing Anne Hathaway, and of course, the American Idol finale wasn’t even people of all ages can appreciate. Director: Louis Leterrier malan has an art with story-telling, “The Rock” (who gave a funny and funny. Mike Myers has a comedy leg- Last year Ratatouille won the Best Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, and fans leave the theater with an endearing performance with The acy and even co-wrote the film, but Ani-mated Feature Film Academy Tim Roth, William Hurt Award. There is little doubt that with Rating: PG-13 WALL-E, we’ll have another great I’m not sure why this has been family movie, and another classic. remade, or why Edward Norton is behind it (he co-wrote the screen- WANTED play in addition to starring in Director: Timur Bekmambetov it). When I first heard about this Cast: James McAvoy, Morgan Free- movie (and no, it’s not a sequel or man, Angelina Jolie a remake, but another adaptation of Rating: R the comic) I thought: “Is he trying My first introduction to the actor to ruin his ca-reer?” Perhaps that’s James McAvoy was in The Chronicles being a bit harsh, but Norton is a of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and two-time Oscar nominee. The man the Wardrobe, as the half-goat, half- is talented and one of my favorites, man Mr. Tumnus. He has come a but his movie choices have been long way since then, having starred disappointing lately. And now we in the Academy Award Best Picture have The Incredible Hulk. Just after nominee, Atonement. His next big Iron Man (which surprisingly satis- film is Wanted, about an average joe fied audiences and crit-ics), and be- (a “nobody”) whose life takes a dras- fore the highly anticipated The Dark tic change when he joins a secret Knight, we have the cheesiest of the society that will train him to avenge super heroes: the Jolly Green Giant. his father’s death. This wasn’t exactly Critical hit or (what I suspect) miss, I what I hoped for him. For some rea- wouldn’t be surprised for this movie son the failure Smoking Aces comes to still find success at the box-office, to mind. Morgan Freeman is with- thanks to people that just can’t wait COURTESY UNIVERSAL PICTURES out say-ing a great actor, McAvoy patiently for The Dark Knight. And > Edward Norton doesn’t like going to the doctors office very much. is just starting to make his name, what shouldn’t be forgotten is what and Angelina Jolie’s celebrity status this movie also has to offer: a great overshadows her actual acting and cast. If Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth has become a name to sell a movie and William Hurt can’t pull this off, rather than someone to take seri- can we please not make this movie ously. We’ll see how this film turns again? out (critically), but I rather go to the theater to see a movie that Freeman THE HAPPENING and McAvoy belong in. Director: M. Night Shyamalan Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey De- JULY 4TH schanel, John Leguizamo HANCOCK Rating: R Director: Peter Berg After Lady in the Water bombed, Cast: Will Smith, Jason Bateman, I remember wondering if actors Charlize Theron would be skeptical to work with M. Rating: PG-13 Night Shyamalan again. Well, Shya- Whether the film is good or bad, malan managed to snag Mark Wahl- Will Smith equals a blockbuster, berg, which I think is a fine choice, and audiences love him. His mov- though it could go either way. Wahl- ies are fun, and he makes them fun, berg gave an extremely bland, life- but how many witty little jokes are less performance in Invincible, and we going to hear before it gets old? then completely made me a fan by It makes it hard to take his serious sur-prise with his Oscar-nominated COURTESY PARAMOUNT PICTURES roles seriously, because we’re half performance in The Departed. Now > Give daddy a hug. expecting him to turn to the camera he’s matched with the director that and offer another crack. Hancock you can either love or hate. The appreciation for his unique style. Game Plan) it seems hard to give up I can’t be excited about this in the is about a rather unique super-hero Happening is about a family on-the- Not eve-rything has to go according hope. The main problem could lie least bit. The story is about a Guru whose public image needs some run during a natural crisis. As we to formula (and sometimes it’s better with an audience. Will older audi- that tries to make it in the self-help work, and I have no doubt that this can tell from the shot in the trailer when it doesn’t). But who knows? ences and fans of the show go see business in the US. It doesn’t help film will be a box-office hit. Most (captured from the ground) of bod- Maybe with The Happening, Shya- this? Maybe. Will teen audiences go that Jessica Alba, Jessica Simpson, people I know have already estab- ies slowly falling from the roof of a malan has completely changed his see The Love Guru instead? Probably. and Justin Timberlake are in it ei- lished that they plan to see it, and building, there is definitely some- style. Either way, the audience can And there will be the large group of ther. No, Ben Kingsley doesn’t help are rather excited. I think I’ll pass thing else hap-pening. Based on this expect to be surprised. people that I suspect won’t go see either. However, despite my cer- though, and keep my comedies great, unique shot, I’m intrigued. this film at all. The funniest part of tainty of how bad this movie will be, separate from my super-hero mov- JUNE 20TH I’ve always been a fan of Shyamalan, the of the trailer is when Dwayne it will probably do okay at the box ies (though Spider-Man 3 was one of GET SMART though many people dislike him Johnson walks into a room, grabs office. There isn’t much competition the funniest movies of 2007... but I because of his love of plot twists Director: Peter Segal a fly buzzing around his head, and and people will go see it for the sake don’t think was on purpose). and deceiving the audience. And Cast: Steve Carell, Anne Hatha- forcefully tosses it against the wall. of seeing a Mike Myers comedy. My it’s true; if you’ve seen Signs or The way, Dwayne Johnson That doesn’t sound too promising. advice: wait for Pineapple Express if Comments can be sent to Village, you know very well that the Rating: PG-13 Perhaps fans of Carell can save this you want what looks to be a good, [email protected]..