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Previewing this summer's upcoming films

Submitted by SHNS on Wed, 05/28/2008 - 17:47

Here's a look at what movies are headed to the theaters this summer (release dates are subject to change):Kung Fu Panda (June 6) - The only way to make Jack Black convincing as a martial-arts hero is to turn him into an animated panda. So that's what they did.Son of Rambow (June 6) - In the 1980s, Rambo-obsessed British boys try to make their own action film in this Sundance darling, which has garnered praise from critics as well as Sylvester Stallone, who is really the only one who matters. Standard Operating Procedure (June 6) - Combining interviews with vivid re-enactments, lauded documentarian Errol Morris examines American torture practices in the War on Terror. At least the detainees weren't forced to watch movies starring Larry the Cable Guy.You Don't Mess With the Zohan (June 6) - Adam Sandler has been a fireman, football player, golfer, millionaire and even the devil's spawn, so he plays the only comedic role left to him - a retired Israeli agent who goes into hiding to become a hair stylist. You don't mess with a proven box-office phenomenon.The Happening (June 13) - Not a lot of thought went into the title for writer/ director M. Night Shyamalan's thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel, about a family on the run from a "natural crisis." Shyamalan needs a hit badly after flopping with "The Village" and "Lady in the Water."The Incredible Hulk (June 13) - Edward Norton caught a sweet deal for this movie. He only has to appear in part of it, while his badly animated stunt double handles the rest. The flick had better be good, Universal. You wouldn't like us when we're angry.My Brother Is an Only Child (June 13) - An Italian crime drama about small-town brothers struggling for success in a dangerous occupation that tends to make an only child out of a sibling. The politics-focused drama is a hit in Italy.The Children of Huang Shi (June 20) - A British journalist (George Hogg) and Aussie nurse (Radha Mitchell) save orphaned kids during Japan's occupation of China in the 1930s. A Four Letter Word (June 20) - Love and strife are in the air at a New York gay bar in this low-budget comedy that has succeeded on the gay film fest circuit.Get Smart (June 20) - It's a surefire formula for success to update a 1960s TV series to the big screen. Think of all the glowing examples. There's . . . well . . . and what about . . . huh, can't think of any. Oh well, Steve Carell is usually reliable in movies not called "Evan Almighty."The Love Guru (June 20) - In a role that's drawing ire from Indian groups, Mike Myers plays Pitka, an American raised abroad who becomes a dispenser of love advice. It's Myers' first live-action role since "The Cat in the Hat" in '03, which understandably sent him into hiding. Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake co-star.Mister Lonely (June 27) - A Michael Jackson lookalike (Diego Luna) pals around in Paris with other faux celebrities. Weird. Even Michael Jackson is no longer a Michael Jackson lookalike.Wanted (June 27) - A young office drone (James McAvoy) is told by a beautiful woman (Angelina Jolie) he has dormant superpowers and is the son of a secret assassin. Jolie is always telling me the same thing, but I think it's just her way of hitting on me.Hancock (July 2) - Nearly every Independence Day weekend, Will Smith checks in with another action flick. This one's about a burned-out superhero who vows to save the world by never making another "Wild Wild West." Actually, Hancock is a brash hero who raises eyebrows when he starts a relationship with the wife of a P.R. guy who's trying to improve his image.The Wackness (July 3) - Indie comedy about a pot-dealing teen (Josh Peck) who seeks help from a junkie psychiatrist (Ben Kingsley), who swaps therapy sessions for drugs. This one "lit up" Sundance audiences with delight. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (July 11) - Ron Perlman slaps on the heavy makeup and broken horns to play the hell-spawned, cigar-chomping superhero who stops monsters from conquering the world. Unfortunately he's not there in real life to prevent Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest from doing the same with their tiresome karaoke show. Guillermo del Toro, hot off of "Pan's Labyrinth," directs this comic-book adaptation. Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D (July 11) - You've seen Brendan Fraser explore hidden realms before, but never before in 3-D. That is, unless you make little shoebox dioramas with Fraser action figures.Meet Dave (July 11) - Eddie Murphy has a cool new idea, to play several characters in the same comedy! Or at least it was cool and new back in 1988, when he did that in "Coming to America." In this one, one of Murphy's roles is as a human spaceship who serves as the unwitting host to tiny aliens.Mongol (July 11) - Sort of a "Behind the Music" on Genghis Khan, who in his early years was not only a slave but suffered fallouts with ego-tripping bandmates and overcame a coke addiction to make one last world tour.The Dark Knight (July 18) - Heath Ledger's death casts an air of added creepiness over his already disturbing appearance as Batman's archvillain, the Joker. Christian Bale dons the cape in this sequel to the beloved smash "Batman Begins" as Iron Man sits back patiently and watches from atop his tower of money.Mamma Mia! (July 18) - You can never get enough ABBA music. If you find that sentence to be untrue, don't come anywhere near this musical, adapted from the stage show, about a bride-to-be (Amanda Seyfried) looking for her estranged father. Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth all become dancing queens.Boy A (July 23) - A convict (Andrew Garfield) is released after doing time for a murder he committed as a kid. Nothing like an old-fashioned, feel-good indie redemption ride.American Teen (July 25) - A documentary about small-town Indiana teens and their hopes, dreams and, one would think, sex lives.Brick Lane (July 25) - A Bangladeshi woman is forced into a loveless arranged marriage in 1980s Britain. This indie will probably have fewer explosions and catchphrases than most other summer films.The Longshots (July 25) - The story of a girl who becomes the first female football player to play in a Pop Warner tournament. Ice Cube stars, not as the girl. Step Brothers (July 25) - Spoiled middle-age men become stepbrothers when their parents marry. "Talladega Nights" pals Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly team, getting their shake & bake on once more. Red-hot producer Judd Apatow is behind this one.The X-Files: I Want to Believe (July 25) - If the truth really was out there, it would seem Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) should have found it by now. Oh, well. Maybe they'll discover that the big conspiracy was to make us think there was a conspiracy when there really wasn't one. Cringe alert - the last movie was released a decade ago.Savage Grace (Aug. 1) - Ripped from the yellowed headlines of 1972, the drama tells the story of the bizarre relationship between socialite Barbara Daly Baekeland (Julianne Moore) and her murderous son.Brideshead Revisited (Aug. 1) - If your British chamber drama doesn't have Emma Thompson, it's lacking. Luckily, that's not the case for this film, about a military captain stationed at a castle during World War II.Frozen River (Aug. 1) - In this Sundance prize-winner, single mothers who live near the Canadian-American border take to a life of smuggling to earn dough. These days it's better to be paid in Canadian dollars.The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Aug. 1) - Brendan Fraser and the Mummy really need to sit down and sort out this whole disagreement. Three movies in and these two still can't get along.The Rocker (Aug. 1) - Rainn Wilson, the phenom known as Dwight on "The Office," stars as a man who chases his rock-star dreams by joining a teen garage band. If rehearsal conflicts with "Battlestar Galactica," Dwight would never approve.Swing Vote (Aug. 1) - If you're one of those conspiracy theorists who believes that Kevin Costner secretly controls everything in society, here's more fuel for your fire - Costner plays a slacker dad who turns out to be the deciding vote in a presidential election.Beverly Hills Chihuahua (Aug. 8) - A tiny dog voiced by Drew Barrymore gets lost in Mexico. Word to the wise, doggie - steer clear of the federales. Fly Me to the Moon (Aug. 8) - In this animated adventure, houseflies stow away on a rocketship headed to the moon. Points to the screenwriters for showing enough restraint not to name one of the flies after Buzz Aldrin.Pineapple Express (Aug. 8) -Seth Rogen and James Franco play stoner pals who witness a murder and go on the run. Somewhere Cheech and Chong are smiling. Writers Rogen and Evan Goldberg try to recapture their "Superbad" success.Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (Aug. 8) - What a boring title, right? No cool subtitle, such as "Electric Boogaloo," "Travel Harder" or "2 the Streets"? Alexis Bledel and her gal pals share trousers once again.Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Aug. 15) - Now George Lucas is just being greedy, making a prequel to a prequel, which is actually a sequel to the other two prequels. This animated "Star Wars" tale takes place between episodes II and III. To help you remember, that was when Lucas was merely a kagillionaire rather than a blakillionaire.Tropic Thunder (Aug. 15) - Starring in a comedy he's also directing, Ben Stiller plays an action star forced into a real-life war during a movie shoot. The same thing happens to Stallone in every Rambo movie, because Stallone wills it to happen. Believe it. Its $150 million budget makes it perhaps the most expensive comedy ever made. Robert Downey Jr. caps off his resurgent summer with a risky role - playing a white actor who dons black face for the film.Ghost Town (Aug. 19) - An annoying man (Ricky Gervais) dies and is revived, discovering he can now speak to spirits. Maybe they can guide the witty British star ("The Office" and "Extras") to box office success. Tea Leoni and Greg Kinnear co-star.The Accidental Husband (Aug. 22) - A relationship-advice hostess (Uma Thurman) discovers her own relationship is a fraud. I don't need to tell you her co-star is Colin Firth, because Firth is in every movie like this.Bangkok Dangerous (Aug. 22) - Every year, studios hurl Nicolas Cage into some random action-fest. This year's model is set in Bangkok and involves danger and grammatically incorrect titles. Crossing Over (Aug. 22) - Not to be confused with that ill-fated fake psychic TV show, this is an ambitious drama about immigrants in Los Angeles who long to become legal. Harrison Ford, sans whip and fedora, checks in.The House Bunny (Aug. 22) - A Playboy model (Anna Faris) teaches girls in a nerdy sorority how to be more confident and attractive. Lesson one: Have a Playboy model body.My Winnipeg (Aug. 22) - In case you ever thought it was your Winnipeg or his Winnipeg, the movie title makes it clear that Winnipeg belongs to quirky, well-reviewed director Guy Maddin, who makes a documentary on his snowbound Canadian hometown. Babylon A.D. (Aug. 29) - Vin Diesel plays a mercenary protecting a woman who is the target of a cult bent on genetic modification. College (Aug. 29) - High school seniors get into mischief while visiting a college campus. Really? Mischief on a college campus? Drake Bell stars in this imaginative concoction.Traitor (Aug. 29) - The CIA targets a special operative who was working with terrorists. The lead is Guy Pearce, still looking for a role as cool as the one he had in "Memento."(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)