7-List: Must-see films for the summer
By Marcus Whalbring, Entertainment Editor
It’s almost over. This is the last issue of The Reflector this year, and that means school will be over in a few weeks. Summer will be here, a season of vacation, low-paying summer work and the ambiance of summer movies. When you’re packing things up in a few weeks, ready to head home, it’s important to know what’s going to be in theatres during the summer months because then you’ll be able to write the dates on your arm so you don’t forget. The summer movie season is about serving you because the movie studios want to serve themselves. They’ll be throwing their best into the ring for your consideration. So here it is, my last list, movies to look for this summer.
7. “Iron Man” – May 2. This film is the first of three superhero movies and four comic book movies on this list. Robert Downey Jr. (“A Scanner Darkly”) plays Tony Stark, a guy who builds weapons for the United States military. When he’s held hostage by terrorists and forced to build a bomb, he uses the parts to create an armored suit that will help him escape. The suit becomes a tool he uses to fight evil. Adapted from the Marvel Comic, this film is one that should not be missed this summer.
6. “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” – May 16. “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” came out in the 2005 to start a tribute to C.S. Lewis’ classic children’s stories about the mystical land of Narnia where animals talk and time stands still. This movie is the second installment of the series that is being brought to life. Although the filmmakers are not following the sequence of the seven books, they’ve been smart in their selection of which stories to bring to film.
5. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” – May 22. Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg have revived the classic film hero Indiana Jones after almost 20 years of waiting. The story seems to follow the same old stuff, but who cares. Indy’s back and the film has a cast that shouldn’t be missed, Shia LeBeouf (“Transformers”) Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone (“Beowulf’), John Hurt and a triumphal return of Karen Allen from “Raiders of the Lost Arc” as her old character Marion Ravenwood. It’s time to head back to exotic locations, amazing discoveries and snakes. “Why did it have to be snakes!”
4. “The Incredible Hulk” – June 13. A few years ago, a film called “Hulk” came out, which featured the talented Eric Bana as the Incredible a Hulk, the purple trouser-wearing green giant that smashed through walls in the Marvel Comic pages. However “Hulk” wasn’t much to get excited about. Visually it was superb, but story-wise it was about as interesting as “The Flintstone’s movie.” “The Incredible Hulk” looks to have a much more exciting story, a new director and an entirely new cast including Liv Tyler (“Armageddon”) and Edward Norton (“The Illusionist”) as the Hulk, a perfect fit. I think what we have here is a classic case of “Let’s try it again, and let’s get it right this time.”
3. “Wall-E” – June 27. Those geniuses at Pixar never seem to run out of ideas. The story line of this animated feature centers on a little robot named Wall-E who cleans up trash in a junk yard and one day discovers that he has a deeper purpose in the universe. Somehow this animated film looks to be even more of a visual masterpiece than the other Pixar films.
2. “Wanted” – June 27. This film is based on a graphic novel, which I’ve not read. But the story line kind of sounds a bit like “Wall-E.” This average guy (James McAvoy of “Atonement”) suddenly finds himself to be an enforcer of justice. The plot is hazy. But it looks exciting, and it has James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. There’s nothing bad about that.
1. “The Dark Knight” – July 18. The only tragic thing about this film is that I have to wait another three months to see it. Christian Bale comes back to play Batman for a second time. The Dark Night comes back to battle his ultimate nemesis The Joker played by Heath Ledger. Katie Holmes’ part was replaced so she won’t be back, and I’m okay with that. Then there’s Heath Ledger in his final full-length performance. People were sneaking on set to get pictures of Ledger in his Joker makeup, and though “Batman Begins” was unforgettable, this film looks like it could surpass it.
