The summer movie season seems to arrive earlier and earlier every year. Back in the days pre-Jaws, there was no "summer movie season" so to speak. The big releases came out during the holidays. Jaws changed that equation for all time, and now we have "tentpole" films that lay claim to key weekends years in advance, the equivalent of studios marking their territory. Careers are made or broken on opening weekend grosses during the summer movie season, and just one bad film can ruin a filmmakers reputation (see M. Night Shyamalan and The Lady in the Water).
The summer of 2008 is upon us, and I have been told that this will be the worst summer of my life (with the bar exam being at the end of July). In spite of the pending doom of the bar exam, I plan on catching all of the big summer films. My approach to summer films differs from my approach to most other films. I can enjoy a film on the pure level of "popcorn fun," letting a mindless little film take me away for a few hours without worrying about things such as plot points and poor CGI. Of course, if the subject is one that is near and dear to my heart (for example, a comic book film), I will cast a far more critical eye towards the story, acting, and overall production than I would to an unknown film. With that in mind, allow me to outline the summer movie season for 2008 and the films that I intend to see on their opening weekends. This entry will cover the month of May.
1. Iron Man, May 2: Iron Man is a Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby in 1963. On the 45th anniversary of his creation, director Jon Favreau is bringing a big-budget adaptation of the character's story to life. Iron Man is the story of billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, a man whose genius was the foundation of the weapons manufacturer that bears his name. Originally set during the Vietnam War, Iron Man was born during Stark's time as a POW. A piece of shrapnel caught in his chest during his capture, and Stark was slowly dying. His captors, knowing who Stark was, demanded that he create a weapon for them. Instead, Stark created a chest plate that kept the shrapnel from reaching his heart. The power supply of the chest plate also allowed him to power an armored suit that he secretly built while he was supposedly building a weapon. Using the armored suit, Stark escaped captivity, but his newly acquired knowledge of his own mortality and the evil that he witnessed caused Stark to emerge from his experiences a changed man. When he returned to the United States, he changed the direction of Stark International and, in his Iron Man persona, fought crime on an international scale. The casting for the film is perfect. Robert Downey Jr. makes for a great Tony Stark, and Jeff Bridges is perfectly cast as Stark's rival Obadiah Stane. I have high hopes for this film.
2. Speed Racer, May 9: Based on the Japanese manga MachGoGoGo, Speed Racer is the story of a young man who is the driver for his family's racing team. His father, Pops Racer, is the creator of the incredible Mach 5, a car that has more gadgets than Bond's Aston Martin. Also lurking in the shadows is the enigmatic Racer X, one of the top racers on the circuit who always manages to save Speed from harm at the last minute. Speed's younger brother Sprittle and his pet chimpanzee Chim-chim always hide in the Mach 5's trunk so that they can race with Speed, but this always puts them in danger. The racing courses along the circuit are akin to the rally's that were first popularized during the 1960s. The film looks intriguing as envisioned by the Wachowski brothers, the creators of The Matrix. I remember describing The Matrix as "a Japanese anime film come to life," and from the trailers, it appears that the Wachoskis are continuing their trend. The driving sequences look amazing and require a lot more than a mere suspension of disbelief. As a fan of the original series (Theme song began "Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer..he's a demon on wheels...."), I am looking forward to the Wachowski's interpretation. As a bonus, it is being released in IMAX 3-D!
3. The Chronicle of Narnia: Prince Caspian; May 16. I must admit that the first film, though fun, did not exactly leave me wanting more. I was unimpressed with the performances of the actors portraying the Pevensies, and the only bright spots were those that included Aslan and the White Witch. At least Prince Caspian deals with a darker time in Narnia, with the Narnians driven underground by the invading Telmarines. The problem that I have with Narnia is the issue of kids fighting battles with swords and killing others. They never showed it in the first movie, with the exception of Peter's slaying of the wolf captain of the secret police, but that is always in the back of my mind. Whereas The Lord of the Rings dealt with the realities of war in a fantastical setting, there is no sense of reality in Narnia. Oh well. It should still be fun to watch as a kids film.
4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; May 22. Indiana Jones is back, and Marion and a son are in tow! I have no idea what to expect, but those of you who frequent my blog will know that Raiders of the Lost Ark is on my short list of favorite films. While I doubt that this Indy film can match the heights of the first film, I will be contented just sitting in the theater and watching Harrison Ford in the trademark fedora.
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7 comments:
OK, we can discuss the merits or lack thereof of Lady In The Water at a later date - I think Shamalangadingdong (he lets me call him that) has a history of his films being misunderstood. Other than The Village, which was just a big pile of donkey bollocks.
And no mention of Sex And The City in your films of May?
Good catch, Eddie. While "Sex and the City" is currently still scheduled for a May 30 release, I was uncertain as to whether I should include it in May or push it until later. There have been murmurs from the studio that, in light of Warner Brothers recent "absorption" of New Line Cinema (while WB owned NL, NL was pretty much still run independent of WB until recently), several NL films may be delayed in release. That and the fact that Samantha, Miranda, Carrie, and Charlotte deserve their own post.
As for Night, I think that my respect for him was lost due to the way he handled Disney's rejection of his "LITW" screenplay, a decision that, in hindsight, was quite astute. Night has described this experience in a book ("The Man Who Heard Voices") came out near the film's release, and he comes off as a petulant and whiny prima dona. Consequentially, my respect for him plummeted.
. . . "a petulant and whiny prima dona" - hahahaha! And I couldn't agree more - he drives me crazy, he needs to stop thinking that he's Hitchcock reincarnated, but he's 4-for-5 in my mind for making outstanding movies, and generally speaking, I can ignore his off-film petulance.
Yes, well, maybe my feelings on him are fueled by my own unrealized film making ambitions coupled with the fact that he and I share almost identical backgrounds (same age, parents from same part of India, parents were physicians, an interest in film, etc). The road not taken, eh?
And I agree with you-I loved his first 3 films and should give "LITW" another chance. Of all of his films, I feel that "Unbreakable" was his most underrated work and the one that might best stand the test of time.
Um. You didn't mention your summer movie buddy.
I'm hurt Artful. I'm hurt.
Or the fact that SATC comes out MY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND.
Hmph to you!!
*Sigh*. Daisy, I just figured that you would be viewing your summer movies with BYSMOW and not me. I apologize profusely for any slight. OF COURSE summer movies would be more enjoyable with my movie buddy, and in the summer of the BAR, we must endeavor to continue the tradition (me critiquing and you commenting on the male actors' physiques).
I still owe you some cupcakes, don't I?
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