The Observer, April 21, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 25
New films set to heat up summer screens
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Megen Vo
Focus Editor
The best times of the year to see movies in the theater are traditionally the winter holiday season and the summer blockbuster season. You wouldn't know it, but summer is creeping up on us! The themes of this summer's movies seem to be patriotism and sequels, with a fair dose of book adaptations thrown in for good measure. Here are some of the more promising offerings:
Mission: Impossible III Yes, yes, we all know it: Tom Cruise is crazier than a bucket of Thetans. But don't let that stop you from seeing the latest Mission: Impossible, which is sure to include implausibly realistic-looking masks, villains with terrible aim, large explosions, and Cruise grinning like a maniac with ADHD. Featuring a promising cast, including Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, former Felicity star Keri Russell, and directed by J.J. Abrams (of Lost and Alias fame), this installment looks like the epitome of a summer blockbuster: popcorn fare that you can make out to and still get at the end. Opens nationwide May 5.
The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown's novel is a landmark on the engrossing summer reading landscape, so it seems intuitive that Brown's tale of Biblical conspiracy, betrayal, secret societies, dreamy intellectuals, and hot French chicks should be made into a summer flick. Tom Hanks lends an air of credibility to this incredible story, which takes the possibility that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a secret love child and runs with it all over Europe. If it's anything like the book, The Da Vinci Code promises to be a crash course in religion, code-breaking, and art history, with some surprising twists. Opens May 19.
The Break-Up Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn star in The Break-Up, the movie that promises to be this summer's Wedding Crashers. My rule of thumb when looking for a good comedy is to check whether the cast includes either Vince Vaughn or Will Ferrell. You really don't need to know any more than that. While Ferrell is missing from The Break-Up, Aniston and Vaughn pit their comedic chops against one another as a couple who have broken up, but haven't finished trying to break each other. Opens June 2.
The Devil Wears Prada Yet another book adaptation; this film takes a page from the chick-lit section, and stars Meryl Streep as the fictional editor of a high-fashion women's magazine and Anne Hathaway as her unfortunate new assistant. Based on the horrifyingly hilarious real-life experiences of one of Vogue editor Anna Wintour's assistants, The Devil Wears Prada promises to be a wicked and well-dressed comedy. Opens June 30.
Superman Returns For those guys who aren't jumping for joy at the thought of paying $10 to see some woman bitch about her shoes, also opening June 30 is the latest incarnation of the Man of Steel, Superman Returns. Starring unknown actor Brandon Routh as Superman and his mild-mannered alter-ego, and directed by Bryan Singer (X-Men), Superman Returns picks up after Superman has been away from Earth for some time, when he returns to find that Lois Lane has moved on with her life. Can Superman reclaim her love, battle Lex Luthor (played by the ever-delightful Kevin Spacey), and become the hero of the people of Earth once more? We'll have to watch and see.
Summer is all about doing all of the things you've always wanted during the year, but were too busy crying over your homework to do. Forget about ochem, and treat yourself to some classic and not-so-classic cinema this summer!
