Summer hits with comic-book characters and comedies

It’s shaping up to be a comical summer for moviegoers, in

more ways than one.

On one hand, Hollywood has laid out a promising selection of

lighthearted comedic bonbons starring the likes of Jim Carrey

(Bruce Almighty) and Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde 2: Red,

White & Blonde).

On the flip side of the comic coin, we find ourselves fired up

by the WHAP! SLAM! CRACK! of the X-Men and a certain

less-than-jolly green giant named the Hulk.

Those aren’t the only trusty comic-book properties getting

the full movie treatment.

In The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, based on the graphic

novel by Alan Moore, a motley group of literary heroes, including

Tom Sawyer and the Invisible Man, join forces to save the

world.

Then there’s The Matrix Reloaded, the latest installment

of a sci-fi franchise that has expanded into the comic-book medium

after first achieving cinematic popularity.

As always, the summer movie docket is noticeably thin on

Oscar-caliber dramas, unless the sight of Will Smith and Martin

Lawrence destroying small pieces of London (Bad Boys II) brings a

tear to your eye.

So look in your newspaper. It’s an ad! It’s a

review! It’s the 2003 Summer Movie Preview.

1. The Matrix Reloaded: Let me hear ya say

“Whoa.”

Rarely admired for his eloquence, Keanu Reeves spoke for a

generation when he coined that curt, one-syllable catchphrase in

Larry and Andy Wachowski’s mindbending kung fu blockbuster

The Matrix.

According to producer Joel Silver, Reloaded concludes with a

tantalizing cliffhanger.

Fortunately for less patient fans, the trilogy capper, The

Matrix Revolutions, comes out this December. (Release date: May 15)

Predicted gross: $375 million.

2. The Hulk: On the surface, the story of a mutated,

green-skinned brute who flings tanks around like pool toys

doesn’t have much to offer the serious cineaste, but

remember, it was directed by Ang Lee, the Chinese auteur who so

subtly explored suburban alienation in The Ice Storm and conjured

the delicate feminist lyricism of Crouching Tiger, Hidden

Dragon.

Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly star. (June 20) Predicted gross:

$310 million.

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black

Pearl: More often than not, movies adapted from Disney theme park

rides are barely watchable but this one has several key variables

weighing in its favor, including a great cast (Johnny Depp,

Geoffrey Rush and teen-scream king Orlando Bloom) and a competent

young director (Gore Verbinski of The Ring). (July 9) Predicted

gross: $250 million.

4. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines: Arnold

Schwarzenegger returns as the now-antiquated T800 cyborg, this time

sent back in time to save an 18-year-old John Conner (Nick Stahl)

from a deceptively sexy terminatrix (Kristanna Loken). (July 2)

Predicted gross: $240 million.

5. X2: X-Men United: Marvel’s mutant heroes return

for a second outing behind the sure hand of director Bryan Singer

(The Usual Suspects), battling their humanity-hating brethren along

with a bellicose Army general (Brian Cox) who overruns Professor

Xavier’s mutant academy. (May 2) Predicted gross: $220

million.

6. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle: The original

babelicious trio returns along with a cheeky collection of cameos

and supporting players: John Cleese, Matt LeBlanc, Bernie Mac, Demi

Moore and the Olsen twins, to name a few. (June 27) Predicted

gross: $205 million.

7. Bad Boys II: This time Martin Lawrence and Will Smith

junket to London to investigate a money-laundering scheme involving

Lawrence’s half-sister, played by Gabrielle Union. (July 18)

Predicted gross: $205 million.

8. Finding Nemo: In what is certainly Hollywood’s

first undersea father-son bonding adventure tale, a young clownfish

(voiced by Alexander Gould) is taken from his home and winds up in

a fish tank in a dentist’s office overlooking the Sydney

harbor.

Now it’s up to dad (Albert Brooks) to embark on a

dangerous journey to bring the kid home. (May 30) Predicted gross:

$200 million.

9. Bruce Almighty: Here, Jim Carrey, the rubber-faced

comic, plays an ordinary guy imbued with omnipotent powers by God

(Morgan Freeman) Himself. It’s a good premise – free,

one would hope, of the overly earnest treacle that gummed up

Carrey’s script judgment in the first place. (May 23)

Predicted gross: $180 million.

10. Hollywood Homicide: Is any A-list actor more due for

a hit than Harrison Ford?

Maybe director Ron Shelton (Bull Durham) can untrack him in this

lively buddy-cop movie, about a pair of L.A. homicide detectives

(Ford and Josh Hartnett) investigating the high-profile murder of a

hip-hop star (Master P). (June 13) Predicted gross: $150

million.

Craig Outhier, The Orange County Register

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