Summer Blockbusters 2008!
Well, Iron Man and Speed Racer have dropped in theaters — the first with great reviews, the second, not so much. But there are plenty of ultra-cool movies due in theaters this summer. I’ve mapped out the blockbusters for you - print it out and stick it on the fridge!
May 16: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. The Pevensie children return to Narnia to find that 1,300 years have passed in the magical land, and everything and everyone they knew is gone. The kingdom is now presided over by the despicable King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) who rules with an iron fist. So, Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan (Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell) must return the displaced Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) back to Narnia’s throne to bring peace to the land.
More after the jump…
May 22: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Famed archaeologist and whip-handler Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones (Harrison Ford) is called back into action and gets snarled up in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls. Shia LaBeouf gets to be his new sidekick.
May 23: War, Inc. Brand Hauser (John Cusack) is a corporate hit man who travels to the embattled country of Turaqistan, which has been taken over completely by a private corporation. Hired to kill a Middle East oil minister, Hauser poses as the corporation’s Trade Show Manager and oversees the wedding of a pop singer (Hilary Duff) to get close to his target. Read my exclusive interview with director Josh Seftel.
May 30: Sex and the City: The Movie. Carrie Bradshaw, Samantha Jones, Charlotte York Goldenblatt and Miranda Hobbes (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon) all return for another Manhattan adventure of romance and laughs.
June 6: Kung Fu Panda. Iffy on whether this will be a blockbuster, but I’ll include it because it looks cute as the dickens. Po the Panda (voiced by Jack Black) dreams of being a martial arts master, but in reality, he’s a fat, lazy slob…until he becomes the legendary “Chosen One.”
June 13: The Incredible Hulk. Still stuck with the ability to turn into a raging behemoth, Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) searches for a cure that will rid him of his gamma-irradiated alter ego once and for all. He’ll get no help from the obsessed General Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt), nor the Abomination (Tim Roth). Lovely Liv Tyler plays his girlfriend, Betty Ross.
June 20: Get Smart. The nation’s security is put at risk when the terrorist organization KAOS hacks into the computer system of Control, the top U.S. spy agency, and uncovers the names of all their agents. It’s up to lowly systems analyst Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) to go out into the field with the only other agent whose identity hasn’t been compromised, Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), to put a stop to KAOS. I really hope this movie is good!
June 27: Wall*E. It’s the year 2700, and WALL*E is a happy little trash-compacting robot who suddenly gets big dreams about his ultimate destiny, leading him on a wild journey across the universe. This looks like the ultimate family movie this year.
June 27: Wanted. Based on the hit comic book series by Mark Millar, pathetic office drone Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) discovers he has superpowers after his estranged father passes away. Inducted into a team of secret assassins, Wesley gains the ability to move super-fast and uses his newfound powers to take out the bad guys. Always fun to see Angelina Jolie kick some butt. Loved her as Lara Croft.
July 2: Hancock (added at Sterreke’s request - see comments below). A hard-living superhero (Will Smith) who’s fallen out of favor with the public enters into a questionable relationship with the wife of the public relations professional who’s trying to repair his image. Based on the last few Will Smith movies (-cough!- I Am -cough!- Legend), I’ve got my doubts about this being a blockbuster. I could be wrong.
July 11: Hellboy II: The Golden Army. The demonic superhero (Ron Perlman) returns to save the world from a rampaging horde of otherworldly creatures.
July 18: The Dark Knight. Gotham City is under siege once again (that poor city!), and it’s time for Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) to put on his bat-costume and do battle with two evil enemies: the nefarious Joker (Heath Ledger) and district-attorney-turned-villain Two Face (Aaron Eckhart).
July 25: The X-Files: I Want to Believe. Special Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Special Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) return to solve another spooky FBI case.
August 8: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Based on Ann Brashares’ best-selling series of novels, this sequel catches up with the four lifelong friends whose story began in the first movie. Now in college and embarking on separate paths for the first time, each will feel the freedom, separation, love and challenging life lessons that mark their individual journeys toward adulthood. I loved the first movie and look forward to this one.
August 8: Pineapple Express. A stoner and his dealer are forced to go on the run after the pothead witnesses a cop commit a murder. Yep, it’s another Judd Apatow movie starring Seth Rogen. Also James Franco, Gary Cole and Rosie Perez.
August 15: Tropic Thunder. Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying. Ben Stiller wrote, directed and stars in this flick, along with Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr.
August 15: Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This animated feature finds Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala enmeshed in an intergalactic struggle between good and evil, along with some new heroes like Anakin’s padawan learner, Ahsoka. Of course, the villains – led by Palpatine, Count Dooku and General Grievous – are poised to rule the galaxy. This movie will lead into a new TV series this fall. And really, can we ever have too much Star Wars? I think not.
Images: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2008; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount Pictures, 2008; Kung Fu Panda, Dreamworks Animation, 2008; Wall*E, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2008; Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2008.
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6 opinions for Summer Blockbusters 2008!
sterreke
May 14, 2008 at 3:08 pm
You forgot Hancock
Jane Boursaw
May 14, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Just added “Hancock,” because, well, I’m all about my readers. But I’ve got my doubts on whether it’ll be a blockbuster. I like Will Smith, but haven’t been all that impressed with his recent movies — though I did like “The Pursuit of Happyness.”
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