Let's face it: summer is the season of film ineptitude.
We all have been bombarded by hoards of overproduced, under-acted and uninspired summer blockbusters such as last year's "Pearl Harbor" and "Planet of the Apes," only to wait until late fall when the studios released their surefire Oscar contenders in compensation. While this year's ilk seems to follow in tone and tenor of past summers, a few big names and titles will maybe salvage what many already consider a sunken movie season.
Having culled nearly two years of ever-growing hype, "Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones" - which opens May 16 - will be nothing short of a big, box-office bonanza of lightsabers, indecipherable robot talk and forbidden Jedi romance. That's right, this is the one where Anakin, played by Hayden Christensen, and Amidala, played by Natalie Portman, master a different kind of force, creating the love story that will define an empire and the fantasies of thousands of male "Star Wars" fanatics.
Trying to rebound from the mediocrity of "Vanilla Sky," Tom Cruise teams with Steven Spielberg in the big budget sci-fi thriller "Minority Report." Based on a story by Phillip K. Dick, the film takes place in 2054 Washington D.C. where police have developed a psychic technology to arrest and convict murderers before they commit their crimes.
Cruise plays a cop who is targeted for arrest for a future murder of someone he's never met. On the heels of "A.I.," Spielberg should have no problem selling theater seats, but does he still have the gusto to prevent the film from falling into a mindless futuristic action romp?
"Insomnia," starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams at first sounds like another film noir drama with Williams providing much of the misplaced slapstick comic relief. But since it's directed by Christopher Nolan - the mastermind behind "Memento" - the film automatically becomes a heavier, more complex investigation into the minds of both detective and killer. Both Pacino and Williams are supposed to give restrained, yet eerily powerful, performances in what should be the true heavyweight of not only summer, but also the entire year.
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In another excellent combination of acting and directing, Tom Hanks and Paul Newman team up with "American Beauty" director Sam Mendes in the twisted father-son film "Road to Perdition." In it, Hanks plays a hit man in 1930s Midwest working under his father, played by Newman. If "American Beauty" has taught us anything about Mendes' directing style, "Road to Perdition" should be an elegant, lyrical though vengeful tale of family and murder backed up with first-rate acting.
Director M. Night Shyamalan, king of twist endings, makes his third big screen project, "Signs," which is also his most intriguing. Starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, the film follows Gibson's character as a farmer who discovers an intricate pattern of circles and lines carved into his crops. As his investigation begins - as expected with any Shyamalan film - mystery and suspense ensue.
For those who desire something more frivolous, but nonetheless entertaining, "Austin Powers in Goldmember" marks the third return of our favorite secret agent and oral hygiene hero. Marked with cameos by BeyoncÇ Knowles, Michael Caine and Britney Spears, Austin must again go back in time to rescue his dad, Nigel Powers, played by Caine. Also making their trademark appearances are Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard and Mini-Me in what should be the funniest movie of the summer.
Other notable films include John Sayles' "Sunshine State," Neil La Bute's "Possession" and Steven Soderbergh's "Full Frontal."
Despite the season's notorious reputation for unfulfilling, overdone movies, this summer offers an eclectic group which may defy the stereotype and bring us at least a couple of films offering quality entertainment.
