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Summer Movie Preview:
Sequel madness...
2 Fast 2 Furious
AHEM...
Release: June 6
Director: John Singleton (Shaft, Boyz N the Hood, Baby Boy)
Cast: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser, Ludacris, Michael Ealy
Premise: Paul Walker is back as Brian O'Conner, an undercover cop who, in the first installment, infiltrated the world of streetracing to investigate a string of thefts. This time around, he's stripped of his badge and must infiltrate the world of Miami streetracing to bring down a powerful drug trafficker (Hauser) to redeem himself. Among his allies is Tyrese, playing ex-con pal Roman Pierce, and a female agent played by Mendes.
Outtakes: The first movie pulled in $110 million U.S., which is pretty impressive considering its $40 million budget. Rob Cohen, who directed the first film, said he would only helm the sequel if Diesel came back. Diesel declined, and they worked on xXx instead.
Should You See It? The smart money is on its predecessor being way better than its spawn. Take your chances, but with Diesel gone and only Walker returning from the original cast, be very wary. Also: Tyrese as one of the leads can only mean disappointment.
Official Site: www.thefastandthefurious.com
Post-release verdict: I never thought I'd say it, but I kind of miss Vin Diesel. He's not the best actor by far, but he does bring a certain vibe to the films that he's in. And this movie could've certainly used that. See DVD details here.Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd
Release: June 13
Director: Troy Miller (Jack Frost, Run Ronnie Run)
Cast: Eric Christian Olsen, Derek Richardson, Luis Guzman, Eugene Levy, Cheri Oteri, Mimi Rogers
Premise: The year is 1986, and Harry (Richardson) and Lloyd (Olsen) are back in high school, trying to get out of their special needs class and into regular high school. Guzman plays a high school janitor who adopts Lloyd, Levy is the principal, Rogers is Harry's mom, and Oteri is a high school teacher. Expect lots of hijinx and bathroom humour.
Outtakes: The original took in $127 million U.S. and $246 million worldwide, with a budget of only $16 million. This second installment garnered a $30 million budget. Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of "South Park," were hired to work on the project but backed out at the last minute, returning the $1.5 million they received as an advancement.
Should You See It? The whole charm of Dumb and Dumber (and I use "charm" loosely here) centers on the chemistry and general goofiness between Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. I'm not too sure that replacing the central characters and going back to the 80's is enough to make a hit sequel.
Official Site: www.whenharrymetlloyd.com
Post-release verdict: Nine out of ten critics can't be wrong - especially when they pan this movie across the board. And what is Eugene Levy doing here? Can someone give this man a better agent please? See DVD details here.Rugrats Go Wild!
Release: June 13
Director: John Eng (Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius), Norton Virgien (The Rugrats Movie)
Cast: Bruce Willis, Lacey Chabert, Tim Curry, L.L. Cool J
Premise: This crossover movie finds the Rugrats stranded on an island after a vacation gone awry. They enlist the help of the Thornberrys, a traveling family that makes nature documentaries. Their daughter, Eliza (Chabert), can talk to animals and communicates with Spike (Willis), the family dog.
Outtakes: This is the third movie in the Rugrats franchise (I know, you're thinking, "Already? Where does the time go?") "The Wild Thornberrys" is also a Nickelodeon cartoon.
Should You See It? Yes, if you love the Rugrats and/or The Wild Thornberrys. Also, if you're five.
Official Site: www.nick.com/.../rugratsgowild.com
Post-release verdict: On second glance, reading that Bruce Willis played a dog made me giggle. See DVD details here.Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Release: June 27
Director: McG (Charlie's Angels)
Cast: Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, Bernie Mac, Crispin Glover, John Cleese, Luke Wilson
Premise: The Angels, three hot private investigators who work for the Charles Townsend Detective Agency, are back in this sequel that finds them working on the theft of a database of witness protection profiles. Things heat up when five of the people in this database are murdered. They face off against their old adversary, The Thin Man (Glover), as well as a fallen Angel (Moore) who watched Star Wars one too many times and crossed over to the dark side.
Outtakes: The original grossed $125 million U.S., which bode well for Flower Films, Barrymore's production company (which is also producing this installment). This is Demi Moore's first major studio film since G. I. Jane in 1997. Cameos will include Jaclyn Smith, one of the original Angels, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Pink, who also sings the theme song.
Should You See It? Eh, might as well. Everyone else will be talking about it, and you don't want to be left out, do you?
Official Site: www.sonypictures.com/movies/charliesangels2
Post-release verdict: Still campy, but with less pizzazz. I can't even remember the plot too well, but I do remember Moore kicking ass and taking names. I suppose seeing that all three Angels were needed to take her down made me lose some faith in them. Crispin Glover is still deliciously creepy. And Bernie Mac? Doesn't make me miss Bill Murray all that much. See DVD details here.Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
Release: July 2
Director: Charles Herman-Wurmfeld (Kissing Jessica Stein)
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Sally Field, Bob Newhart, Luke Wilson, Regina King, Jennifer Coolidge
Premise: Elle Woods (Witherspoon), fresh-faced from Harvard, tackles Washington, D.C. as she tries to get a bill against animal testing passed. Along the way she meets a hotel doorman (Newhart) who becomes her guide to the high-dealings of the world of politics.
Outtakes: The first movie cost $18 million to make and grossed $96.5 million U.S. Witherspoon earned $1 million for the first; this time around her paycheck will be worth $15 million. A mid-season replacement television show is in the works at ABC (like they didn't learn anything from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding").
Should You See It? The first movie was refreshingly funny and not at all the fluffy fare you would expect. As much as I am ambivalent towards Witherspoon, she does add a sense of intelligence and maturity to her characters, even if they are sorority girls turned Harvard Law graduates. Check out the movie for a laugh or two.
Official Site: www.legallyblonde2.com
Post-release verdict: For some strange reason, I keep watching Legally Blonde whenever it comes on TV. Okay, maybe not so strange as it's one of my guilty pleasures. Legally Blonde 2, on the other hand, is something I might watch once more before shelving it. Witherspoon is still great, but it's essentially a retread of the first, complete with pink powersuits and the convincing of skeptics that Elle Woods is smarter than she seems. See DVD details here.Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Release July 2
Director: Jonathan Mostow (Breakdown, U-571)
Cast: Arnold Schwartzenegger, Nick Stahl, Kristanna Loken, Claire Danes
Premise: Schwartzenegger is back as the T-800, and so is John Connor, even if he does look a lot less like Edward Furlong and a lot more like Nick Stahl. Now that Connor's eighteen (he is? Isn't that, like, only two years after the second movie?) a new terminator, known as the Terminatrix (heh), or T-X (Loken), is after him. The T-800 is once again sent back to protect Connor, even though all he really wants to do is take out a nice retirement home in Florida and perhaps write a memoir.
Outtakes: Rumours for the lead of John Connor included Edward Norton and Shane West. Claire Danes replaced the previously cast Sophia Bush. And Linda Hamilton may or may not be returning…all depending on whether flashbacks count. A Terminator 4 is in the works.
Should You See It? From what I could gather from the commercials, Arnold looks like he needs a very long nap. And the new tagline, "She'll be back," prompted a humongous eye roll from me, which sent me falling off the couch, that's how big it was. See it if you want to know how much they've killed the franchise, avoid it if you want to have your memories of the Terminator series intact.
Official Site: www.terminator3.com
Post-release verdict: It was on television the other night, but I had no desire to see it since it was 3:00 AM and I had more pressing things to do, like stare at the wall. Terminator 4 has just been announced but with no cast attached except for director Mostow, who will be helming the project. See DVD details here.Bad Boys II
Release: July 18
Director: Michael Bay (Bad Boys, Armageddon)
Cast: Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Gabrielle Union, Joe Pantoliano, Henry Rollins
Premise: This movie finds Lawrence and Smith, two Miami police detectives, going to London to deal with some laundered money. Union plays Lawrence's half-sister and is also an undercover detective who catches the eye of Smith. They're in luuuurve!
Outtakes: Michael Bay made his debut with Bad Boys, which took in $65.8 million U.S. and $140.8 million worldwide on a budget of $23 million.
Should You See It? It's been eight years after the original was released - which means it better be good. Early word said that test audiences liked the movie, so it's a safe bet that it's worth checking out.
Official Site: www.sonypictures.com/movies/badboys2
Post-release verdict: Much like Legally Blonde, the original is better than the sequel. Lawrence has surprisingly nailed the right amount of hamminess as a man on the verge of a serious breakdown, but Smith's turn as a smooth cop is getting obnoxius. And more Gabrielle Union would have been good. See DVD details here.Laura Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
Release: July 25
Director: Jan de Bont (Twister, Speed, The Haunting)
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Gerard Butler, Ciaran Hinds
Premise: Croft travels to an underwater temple that leads her to Pandora's Box. Unfortunately, evil Chen Lo steals the box from her. He's in cahoots with an even more evil guy named Reiss, who plans to use the box as a doomsday weapon. Don't people ever think about, you know, selling the box for large amounts of money or something instead of blowing up the world?
Outtakes: The original took in $48 million U.S. on opening day, making this the highest opening for a movie starring a woman.
Should You See It? To this day, I still haven't seen the first Laura Croft (as a matter of fact, yes, I was living in a cave for some time), but a quick and random sample of my friends who had seen it yielded mixed reviews. If you're a Jolie fan/Laura Croft fan/action fan, see it. If you're not, skip it.
Official Site: www.tombraidermovie.com
Post-release verdict: She. Punches. A. Shark. I'm not sure if I want to laugh or cry. See DVD details here.Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
Release: July 25
Director: Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids, From Dusk Till Dawn, Desperado)
Cast: Daryl Sabara, Alexa Vega, Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas, Steve Buscemi, George Clooney, Alan Cumming, Carla Gugino, Salma Hayek
Premise: Those crazy kids are back at it again. This time, Carmen (Vega) is kidnapped into a virtual reality game created by the sinister Toymaker (Stallone). Here comes her brother, Juni (Sabara), to the rescue.
Outtakes: Because the kids are aging, this is rumoured to be the last installment in the series. And, in select theatres, 3-D glasses will be made available for the virtual reality sequences. Can we say fun!
Should You See It? At your own discretion. Just don't tell anyone.
Official Site: www.spykids.com
Post-release verdict: I think this is the last we'll see of the Spy Kids. Both Vega and Sabara are moving on to other things. This is off-topic, but Sabara appeared on an episode of "House." I thought I knew him from somewhere! See DVD details here.American Wedding
Release: August 1
Director: Jesse Dylan (How High)
Cast: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Tim Allen, January Jones, Eugene Levy, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Seann William Scott, Eddie Kaye Thomas
Premise: Jim (Biggs) and Michelle (Hannigan) are getting married! Jim's grandmother is sick and she wants to see her grandson walk down the aisle before she leaves this world for the next. So they only have two weeks to plan the wedding. But with the help of Stifler (Scott), Finch (Thomas), Kevin (Nicholas), and Michelle's hot younger sister (Jones), the wedding will go on without a hitch. Or will it? One thing's for sure - the bachelor party will be unforgettable.
Outtakes: Tim Allen plays Stifler's father, who was previously played by Chris Penn in the second movie. If you don't remember Penn, that's because all his scenes were cut.
Should You See It? Nothing will ever match the hilarity of the first movie, and with half the cast not returning, it seems like a half-assed attempt to capitalize on the franchise. Still, it might be able to make us chuckle.
Official Site: www.american-wedding.com
Post-release verdict: Wait, was Tim Allen in the film? I was mislead. Seriously mislead! But Eugene Levy more than made up for it, and the film overall is a nice sendoff to the American Pie series, although half the cast has already been sent off a while ago. Stifler has got to be the most annoying character in the history of teen comedies, but the inevitable come uppance is worth the wait. See DVD details here.Freddy vs. Jason
Release: August 15
Director: Ronny Yu (Bride of Chucky, The Bride With White Hair)
Cast: Robert Englund, Ken Kirzinger, Monica Keena, Jason Ritter, Kelly Rowland, Jason Bateman
Premise: A bunch of teens are stuck in the middle of a battle between baddies Jason Voorhees (Kirzinger) and Freddy Krueger (Englund), which begins on Elm Street and ends at Camp Crystal Lake.
Outtakes: Corey Feldman was in talks to reprise his role as Tommy Jarvis from the fourth and fifth movies in the Friday the 13th series, but pulled out due to disagreements about the way he should be portrayed (as if he doesn't need the money or the exposure). This movie was filmed in Toronto and Vancouver. If you lost count, it's the eighth movie in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, and Jason Voorhees' eleventh movie. And yes, it's that Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child.
Should You See It? No.
Official Site: www.freddyvsjason.com
Post-release verdict: I'm 0-for-2 here as Jason Bateman is obviously so not in the movie. And who wins this match-up of biblical proportions? And do we care? See DVD details here.Jeepers Creepers II
Release: August 29
Director: Victor Salva (Jeepers Creepers, Powder)
Cast: Jonathan Breck, Ray Wise, Nicki Lynn Aycox, Billy Aaron Brown, Lena Caldwell
Premise: A group of basketball players, cheerleaders, friends, and teachers, return home from a Championship game. But uh oh, they get stranded on the East 9 Highway. And the Creeper, who awakens every twenty-three years to feed for twenty-three days, is on his last day…and he's hungry!
Outtakes: The original opened at $15.8 million U.S., more than three times than what the studio expected. It went on to bow out at $37.45 million U.S. Gina Phillips and Justin Long (the brother and sister from the first movie) both had sequel clauses but are not coming back for this installment.
Should You See It? I saw the first movie and it wasn't bad. But this time around, it does look bad. Do not watch it. I repeat, do not watch it!
Official Site: www.mgm.com/ua/jeeperscreepers2
Post-release verdict: I believe Justin Long may have a cameo in the film, but it's sketchy since I haven't watched the sequel and may very well be talking out of my ass. I will say that, unlike the first one, except much more gore and less plot or suspence. See DVD details here.
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