Posted on: Friday, May 10, 2002

Expect familiar faces for this summer's movie lineup

By Jack Garner
Gannett News Service

This summer, a lot of the thrills will be provided by old friends. "Star Wars" is back with "The Attack of the Clones." But that could also be the label for the summer releases, in general.

Among the many sequels are "Men in Black," "Austin Powers," "Stuart Little," Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, the "Spy Kids," and others. Heck, it'll be more like a family reunion than summertime movie-going.

The season began — early — with last week's arrival of "Spider-Man," setting the tone for the comic-book movie season.

Here's what else is on the way (but remember that dates are always subject to shifts). I'll start with the handful of films I'm especially eager to see.

Looking good

• "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" (Thursday). The early buzz says this fifth Star Wars film is among the best, a darker, more exciting outing than "Episode I."
• "Windtalkers" (June 14), a World War II film, partially shot in Hawai'i, with Nicolas Cage about the Navajo Indian code-breakers. This has my interest because it's the first serious film from action-film genius John Woo.
• "Minority Report" (June 21), Steven Spielberg's new film, a dark sci-fi thriller with Tom Cruise. Previews indicate that Spielberg's work on Kubrick's "A.I." had a lasting influence on the filmmaker; and that's fine with me.
• "Road to Perdition" (July 12), bringing together Sam Mendes ("American Beauty") and actor Tom Hanks in a dark role. It's about gangsters in 1920s Chicago, and features a great cast, including Paul Newman.
• "Austin Powers in Goldmember" (July 26), with Mike Myers continuing his often-riotous send-up of the "James Bond" films.
• "Signs" (Aug. 2), the latest from "Sixth Sense" writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, with Mel Gibson as a farmer caught up in a metaphysical mystery, thanks to the arrival of giant "crop signs" in his fields.
• "One Hour Photo" (indeterminate August date), a potentially powerful thriller about a spooky one-hour photo employee (Robin Williams) who becomes obsessive about the families he comes to know through the photos he develops.

Other offerings

But the season's best offering may not be from among the expected. Maybe it'll be one of the following.

Today

• "The New Guy," "Unfaithful" and "ESPN's Ultimate X"

May 17

• "About a Boy," a comedy with Hugh Grant as a shallow playboy whose life is altered when his young (and needy) godson moves in.

May 24

• "Enough," with Jennifer Lopez as an abused wife who decides her only recourse is to kill her relentless husband. (Previews look A LOT like Julia Roberts' "Sleeping with the Enemy.")
• "Insomnia," an English-language remake of a Norwegian thriller. Al Pacino plays a big-city cop dispatched to Alaska to help in a murder investigation. Robin Williams and Hilary Swank co-star.
• "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron," an animated feature from a wild horse's point of view, telling of his capture and training by the U.S. Cavalry.

May 31

• "The Importance of Being Earnest," a new version of the Oscar Wilde classic stage comedy, with Judi Dench and Rupert Everett.
• "The Sum of All Fears," a Tom Clancy thriller with Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman, in which Jack Ryan tries to stop terrorists from detonating a nuclear bomb in the United States.
• "Undercover Brother," a comedy about a black undercover agent (Eddie Griffin) for a group that combats the nefarious activities of The Man (white folks).

June 7

• "Bad Company," a comedy-thriller with Chris Rock as a bookie who's recruited to take over the role of his look-alike brother in the CIA. Anthony Hopkins is his boss and teacher.
• "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," the adaptation of the best-selling novel about the friendships among four women.

June 14

• "The Bourne Identity," a spy adventure with Matt Damon as an amnesiac who discovers he's a guy named Bourne — and involved in espionage.
• "Scooby-Doo," a youth-oriented comedy, based on the hit TV cartoon, and blending live-action humans with computer-generated dogs and other creatures.

June 21

• "Juwanna Mann," a comedy about a guy (Miguel A. Nunez Jr.) who can't make the NBA, so he goes in drag and tries out for the WNBA. He/she makes the team.
• "Lilo & Stitch," an animated feature about a little Hawaiian girl and her pet dog (that's actually an alien).

June 28

• "Hey Arnold! The Movie," a Nickelodeon cartoon feature, based on the hit TV show about a young kid and his friends and adventures.
• "Mr. Deeds," a remake of the classic, sentimental Frank Capra film, featuring (Lord help us) Adam Sandler. Also stars Wynona Ryder.

July 3

• "Like Mike," a youth comedy about a kid who buys a pair of Michael Jordan sneakers, and is magically turned into a wiz of a basketball player. Rapper Lil' Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut and Robert Forster co-star.
• "Men in Black 2," with Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith returning to rid the Earth of more slimy aliens.
• "The Powerpuff Girls," a feature-length version of the TV animated series about a trio of pre-school Charlie's Angels.

July 12

• "Blue Crush," the saga of two hotel maids who surf in their spare time — and soon become good enough to compete against the guys. Michelle Rodriguez and Kate Bosworth co-star. Filmed in Hawai'i.
• "The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course," a feature film loosely constructed on the experiences of TV's real-life Croc hunter, Steve Irwin. He tries to retrieve a satellite signal, dropped from space and swallowed by a croc.
• "Reign of Fire," a strange premise about a post-apocalyptic world, in which warriors must combat dragons. Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey co-star.

July 19

• "Eight Legged Freaks," a retro-1950s comedy-thriller about giant spiders, emerging after nuclear testing in the American Southwest. David Arquette stars.
• "Halloween: Resurrection," Jamie Lee Curtis picks up an easy paycheck in the upteenth "Halloween" horror sequel.
• "K-19: The Widowmaker," a drama based on the real-life exploits of a Soviet nuclear sub crew when their ship threatens meltdown. Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson star.
• "Stuart Little 2," a sequel to the charming family story about a wonderful mouse and the human family who adopts him. Michael J. Fox returns to once again provide the lead voice.

July 26

• "The Country Bears," a movie actually adapted from an amusement park attraction.

Aug. 2

• "XXX," an adventure saga, built around a muscular extreme-sports competitor (Vin Diesel). Samuel L. Jackson co-stars.

Aug. 7

• "Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams," the sequel to the entertaining spy thriller that brought James Bond-type action to the junior audience. The original cast, including Antonio Banderas, returns for director Robert Rodriquez.

Aug. 9

• "Blood Work," a Clint Eastwood thriller about an aging detective and recent heart-transplant recipient who investigates the murder of the person whose heart he now carries.
• "Swimfan," an obsessive romance in the "Fatal Attraction" vein, but set in a high school. It's about a girl who obsesses about the school's star swimmer. Erika Christensen and Jesse Bradford co-star.

Aug. 16

• "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," a futuristic comedy-adventure, with Eddie Murphy as a nightclub owner on the moon in 2087 who must combat mobsters trying to take over the club. I guess some things never change.
• "The Master of Disguise," a comedy about the last in a long line of theatrical impersonators. He's played by Dana Carvey, so there's hope.
• "Serving Sara," a comedy in which a process server (Matthew Perry) is convinced by a New York wife, Sara (Elizabeth Hurley), to serve her husband in Texas (Bruce Campbell) with divorce papers.
• "Simone," a comedy about a down-and-out producer (Al Pacino), trying to mount a comeback in Hollywood.

Aug. 23

• "Drumline," the story of a Harlem drummer who is recruited by Southern university to lead the marching band, but has trouble adapting.
• "A Guy Thing," a sex comedy about a guy at his bachelor party who wakes up in bed with a woman and assumes he cheated on his fiancee. Jason Lee, Julia Stiles and Selma Blair co-star.
• "Madison," based on a true story about a hydroplane champion and his unlikely victory. James Caviezel stars.