[ROCKSTAR]

Well, it's almost here. The season of summer blockbusters is about to begin and here's what to expect.

I must say, save from major blowouts I think good films are making their way this year.

Summer movies: Where the boys are By Moira Macdonald Seattle Times movie critic In this corner, standing tall and brooding swoonily in his frock coat, tangled hair blowing in the Transylvania wind, is Hugh Jackman in "Van Helsing." In the opposite corner, showing off buff arms and legs in their muddy mini-armor, is the dewy-eyed duo of Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom in "Troy." Let the summer movie season begin! Or, rather, let the parade of picturesque men begin, as this season is shaping up as one big shop window full of male eye candy. After the Jackman/Pitt/Bloom face-off in May ("Van Helsing" opens May 7; "Troy" a week later), we can expect to find local screens graced by the likes of Will Smith ("I, Robot"), Vin Diesel ("The Chronicles of Riddick"), Clive Owen ("King Arthur"), Matt Damon ("The Bourne Supremacy"), Colin Farrell ("A Home at the End of the World"), Tobey Maguire ("Spider-Man 2"), Joaquin Phoenix ("The Village") and Tom Cruise ("Collateral"). That's just a sample of this summer's bounteous crop of leading men, providing a reminder that we go to the movies for many reasons, not the least of which is to fall in love. And while Hollywood hasn't been very good lately at, say, crafting thoughtful stories about smart, strong women (I can dream, can't I?), its starmaking machine is alive and well, and its supply of male dreamboats — some of who can even act, too — is seemingly never-ending. Those who underestimate the power of movie love need only consult any of the teenage girls who helped to make the "Lord of the Rings" movies such a hit, and whose devotion turned a little-known British actor with the unlikely name of Orlando Bloom into a mega-star. (I had an intriguing conversation with a trio of preteens not long ago, who agreed that while Viggo Mortensen was merely "cute," Bloom was "hot." I begged to differ, but to each her own.) Ask the fans of Tom Cruise who've grown up along with him, remembering "Risky Business" but appreciating risks like "Magnolia," seeing the boy actor in the still-boyish man. Survey the multitudes of otherwise perfectly reasonable people who get all mushy at the sight of Russell Crowe. Or just ask me, whose first movie crush — as, oh, a mere slip of a girl — was Warren Beatty in "Heaven Can Wait." In that movie, Beatty had a sweet, boyish hesitancy to him, and a way of looking at Julie Christie as if she were the answer to his prayers. And the magic of the movies, revealed to my teenage self for the first time, is that I believed that he wasn't really looking at Christie, but at me. Good actors — and good directors — can sweep us into their film's most intimate moments, letting us share the dizzying emotions on screen. Timeless charm Leading men come in many guises, from the debonair, grinning rakes who stride through a movie as if they have all the time in the world (Clark Gable wrote the book on this genre; George Clooney is the most recent sequel) to the quiet smolderers who dazzle us with their smarts and uncanny focus (Denzel Washington, Liam Neeson). Some charm us with their urbane wit and style, such as the brothers-in-spirit Grant (namely, Cary and Hugh); some simply overwhelm us with sheer beefcake. (Can Vin Diesel really act? Or are we all too dazed by the size of his biceps to even notice?) A certain boyish quality prevails in the current crop of stars, which has less to do with age than with screen persona. Tom Cruise, for example, is older than Gable was when he played Rhett Butler in "Gone with the Wind"; at Cruise's age, Humphrey Bogart was making "The Maltese Falcon" and "Casablanca." Likewise, Johnny Depp is 40 but has the perpetually youthful screen presence of a teen rebel (and the adoration of many of those same girls who adore Bloom). As more and more movies are aimed at younger audiences, youthfulness has become a desired quality in a leading man. Could the balding Fred Astaire (36 at the time of "Top Hat") be a romantic star today? But many of this year's boys of summer have counterparts, from a generation or more behind them. Cruise, for example, has a Beatty-like appeal — that light-voiced, likable, all-American quality. Also in this vein — and a little younger than Cruise — are Matt Damon, a more versatile actor (his best work, as in "The Talented Mr. Ripley," approaches brilliance) who's repeatedly proven that he can carry a movie, or Will Smith, whose charm and charisma is unparalleled but who rarely challenges himself as an actor. (See Michael Mann's "Ali" to see what he's capable of.) Brad Pitt, with his cool, blond good looks and adventuresome taste in scripts, could be this generation's Robert Redford — when the two teamed up to play mentor-and-protégé in 2001's "Spy Game," it felt a bit like the passing of a torch. Tom Hanks — who's only 47 but seems like a senior citizen among all these sunny youths — has long been Hollywood's current Jimmy Stewart: a respected and beloved actor who takes on a wide variety of roles, yet always remains himself, with a core of decency visible. Hanks relies on his talent rather than his pleasant but unexceptional looks — like Tobey Maguire, a generation younger, already showing signs of Jimmy Stewart-ness. Foreign affairs And these are just the Americans. Consider Colin Farrell's Irish bad-boy charm, never quite fully utilized on screen; or Russell Crowe's chameleonlike star quality. Jackman, another manly Aussie, has hovered for years just on the cusp of mega-stardom — though he found a wide audience as dreamy mutant Wolverine in the "X-Men" movies, he's stumbled a bit in other genres. The vampire drama "Van Helsing" will be a test of his star quality — but he certainly looks the part. But my candidate for the actor most likely to dominate his generation is that swoonworthy blue-eyed Brit, Jude Law. In 1997's "Wilde," one of his first featured roles, the camera already loved him, searching through a crowded room to introduce him with the kind of back-lit, it-had-to-be-you close-up worthy of an old-time Hollywood star. Blessed with the face of a GQ angel and the intelligence to choose character roles (a Gene Kelly-esque robot in "A.I."; a balding sleazebag in "Road to Perdition") as often as romantic leads ("Cold Mountain"), Law is barely in his 30s and already has two Oscar nominations — and seven more movies awaiting release. (Surely I wasn't the only one who pouted when his upcoming film "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" was yanked from the summer schedule at the last minute. It'll be in theaters this fall.) Watch him, or whoever makes your pulse beat faster this season (Johnny Depp fans, just wait — your turn will come again), and remember the best thing about movie love: Our hearts can get stolen at the movies, but never broken.

SOURCE: Seattle Times movie critic

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I can't wait for The Village, I've been waiting for it almost a year now! And Riddick, Van Helsing and Troy.

Ohh, it's going to be a great summer1 [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[TheCheshireKitten]

I'll be at the movies every weekend over the summer.

I can't wait for Van Helsing, Shrek 2, Troy, Harry Potter, Spider-Man 2, Chronicles of Riddick, I Robot, Arthur, etc...

[ROCKSTAR]

What is "I Robot" all about? NEVER heard of it until I read the article [img]smilies/look.gif[/img]

[The Daywalker]

I, Robot is basically a guy invents robots to do everyday things, very human while still looking robotic. Then one kills someone, they try to convict him, he sends his robots out to kill everyone haha

I really want to see King Arthur, i'm majorly into that and Keira looks damn good in it as always. Troy and Van Helsing are also musts.

[mukooh]

i saw the trailer to 'the village' last week in a theater......this film is something that i'm really looking forward to this summer.......anyone remember another film by this same director, a year or so ago, called 'signs'?

Plot Summary:

In M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Village' the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, who brought you "The Sixth Sense" and "Signs," assembles an all-star cast, including Joaquin Phoenix and Sigourney Weaver and Academy Award-winners Adrien Brody and William Hurt, to bring to the screen the thrilling tale of an isolated village confronting the astonishing truth that lies just outside its borders. At first glance, this village seems picture perfect, but this close-knit community lives with the frightening knowledge that creatures reside in the surrounding woods. The evil and foreboding force is so unnerving that none dare venture beyond the borders of the village and into the woods. But when curious, headstrong Lucius Hunt plans to step beyond the boundaries of the town and into the unknown, his bold move threatens to forever change the future of the village.


click here for trailer



[ 04-28-2004: Message edited mukooh ]

[LilMouse]

I'm most looking foward to The Village and The Bourne Supremecy. I still have to decide whether or not I'm going to see some of the big "blockbusters" like Troy & The Day After Tomorrow.

[ROCKSTAR]

Originally posted by The Daywalker: <STRONG>I, Robot is basically a guy invents robots to do everyday things, very human while still looking robotic. Then one kills someone, they try to convict him, he sends his robots out to kill everyone haha</STRONG>

Wow, actually sounds interesting! I want to see it now [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img]

Well, I've been waiting for "The Village" forever and I'm thrilled its FINALLY coming out! mukooh thanks for the info and that great picture. I hope this can be as good or better than "Signs".

Moonlight Serenade I really want to go see Troy but I'm alss suspicious, I'll wait for my friends reviews before I venture into it.

[Alexander]

I'm excited about several films this summer.

Definitely begins with "Troy"...which I'll see probably several times. I just hope it's really as good as the trailers indicate [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

"Spiderman 2"...It's safe to say that "everyone" will be going to see it [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

"King Arthur"...b/c I'm obssesed with that story period...and as good as "first knight" was...this looks more promising.

"I Robot"...I absolutely love the novel and I'm excited to see this film so much. Will Smith is just a top notch actor and the trailer looked good.

"Bourne Supremacy"...That's gonna be a refreshing reminder of what "true action films with a story" is all about.

"Blade Trinity"...b/c HHH will be in it [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img]

[BIGDave]

I can't wait for Soul Plane, with Snoop Dog in it.

[mukooh]

"what if you had a second chance with the one that got away?"

did anyone else see a movie called 'before sunrise'?.....i'd often wondered if "jesse" and "celine" would ever reunite.....now i'll have the chance to find out in.....'before sunset'....

the plot....Jesse, a writer from the US and Celine, a French working for an environment protection organisation, met nine years ago on the train from Budapest to Vienna and meet again when Jesse arrives in Paris for a reading of his new book. As they have only a few hours until his plane leaves, they stroll through Paris, talking about their experiences, views and whether they still love each other, although Jesse is already married with a kid.

this film stars the original actors from the first film and it's directed by the original films director, richard linklater...(who also directed 'dazed and confused'....'waking life'....'the school of rock'......'tape')....

[Charlize'sAngel]

So far the only one that I'm really looking forward to is "The Day After Tomorrow"

Strifer-I'm afraid Blade Trinity has been pushed back to December because they didn't want it coinciding with the release of "Alien Vs Predator"...

[ROCKSTAR]

[img]smilies/jaw_drop.gif[/img] [img]smilies/jaw_drop.gif[/img]

Before Sunrise!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy! OMG! *breathes*

I've been obsessed with the movie FOR YEARS! What a treat!

[UnsilentMajorty]

I'm really looking forward to "Before Sunset" most of all.

While the other, more mainstream films like "Van Helsing" and "TDAT" look cool... Films like Before Sunset are TRUE sequels in every sense of the word:

Same cast, same director same story... Only a continuation of it and not a remake.

Before Sunrise is one THE most underrated films -- Because it is primarily a "talkie" and mostly geared to a certain phase in your life (20s) -- But I am so happy that something of REAL substance (in my opinion) is being released in the midst of all the CGI choas that the Summer usually spawns.

[Charity]

I guess you can say I've been pretty excited about Spiderman 2 for a little while now, but today I can definitely say that I'm soooo looking forward to the movie. I've seen the teaser trailer quite a few times, but today I got an opportunity to catch the new trailer and get a glimpse of the final posters. I'm not one to get excited over posters, but I have to say that the new posters are some the nicest posters I've seen. If anyone has been to the official website then you've probably seen part of one of the new posters which is by far the best in my opinion because it has spidey, MJ, and Doc Ock with the word "Sacrifice". The site doesn't do the poster justice. There's also one with spiderman with his back turned holding his mask in his hand and it's entitled "Choice". The last one is nice too, but certainly not as cool as the others and its entitled "Destiny". I'm sure you guys weren't interested in all that, but I just wanted to share with any other Spidey fan.

[BIGDave]

I think the movie about the giant snakes, Andoconda 2:, whatever they are calling it, its the follow up the 1997 movie that J-Lo was in, comes out in August.