Film: Been There, Done That

Terminators, spy kids and crime-fighting babes compete for global domination during the summer of the sequel.

By: Jim Boyle
   Hollywood has plenty of money, explosions and good-looking actors. This summer proves once again that there appears to be a shortage of original ideas in Tinseltown.
   Almost every major film released in the next three months is either a sequel, an adaptation from a book or television show, or a remake. There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that, but by August, many filmgoers will have difficulty shaking off the feeling of déjà vu.

"Pixar's
Pixar’s animated adventure Finding Nemo opened May 30.


Bruce Almighty After questioning the Lord’s presence, Jim Carrey is endowed with the powers of God (Morgan Freeman). From the previews, the high-concept comedy should provide plenty of laughs. (May 23)
The In-Laws It’s going to be tough to re-create the hilarity of the Alan Arkin-Peter Falk original, but Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks are sure going to try. Brooks is an uptight podiatrist who learns that his son-in-law-to-be’s father (Douglas) is a rogue agent for the CIA. (May 23)
Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns This documentary profiles the career of John Flansburgh and John Linnell, better known as They Might Be Giants. It features appearances by Dave Eggers, Conan O’Brien and Ira Glass. (May 23 limited)
Finding Nemo Hoping to keep Pixar’s streak of quality animation going, the film follows a fish’s frantic search for his lost son, who ends up in a tank at a dentists’ office in Australia. (May 30)
The Italian Job An ensemble cast led by Mark Wahlberg in his third remake in the last two years (Planet of the Apes and The Truth About Charlie) pulls of a huge bank heist, only to get double-crossed by Edward Norton. The band of thieves is now itching for some payback. (May 30)
2 Fast 2 Furious Vin Diesel opted out of this sequel to the 2001 surprise hit The Fast and the Furious. Judging by the trailers, it may be the smartest move since Keanu Reeves turned down Speed 2: Cruise Control. (June 6)
Prozac Nation The long-awaited adaptation of Elizabeth Wurtzel’s novel features Christina Ricci as the controversial author. The young woman’s struggle with depression is made tougher by her life as a music critic. (June 6 limited)

"Eric
Eric Bana stars as Dr. Bruce Banner in The Hulk, opening June 20.


Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd Apparently, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels’ friendship was too complicated in the 1994 original, prompting this prequel that explains how they met in high school. One side note: Eric Christian Olsen looks a little too much like Carrey. It’s kind of scary. (June 13)
From Justin to Kelly The American Idol revolution continues as last year’s winner and first runner-up, Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, get to star in their own movie. Expect cheesy songs and bad dialogue in this beach-set musical. (June 13)
Hollywood Homicide Harrison Ford finally lightens up in this action comedy that pairs him with heartthrob-of-the-moment Josh Hartnett. The two are L.A. cops investigating the slaying of a hip-hop group. (June 13)
Rugrats Go Wild The third Rugrats movie is actually a crossover. The mouthy tots get lost on a deserted island and end up running into the Wild Thornberrys. (June 13)
Alex and Emma Based on a short story by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, of all things, the film features Luke Wilson as a writer who goes to extreme measures to cure himself of writer’s block and pay off his gambling debts. (June 20)
The Hulk Marvel Comics’ green machine goes to the big screen. Dr. Bruce Banner gets doused with a major dose of gamma radiation, altering his DNA. Now, when he gets really angry, he turns into a huge, destructive monster. (June 20)
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle The girls are back as Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu gear up to fight the evil Demi Moore. Not sure if Moore is playing herself or a fictional character. Bernie Mac replaces Bill Murray as the Angels’ caretaker, Bosley. (June 27)
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde America’s sweetheart Reese Witherspoon returns as the ditzy-yet-committed Elle Woods. The Harvard law graduate goes to Washington to urge tougher laws on animal testing for cosmetics. (July 2)

"Reese
Reese Witherspoon (right) takes stereotypes to Washington with Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, opening July 2.


Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas The Arabian hero goes on an epic quest to find the stolen Book of Peace, a crime for which he’s framed, in this animated tale from Dreamworks. (July 2)
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines As promised, Arnold is back. This time, Schwarzenegger travels back in time (again) to protect John Connor (Nick Stahl) from a rampaging advanced cyborg (again). (July 2)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Starring Johnny Depp, this film is based on the popular Disneyworld ride (no, really). Depp is a swashbuckler trying to stop an evil band of undead pirates. (July 9)
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Another comic book adaptation, but a little stranger premise than most. A bunch of literary heroes team up to fight the bad guys. Among the roster are Alan Quartermain (Sean Connery), the Invisible Man (Tony Curran) and Tom Sawyer (Shane West). (July 11)
Bad Boys II Director Michael Bay returns to the film that got him started. Still not sure if that’s a good thing. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reunite as Miami cops who play by their own rules. (July 18)
Johnny English A smash hit in Great Britain, Rowan Atkinson’s comedy about a bungling secret agent hopes to find similar success in the U.S. (July 18)
Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life The popular video game character returns in the form of Angelina Jolie. This time, the busty archaeologist is out to find Pandora’s Box before it falls into the wrong hands. (July 25)
Seabiscuit Taking a break from the guns and ammo, this is the true story of how one horse captured the nation’s attention during the Great Depression. Tobey Maguire stars as the animal’s jockey. (July 25)
Spy Kids 3D: Game Over The adventure continues for spy siblings Juni and Carmen Cortez (Daryl Sabara and Alexa Vega). Great casting includes Sylvester Stallone as an evil toymaker. Yes, part of the film will be in 3-D. (July 25)

"Tobey
Tobey Maguire stars in the Depression Era horse racing story, Seabiscuit, which hits theaters July 25.


American Wedding Most, but not all, of the gang from the first two American Pie films return as Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) plan their nuptials. (Aug. 1)
Gigli Probably more well-known because of the behind-the-scenes action, this film stars power couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. He’s a hit man trying to pull off the big score, she’s the competition standing in the way. Will they find love? Probably. (Aug. 1)
Freaky Friday Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan star in this remake as mother and daughter who simultaneously wish they could switch bodies and are surprised when it is granted. (Aug. 6)
Matchstick Men Based on a book by Eric Garcia, Nicolas Cage plays an obsessive-compulsive con man who meets the daughter he didn’t know he had (Alison Lohman). (Aug. 8)
S.W.A.T. Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell co-star in this remake of a ’70s cop show. Members of the Los Angeles S.W.A.T. team are forced to protect a dangerous criminal from those trying to free him. (Aug. 8)
Shaolin Soccer Why bend it like Beckham when you can kick it like Bruce Lee? A soccer team uses its kung fu training to find victory on the field. (Aug. 8)
Freddy vs. Jason The showdown of cheesy horror icons is finally here. Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees face-off, with a group of teen-agers caught in the crossfire. (Aug. 15)
Uptown Girls A snobby rich girl (Brittany Murphy) falls on hard times and is forced to find employment as a nanny for a bratty 9-year-old (Dakota Fanning). (Aug. 15)
Marci X Now, it’s not the ninth sequel to some movie called Marci. It’s actually about a whitebred woman (Lisa Kudrow) who takes over her father’s hardcore rap label. Damon Wayans stars as her most popular client, whose name can’t be reprinted in a family publication. (Aug. 22)
Jeepers Creepers II Finishing off the sequel season is the second installment of the somewhat successful 2001 original. A group of high school basketball players, coaches and cheerleaders come across a very hungry monster. (Aug. 29)
All dates are subject to change.