By Lonnie Harris
Daily Bruin Senior Staff Amid the glut of horror films and comedies
invading theaters last summer, it was relatively simple for more
dramatic fare (“Eyes Wide Shut”) or action films
(“Deep Blue Sea”) to become lost in the fray, competing
for box office dollars with a new “Star Wars” film and
with the juggernaut “The Sixth Sense,” which went on to
become the 10th highest grossing film of all time. This year, no
single film stands to draw all the attention, and the studios seem
to be offering a slightly more balanced menu of summer attractions,
from the slapstick comedy of “Nutty Professor 2: The
Klumps” to the groundbreaking animation of
“Dinosaur.” What follows is a brief run-down of some of
the more anxiously-awaited popcorn movies hitting theaters in
Summer 2000.
“Dinosaur” (May 19): Disney has taken the cue from
frequent collaborators Pixar (responsible for “A Bug’s
Life” and the “Toy Story” films) and delved into
the realm of computer animation. This adventure follows a lost baby
dinosaur who hides out with a clan of mammals during the
apocalyptic meteor shower that will eventually wipe out his
species. With a lack of musical numbers and a PG-rating,
“Dinosaur” appears to be Walt Disney Pictures’
first attempt to gear an animated film at a teenage audience. (Walt
Disney Pictures)
“Mission: Impossible 2″ (May 24): Tom Cruise returns
as secret agent Ethan Hunt and Ving Rhames reprises his role as
Hunt’s associate Luther Stickell in this follow-up to the
1996 thriller, but just about everything else has changed. Action
maestro John Woo (“The Killer,” “Face/Off”)
takes over directing duties from Brian De Palma. Anthony Hopkins
has come aboard as Hunt’s new supervisor, and the sexy
Thandie Newton joins the cast as Hunt’s love interest.
(Paramount Pictures )
“Gone in Sixty Seconds” (June 9): The only way
Nicolas Cage can save his brother is by stealing 100 cars, so he
enlists the help of some friends in the grand theft auto business
in this action flick from mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer
(“Top Gun,” “Armageddon,” “Con
Air”). Co-starring in the film, along with the pyrotechnics
and car chases, are recent Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie, young
upstart Giovanni Ribisi and veteran Robert Duvall. (Touchstone
Pictures)
“Titan A.E.” (June 16) Hunky Matt Damon lends his
voice to this action space adventure as a rebellious teenager named
Cale who attempts to salvage the human race by first finding a
spacecraft known as the Titan. With other celebs such as Drew
Barrymore, John Leguizamo and Janeane Garofalo doing vocal talent,
this sci-fi feature is hoping to convince teenagers that cartoons
are actually cool. (20th Century Fox)
“Shaft” (June 16): Director John Singleton
(“Boyz in the Hood,” “Rosewood”) claims
that his version of the popular 1971 blaxploitation film
isn’t a remake, but another film in an ongoing series about
the suave police detective. This time around, a bald Samuel L.
Jackson plays John Shaft, the nephew of the original Shaft (Richard
Roundtree). The action/crime film takes place in a gritty Manhattan
filled with all manner of vice and, yes, it will include Isaac
Hayes popular theme song “Shaft,” which won the Oscar
for Best Original Song when the original film was released.
(Paramount Pictures)
“Me, Myself and Irene” (June 23): Reteaming with Jim
Carrey for the first time since “Dumb and Dumber,” the
Brothers Farrelly (who also created such monuments of stupidity and
hilarity as “Kingpin” and “There’s
Something About Mary”) concocted this tale of a beat cop with
multiple personality disorder. Carrey plays Charlie, the genial and
loveable police officer who unfortunately sometimes turns into the
vicious and snarling Hank. When both personalities fall in love
with the same woman (Renée Zellweger), shenanigans are sure to
ensue. (20th Century Fox)
“The Patriot” (June 28): In what some cynics are
already dubbing “Braveheart 2,” Mel Gibson returns to
the screen as a peaceful man driven to fight after his
family’s safety is threatened. This time, rather than
Scottish folk hero William Wallace, Gibson stars as Benjamin
Martin, infuriated American colonist who joins the Revolutionary
War effort and eventually helps to bring down British General
Cornwalis. Taking on the directing duty is Roland Emmerich
(“Godzilla,” “Independence Day”). (Columbia
Pictures)
“What Lies Beneath” (June 28) Director Robert
Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump”) helms this supernatural
thriller about a college professor (Harrison Ford) and his wife
(Michelle Pfeiffer) who have ghostly encounters. No doubt,
DreamWorks is counting on Ford’s legendary box office clout
to trample the competition. With the sultry Pfeiffer playing
opposite, there should also be some intense chemistry to lure
audiences. (DreamWorks Pictures)
“The Perfect Storm” (June 30): The true story of the
Andrea Gale, a fishing boat that set sail off the coast of New
England only to encounter an immense hurricane out at sea, has been
adapted here by director Wolfgang Petersen (“Das Boot,”
“Air Force One”). George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg
(last seen together in 1999’s fantastic “Three
Kings”) must pilot the small boat through rocky seas and
punishing weather to get back to their loving families on the
shore. (Warner Bros.)
“The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle” (June 30):
Blending live action and animation was all the vogue a few years
ago, following the enormous success of Robert Zemeckis’
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” Now, Universal hopes to
capitalize on the continued popularity of Jay Ward’s
“Rocky and Bullwinkle” cartoons by turning them into a
feature, filling the cast with live actors (including Jason
Alexander as Boris Badenov and Rene Russo as Natasha Fatale) as
well as their animated counterparts, Rocky the Flying Squirrel and
Bullwinkle the Moose. Producer Robert De Niro also appears in the
film as the villainous Fearless Leader, who attempts to steal the
syndication money for their show from the heroic moose and
squirrel. (Universal Pictures)
X-Men” (July 14): Rather than turn over the popular Marvel
comic-book franchise to a veteran action director, 20th Century Fox
turned over the reigns to Brian Singer (“The Usual
Suspects,” “Apt Pupil”) and his frequent
collaborator, screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie. The adventure
film, which takes place in a future where mutated humans with
special powers must find their place in a world which rejects them,
stars Patrick Stewart as the noble head of the mutants Professor X
and Ian McKellen as his arch-nemesis, Magneto. (20th Century
Fox)
“Hollow Man” (July 28): Invisible man movies
generally work under the conceit that someone who turned invisible
would be anxious to return to the world of the tangible again. This
Paul Verhoeven (“Total Recall,” “Starship
Troopers”) thriller, however, theorizes that someone who was
invisible might be anxious to use their powers for evil rather than
good. Scientist Kevin Bacon discovers that it’s amazing what
you can do when you don’t have to look at yourself in the
mirror, and his former partner Elizabeth Shue is the only one who
can stop him. (Columbia Pictures)
“Nutty Professor II: The Klumps” (July 28): The last
time Eddie Murphy donned a fat suit to play Professor Sherman
Klump, it single-handedly revived his career. This time out, the
love interest has changed from Jada Pinkett Smith to Janet Jackson,
but everything else has remained the same, as the entire Klump
family (all once again played by Murphy) must join forces to defeat
Sherman’s evil alter-ego, Buddy Love (also played by Murphy).
(Universal Pictures)
“The Legend of Bagger Vance” (August 4): Will Smith
takes one summer off from starring in overblown action spectacles
to star in this Robert Redford-helmed golf movie. Smith plays
caddie Bagger Vance, a wise man who helps the golfer he is teamed
with, war veteran Matt Damon, discover not only the secret to the
perfect golf swing, but the secret to solving all of life’s
challenges. (DreamWorks Pictures)