Lights, camera ... and lots of action!
By PHILIP WUNTCH / The Dallas Morning News
The summer pageant of family-friendly films presents a clash of the
titans.
Kids and teens may be the deciding factor in the race of Star Wars Episode III vs. Batman Begins vs. Fantastic Four vs. Madagascar vs. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Steven Spielberg
will navigate Tom Cruise's fight against unfriendly aliens in War of
the Worlds, while Nicole Kidman will cast a spell in Bewitched.
David James / Warner Bros.
Christian Bale stars in
Batman Begins, which follows the early career of the crime-fighting Caped Crusader.
Cinemark's Summer Movie Club will be in force at the Legacy Plano as
well as the Cedar Hill, McKinney and Grand Prairie 'plexes. From May 31
through Aug. 3, family-friendly films will be shown Tuesdays and
Wednesdays at 10 a.m. except at Cinemark Cedar Hill, where movies in the
series will show at 9 a.m. and only on Wednesdays. Tickets are $5 for
the series and $1 for walk-ins.
The Cinemark IMAX at Interstate 635 and Webb Chapel Road will feature
IMAX presentations of Batman Begins and Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory as well as reissues of Aliens of the Deep and Fighter Pilots.
And for extremely young moviegoers (y'know, the kind who cry
whenever they need changing), the Angelikas in Dallas and Plano will
continue the Cry Baby Matinees on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays,
with baby-changing tables provided.
But for those young 'uns who want something new and different, a
cornucopia of choices follows. Be aware, though, that none of these
films has been seen and only a few have been rated. And, oh yes, opening
dates are always subject to change.
Kicking & Screaming (May 13). Comedy shows Will
Ferrell coaching a kids' soccer team, with Robert Duvall as his
cantankerous father.
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (May 19). No
doubt you've heard of this one. It all takes place in a faraway galaxy.
Madagascar (May 27). Animated comedy features voices of
Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer as zoo
animals who wind up on a ship headed for Madagascar.
The Longest Yard (May 27). The 1974 original was one of
Burt Reynolds' biggest hits. The PG-13 remake stars Adam Sandler and
Chris Rock as members of a prison football team, with Burt playing the
coach.
Peter Mountain / VNU
Johnny Depp (in the top hat) stars as Willy Wonka in the new version of
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Batman Begins (June 17). Christian Bale wears the cape for
this version, which tells how Bruce Wayne became the Caped Crusader.
Howl's Moving Castle (June 17). Animated Japanese film
tells the story of an 18-year-old girl turned into an old woman by a
wicked witch. The movie boasts an eclectic group of vocal talents,
ranging from Christian Bale to Lauren Bacall.
The Perfect Man (June 17). Hilary Duff invents an
imaginary perfect man to woo her mother, played by Heather Locklear.
Herbie: Fully Loaded (June 24). Lindsay Lohan plays the
new owner of the Volkswagen "love bug."
Bewitched (June 24). Star-filled version of the TV series
features Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine.
March of the Penguins (June 24). Documentary follows
one year in the life of an emperor penguin flock that treks across the
Antarctic.
War of the Worlds (June 29). Steven Spielberg has promised
a PG-13 rating for this new version of the H.G. Wells classic, starring
Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning and Tim Robbins.
Rebound (July 1). Martin Lawrence plays a one-time college
hoops coach now faced with mentoring a middle-school team.
Fantastic Four (July 8). Astronauts gain superpowers to
fight wicked Doctor Doom.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (July 15). Johnny Depp
and Freddie Highmore reteam after Finding Neverland in Tim
Burton's new version of the Roald Dahl children's classic.
The Bad News Bears (July 22). With Billy Bob Thornton
playing Walter Matthau's old role of a grouchy coach of misfits, there's
probably some Bad Santa-type humor behind the PG-13 rating.
Sky High (July 29). A unique high school molds its
students into superheroes.
The Brothers Grimm (July). Director Terry Gilliam is bound
to offer an unconventional view of the storytelling brothers, played by
Matt Damon and Heath Ledger in this PG-13 version.
Valiant (Aug. 19). In this animated comedy, Ewan McGregor
provides the voice for a small pigeon who becomes a World War II hero.
The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D (summer).
Young boy's imaginary superhero buds join him in an adventure.
Published in The Dallas Morning News: 04.08.05
