It wouldn’t be summer without a heavy dose of action films to bludgeon us into a glorious stupor.
Stallone. Crowe. Cruise. Jolie.
They’re all gearing up for battle this summer, and here’s hoping the Age of the Shaky Cam isn’t invited to the party.
- “Robin Hood” (May 14) – Go See It: Ridley Scott directs Russell Crowe in the latest adaptation of the Robin Hood myth. Need we say more? How ’bout Cate Blanchett as Marion? Summer films often devolve into camp, but this trio promises a superior Robin Hood experience. On Second Thought: Is there anything new to be said about a nice chap who steals from the rich and gives to the poor? And will Hollywood deliver a sucker punch or two to right-minded audiences?
- “Salt” (July 23) – Go See It: Angelina Jolie channels her “Wanted/Lara Croft” mojo to play one seriously undercover CIA agent. The role originally called for Tom Cruise, but it’s likely little tinkering had to be done to placate an actress wholly comfortable with on-screen mayhem. On Second Thought: Neither “Wanted” nor the “Tomb Raider” films stand as Jolie’s best work, and the actress can look so darn emaciated of late it might be hard to buy her bowling over the bad guys.
- “The Expendables” (Aug. 13) – Go See It: Remember the ’80s? Well, here they come again without any hot tub time machines. Stallone heads up a mercenary group on a dangerous mission, one that just so happens to include Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Dolph “I Must Break You” Lundgren and Arnold Schwarzenegger. On Second Thought: The trailer hints at dialogue so awful it makes “Cliffhanger” look profound, and Stallone’s last action pic, “Rambo” proved a mighty disappointment.
- “Knight and Day” (June 25) – Go See It: Isn’t it enough this new Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz film isn’t a sequel or reboot? The beautiful duo get involved in the protection of a rare energy source, and it’s all orchestrated by very capable director James Mangold (“Walk the Line”). On Second Thought: Have audiences forgiven Cruise for his couch jumping shtick? Is Mangold the best choice to helm an action film? And will the stars have the kind of chemistry Brad Pitt shared with Angelina Jolie in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith?”
- “The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” (May 28) – Go See It: Star Jake Gyllenhaal didn’t work on those abs just for audiences to ignore his bid for franchise immortality. The “Brokeback Mountain” star tries to jump start a new franchise along with popcorn producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and they’ve wisely chosen Ben Kingsley to play the film’s heavy. On Second Thought: Anybody else get a “Mummy Part IV” vibe from the film?
- “The A-Team” (June 11) Go See It: I love it when a cheesy ’80s show comes together. Some zeitgeist casting – “District 9’s” Sharlto Copley and Bradley Cooper – should propel this wannabe franchise starter. On Second Thought: Have you seen the original “A-Team” recently? Yikes.
(Photo: Director Ridley Scott (right) confers with stars Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe on the set of “Robin Hood.”)
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I can state with absolute certainty that Robin Hood will have major sucker punches against conservatives. I’m not going to see it, even though I like the casting. I’m still reeling from the slams in Julie / Julia.. which made no sense.
As for the Expendables, I was lukewarm on it until I saw the trailer. It looks pretty darn good. I have to disagree with your assessment of Rambo. He used Burma as the setting, which I thought was a brilliant move, and every horror you saw was a real event. Made for tough watching, but it lent it gravitas.
A-Team looks totally fun, gotta agree with that one. I’ll miss George Peppard throughout, that’s for sure.
Nope to Diaz and Cruise. The only good movie Diaz did was the Mask, and that was a long time ago. And Cruise.. gack.