Summer Hits

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (May 22)

It use to be that Harrison Ford was “that guy” who made movies with George Lucas, but recently, the actor’s face has been plastered everywhere to hype the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones saga. With new blood from Cate Blanchett as warrior Naziette, to Shia Lebouf as the dutiful sidekick, Indy will have more than chance. Prediction: getting tickets for opening day will be just as hard as dodging giant boulders.

“The Dark Knight” (July 18)

One of the last box office performances of Heath Ledger will not only draw long-time comic readers, but also those movie-goers who enjoy saying, “Did he just do that?” A flying-man bat, a psychotic clown and the unknown destiny of pretty boy Aaron Eckhart as D.A. Harvey Dent is more than enough to draw the summer crowds into Gotham City.

“Sex and the City” (May 30)

Yes, much to the chagrin of significant-male others, the girls are back. The HBO series about four gal pals who talk about everything with each other and live the liberated life in New York City will pull in fans by the thousands. Undoubtedly, the check earned by the series star and producer Sarah Jessica Parker will be enough to pay for all the designer bags a girl could ever want.

Disappointments

“The X-Files: I Want To Believe” (July 25)

This is hard because I love “The X-Files.” However, Chris Carter may have missed the boat on this one. A disappointing series finale that left fans with more questions than answers will cause fans to attend this film for some conclusions … any conclusions. But for the average Joe who doesn’t know the identity of “the smoking man” or the source of the alien virus, this film will be a harder mystery to solve than Mulder’s disappearance.

“The Happening” (June 13)

The latest piece from M. Night Shyamalan stars “Marky” Mark Wahlberg as a high school science teacher trying to figure out another Shyamalanian mystery. The movie will do well, but considering the mysterious director’s recent track record, it may fizzle instead of being “Unbreakable” at the box office.

“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” (August 1)

When “The Mummy” came out, I equated it to another “Indiana Jones”-type thriller. But gosh darn, there’s another Indy adventure coming out this year. The action-adventure will probably be overshadowed by a whip-hurling archaeologist. Good luck to Brendan Fraser on his other summer release “Journey to the Center of the Earth.”

Good for a laugh

“Get Smart” (June 20)

The popular television show turns film, and while the format isn’t new (consider “Starsky and Hutch” and “I Spy”), this film has the right cast for the job. Steve Carell is Maxwell Smart, and hopefully his character will have an intelligence level somewhere between “Anchorman” and “The 40 Year Old Virgin.”

“Pineapple Express” (August 8)

He’s flown around as the Green Goblin and proven himself at Annapolis. Now, James Franco plays a stoner alongside Seth Rogen in this caper concerning the mishaps of drug users. Hmm … Harold and Kumar might have something to say about all that.

“Wall-E” (June 27)

It’s almost become expected that Pixar releases a summer hit for the family. “Wall-E” is the story of the last robot on Earth who’s in charge of cleaning up the trash-ridden planet. Despite the heavy environmental message, the movie will draw kids, their parents, and undoubtedly little Wall-E action figures inside every Happy Meal. I think Pixar and Mickey Mouse can afford another castle.