Guadalajara Reporter - Hollywood’s summer fare filters down to Mexico

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Hollywood’s summer fare filters down to Mexico

Written by GR Staff

Saturday, 28 June 2008

As snowbirds head home and summer rains chase many indoors, it’s time to pick up a bucket of popcorn, put on some comfortable shoes and head out to the movies. As always, this summer’s crop of films in Mexico has brought the usual lineup of effect-heavy blockbusters and cheesy romances. Options with cult followings (Sex and the City, Speed Racer, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) are already playing and need little introduction. But, thankfully, there are other, more varied movies on the way for the discerning movie-goer. For jaded, “actioned-out” viewers, here’s a sample of the rest of Hollywood’s high-budget fare. Opening dates are for Mexico.

Get Smart

opening June 27

Dir. Peter Segal
Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Jonson, Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp
Remember Get Smart, the great 1960s TV series that perfectly parodied the secret agent genre? Well, bungling secret agent Maxwell Smart, also known as Agent 86 for CONTROL, is back in the saddle again, battling evil criminal nemesis KAOS with the help of his more competent partner, Agent 99. Carell and Hathaway flawlessly channel the original on-screen chemistry of Don Adams and Barbara Feldon, and this may become by far the best laugh-out-loud clever big-screen adaptation of the TV series (there have been several so far). A don’t-miss for Get Smart fans and newbies alike.

WALL-E

opening July 4

Dir. Andrew Stanton
After spending hundreds of years alone on an Earth literally covered in garbage after humanity abandons the planet, a trash-collecting robot called WALL-E develops a few quirks (among them: a personality). When WALL-E falls in love with EVE, a sleek research robot sent to find out whether the Earth is once again safe for human habitation, the stage is set for a cross-galaxy adventure with a team of malfunctioning robots and a pet cockroach. So far, Pixar/Disney’s newest sci-fi romance feature is set to become the animated masterpiece of the year, and will likely trump many live-action films. Even for Pixar (the company that arguably saved Disney from its descent into a syrupy quagmire of sap), it’s a surprisingly dark and complex work, with very little dialogue and a lot of heart.

Hancock

opening July 11

Dir. Peter Berg

Will Smith plays the edgy, conflicted, sarcastic and mis-understood superhero Hancock.

Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Kate Clarke, Darrell Foster
A public relations professional convinces Hancock, a hard-living, antisocial and cynical superhero (Smith) who usually saves the day by causing immense property damage, to rehabilitate his standing in the community. The film should please fans of Will Smith, but also has plenty to offer to everyone who is a little tired of superheroes (especially after this summer’s crop) by serving up a good blend of comedy, action and gloomy cynicism.

Hellboy II

opening July 11

Dir. Guillermo del Toro
Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, John Hurt
Guadalajara’s very own Guillermo del Toro returns to direct Ron Perlman as the misunderstood red-skinned, half-human, half-beast, who is called upon to save the world from a ruthless dictator and an unstoppable army of creatures. Del Toro’s fascination and expertise for the ghoulish and the weird is again put to good use. As always with his movies, the makeup and sets will stand out.

The Dark Knight

opening July 18

Dir. Christopher Nolan
Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman
A perpetually troubled and brooding Batman sets out to dismantle crime in Gotham City, only to face a psychotic new nemesis who pushes him closer to the line between hero and vigilante. Christopher Nolan reinvented the Batman franchise in 2005 with Batman Begins, and now returns to his dark, gritty and very realistic world. Rumor has it that Heath Ledger’s Joker (the now-desceased actor’s last role) is absolutely spine-chilling and worth a view.

Wanted

opening August 11

Dir. Timur Bekmambetov
Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman
Wesley Gibson (McAvoy) is rescued from his miserable existence by the gun-toting Fox (Jolie), a member of the Fraternity, a group of assassins to which Wesley’s recently murdered father belonged. As their new recruit, Wesley learns he’s truly a chip off the old block as he is trained by Fox and the Fraternity’s leader, Sloan (Freeman) – but what secrets are they hiding?

Mamma Mia

opening August 29

Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan rekindle a past passion in the film version of the musical Mamma Mia.

Dir. Phyllida Lloyd
Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters
Give this flic a miss if you don’t like the music of 80s Swedish pop group Abba. If you’re a fan ... then it’s right up your street. Abba’s hits provide the backdrop for the story of a bride-to-be who locates three men who might be her father and invites them to her wedding on a Greek island. In the mold of “The Devil Wears Prada,” expect another comedic tour-de-force from Meryl Streep as the rebellious mother of the bride.