Gateway

Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Arts & Leisure

photo courtesy of Warner Brothers [Click to enlarge]

Ah yes, it's that time of year again.

As the temperature gets warmer and the anticipation of the last week of school draws near, it's almost easy to forget that right around the corner is the start of the summer movie season.

Next week marks 2008's first foray into a four-month smorgasbord of remakes, sequels, adaptations and all-around big-budget adventures. If last year was any indication, this year's selection could be Hollywood's most profitable yet.

On May 2, comic book favorite "Iron Man" will be getting the movie treatment. Directed by Jon Favreau ("Elf," "Swingers"), the film features Robert Downey Jr. playing the role he was born for.

As Tony Stark, an eccentric businessman kidnapped in Iraq and forced to create a state-of-the-art suit of armor, Downey Jr. matches wits with co-stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrance Howard. Rumor is that "Iron Man" is the first in a planned trilogy of films.

May 9 brings us two films. First up is "Speed Racer," an adaptation by the Watchowski brothers ("The Matrix," "V for Vendetta") of the epilepsy-inducing Japanese anime series. From the previews the movie looks like it could cause cavities just by watching it.

Also being released is "What Happened in Vegas…," an Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz film about two strangers who get married in Sin City but argue over how to split a $3 million jackpot that Kutcher wins on Diaz's quarter.

Sounds kind of like part one of "Britney Spears: The Movie" - exactly what we need. Why exactly do people see Ashton Kutcher movies again?

The following week parents and children can rejoice that, after a two-and-a-half years, the sequel to the first "The Chronicles of Narnia" film, "Price Caspian," opens in theaters. The cast from the first film all return with newcomer Ben Barnes playing the title role. Expect this film to easily break the $100-million mark its opening weekend.

But Caspian's reign won't last long as the movie event of the year: "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," opens nation-wide. Not only is the 66-year-old Ford reprising the role of Jones for the first time since 1989, but teen star Shia LeBeouf is also attached.

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