With the onset of spring and summer comes a slew of box-office wannabe hits.  The question is: ‘Which ones do you want to see and which ones do you want to avoid?’  Well here’s the lowdown:

    Already out in the box office is Dominion: Prequel to Exorcist and, of course, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.  I’m not quite sure what the execs at Warner Brothers were thinking when they released Dominion on the same weekend as Star Wars, but from what I’ve read about Dominion, it looks like it should appeal not only to fans of The Exorcist, but fans of the horror genre in general.

    Star Wars, on the other hand, cannot help but be a crowd-pleaser.  It’s very difficult these days to find someone who hasn’t heard the words “Skywalker” or “Vader.”  That said, this latest installment at least lives up to and perhaps surpasses the first two prequels.  However, it tends to suffer from the same under-developed story and character problems that also plagued the first two.  In short, while it fills in all the gaps we wanted to see filled, it lacks the philosophical depth Lucas presented in the original three Star Wars films, particularly, Empire Strikes Back.

    Probably the biggest opener at this weekend’s box office is Peter Segal’s The Longest Yard, starring SNL alumni Adam Sandler and Chris Rock.  Sandler leads a bunch of prison inmates against the guards in a football game.  If the trailers are any indication, this is bound to be a hit with summer audiences.  Rock also stars in the animated DreamWorks flick Madagascar, in which he plays the zebra.  Madagascar has not had too much pre-hype, but it is bound to attract at least the kids and maybe some adults and teens as well.  It also opens this weekend.

    The best pick for next weekend is Cinderella Man, starring Russell Crowe as a depression-era boxer.  This film raised Oscar hopes last year until production was delayed when Crowe injured his shoulder.  So be sure to look for it at next year’s Academy Awards.  The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Lords of Dogtown, and Rock School also open next weekend.

    Later in June, in the vein of True Lies, but more violent, Mr. & Mrs. Smith looks promising.  Husband and wife Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are hired assassins who keep their identities secret –  even from each other.  Mayhem ensues when one is hired to kill the other.

    Then Cedric the Entertainer attempts to fill the shoes of the late, great Jackie Gleason in a film version of The Honeymooners.  While Cedric certainly has the comic abilitiy for the role, it will be interesting to see an African-American cast in roles established by Caucasion actors.

    Also in June, veteran actor Christian Bale will don the black cape and mask in Batman Begins.  The latest Batman installment features an all-star cast with the likes of Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Rutger Hauer, and Katie Holmes. Rumor has it that two sequels to this prequel are already planned.

    The hottest pick for your 4th of July weekend will be Steven Spielberg’s modern-day remake of the story that actually once convinced radio listeners that martians had landed on Earth.  Tom Cruise and Tim Robbins star in this retelling of H.G. Wells’ classic  tale The War of the Worlds.  Coming from Spielberg, there’s bound to be some good story-telling preserved in the myriad effects that were produced with a $200 million budget.  But can Speilberg get Cruise to actually act?  At least it’s a good six weeks after Star Wars.

    Reportedly filled with as much comedy as action, director Tim Story (Taxi) brings the superhero flick Fantastic Four, which should be a good catch for comic book fans.  Also in the superhero line, Disney’s Sky High promises to be a hit with kids as a superhero’s son struggles with being a normal teenager who has super powers.

    Later in July, director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp team up once again for a remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  With Burton’s touch, it certainly should prove to be as magical as the Roald Dahl children’s novel.

    Coming in August is a prequel to 1964’s The Pink Panther.  Also a new cast brings The Dukes of Hazzard to the silver screen, Ewan McGregor becomes a wood pigeon named Valiant, and Rob Schneider is Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo.

    Other films of note this summer include Hillary Duff in The Perfect Man (June), Glenn Close in Heights (June), Billy Bob Thornton taking on The Bad News Bears (July), Ewan McGregor in The Island (July), and Matt Damon in Terry Gilliam’s The Brothers Grimm (July)

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