childhood living is easy to do...

So the summer movie season has started. I saw Van Helsing last weekend, and I was rather underwhelmed. It was fairly predictable, and the dialogue bordered on the absurd. However, I must say that Kate Beckinsale looks good in black leather. Given that she starred in last year's Underworld (about werewolves and vampires as well), I can only predict that she'll be wearing a lot more black leather in her upcoming movies, all of which will no doubt involve...werewolves and vampires.

An now, a list of my most anticipated summer movie blockbusters:

1. Spider-Man 2. If you know me at all, you know I'm a huge fan of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002). The film was the definitive summer blockbuster: great fun, great special effects, and completely over the top, with quality performances from Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst (both of whom will return for this summer's sequel). I'll be in New York when Spider-Man 2 is released on June 30th, so I'm sure that will make it that much more special.

2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. While Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was nothing to write home about (in fact, it was rather awful, with lackluster performances all around), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets provided more in the way of charm and adventure. Prisoner of Azkaban was directed by Alfonso Cuaron, who received national attention for his gritty, honest, and all too tragic Mexican roadtrip drama, Y Tu Mama Tambien. I expect the new film to be darker than the other two, which would make for a perfect ambiance given the dark magic themes.

3. Before Sunset. Richard Linklater returns with this sequel to his 1995 sleeper hit, Before Sunrise. Linklater is perhaps the most explicitly philosophically-inclined director out there. In both Before Sunrise and Waking Life , we were treated to wonderfully engaging coversations about what it means to live, to die, and to be. I can only expect that Before Sunset will continue in this tradition.

4. Shrek 2. Judging from the previews, this film is looking a little too cutesy for me. However, I much enjoyed the irreverence of 2001's Shrek. Let's hope that overexposure hasn't dulled the sarcastic bite of the original.

5. Troy. Another Gladiator? Perhaps. You can expect a big, dramatic fairytale of a film. Since it is nearly 3 hours long, I just hope I don't end up falling asleep. Hopefully, the violence will keep me awake.

6. The Day After Tomorrow. Natural disaster movies have always been little bits of disasters in and of themselves. Let's hope the sappiness factor is kept to a minimum.

7. The Stepford Wives. From what I've seen in the previews, this will prove to be Nicole Kidman's worst performance ever. Plus, Matthew Broderick lost his spark back in the 1980s. And Christopher Walken? Ugh. He's become a parody of himself. Prognosis: a likely dud.