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Thursday May 5, 2005

Lucas and Spielberg's summer screen wars

By DAVID GERMAIN

This summer means war between old buddies George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

Colleagues on the Indiana Jones franchise, the two will duke it out for the title of galactic overlord on the 2005 science fiction front, Lucas with the final instalment of his Star Wars saga, Spielberg with his remake of War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise.

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith opens on May 19, War of the Worlds June 29.

“At least we’re six weeks apart, so we won’t be competing against each other,” Spielberg told The Associated Press.

Mr and Mrs Smith.
Other big summer movies include Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell’s Bewitched, Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda’s Monster-in-Law, Adam Sandler’s The Longest Yard, Ice Cube’s XXX: State of the Union, Christian Bale’s Batman Begins, Johnny Depp’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven, Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger’s Cinderella Man, Cedric the Entertainer’s The Honeymooners, the cartoon tale Madagascar and the comic-book adaptation Fantastic Four.

With Revenge of the Sith, Lucas concludes the prequel trilogy to his original three Star Wars movies, explaining how hotshot pilot Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) turns into black-cloaked villain Darth Vader.

Lucas has cautioned fans for years that to connect with the original trilogy, Episode III necessarily would end in the darkest of places. “It is a different Star Wars,” Lucas told the AP.

“It is a tragedy. It’s a real tearjerker. All the women who have seen it, some of the men that have seen it, cried through it.”

The right themes

Sustaining terrible injuries in a duel with former mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), Anakin is rebuilt as the part-man, part-machine Darth. Being fitted for Vader’s legendary costume thrilled Christensen.

“I don’t know how to define the sensation,” Christensen said about putting on the black robes and helmet. “It was exhilarating and empowering and just all things overwhelming.”

The prequel trilogy has drawn scorn from fans who disliked seeing Anakin as a cuddly kid in The Phantom Menace and a lovestruck, petulant teen in Attack of the Clones.

The payoff, though, is the harsh fate awaiting Anakin in Revenge of the Sith, Christensen said.

“This film has all the right themes,” he said. “It’s Anakin becoming Vader, it’s a republic becoming an empire. It’s all very epic stuff, and the way in which it’s told and how it ties into the original trilogy is done so perfectly.”

While Lucas wages war in space, Spielberg rains destruction from above.

As George Pal did with his 1953 version, Spielberg updates H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds from 1890s Britain to the contemporary United States, partly because turbulent times today provide a relevant backdrop for terror from the skies, and partly for simple cosmetic reasons.

“I can’t stand the costumes of 1898,” Spielberg said. “There’s just something about those high collars, those frou-frou gowns. It’s not my style, I guess.

Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith.
“I think also, we’re living in a fearful atmosphere, fearful times, and every version of War of the Worlds that has occurred either in literature, radio or film has occurred during fearful times.”

Spielberg also jettisons Wells’ premise that humanity’s assailants come from Mars, noting that explorations of the red planet have shown that “if life is ever discovered on the surface of Mars, it will be microscopic life.”

The film never reveals where the aliens come from. Spielberg figures their anonymity adds to the terror.

“It’s just really scary to imagine being invaded, especially being invaded by not only an unknown race bent on our total annihilation, but with no context,” Spielberg said. “They don’t spend any time explaining why they’re here. There’s no, ‘We needed to move here because our planet has become inhospitable...’

“We have absolutely no idea why they’ve come, why they’re doing this to us.” – AP

Upcoming movies

There's a lot to look out for in the upcoming months. Here are some interesting films which, hopefully, will make their way to our shores:

  • The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Based on Douglas Adams story about an average man making his way through the universe. Best described as fun sci-fi, it stars Martin Freeman, Mos Def and Sam Rockwell.

  • Mr and Mrs Smith – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie pair up as assassins who happen to be married to each other. The spark of marriage had better not die out.

  • Batman Begins – Director Christopher Nolan traces this superhero’s story. The film features a super cast list including Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Ken Watanabe, Morgan Freeman, Katie Holmes and Cillian Murphy.

  • Domino – Keira Knightley mixes it up in Domino, inspired by the real-life story of actor Laurence Harvey’s daughter, who quit her modelling career to become a bounty hunter.

  • Lords of Dogtown – Heath Ledger and Emile Hirsch reinvent skateboarding in the film about surfers who pioneered extreme styles in the 1970s.

  • Brothers Grimm – Matt Damon and Heath Ledger are the Brothers Grimm in Terry Gilliam’s tale of the sibling storytellers as they journey among witches, trolls and other mythical creatures.

  • The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava – Spy Kids creator Robert Rodriguez crafts a 3-D adventure about a boy whose superhero idols come to life.

  • Fantastic Four – Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis leap onto the big-screen in the comic-book adaptation about astronauts who mutate into superheroes!

  • Cinderella Man – Russell Crowe reunites with A Beautiful Mind director Ron Howard to tell the story about boxer Jim Braddock, a 10-1 underdog who rebounded from an unsuccessful early career and hard times during the Depression to beat Max Baer for the heavyweight championship in 1935.

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