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TALKING POINTS: One of the kids is played by the insufferable Spencer Breslin (The Cat in the Hat), but on the plus side, the cast also includes Joan Cusack and Helen Mirren... If this bombs, director Garry Marshall has another summer flick in the wings: August's The Princess Diaries 2.
SOUL PLANE
PLOT: After earning millions in a lawsuit against a major airline, a young man (Kevin Hart) creates his own airline, with a decidedly urban emphasis.
TALKING POINTS: The cast includes Snoop Dogg, Method Man, D.L. Hughley and Tom Arnold (presumably as the token white nerd)... If this gets off the ground with audiences looking for some effective counterprogramming away from the blockbusters, it might lop off Barbershop-size grosses.
JUNE 4
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
PLOT: In his third year at Hogwarts, boy wizard Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) has to match wits with the murderous Sirius Black (Gary Oldman).
TALKING POINTS: Y Tu Mama Tambien's Alfonso Cuaron has taken over from Home Alone's Chris Columbus as director, all but guaranteeing that this installment will have more of an edge than its two predecessors... Emma Thompson joins the cast, while Michael Gambon (Gosford Park) takes over the late Richard Harris' part of headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
JUNE 11
THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK
PLOT: In this sequel to the sci-fi sleeper hit Pitch Black, fugitive Riddick (Vin Diesel) ends up on a distant planet where he leads a rebellion against the tyrant who has enslaved the local populace.
TALKING POINTS: Pitch Black was more notable for its unique setting and cool monsters than its leading character, so it's a big question mark as to whether Diesel's anti-hero will prove as appealing in a different scenario... The cast also includes Thandie Newton, Judi Dench and, returning from Pitch Black, Keith David.
GARFIELD: THE MOVIE
PLOT: America's most famous fat cat (next to Rush Limbaugh, anyway) passes the day eating, sleeping and creating mischief.
TALKING POINTS: Like Scooby-Doo, this places a computer-generated animal in the middle of a live-action setting... Bill Murray provides the voice for Garfield, and it's a bit depressing to realize that this is his follow-up to Lost In Translation... The preview is nothing short of ghastly; as one fellow scribe muttered while suffering through it, "I hate the movie already."
THE STEPFORD WIVES
PLOT: After moving to a new town with her husband (Matthew Broderick), a burnt-out career woman (Nicole Kidman) starts noticing that all the other wives are a little too perfect.
TALKING POINTS: Reportedly, this remake of the 1975 film has been updated to make its themes even more topical... The sterling cast includes Glenn Close, Bette Midler, Christopher Walken and country music star Faith Hill.
JUNE 16
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
PLOT: With his trusty companion Passepartout (Jackie Chan) at his side, the eccentric Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan) wagers that he can circle the globe in less than 80 days.
TALKING POINTS: This adaptation of the Jules Verne classic features appearances by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathy Bates and Rob Schneider... The 1956 version inexplicably copped a Best Picture Academy Award, but I see no lofty honors in this movie's future; even box office success isn't a given for such an old-fashioned yarn.
JUNE 18
DARKNESS
PLOT: An American family discovers its dream house in Spain, not realizing until after they've moved in that the joint is haunted.
TALKING POINTS: This opened in Spain (homeland of its writer-director, Jaume Balaguero) in late 2002 and played the rest of Europe throughout 2003... Anna Paquin and Lena Olin head the cast.
DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY
PLOT: When their gym is targeted for destruction by a major sports conglomerate, a group of outcasts decides to save the place by facing off against a championship team in the ultimate dodgeball competition.
TALKING POINTS: This is Ben Stiller's fourth film this year, and in a smart casting move, he's playing the villain rather than the hero (Vince Vaughn handles that role)... The satire will have to be mighty sharp for this to rise above being yet one more "underdog" yarn.
THE TERMINAL
PLOT: While flying to New York, a traveler (Tom Hanks) discovers that his Eastern European nation has just undergone a coup; now a man without a country, and unauthorized to enter the United States, he must hang out for an indefinite amount of time at Kennedy Airport.
TALKING POINTS: Director Steven Spielberg reteams with Hanks (following Saving Private Ryan and Catch Me If You Can) for this drama loosely based on a true story... Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars as a flight attendant who falls for the stranded visitor... Just as Seabiscuit was last summer's obvious Oscar bait release, this looks like its 2004 equivalent.