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The Bad: If Spielberg didn't purge all the Kubrick from his system with A.I. Artificial Intelligence, this may likewise prove to be too sterile and cerebral for summer audiences.
The Outlook: Spielberg and Cruise could both use a popular hit about now, and based on the compelling preview, this might do the job.
Also: After getting kicked out of the NBA, a basketball player (Miguel A. Nunez Jr.) poses as a woman in order to join a female league in JUWANNA MAN, a long-delayed comedy filmed in Charlotte.
JUNE 28
MR. DEEDS
Plot: In this remake of Frank Capra's Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, pizzeria owner Longfellow Deeds (Adam Sandler) leads an entirely different lifestyle after he inherits $40 billion.
The Good: Sandler is easier to take when he's playing "appealing" (The Wedding Singer) as opposed to "obnoxious" (Little Nicky), which bodes well for this project. Winona Ryder will add spunk as the love interest, while John Turturro will add laughs as Deeds' butler.
The Bad: If Gary Cooper gets wind of this, he'll be rolling in his grave.
The Outlook: After burning his fan base with the unwatchable Little Nicky, Sandler should win them back with this seemingly innocuous piffle.
Also: HEY ARNOLD! THE MOVIE, based on the popular Nickelodeon series, finds the animated kid with the odd-shaped head taking on a powerful land developer.
JULY 3
MEN IN BLACK II
Plot: When an alien disguised as a lingerie model (Lara Flynn Boyle) tries to take over the world, Agent J (Will Smith) turns to former partner Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) to help him out. The only catch: Agent K had his memory wiped clean at the end of Men In Black and now blissfully spends his days as a postal employee.
The Good: MIB was that rare big-budget summer sci-fi blockbuster that clicked on all cylinders, giving this one a shot at recapturing at least some of the magic.
The Bad: Someone unwisely decided not to bring back Linda Fiorentino, who was great in the first film and will be sorely missed this time around.
The Outlook: Profits will be back in the black.
THE POWERPUFF
GIRLS MOVIE
Plot: Townsville's diminutive superheroines -- Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup -- once again square off against master villain Mojo Jojo.
The Good: The hip animated series is one of the more tolerable cartoons presently populating the airwaves.
The Bad: The show's got a sizable following, but most of its fans aren't the ones with easy access to the family bank account.
The Outlook: Girl power prevails enough for this to make back its cost.
JULY 12
LIKE MIKE
Plot: A 14-year-old kid (Lil Bow Wow) becomes a basketball star after donning a pair of sneakers that sport the initials "M.J."
The Good: Professional scene-stealers Eugene Levy and Crispin Glover have supporting roles.
The Bad: Just what we need: another glorification of overexposed diva Michael Jordan.
The Outlook: It's probably more commercially sound than, say, Like Ike (Turner) or Like Spike (Lee), but its grosses will still prove to be, like, threadbare.
REIGN OF FIRE
Plot: Twenty years from now, dragons rule the earth, and it's up to a small band of humans (including Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale) to extinguish their flames.
The Good: Director Rob Bowman knows his way around fantasy (he's a driving force on TV's The X-Files).
The Bad: I still have bad memories of that dopey Dragonheart with Dennis Quaid.
The Outlook: It should burn up the box office for a couple of weeks, then flame out.
ROAD TO PERDITION
Plot: Based on the graphic novel, this Depression-era drama centers on a hit man (Tom Hanks) whose life is changed by the deaths of his wife and son.
The Good: Recent films based on graphic novels and comics have mostly been winners (From Hell, Ghost World). The cast also includes Paul Newman, Jude Law and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The director is Sam Mendes, tackling his first feature since winning the Oscar for American Beauty.
The Bad: Hanks has been on such an incredible roll (dating back to 1992, 10 of his last 12 movies have grossed over $100 million), he's bound for a fall at some point. . .
The Outlook: . . .but not this time. Even if its box office take is less than expected, this could still be a year-end award contender.
Also: The surf scene is the setting for BLUE CRUSH, starring Kate Bosworth and Michelle Rodriguez as two buff girls who take to the waves and eventually test their skills in a major surf competition. . . THE CROCODILE HUNTER: COLLISION COURSE and JACKASS: THE MOVIE are both based on wildly popular (and completely different) cable TV shows.
