Oracle Online

By far my most anticipated film of the summer will be Pixar’s latest creation, Cars. Now, for those of you who have missed the trailers that have been running in theaters for well over a year, Cars is the tale of a speedster (Owen Wilson) who gets stuck in a hick town where he is befriended by a wise old truck (Paul Newman) and learns that there is more to life than fame and glory. While the plot sounds fairly routine, Pixar’s recent track record has been anything butčToy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incrediblesčthey’ve become the studio that can’t miss. With the vocal talents of Paul Newman and George Carlin linked, it doesn’t appear like they’ll be cashing in their blue chip reputation just yet.

Meanwhile, for those of you who want your summer to be big and familiar, there’s always Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. If you missed the first installment (and are cowering in shame), the original tale introduced us to Jack Sparrow and the motley crew of the Black Pearl, a ghost ship. Disney’s first outing grossed over $300 million domestically, and was a smashing throwback to movie heroes like Robin Hood and Indiana Jones. The sequel (the second in a planned trilogy) managed to reunite all of the principle cast members, including Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, who are set to be wed in the flick. However, Davy Jones (portrayed by Bill Nighy) has a score to settle with the scalawag Jack Sparrow (the incomparable Johnny Depp) and may impede any chances of romance. Action movie sequels range from brilliant to awful, and I invest my endorsement of the Pirates franchise with some trepidation. However, if the film (and Depp) are half as much as fun as the original, you should expect to see another $300 million thrown at Disney.

Finally, for those who dread summer as the end of all things civilized at the cinema, appeasement awaits you in the form of A Prairie Home Companion. Based on the cult smash radio show featuring Minnesota’s very own Garrison Keillor, it is the tale of the last episode of the program: what goes on behind the country music and dulcet stories. The cast reads like a who’s who of Hollywood, including, among others, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, and Kevin Kline. Master acting ringleader, Robert Altman, is at the helm of the project, whose track record is about as impressive as Pixar’s. There’s little doubt that this promising film will be greeted warmly.

So, whether you are working three jobs and taking two classes this summer, or you’re simply going on that much needed vacation to Cancun, make sure to check out these three pieces of intriguečI’m guessing they won’t disappoint.