The Dark Knight's Blockbuster summer - page 2

30-08-2008 08:15

While some people are already criticising the yet-to-be-made decision to nominate Heath for a posthumous Oscar, Heath's role is undeniably not the only attractive prospect about the movie. Boasting amazing stunts, incredible graphics and solid acting from all the cast, Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' lives up to fans' expectations as a successful follow-up to 2005 movie 'Batman Begins'. The US box office takings of $407 million have backed up the widely accepted opinion of the film, making it the third highest-earning movie of all time in the US, behind only 'Titanic' and the original 'Star Wars' film.

Another film which caused a stir this summer was 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'.

Boasting a star-studded cast including original Indy Harrison Ford, Ray Winstone, Cate Blanchett and Shia LaBeouf, the fourth film in the action-archaeology franchise. The most popular aspect of the film, despite seeing the action-packed antics the lead character got up to, was seeing Harrison don his fedora at the ripe old age of 64.

However, Harrison - who first played the swashbuckling hero aged 36 - insisted on doing the majority of his own stunts, to prove he still had what it takes, despite his age.

"I have picked up plenty of bumps, bruises and cuts over the years," he said. "I have injured a shoulder and torn a hamstring - that sort of thing. But I have got so used to taking a battering, on screen as in life, that I feel anything is possible."

The actor also spent three hours in the gym every day to bulk up and to ensure he could keep up with his younger counterparts including Shia, who played his son Mutt in the movie.

Reviewers were kind to Harrison and the overall appearance of the movie, with Variety magazine reviewer Todd McCarthy insisting the actor was the glue that kept the film together.

"For all the verbiage expended just to keep the story cranking forward, David Koepp's script accomplishes the two essentials: it keeps the structure on the straight and narrow, and is true to the character of Indiana Jones himself," he said.

"Thanks to this and Ford's full-bodied performance, Indy comes through just as viewers remember him: crafty, capable, impatient, manly and red-blooded American. He looks great for his age, although it's never pretended he's younger than he is, and Mutt pays him the ultimate compliment when he says, 'For an old man, you ain't bad in a fight.' "

Mutt, played by Shia - who first shot to fame in Disney film 'Holes' in 1993 and has since starred in 'Disturbia' and 'Transformers', and can soon be seen in upcoming action thriller 'Eagle Eye' and sequel 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' - is already being tipped as the focus of a possible fifth movie in the franchise.

Producer George Lucas said: "I haven't even told Steven Spielberg or Harrison this. But I have an idea to make Shia the lead character next time and have Harrison come back like Sean Connery did in the last movie. I can see it working out."

"Mutt's pretty wild but it's all about what the public feels," Shia added. "I know if it's received well, that's a pretty definite indicator. If it's received well, I don't imagine they would stop making them. I don't think a Mutt spin-off would be as big as Indiana Jones. But fingers crossed!"

So it seems the estimated North America box office takings of 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' of a staggering $151.1 million in its first five days of release have inspired Paramount studio executives to continue pumping out movies, which they hope will match the success of the previous four films.

Many of the blockbuster films released this summer have been part of a franchise - and 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian' is no exception.

The 'Chronicles of Narnia' began life as a series of seven children's storybooks, written by C.S. Lewis in the 40s and 50s. Starting with 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' (though there is some controversy over the chronology of the series) the chronicles tell of the four Pevensie siblings who find a gateway from wartime Britain to a magical land, Narnia, through a wardrobe. The kingdom contains talking animals and regular bouts of enchantment and magic. The children find they are the key to a prophecy that sees good triumph over evil and are instrumental in defeating an evil White Witch - with the Narnian forces - lead by the talking lion Aslan.

However, unlike some of the year's other blockbusters - the new Narnia film was aimed almost entirely at a younger audience, as opposed to 'The Dark Knight' which revelled in its sinister subject matter.

But the relatively tame nature of the film did not detract viewers, and it made an impressive $51 million during its opening weekend in the US, beating rival blockbusters 'Iron Man' and 'Speed Racer' to the top of the chart.

While the summer season is undoubtedly the most popular time for film companies to release blockbusters, there are still some highly-anticipated movies which have yet to be released, and will hit cinemas later this year.

'Quantum of Solace' - the movie which sees Daniel Craig reprise his role as suave British spy James Bond for the second time - is already being tipped for award nominations, and is released in the UK on October 31.

For children, and young-at-heart adults alike, 'High School Musical 3: Senior Year' is likely to provide a welcome distraction from the grey October days when it comes to UK cinemas on October 24.

And producers have made the canny decision to make the last Harry Potter book, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', into two movies in order to keep fans happy and maximise the box office potential of the franchise. The two films will be released in 2010 and 2011.

So as the summer nights draw to a close, fans of high-octane thrillers, incredible special effects and stars galore can be safe in the knowledge that there are still blockbusters to come.

By Sarah Bull