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It’s peak hour at the cinema again. Pte John Wellfare takes a look at some of the big hits on the big screen this summer.

Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – December 26

TAKING the premier Boxing Day spot this year, Narnia looks set to equal the Lord of the Rings trilogy in fantasy-epic grandness. Previews for this film, directed by Andrew Adamson (Shrek and Shrek 2), have been running since July.

For those not familiar with CS Lewis’ classic tale, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe follows the Pevensie siblings – Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter – who enter Narnia through a magical wardrobe. The children help the good creatures of Narnia overcome the curse of the White Witch, Jadis.

This looks set to be an epic feast for the senses and a great way to finish up the cinematic year. Although it would be unfair to CS Lewis to describe this as a Lord of the Rings/Harry Potter hybrid, fans of both, or either, movies should fall in love with Narnia.

Underworld: Evolution – January 19

DESPITE a string of bad reviews, Underworld was popular among viewers for its originality when released in 2003. Shot in Budapest, Underworld shunned the horror blood-fest approach to vampire movies from which the rest of Hollywood had forged the genre, instead focusing on the action. It fell short in the eyes of many reviewers because movies like The Matrix and Blade had established a more over-the-top precedent for this style of action flick.

In Underworld: Evolution, the war between vampires and werewolves continues. Vampire heroine Selena (Kate Beckinsale) and vampire-werewolf hybrid Michael (Scott Speedman) try to uncover the origins of their bloodlines and the ancient feud between races.

This movie has potential to be an intriguing gothic action flick like the original, but, as happens with many action sequels, may fall into the trap of going over the top in an effort to be bigger and better than before.

Jarhead – February 9

THIS may prove to be one of the more insightful war movies of recent years. It aims to be an exploration of modern warfare from a soldier’s perspective rather than a violent glorification of combat.

Based on Anthony Swofford’s book on his experiences in the first Gulf War, Jarhead follows Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his fellow marines on their deployment to the Middle East in preparation for Desert Storm. Many marines come close to insanity during the long wait for battle.

Regardless of your position on war, this movie will be well worth a look, as it focusses on a psychological by-product of military service rarely explored.

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