Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy summer!

The onslaught of summer movie blockbusters is meant to stun us, knock us to the ground, and grind our critical responses to pulp. And sometimes that happens. Consider the latest three powerhouse features, eliminating the flashy and empty SPEED RACER. First out of the block was the refreshingly bracing IRON MAN, another comic book pumped up for the screen. Though it has its young male requirements of explosions, gadgetry, and speed, this tale also features a new type of hero--a spoiled, brilliant billionaire inventor who finds his soul when he is captured by terrorists in a country whose name ends in "stan." Realizing that he is responsible for much of the world's destruction, our hero creates an incredible iron suit with every gadget possible, and some of the most entertaining scenes show his awkward attempts to make his new suit take off. Robert Downey, Jr., an actor of great ability and tons of personal baggage, is the perfect choice for our inventor. His cynicsm and lack of commitment are a perfect balance for all the heroics he must perform as Iron Man. Gwynneth Paltrow as his trusty and loving assistant and Jeff Bridges as his smarmy and untrustworthy second in command play their parts with no tongue in cheek, making them even more fun.

PRINCE CASPIAN, the second of the Narnia films, is far more serious and action-packed than the first installment. The Pivensey children are still charming in their clipped, no-nonsense English way, but the choice for Prince Caspian is a toss-up. He is fine for the teen girls, but in the novel he is 13. Here he is at least 20, so he seems out of sync with the kids on screen, especially when he attempts his serious lines with any emotion. One moment reminds us why the first episode was more fun: the return of the Ice Queen, played again by Oscar winner Tilda Swinton. Sheathed in icy white make-up and encased in a sculptured ice tomb, Swinton provides the movie with its most delicious moment. We almost hope the Prince will take her offer. Instead we have to sit through endless battles (at least they are bloodless) before order is restored to Narnia.

INDIANA JONES AND THE SEARCH FOR THE CRYSTAL SKULL comes 19 years after the third installment of the popular series. Some critics have carped over its lack of inventiveness, but I found it thoroughly entertaining. Why? Because Spielberg has brought two wonderful women to the show, and they practically steal it. Karen Allen, whose spunky, hard-drinking
Marion in the original RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, again provides a romantic foil for Jones, while taking much of the heroics. As the villainous Communist leader, Kate Blanchett, sporting a severe black page boy wig, opts for the kind of villain seen in 1930's serials like FLASH GORDON, all steel and party line. The action includes a fencing match between Blanchett and Jones' sidekick Shia LeBouef astride two speeding jeeps in the jungle and a motorcycle chase through the Yale campus. The ending may be a bit hokey, but with our interest in THE X-FILES (spoiler alert) it works, as does most of the film.