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In The Hoop
WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2002

Welcome to In The Hoop, Indianz.Com's occasional column about assorted Indian issues.

Summer Movie Madness
In the past, the summer movie season didn't kick off until Memorial Day Weekend. Thanks to the midnight release of "Star Wars Episode II: The Attack of the Clones," you can pretend it's here now.

Officially known as a "prequel," this movie is the latest installment of the George Lucas' super-series which inspired millions of women to put up their hair in braids just like they do in Hopi Country. And lots of men (read: boys) to play with their light sabers.

But is it all worth it? Not according to some of those people who get paid to watch movies (aka critics). "Memo to George Lucas: Hire an editor, bud," writes Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post.

"After sitting through "Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones," I'm tempted to quote an evergreen Public Enemy song: don't believe the hype," says A.O. Scott of The New York Times.

Some of the reviewers, however, think the film is all that and more. Michael Wilmington of The Chicago Tribune says its the best installment ever. "The fifth movie in [this] long-running series of grandiose, light-hearted space operas and the second in chronological order is the most visually spectacular and exciting of all 'Star Wars' movies to date."

It's not like any of this matters. Plenty of fans -- including some of your co-workers who suffer from what the media is calling Darth Virus (not to be confused with the Hanta Virus) -- are lining up at theaters across the nation in order to catch the flick at a late-night screening.

(Some have been waiting since early April but we won't talk about them.)

But for those aren't caught up in the madness, there's always "Windtalkers," another blockbuster hopeful. Starring Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Christian Slater and first-timer Roger Willie, the Navajo Code Talker-inspired movie finally opens in theaters June 14.

And if you love Indians in cartoons (who doesn't?), you can catch "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" when it gallops on the silver screen May 24. It's about a horse who develops a friendship with a "young Lakota brave."

What do the reviewers think? Greg over at Upcomingmovies.com hasn't seen it but he thinks the movie "sounds like it could fantastic."

Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News hasn't seen it either but says "from the sound of it this seems to be a pretty damn fine animated film."

We haven't seen it either but we think the idea of a horse getting top billing over Native Americans is, well, typically for Hollywood.

At least DreamWorks hired an Indian to play the "brave." Daniel Studi, son of Wes, plays "Little Creek."

In Your Hoop
What movie are you planning to see this summer? Email In the Hoop and let us know.

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