The summer blockbusters feature either world-saving superheroes or bumbling funnymen, so Time Out Chicago’s Christina Couch and Ben Kenigsberg canvassed opinion from the ‘experts’ – clowns and comic-book geeks

The Dark Knight
Opens 17 July
Advance buzz has understandably focused on the late Heath Ledger’s Joker – eerily based, in part, on Malcolm McDowell’s performance in A Clockwork Orange – and from the trailer, it looks like Ledger’s final role will be a memorable one. But it will also be interesting to see how director Christopher Nolan expands the Batman franchise. If Tim Burton’s dark, angular Gotham City aimed for the modern equivalent of German Expressionism, Nolan’s brighter Batman Begins (2005) brought Batman a step closer to the real world. Christian Bale dons the cape again, but Maggie Gyllenhaal steps into the Katie Holmes role as Rachel Dawes, which is like Laura Linney filling in for Paris Hilton.

GEEK SPEAK: Caitlin McKay, sales associate at Chicago Comics
Working in the comicbook industry for the past eight years, McKay has amassed an impressive collection of Batman paraphernalia. Between the 500-plus Caped Crusader comic books on her shelves, plus figurines, McKay estimates the market value of her collection hovers between US$5,000 (S$6,800) and $10,000 (S$13,600).
Reasons to be hopeful ‘I think I’m going to like the Heath Ledger Joker better [than Jack Nicholson]. They’re basing his costume on late-’70s punk and goth.’
Possible pitfalls ‘I’m a little worried that they’re not going to hit the Joker on the mark. The Joker is a coldblooded killer, and I’m hoping that they get his bloodthirstiness down.’
Fascinating Batman fact? ‘Batman doesn’t have personal relationships. He has the “Batman family”, which is Nightwing, Robin, Alfred and Oracle, but he keeps those people at arm’s length.’

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan
In cinemas now
Israel makes military service compulsory for its citizens, but this Adam Sandler vehicle – which appears to be a sincere-yet-funny plea for peace – is predicated on the notion that some Israelis want nothing more than to settle down and enact a real-life version of Shampoo (1975). Sandler plays Zohan, a highly trained Mossad operative who ditches Israel to work as a flamboyant Manhattan hairdresser. Under-rated as an actor, Sandler here appears in his grating, manic-accented mode. But he wrote the script with Judd Apatow and Saturday Night Live animator Robert Smigel, so who knows?

CLOWN CONCLUSION: Zimmy the clown (aka David Ziemba), Glenn David Productions (glenndavidproductions.com)
A self-described ‘clown since birth’, the 28-year-old Ziemba not only does clown performance art, he lives it, too. Residing in the Orphanage, an alternative artist collective, Ziemba keeps his act fresh by living with creatives.
Reasons to be hopeful ‘It looks like it’s pretty funny. I’m also inspired by his clothing. I have a T-shirt that says MR FABULOUS and he seems to be fabulous as well. We have a lot in common with our fabulousness.’
Possible pitfalls ‘I didn’t really like the weird scene where [Sandler] kicks this guy in the face while standing straight up. It was just too fake.’
Adam Sandler’s clown name? ‘Sandy Adams’

Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Opens 10 July
Guillermo del Toro could have made almost any movie after Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), but he chose to go back to what he knows, a sequel to his 2004 cult hit, Hellboy, whose following probably stems as much from Mike Mignola’s comic as it does from the original movie. Ron Perlman is once again the devil’s spawn with a big fist who fights assorted demons and creepy-crawlies – in this case, creatures led by a supernaturally empowered psychopath who invades Earth with plans to eradicate humanity. Under the auspices of Universal rather than Sony Pictures, the special effects seem to have been given an upgrade; early stills are as visually splendid as Labyrinth.

GEEK SPEAK: Matt Streets, manager of Graham Crackers Comics
Some people study art. Others study medicine. Streets studies Hellboy with the zeal of a PhD candidate. A devotee of the horned hero for six years, Streets owns (and has read) every Hellboy storyline available in print, not to mention a T-shirt, lighter and a smattering of action figures.
Reasons to be hopeful ‘The first movie was pretty true to the spirit of the comics, and if they keep that, this one will be great. Hellboy II looks like it has the same feel but with more action.’
Possible pitfalls ‘When they do a sequel to movies, they sometimes try to over-reach themselves, put in more special effects and lose focus on what made the movie a success in the first place.’
Fascinating Hellboy fact? ‘Hellboy works for BPRD, which stands for Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. It’s almost like an X-Files department of the government.’

The Incredible Hulk
In cinemas now
Critics and moviegoers agreed that Ang Lee’s 2003 version – starring Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly – was not so incredible, so instead of a sequel we’re getting a complete makeover. Having already perfected the dual-personality routine in Fight Club, Edward Norton stars as both Bruce Banner and his jolly-green-giant alter ego. This time around, Hulk romps through Canadian locations and tussles with mutated soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) and the gruff General Ross (William Hurt). Liv Tyler plays love interest Betty Ross; the director is the relatively unvetted Louis Leterrier (The Transporter, Transporter 2).

GEEK SPEAK: Sean Funston, co-owner of comic-book shop Vigilante Press
How much does Funston dig the guy in green? Here’s how much: more than 300 Hulk comic books in his personal collection, several toys and numerous appearances on Hulk-themed discussion panels at comic-book conventions. Funston has carried his 20-year obsession with the angry antihero into his shop, which stocks four Hulk titles.
Reasons to be hopeful ‘They were all over the place with the first [Hulk film], whereas this one looks more focused on the actual character. People will be able to relate a little bit more to Bruce Banner.’ Possible pitfalls ‘My biggest complaint is the bad guy [played by Roth]. They completely changed the way he looks and his origin.’
Fascinating Hulk fact? ‘In the comic-book series, some Marvel heroes like Iron Man and Professor Xavier shot the Hulk into space, where he made friends with this hostile alien colony and impregnated their queen.’

Get Smart
In cinemas now
Mel Brooks has already recycled The Producers, Young Frankenstein and – in the form of an animated TV series – Spaceballs, but he receives only a ‘Characters by…’ credit for this update of his beloved TV series. As the bumbling Maxwell Smart, Steve Carell makes a terrific substitute for Don Adams, and his Oscar banter with Anne Hathaway suggests she’ll be a fine Agent 99. In descending numerical order, other cast members include Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as Agent 23 and Bill Murray as Agent 13; Ken Davitian (Azamat in Borat) co-stars as Shtarker. The movie could be either hilarious or dire, but director Peter Segal demonstrated a flair for slapstick in The Naked Gun 33 1/3.

CLOWN CONCLUSION: Alawada the clown (aka Sean L Gardiner), Let the World Know (letthe-world-know. com)
Gardiner manages the motley crew of DJs, magicians and gorilla-clad telegram-deliverers of Let the World Know party rentals. On weekends he transforms into Alawada – Nigerian for ‘funny and amusing’– the dancing, face-painting, balloon-sculpting, shades-wearing clown.
Reasons to be hopeful ‘I like Steve Carell and I don’t remember who plays 99, but she was pretty cute.’ Possible pitfalls ‘I honestly can’t say that it moved me enough to call it a must-see. There was just nothing in that trailer that jumped out at me. Get Smart is a comedy [but] nothing made me laugh.’
Steve Carell clown name? ‘Goofy the Clown’