They're he-ere

Wolverine arrives in theaters tomorrow – 4099 theaters – and the summer blockbuster season officially begins. The first weekend in May has been good to comic book superheroes, with Spiderman, Iron Man, and the X-Men all bringing in big crowds; the Wolverine people will be hoping for at least that kind of success, if only because if they don’t hit it big everyone will compare their box office to Spiderman, Iron Man, and the X-Men. Unfortunately, the outlook is a little bit bleak: early reviews of the picture are mixed, mostly complaining that the film doesn’t have much to say, just a bunch of slam bam nonsense. But c’mon, this is a comic book movie. What’s it supposed to say? And anyway, Hugh Jackman stars and he’s been working out. So I figure, grab some popcorn, get a nice stadium seat, and spend a couple hours in the dark, forgetting about the economy and torture and pandemics and that big fight Brad and Angie keep having. If you aren’t into special effects but you still want to see a mindless, mediocre movie, Ghosts of Girlfriends past also opens on Friday, with Matthew McConaughey playing an irascible playboy who learns his lesson when three ghosts visit him. Yup, somebody stole that plotline again, and it’s not even December. This one is a romantic comedy and McConaughey is usually fun to watch; Jennifer Garner also stars and from a distance, anyway, seems miscast. Playing in many theaters. If you are looking for something a little more adult, The Soloist and State of Play are holding steady at the multiplex; you could also look for Adventureland and Sunshine Cleaning, both very entertaining but in limited release. Next week: Star Trek.