The final 'Star Wars' epic seems to be the film to beat this year

In a recent interview with Wired magazine, "Star Wars" creator George Lucas equated movies with lions and mice: "There's just an ecology there. If you're a mouse, don't expect to kill a lion, because it ain't gonna happen.

"If you want to have that kind of power, it's better to be a lion, because the mice are fine — you can have a life and everything — but the lions are the ones out there prowling and scaring . . . everybody."

Using that analogy, the third and final installment in Lucas' "Star Wars" prequels, "Revenge of the Sith," is unquestionably a lion.

In fact, it's probably going to be king of the summer movie jungle.

But there are also plenty of other lions among the summer movies this year, including one by Lucas' pal Steven Spielberg — "War of the Worlds."

Summer Movie Season 2005 officially kicks off today with another lion, "Kingdom of Heaven," a Crusades-era adventure from "Gladiator" director Ridley Scott that stars Orlando Bloom.

ANIMATED FEATURES. "Madagascar" features the voices of Ben Stiller and Chris Rock, while "Howl's Moving Castle" is from Academy Award-winner Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away").

REMAKES. Adam Sandler stars in "The Longest Yard," Johnny Depp is Willy Wonka in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," Steve Martin steps into Peter Sellers' shoes with "The Pink Panther," and Billy Bob Thornton takes the Walter Matthau role in "The Bad News Bears." And, of course, professional mannequin Paris Hilton makes her 10th movie appearance in "House of Wax."

SEQUELS. In addition to Rob Schneider's unanticipated "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo," Lindsay Lohan stars in a belated "Love Bug" follow-up, "Herbie: Fully Loaded," and horror legend George Romero dispatches a mostly no-name cast in his latest "Night of the Living Dead" zombie sequel, "Land of the Dead."

SUPERHERO ACTION. "Batman Begins" has Christian Bale under the cape and cowl, while Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans and Jessica Alba are hoping to be a real "Fantastic Four." (Or should these be under remakes?)

TV FAVORITES. Headed to the big screen are "Bewitched" (starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell), "The Dukes of Hazzard" (Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott and Jessica Simpson) and an urbanized "The Honeymooners" (with Cedric the Entertainer in the Jackie Gleason role of New York bus driver Ralph Kramden).

Coming this summer to a theater near you

E-mail: jeff@desnews.com