“Iron Man,” “Harry Potter” Swoop Into Movies in the Park

By MICHAEL AUSHENKER | Pali Life Editor

Rev up those Repulsor Rays! Fire up that Elder Wand!

Marvel Comics superhero The Invincible Iron Man and the boy wizard/former Muggle known as Harry Potter are among the colorful characters descending on Pacific Palisades for the 12th annual Movies in the Park Saturdays this month at 8 p.m.

Founded August 1, 2003 and organized by the Chamber of Commerce, the non-profit Movies in the Park returns to the Palisades Recreation Center, 851 Alma Real Drive. Admission, as always, is free.

This Saturday, the oldest feature in the program screens: “One Hundred and One Dalmatians”(rated G),” Walt Disney’s 17th animated feature film, which was first released in 1961 (a few years before Disney’s passing) and follows the exploits of a gaggle of spotted canines on the run from the nefarious Cruella De Vil.

On August 15, enter “Iron Man” (PG-13), the original Jon Favreau-directed superhero epic that rebooted the career of Palisadian homeowner Robert Downey, Jr. and super-sized the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The 2008 Paramount picture made a whopping $586-million worldwide spawned two hit sequels and propelled billionaire Tony Stark and his metallic alter ego into two (and counting) “Avengers” movies.
“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (PG), second in the uber-successful movie franchise based on J.K. Rowlings’ series of young adult novels about a boy wizard’s odyssey, flies in on a Quidditch broom on August 22. Ultimately, this sequel (the last helmed by original “Harry Potter” director Chris Columbus) became the seventh-highest-grossing installment in the eight-film “Harry Potter” series.

Come August 31, it’s the heart-warming 2010 computer animated feature “Toy Story 3” (PG), which ushered the return of Woody (voiced by Palisadian Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Potato Head and the gang. Nominated for five Academy Awards, the Pixar threequel snagged Oscar gold for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song and amassed more than $1 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing animated film of all-time behind only Disney’s “Frozen.”

Movies in the Park officially launched its 12th season last weekend with Michael Bay’s “Armageddon,” the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced extravaganza starring Palisadian Ben Affleck and former Palisadian Billy Bob Thornton.