Very simple question tonight. Here's a list of the movies opening wide this week. Which do you want to see and why? Try to make a case for them - why or why not - and note the one (if there is one) that you'll rush out to see.
For such a busy weekend, there really only appears to be one film opening I'm looking forward to seeing, but I'll post that over the jump in the comments section after I hear from some other contributors.
Start the debate.
11 comments:
There is quite a bit to choose from. Most of them I want to see, while only one is a must see for me. A friend of mine saw the last Mimzy sneak, and said it was the best childrens films perhaps ever. However, I tend not to agree with the guy all that often,..After all he doesn't like Eternal Sunshine or Chewbacca. I think Shooter could be your typical false fugitive flick, but Wahlberg has grown on me recently. I love Terrence Howard (i think he deserved the oscar for H&F) and believe Bernie Mac could be a great supporting player, but Pride doesn't really seem to stand out amongst all the other true-story-inspirational-coaches-
helping-black-kids-be-all-they-can- be-flicks we get every year. Hills have Eyes was one of the better horror remakes, but a sequel doesn't really strike my interest a whole lot, though it had a great teaser trailer I thought. Reign over Me looks like Sandler could deliver another great dramatic performance, and I always love Cheadle, but I dont really care for Mike Binder's films. All of these films I do want to see, and will eventually see, hopefully most at the theatre, but the only one I must see on the big screen is the Turtles. This is simply a fact of nostalgia. I grew up on the Turtles more than any cartoon. I had so many action figures. I had the pjs and bed spread. Plus I think the first movie is actually pretty good, considering the concept. Turtles have a special place in my heart for the rest of my life. I recently purchased the first three seasons of the classic cartoon, and I opened up my love for them all over again. I will be there opening night with expectations to simply cater to the naive child who longed for the days when he would find his own vial of mutagen, befriend some reptiles and take on the Shreddar in a apocalytic battle in Dimension X.
Man....this is a tough one. I agree with chachi that while Howard, who is by far one of the more talented and interesting actors currently working, is sure to be fantastic in Pride...swimming just doesn't scream "exciting film" to me. I'm sure it will be an above-average sports/inspirational flick, if only for its acting....but I think I can wait for it if I must.
Same goes for Shooter I guess. I loves me some Marky Mark goodness, but I feel like I've seen this film before. But, it does have the aforementioned non-retarded Wahlberg brother, Danny Glover, and Mr. Antoine Fuqua directing...so it has it's ups.
Reign Over Me...sigh...I like Sandler...I really do, but I still have a hard time buying him as a dramatic actor. I think it's just my inability to see past Billy Madison. And apparently Don Cheadle had a huge problem with the fact that Sandler's character's family was killed in 9/11. So...maybe that aspect was simply for marketing reasons...to draw people, which would bother me greatly. I'll see it, but, as of now, I'm a bit sketchy.
I love the original Hills Have Eyes, and thought Alexander Aja's remake was fantastic. His style is incredible, and I can't wait for his next film. Hills Have Eyes 2 is thankfully not it. I'm intrigued, due mostly to the teaser trailer, but this is definitely not my most anticipated.
And so 2 stand alone....but alas, there can be only one. Turtles...such a part of my life. I had every action figure. I had a tent, sheets, costumes, weapons, all the movies (even the f.h.e. produced animated ones). But, I am wary of this. The animation looks good...but the CGI is such a gimmick to pull the younger audience in. I would have preferred live-action, or the old-school cartoon style hand-drawn animation. I'm simply afraid that it can never live up to my expectations based solely on nostalgia.
So, The Last Mimzy wins. Here's why: Dwight Shrute...I mean, Rainn Wilson. Even before his worship-inducing turn as Dwight, I've always enjoyed Rainn in his film work, dating all the way back to his small role in the awesome Galaxy Quest. Aside from that, this has Timothy Hutton and Michael Clarke Duncan. It just looks like geeky fun, the reviews are mixed at the moment, but I'm looking forward to it.
In the end....it might be a tie between Turtles and Mimzy. But Turtles will lit me down so much more if it sucks ass, or even if it is simply just good. So...my vote is for The Last Mimzy.
The Last Mimzy was amazing, I'd go so far to say unbelievable. I've never seen a performance so sincere and candid from children before, it's as if the camera was never in the room and they had somehow tricked these kids into believe that they were really saving the future. Also, the effects (and I LOVE my effects) were astounding. We've all seen the behind the scenes green screen jumbalaya where the actors are following reference points around on a stick trying their darndest to act like they're really interacting with something and sometimes it just doesn't fit. Everytime we saw that footage however, it was adults that weren't getting it right and here we have CHILDREN who are more innocent than Haley Joel in A.I. and one of 'em is younger than Abigail in Little Miss and they're nailing it! I'm not the BIGGEST Raine Wilson fan (and I know that's gonna get me a harpoon in the throat) and I still wasn't impressed by him in this movie but his character was certainly likeable even if at times he didn't seem to fit the rest of the movie. The only thing that erk'd me when I saw it and is something I still can't completely come to terms with is how quickly the movie dates itself right off the bat. In the end there is a reason for it all but I'm sure it could've been done another way instead of showcasing PSP's and cell phones with text messages. I hope everyone really enjoys it. Anyway, movies that are coming out....umm, Turtles absolutely. I recently read that it was a direect sequel to the second and that the writer is completely forgetting the fact that the third even exists. Smooth move on his part. I'm a grit and guts fan so I'll definately want to see Hills Have Eyes 2. How can you argue with a teaser like that? Reign Over Me especially because they convinced me in a two minute trailer that Adam Sandler has more depth than anyone could've imagined. Pride, sure. I can't get too psyched for a swimming movie. And Shooter is....a Van Damme movie without all the Van. Damn.
Welcome Myth...just one quick comment...and I promise not to harpoon you in the neck...although I assure you...it will happen one day. Oh...it will.
Anywho. Rainn Wilson. Now, his filmography is nothing to be super proud of. House of 1000 Corpses, Sahara! The porr guy. I was simply stating that I've always enjoyed him in those crap-tastic fares. He brings a fun dorky quirkiness to his roles, and this film feels like a perfect place for his particular talent. You've seen it, so I take your word for now. Hopefully, I'll see it either tomorrow or saturday....and then the harpooning...oh yes.
Okay, now that everyone else has chimed in I guess it's my turn, since I went ahead and posted the topic. Really, the only film that jumps out at me is Reign Over Me as something that I have to see, and something I probably will see this weekend. Maybe I'm just a big drama fan. Maybe it's Adam Sandler's uncanny Bob Dylan-look?
Whatever it is, it sure as hell isn't Mike Binder, whose only tolerable film to date was The Upside of Anger (and that film was made by the performances of Kevin Costner and Joan Allen). I even recently sat through his straight-to-DVD catastrophe Man About Town. Not that movie is riotously terrible. Just about the worst thing a bunch of bad actors can do and still try to take seriously. Just awful. So the only reason I look forward to Reign has to be its two leads and some positive advanced feedback.
Meanwhile, The Last Mimzy is horribly named and I really know nothing about it. If it gathers some positive reviews that might spark an interest, but for now Rainn Wilson is not a big enough draw to get me to see, well, anything. Sure, "The Office" is great and everything, but...
Ditto Pride, although Terrence Howard is a bigger draw than Wilson, the movie seems like it's not really attracting any notice at all. I haven't even seen a single preview for it. It's a definite, 100% wait-for-DVD movie.
Hills Have Eyes 2 probably isn't even that. Horror films and horror porn routinely bore the hell out of me anyway, so a sequel to a remake in the genre is more likely to entice me to run from the theater instead of to it.
The last two are much more interesting and likely to be definite DVD rentals. Shooter looks like you're typical assassin-on-the-run picture (is it just me or is this the exact plotline to that crappy movie Most Wanted starring one of the Wayans about a decade ago?).
But I've got to admit I've recently started to give it up for Mark Wahlberg... an actor I really dispised for a long time. I had even avoided PTA's masterpiece Boogie Nights for a few years because of him. But after five solid performances (Three Kings, The Departed, I Heart Huckabee's, Boogie Nights and, yes, even Four Brothers) I think I've almost got to give him the benefit of the doubt at this point. Of course, some of his most boring performances are his leading ones in The Italian Job and Invincible, so I'm still hesitant.
And finally, we have TMNT; which, as a kid would have appealed to me enormously, but as an adult... eh, not as much. Honestly, this is really the year of my childhood nostalgia brought to life with Ghost Rider (the only comic I read as a kid), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers and even Get Smart (my Nick-at-Nite show addiction). If they had somehow released a "Saved by the Bell" movie, it may have started to freak me out. So, even though I think I've outgrown most of them, I think I owe it to my younger self to at least check them all out on DVD.
Just saw shooter. Was nit impressed. The acting was ok, the shots were prett good. Antonie Fuqua knows how to get a shot, but the story is so cliche. Ive seen this movie a hundred times. It brings absolutely nothing to the table. Tortured ex military who lost his partner, feels it was his fault, falsely accused and on the run to bring down those that put him in this position, rebel cop who believes the fugitive isn't the shooter and tries to unravel the conspiracy. Another big problem I had was they roped Wahlberg character into the movie in order for him to tell them where a sniper would be at a presidential outdoor speaking. If the Secret Service had knowledge that a assasination would take place, they would have canceled that thing so quick, yet you must take that leap with the movie. There is no tension to his firing, you know he will take out the target. The two big set pieces blow up Michael Bay style, and the climax looked just like other event that had already happened half way through the movie. I always hated it when someone gets a explosive ready and walks away from it, as the explosive detonate, we see the detonator walking slowly away from the bomb, with the fiery aftermath in the background. I know that I would be ducking from that explosion cuz god knows what might hit, yet they are confident they won;t get hit and it makes for a cool image. Perhaps I just wanted a bit more realism with it. A friend of mine had a great time and thought it was a blast (pun intended), but in the end I just wasn't entertained but for a few good humorous lines and a couple decent head shots. To takea quote from a Nancy Drew mystery, "A couple of head shots does not a movie make."
Well, my pick for the weekend did turn out to be Reign Over Me and I can't say I'm disappointed with the choice - although the more I reflect on the film, the more the weaknesses seem to glare out at me. Overall this is a solid film, sometimes even better than that and it has some of the better performances you'll see in a March release.
Don Cheadle is typically great. Low key and understated to allow for the full effect of Sandler's character to come through. Without his performance, I feel like a lot of what Mike Binder and Adam Sandler were trying to accomplish wouldn't have worked nearly as well as it does. And Sandler himself once again proves there is life for him after the Click's of the world dry up (if they ever mercifully do). Again, his character is not altogether that much different than he's been doing in everything from Happy Gilmore to Punch-Drunk Love: he's relatively emotionless for much of the movie and is prone to outrageous bursts of anger. But in Reign Over Me it feels like an entirely different character than before... in the same way Paul Thomas Anderson got a wholly new performance from the same tics in Punch-Drunk.
Alright, I'll just say it. Adam Sandler is terrific. He's a more-than-welcome addition to a drama at this point. Even Spanglish had its charms in my mind (unfortunately Tea Leoni was not one of them). I'd go so far as to say Sander's performances in Reign and Punch-Drunk rival most any two performances from dramatic actors. There are scenes and notes that Sandler hits in a certain way that make you feel like no one else could have done the role justice more-so than he does.
The way the film is shot, in a very independent and hand held method, only adds to the atmosphere and realism of these characters as well. The shots of Sandler on the scooter - something I was incredibly worried they would overplay to the point they became cheesy - actually became my favorite parts of the film. They're honest and, in a trait somehow linked with Sander, sorta sweet.
Unfortunately, the ending does take away from it a bit and there are characters and circumstances where you wish Binder had been more generous with the backspace key, but, all-in-all, it's a good film and definitely something I'm glad I saw... if only to see Adam Sandler, as amazing as that sounds.
Still need to see Reign over Me. Will see it probably by Friday, but I did get to catch my most eagerly anticipated movie of the week,..TMNT. And I was not disappointed. It retained the spirit of the original cartoons and movies without straying into corny or campy. It takes itself seriously, which I think was the right step. I'm glad they didn't devolve into parody. Its story is kind of stupid, but at the same time, it is unconventional somewhat,..at least as to what the "villain" is doing and what will its consequences be. Also I is gorgeous. I cant believe how smooth the animation was and how detailed it could be. Plus the dialogue could be really funny sometimes. Michelangelo is so damn funny. Plus Splinter gets to kick some ass. Dream come true. I do miss the Shreddar and kinda wish they just restarted the franchise with its origin story and him, but whatever. You guys could probably easily wait for it on DVD and I couldn't really argue, but as a big fan boy, I was thrilled to see them once again. And I will probably get a sequel since it was number one for the weekend. Now when is my animated Golden Girls movie going to come out. Each moviegoer gets an authentic Rue McClanahan brassiere cast in solid gold.
I would kill for a golden Rue McClanahan bra...Kill I tell you. For the most part, I agree with chachi's assessment of Turtles (I refuse to call it TMNT...its stupid and I will not be stupid by proxy for saying it). I think something was missing though...can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe a rewatch will help. Anywho...that aside, it was damn good to see a childhood favorite like that come back from the dead. And with the talks of a possible Ghostbusters 3...and the sure to be craptastic, but gleefully explosive Michael Bay version of the almighty Transformers coming out this summer....I feel like I'm 8 again.
On a side note....I just walked out of Hills Have Eyes 2...dear god...just awful. Acting-bad. Gore-bad. Mutants-not teenaged, ninjas, or turtles...so what's the damn point. Direction-man, if you saw the first remake, then you'll miss Aja's mad-crazy skills. There was no tension. No plot. Mo character development. No Ted Levine. So I left....might try it again...but today it just was not working for me.
Caught both reign over Me and Mimzy last night. Reign over Me had one dynamite scene that I got misty over. Sandler was really terrific most of the time although sometimes his Sandlerisms creep up. Cheadle while good, his character kinda sucks. His whole wife trouble plot I didnt care for. This one guy lost his whole family, so why should I care this guy can't communicate with his wife. There is a lot I had problmes with mostly due to Binders writing and plot structure, but I would still recommend it for some fairly good moments. Hated the fact that it felt like it had 10 endings. Shouldve ended at least 30 minutes earlier. The whole film felt like Binder kept padding it to give it more story like he was unsure of what he could do with it.
Mimzy I could not stand. Im sorry Dexter, but it was a terrible childrens movie. I can;t imagine kids liking it. It was so trippy and I couldn;t understand what the hell was going on. The alien gizmos are simply to show cool effects and to cause destruction. Why do they have said effect? Doesn't matter. Why do parents not see the power of the "toys", because they aren't innocent. All of it doesn't amount to squat. Didn't like the kids. Didn't like the military. Didn't like Rainn Wilson either. They movie was devoid of fun and excitement, so why should any kid like it. I give it credit for a least being original, but that originality doesn't add up to anything. Bad movie. And Boring to boot.
Caught Pride. This movie juggles so many obstacles for the characters
to overcome. Here are a few:
-The coach with a bad rap sheet
-The kids with a bad rap sheet
-The rec center is going to close
-Guardian thinks swimming is stupid, school is all there is
-evil gansta
-evil city hall
-evil competitors
-rebel kid who needs a leason
-stuttering kid
-kid who cant read
-bitter rec center owner
-and of course, racism
When all is said and done, I did enjoy myself I guess. But I think that mostly falls to the fact that the leads and the kids feel authentic, but a lot of the movie does feel fake. Im a sucker for a feel good movie, but even this one was getting real tired of draining from the same "well" that all these other sentimental sport flicks. Definately a rental, but I do like Howard alot.
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