All in all, this looks like a pretty quiet weekend; think of it as the calm before the Iron Man 2 storm hits in 2 weeks. Although there’s some variety (we have a romantic comedy, a comic-book flick, and another entry into Disney’s new nature series), I’d use this weekend to catch up on some standbys, especially How to Train Your Dragon if you haven’t caught that yet (and I swear that review is coming soon—it’s my favorite film this year, and I can’t wait to talk about it!). Of the new releases, one looks solid (can you really go wrong with beautiful nature footage on the big screen?), one looks really entertaining, and one just looks plain dreadful. Let’s look at them in more detail… [breakdown of new releases after the jump]
1. “The Losers”Story: Based on the popular graphic novel, this follows the title team of charismatic mercenaries (featuring Watchmen and Grey’s Anatomy’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Rock 'n' Rolla and The Wire’s Idris Elba, and the future Captain America, Chris Evans) as they join forces with a shady, badass femme fatale (Avatar’s Zoe Saldana) in an attempt to uncover the identity of the man that betrayed them.
The Good: Honestly, it looks like a lot of fun. This film is part of a surprising pattern of macho-specialized-teams films coming out in the next few months, including the update of The A-Team and Stallone’s 80’s nostalgia-fest, The Expendables. Of the three, I liked the trailer for The Losers the best, probably because it showed the best sense of humor amidst all the over-the-top stunts. I also like that it features no stars, but just a bunch of talented, very likable up-and-comers – Jeffrey Dean Morgan seems poised to headline many blockbusters in the future, if his turn as the Comedian in Watchmen proved anything, and I’m also psyched that Zoe Saldana, as brilliant as she was as Neytiri in Avatar, gets to have some actual face time in another big-budget flick. Best of all, word is that Chris Evans (who’s been all over the movie news lately, due to his landing the title role in some star-spangled, blue-tight big superhero movie) effortlessly steals the film, continuing his run of being the highlight in pretty much everything he makes.
I love pure entertainment movies like this, and if it shows more brains than the recent Clash of the Titans, I think we’ll be in for a good time.
The Bad: The reviews don’t inspire too much confidence, and even the people that liked it mention that the story holds barely any substance (as could be expected). It might also be hurt by opening so closely after the buzzy comic-book-based Kick-Ass and right before the blitz of Iron Man 2, one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Unfortunately, I don’t see this becoming a hit, for it doesn’t look like strong enough material to catch much fire right now.
Reviews: Mixed, with some loving it (like my fellow action-adventure nerd, Roger Ebert) and some just dismissing it as frivolous entertainment. Oh, and check out my friend’s great early review, which highlights the good and bad elements of the film in whole.
Overall: I think I’m seeing this sometime later this weekend. It does look enjoyable, but I'll admit that it also lacks the “must-see” factor that Kick-Ass and Iron Man 2 displayed. Still, of the movies out this weekend (at least the fictional ones) or just for some (most likely) good kicks on a lazy Friday or Saturday night, I’d go for this one.
2. “Oceans”Story: Is there really one? The second entry in Disney’s new Disneynature brand looks to follow comfortably in last year’s Earth’s footsteps, here exploring the fascinating worlds and creatures of our seas and oceans.
The Good: I’m not sure if this will be repackaged Planet Earth material (a breathtaking, landmark series if there ever was one, which I’m very close to finishing on DVD!) like Disney’s Earth was last year, but, either way, this should be gorgeous on the big screen. In honor of the just-passed Earth’s Day, you really can’t go wrong with this one.
The Bad: Can’t really think of anything, with the small exception that some people might feel cheated if Disney has indeed recycled Planet Earth footage again. Nonetheless, I can't see much disappointment arising from a film of this kind, so I’d just sit back and enjoy what should be some astounding, remarkably-captured images.
Reviews: Excellent, as expected.
Overall: I wish I was a bit more of an animal enthusiast (and therefore could say that I’d rush out to see this right away), but, even if I don’t catch this in theaters, I still think it’s worthwhile to watch someday. Earth got a very positive reception last year, so, in that vein, this should uphold that tradition, and nicely educate and entertain all possible audiences.
3. “The Back-Up Plan”Story: Jennifer Lopez stars as a fashionable, single gal who meets the man of her dreams…unfortunately, that same day, she undergoes artificial insemination and winds up pregnant! Most likely, some hijinks and wackiness ensue.
The Good: Well, it’s slim pickings for this one. Jennifer Lopez looks great, and it’s certainly nice to see her back on the big screen (am I wrong, or this her first starring vehicle in a while?). She’s also a legitimately good actress (as Selena and Out of Sight proved), so, on that level, it’s pretty disappointing to see her reduced to making Kate Hudson-esque romantic comedies like Maid in Manhattan, Monster-in-Law, and now this one. I also want to spotlight her co-star, the undeniably uber-handsome Alex O’Loughlin. I worked at CBS the year his vampire series Moonlight premiered, and everyone was excited about him, convinced he’d be a big star. It was for good reason – the guy has talent to spare (and isn’t it cool that the CBS big brass have so much confidence in him that, even after Moonlight and this year’s Three Rivers fizzled in the ratings, they’re giving him one more shot with the sure-to-hit remake of Hawaii Five-O…co-starring Jin from Lost?!). I like him, but even he deserves something that looks better than this.
The Bad: All of it sounds like some rejected sitcom. I hate when people falling, hitting stuff, spilling food on each other, etc substitutes for actual good writing and wit, and this film looks to revel in that. The premise maybe could have been cute and worth some laughs, but the trailer – and the near-universal terrible reviews, as seen below – suggest it’s not worth our time in the slightest.
Reviews: Very weak, though a few critics suggest that it’s no better or worse than an average Hollywood rom-com, which, admittedly (and only semi-embarassingly) I’ve ended up watching on more than one occasion.
Overall: It might not be terrible, or simply be a decent “turn off your brain” kind of rom-com choice, but I think you’ll be better off just renting a romantic comedy (or just catching one on TNT or something) if you’re in the mood for something like that.
And that’s it for the new releases. What do you guys think? Thinking of catching any of these this weekend, or will you check out some standbys instead?
I’m leaning towards The Losers and Oceans, with the latter sounding like the clear better of the two.
See you in a bit for some new trailers and my How to Train Your Dragon review!
Clips courtesy of Trailer Addict.
Thanks for linking to my review!
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