Trailer Time (Toys and Ogres)

- Posted by Rusty

These two trailers seemed appropriate to group together: both are for highly-anticipated family-franchise sequels, and both are hitting this summer to what will surely be blockbuster success. So, how do they fare? Read on to find out… [trailers and thoughts after the jump]

“Toy Story 3”

Trailer Rating: 4 ½ bites [out of 5]

Ken: “Love your legwarmers.”
Barbie: “Nice…ascot.”

Ah, I love this trailer. Seriously, is there any way the Pixar geniuses could mess this up? It’s always risky to do a third film in a series, let alone one that boasts one of the very best sequels of all time. Toy Story 2 is that rare film—it not only holds up to the original, but it actually improves upon it with more mature themes, bigger laughs, and perhaps most importantly, an even greater dose of heart (who didn’t feel for Woody as he feared being abandoned and forgotten as Andy got older? Or Jessie, for that matter, who was completely tossed aside as her girl grew out of playing with dolls). But I have absolute faith in Pixar, the hit-making machine that just keeps getting better and better with each new film. Plus, this film is also buoyed by phenomenal word of mouth from an early screening at ShoWest (would we expect anything less?). All the pieces in this trailer suggest a worthy final chapter for Woody, Buzz, Rex, Slinkie, and all the rest (great to see Joan Cusack’s Jessie the Cowgirl come back too). Best of all, the central idea this time around – of Andy leaving for college, and possibly leaving all his toys behind – not only leads to fantastic comic potential with the pre-school “monsters” and the Great Escape-inspired journey back to Andy, but also a poignant exploration of how our attitudes change toward the things we adored as kids (come on, we all had that favorite toy, who, like the Brave Little Toaster, seemed to have a special meaning to us, a personality underneath that plastic coating). I could’ve lived without the “log” joke, but that’s just nitpicking – even that has a pretty funny payoff in the end of the trailer. Oh, and looks like Barbie and Ken (voiced by the always-great Michael Keaton) will steal the show! And the toy dinosaur flirting killed me too. And can’t forget Mr. Potato Head’s “manly” toy rival… Ugh, is it May 23 already? Here’s hoping this will top The Incredibles as my all-time favorite Pixar film!

“Shrek Forever After”

Trailer Rating: 2 ½ bites [out of 5]

Speaking of great sequels, I thought Shrek 2 was another case when a follow-up actually outshone the original; I might be in the minority, but I found the second Shrek adventure more moving, heartfelt, and, frankly, wittier and far sharper than its predecessor. The Hollywood-like city of Far, Far, Away (with two Starbucks-es!), the dim-witted Prince Charming, Donkey getting competition for his position of Annoying, Talking Animal, and, really, what could beat Shrek’s lovely character arc, where he cared for Fiona so much he was willing to sacrifice everything to make her happy? Oh, yeah, and it had Puss n’ Boots too! Antonio Banderas stole that entire film, and, if nothing else, I’m glad it exists just for Puss’s “innocent” eyes and his angry rants in Spanish.

But then the filmmakers had to make a third film. That, to me, felt like an unfinished draft of what could have been a good script. There were some solid ideas in there (Shrek’s growing fears about being a father, the idea of settling down and giving up all of his charmingly awful and grungy ogre ways), but it never came together in the final film. It felt rushed and, with the exception of a few fun sequences (more Puss-n-Boots, Camelot-as-high school, complete with a John Krasinski-voiced douchebag Lancelot), pretty useless. And I’m now a little worried that this fourth film won’t be much better. The “what if” scenario always felt like a last-resort screenwriting trick to me, and I can’t see much in this trailer to make it look like the right direction for this final Shrek outing. Striking a deal with the mischievous Rumpelstilskin, Shrek has to navigate an alternate universe where Donkey doesn’t know him, Fiona is hunted by peasants and is a member of an ogre resistance team (featuring Mad Men’s Jon Hamm as the chiseled ogre…and possible romantic rival?), and lots of other quirky changes. Maybe I’m maxed out on alternate timelines thanks to Lost, or there’s still a sour taste left over from Shrek the Third, but I didn’t find this trailer all that funny. Nor do I think there’s really much story left to tell, since Shrek seemed to finish his emotional journey (the angry loner transformed to kind, loving – but still proudly dirty! – family man) in the last film. Still, you never know, it could surprise me. And the fat Puss n’ Boots is pretty brilliant—that Garfield-ish pot belly should be good for some guaranteed laughs.

I know there’s a lot of money to be made from Shrek and his pals—it’s a giant franchise from Dreamworks, and I don’t really blame them for trying to milk it for more stories. It’s just a little disheartening to see it devolve from “must-see” to “maybe it’ll be pleasant and watchable”. I’ll see this anyway; although, at this point, I’ll come in with my expectation in check.

All in all, it looks like it will be Pixar for the win in terms of best summer sequel!

What do you guys think of the trailers?

Trailers courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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Sequel News: "Eastern Promises 2"!

- Posted by Rusty


Source: Deadline
(Found via JoBlo)

Fantastic. Ironically enough, I was just talking about the original Eastern Promises with a friend a few days ago, and we were both geeking out over the possibility of more stories with Viggo's Russian heavy, Nikolai. Well, if this news piece is correct, a sequel will go before cameras this winter with most of the creative team returning! [more thoughts after the jump]

If you haven't seen Eastern Promises yet, make sure you Netflix it or catch it on TV. I can't recommend it enough--it not only boasts Viggo Mortensen's (yay, Aragorn!) Oscar-nominated performance (the first of many, I'm sure), but it's an intelligent, moody, and highly watchable drama from the crazy/inventive mind of director David Cronenberg (who last teamed with Viggo on A History of Violence). I can't quite call it a thriller, as it was advertised, but it has all the intrigue and secrets and slow-build surprises you could expect from a film centered on the seedy side of the London underground. Naomi Watts is lovely (as always) in a supporting part, but it's Mortensen who owns the film as Nikolai, a mob "driver" harboring some secrets of his own. I might be a bit biased, since I watched Viggo defend Helm's Deep more times than I care to share, but it's a stunning, layered turn, and it's probably the most believable Russian I've seen on screen from an American actor.

I can't say much else without going into spoiler territory, but suffice to say that the ending left quite a lot of story possibilities open. And it's especially reassuring to see that (as of now) director Cronenberg, original screenwriter Steve Knight, and, of course, Mortensen are all set to come back and finish the arc they started. Maybe there's a way to bring back Naomi Watts as well? We'll have to see.

What do you guys think? Have you seen Eastern Promises? And, if so, would you be interested to see the full journey of these characters? Here's the trailer, in case you're interested:

As for me, these are the kind of sequels I'm most delighted to hear about. Not gigantic cash-cows that chug along at the expense of coherence (cough*Transformers*cough), but small films that could really use the extra time to tell a complete story.

Very exciting news. I'll report on more as soon as I hear about it!

Image courtesy of Focus Features.
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New "Robin Hood" trailer!

- Posted by Rusty

Note: It’s good to be back. Sorry, everyone—for the past few weeks, work completely took over. Well, that period should be good and gone. I have a lot more free time on my hands now, and, for that matter, I have a bunch of reviews that I’ve been mulling over. For now, though, I figure I’ll start small. I’ll bring back the “What’s on the Menu” next week (especially since that weekend brings what will surely be my embarrassing geeky obsession, Clash of the Titans), but this is a trailer that deserves a quick mention. Looking forward to posting more, and, on that note, a big thanks to everyone who kept checking the blog and did not write me off yet (however tempting that must always be…).

Now that’s more like it. I panned the first trailer for Ridley Scott’s newest historical opus (and latest collaboration with burly muse, Russell Crowe), mainly because it was heavy on the macho and grit, and light on anything that could give the umpteenth version of the Robin Hood story some substance or relevance. Well, this full-length trailer finally makes it look like the interesting film it deserves to be. [more thoughts after the jump]

Grounding the famous archer and his merry men into their likely historical context (near the end of the Crusades), this looks to play to Scott’s strengths in staging massive spectacles (ie, the siege of Jersualem in Kingdom of Heaven—still a hugely underrated film, particularly the Director’s Cut) while always giving each epic a much-needed emotional core (something many directors neglect as they get lost in their expensive battles and set-pieces). I like that we get to see more of Robin Hood’s transformation from humble knight to a hero of legendary heights, with Crowe showing just the right mix of charisma and Gladiator-like heroic presence. More so, I love the further glimpses into this cast—British go-to bad guy, Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Rock ‘n’ Rolla, the upcoming Kick-Ass) looks perfect as the most-definitely-evil foil, Sir Godfrey (just watch him scowl!), and, better yet, Cate Blanchett should be great fun as the plucky, headstrong love of Robin’s life, Maid Marian (check out what she does with her voice—it’s amazing how easily Blanchett slips into different people). Also, be sure to catch the quick glimpse of Pride & Prejudice’s Matthew Macfadyen as this story’s most famous villain, The Sheriff of Nottingham (where have you been, Mr. Darcy?!)—it’s my favorite scene in the trailer, and I’m really hoping Nottingham won’t be marginalized in favor of bigger heavies, Godfrey and the corrupt Prince John.

All in all, it finally looks like a must-see summer film. The battle scenes seem impressive, and the trailer’s new focus on character has me much more optimistic about the final product. Ridley Scott can make a film of this scale better than almost anyone, and Universal’s probably gunning for more of that Gladiator lightening-in-a-bottle success. I sure hope so. I love this original story (even though I’m positive this won’t be the last time we see it), and this is an immensely talented cast and crew behind it. Quick guilty confession: the screenwriter, Brian Helgeland justly won an Oscar for L.A. Confidential, but he also penned one of my favorite films (no matter how flawed!), the Heath Ledger and Paul Bettany-starrer, A Knight’s Tale. He knows his way around knights and battles—let’s see if his Robin Hood can conjure up some of that energy, intelligence, and fun.

Robin Hood hits theaters on May 14. (By that point, it will be a good 12 days since Iron Man 2 came out, so we’ll have no excuse for not seeing this). So, what do you guys think? Could you go for another version of this tale? Or does this trailer still not winning over any new fans?

P.S. Anyone else crazy about the below version of Robin Hood? Ah, gets me every time... "La Liberte"!

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News Bites: “Get Him to the Greek” Trailer

- Posted by Rusty

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is my favorite film from the Judd Apatow camp, and a big reason of that is the scene-stealing work of British comic Russell Brand as the "reformed," bad-shirt-averse, “citizen of the world” rock star, Aldous Snow. As such, I’m psyched that producer Judd Apatow is bringing his character back for the spin-off, Get Him to the Greek. [some more thoughts on the trailer after the jump]

It’s a bit confusing that Sarah Marshall alum, Jonah Hill, who shared some of that film’s funniest scenes with Brand, is playing a different character here, but I think that will wear out once this film finds its own voice and rhythm. Plus, his character – a record company newbie forced to escort the notorious Aldous Snow (Brand, presumably after the events of Forgetting Sarah Marshall) to the Greek Theater for a reunion concert – looks to go for more sweet and innocent notes than his creepy, way-too-obsessed waiter in the duo’s previous movie. I like this trailer – it sells the premise, has some good laughs (Hill’s awkward “European" kiss is too awesome), and promises more very funny work from Brand, Hill, and, in what looks like a nice surprise, Sean “Puffy” Combs. (Actually, considering that this film is about him, there’s less Russell Brand shown here than Jonah Hill. Could there be a more profane, Aldous Snow-heavy, red-band trailer in the future? Most definitely). Forgetting Sarah Marshall helmer, Nicholas Stoller, is back in the director’s seat, and original writer Jason Segel (who’ll probably pop up in a cameo) wrote some brand-new songs for Aldous Snow’s band, Infant Sorrow. All sounds good to me, and, judging just by this, the movie looks fun, in that dirty-but-still-heartfelt way that producer Judd Apatow has mastered. Let's see if it can top the last time these guys got together, let alone the super-catchy previous Aldous Snow songs, "Inside of You" and "Do Something" (whose, um, inspirational music video is hilarious). Looking forward to catching this when it hits theaters this June.

How about you guys? Do you like the trailer? Interested to see a Forgetting Sarah Marshall spin-off, or just a good, long showcase for Russell Brand?

Trailer courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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What's on the Menu (February 12 - 14)

- Posted by Rusty

YES! Finally, a packed weekend with lots of choices, and most of the new films look like they’re worth the $12 and fighting through the Valentine’s Day crowds. Now, I’m not the biggest fan of this weekend’s big holiday (although I'm crazy about the President’s Day no-work holiday on Monday!), but I’ll concede: I love the variety of films released in this frame, and two of these I can’t wait to check out. And, fine, although Valentine’s Day (as perfect a movie to capitalize on the buying frenzy of Cupid’s big day as there has probably ever been) looks corny, I still want to see it somewhere down the line too. With that, let’s check out the gods, Los Angeles romantics, and hairy Englishmen out this weekend… [breakdown of new movies after the jump]

1. “The Wolfman”

Story: In a remake of Universal’s classic 40’s monster flick, Benicio Del Toro stars as an actor forced to return to his native England after his brother’s mysterious death. And, well, before he knows it, he gets bitten and, on each full moon, unleashes his inner, hairy beast on the poor, poor Gothic citizens of turn-of-the-20th-century London. The amazing Anthony Hopking stars as Del Toro’s father (who maybe holds a secret of his own), and the lovely Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving (another favorite of mine—Agent Smith from The Matrix trilogy, Elrond in The Lord of the Rings, and V in V for Vendetta) round out the cast.

The Good: Actually, looks like an overall entertaining package. Love the mood and atmosphere from the trailer—seems like the production team went above and beyond toward capturing the shadowy, Gothic gloom of classic horror movies. The film promises less an emphasis on gore than on character and quality scares, a rarity nowadays. Very encouraging to hear. The cast is superb; Blunt has been on a roll since her big break in The Devil Wears Prada (check her out in the currently-playing The Young Victoria. You won’t be sorry), Hopkins and Weaving are always-watchable, classically-trained actors who make the most of supporting roles in genre films, and, with all due respect, Benicio Del Toro was born to play a role like this. He has the stature, the talent, and the natural look of unkemptness to convincingly play the Wolfman. In fact, this entire project was shepherded by him; he takes a producer’s credit and seems very genuine in his passion for the original Lon Chaney Wolf Man film. Oh, and the music is by Danny Elfman, a regular Tim Burton collaborator, and, as you can hear in the trailer, it looks like he’ll knock another score out of the park.

The Bad: The production history is pretty spotty. Talented director Joe Johnston (October Sky, Jumanji, Jurassic Park III, the underseen and very fun Hidalgo) was a last-minute replacement for the original man in charge, Mark Romanek. There were also lots of rumors of reshoots and midnight-hour studio tinkering. In fact, for anyone who followed this movie’s production news, it went before the cameras in 2008 and then shifted through several 2009 release dates before settling on this weekend. A lot of the reviews (see below) mention a disjointed quality to the film, that some elements (mainly the emphasis on quick-moving horror over the film’s early, careful building of suspense) simply don’t mesh as well as they should. Honestly, I don’t expect this film to be perfect; at best, it will be a flawed, but hopefully well-made and entertaining ride.

Reviews: Decent, with a surprising amount of critics complaining that it’s quite dull and too serious for its own good. Still, the actors earn fine notices, especially Hopkins and Del Toro, who are said to elevate this material into something much more watchable and interesting.

Overall: Although the buzz is unenthusiastic and somewhat negative, I still really want to see this. I’m a big admirer of the actors they have here, and the whole idea of a period, psychologically-tinged horror film has me much too interested to brush this off.

2. “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief”

Story: Based on Rick Riordan’s best-selling book (the first of five in the Olympians series, so obviously a lot is riding on The Lightning Thief to do well), this follows the story of young Percy Jackson, a dyslexic, rebellious, boarding-school teen who discovers his destiny is greater than anything he could have ever imagined. As it happens, he's the son of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, and unbeknownst to Percy this whole time, the Greek gods are all real, and all on the verge of war. When Zeus’ (Sean Bean) lighting bolt is stolen, Percy becomes the chief suspect, and, to clear his name, he must learn to embrace his demi-god powers and get to the bottom of the truth. Wonderful actors populate the Greek god side of the equation, with Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Sean Bean, and, best of all, Steve Coogan and Rosario Dawson looking like highlights amidst the awesome visuals.

The Good: The premise is fantastic. I’ve been meaning to check out the books, but, just from what I hear, they’re supposed to be clever and very engaging (if not to the level of Harry Potter). Brosnan (as the half-horse Chiron), Thurman (as the snake-haired, turning-men-into-stone Medusa), Bean, Coogan, and Dawson should all be fun to watch, and Logan Lerman, the talented young actor at the center of this film, has been on the rise for a few years now (check out his terrific turn in 3:10 to Yuma opposite Christian Bale). The effects look strong, the story interesting, and director Chris Columbus (the first two Harry Potter films) certainly knows his way around kids and fantasy.

The Bad: The trailers (like the one below), despite how hard they try, make me just a tad suspicious. For all the creatures and dazzling light shows, there seems to be missing an element of magic and wonder, or, for that matter, of characters we might want to follow through this (or several other) films. That could very well just be the trailers; the final film could be as clever and fun as the premise deserves, and, after all, how much character development could a trailer sell? Also, just for a personal gripe, I know 20th Century Fox really wants this to hit, for it could very well be their Harry Potter-like phenomenon. Too bad they also released The Seeker: The Dark is Rising and the phenomenally crappy Eragon to try to capitalize on this market before. I really hope that this isn’t as rushed and as barely thought through as those two previous fantasy misfires. Harry Potter works because it has well-drawn characters and wonderfully imagined adventures. I could see Percy Jackson, with the limitless possibilities of the Greek mythology world, enjoying a similar — if not quite as financially lucrative — path. For me, I’d rather see something that has more (potential) depth than Twilight become a rival, talked-about young-adult-lit franchise.

Reviews: Good (just not great)—lots of praise for the cast (particularly Brosnan, Coogan, and Thurman) and the original set-up. On the other hand, the Harry Potter comparisons were inevitable (especially with Columbus behind the camera), and most critics indicate that this one falls short of the high-quality, emotional benchmark set by the boy wizard.

Overall: I’ll probably check this out in the next few weeks; I want to see how it all comes together, and whether or not there’s enough substance here to launch a series of films. All in all, looks like a solid choice for kids and teens. It’s not a must-see for me, but certainly an interesting option to choose from…and a good way to get a Greek mythology fix before the (now in 3-D) onslaught of Clash of the Titans in March.

3. “Valentine’s Day”

Story: Think of it as Love Actually…but American. Some of our brightest and most beautiful stars (Julia Robert, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, Patrick Dempsey, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Shirley Maclaine, and many, many more) pop in and out of criss-crossing stories as Los Angelinos navigate the weird and hopeful and bittersweet (and probably quite predictable) waters of love.

The Good: Have you seen that cast? Of course, by sheer math/paycheck ratios, they can’t all be on screen for that long (Julia Roberts looks to be stuck on an airplane for pretty much her entire storyline), but chances are you’ll like someone in this movie. This hodgepodge of people is directed by Garry Marhsall, who, while an imperfect filmmaker, does usually make pleasant and enjoyable romantic comedies (Overboard, Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries).

The Bad: I doubt this will hit anything close to Love Actually. That was a thoughtfully-written, beautifully-cast British film, exploring all kinds of love. This, on the other hand, looks to be a star-stuffed, phony-emotion experience (as much of the below reviews argue). I like a lot of these actors, but, even though the below trailer comes off as pretty cute, a majority of these stories look played out and much too familiar. I also keep getting the feeling that some of these actors were chosen more for who they are (Jessica Alba, Twilight’s Taylor Lautner) – and what fanbase they’ll attract on opening weekend – as opposed to what they could bring to their characters or storylines. Finally, the script was co-written by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein, who last penned the similarly star-driven (if not to this extent) rom-com, He’s Just Not That Into You, a very mediocre film that was only occasionally salvaged by the charisma of its stars, something that might just happen here as well.

Reviews: Pretty poor from all angles, with nearly everyone mentioning the script’s endless clichés and inability to make these characters feel like real people. Nonetheless, the reviews mention that a good chunk of the stars still come off likable, despite their corny circumstances (particularly Hathaway, Roberts, Garner, Grace, and, in a nice surprise, Ashton Kutcher), and, if anything, I’m sure this is the type of film that goes down pretty easily. You’re bound to find something here to laugh about and enjoy; it’s just too bad that it seems the whole film doesn’t follow suit.

Overall: Oy, I know this will probably suck…and yet I still want to see it. Damn you, my love of romantic comedies and this bunch of charismatic actors! This will be a mediocre film at best, but, as a date movie (especially for this oh-so-perfectly-timed weekend), I think this might do the trick. At the very least, sight unseen, I’m sure this will be infinitely better than dreadful Matthew McConaughey rom-com vehicles like Fool’s Gold and How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

And that’s it for this weekend. There really is a nice variety this time around—one for the couples, one for the anti-Valentine’s Day or just non-chick-flick crowd who crave some good period Wolfman violence, and one for the fantasy-minded. Of all 3, I think The Wolfman looks like the most fun—a techologically savvy update on a classic horror institution. For a second choice, I’m mighty curious to check out Percy Jackson, and see how it stands as just a fantasy adventure in its own right.

How about you guys? Are you interested to see anything from this list?

And, of course, Happy Valentine’s Day to all those celebrating! (It might be a phony holiday, but I can still dig the genuine romantic spirit that sometimes comes out of it). And for anyone not quite enthused by candy hearts and valentines, I bring you the genius of Jimmy Fallon/a "Bothered" Robert Pattison:



Clips courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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News Bites: "Pirates 4" is full steam ahead with Director Rob Marshall and Penelope Cruz

- Posted by Rusty


Quick Note: Yikes, it's been over a week and a half since my last update. Sorry about that, everyone—it's been an intensely hectic time at work, and I couldn't find the time to squeeze in a few posts. Well, things have calmed down a bit lately, and while I still can’t update as much as I would like to, I should be able to write new stuff on a semi-regular basis again. Thanks for all your patience!

Source: Heat Vision
(Found via ComingSoon.net)

Talk about interesting developments. I love the idea of a fresh, standalone Pirates of the Caribbean sequel (thereby getting rid of the overcooked mythology from Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End), which sounds like just the direction Disney is taking with its now-officially-greenlit Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (great title, by the way) for next summer. Johnny Depp will return as Captain Jack Sparrow in a search for the Fountain of Youth, and, although there’s still no official word, looks like Geoffrey Rush will as well.

On top of that, for some bizarre, out-of-left-field announcements, we now know the director and co-star for Captain Jack Sparrow as well. [Pirates news and thoughts after the jump]

Taking over the directing reins from Gore Verbinski (who I wish would have stayed to do this as well—in the first one, he showed the perfect approach to this material) is none other than Chicago and Nine helmer Rob Marshall. I’m intrigued by this choice, if not exactly confident; Marshall has a good eye for visuals (even the empty-headed Memoirs of a Geisha was gorgeous to look at) and gets mostly great performances out of his actors. However, it still remains that, after Chicago, he hasn’t made a worthwhile movie, with his latest, Nine, getting trashed by critics for being a glitzy, hollow spectacle. Here’s hoping Pirates 4 will rejuvenate his storytelling abilities; he certainly has the talent, and I’d love to see him stretch himself with a fantasy/adventure setting.

As for Depp’s co-star/potential love interest, Penelope Cruz (a recent Oscar nominee for Marshall's Nine) has just signed on! This I have no objections too. I mentioned in my original Pirates 4 post how awesome it would be for Jack Sparrow to finally get a love interest (and an age-appropriate, equally quirky one if possible). Cruz could do that effortlessly—she’s beautiful, always interesting to watch, and could go toe-to-toe with Depp, as she proved in their last movie together, Blow. Jack Sparrow needs a good sparring partner, someone who could match him in spunk and lovable craziness; the crackling chemistry these two showed before could be a good sign of things to come. I can’t wait to see what the writers have cooked up for them. Plus, it’d be fun to see Cruz ditch the Oscar-bait “serious” roles for a change and tackle something more lighthearted.

All in all, some promising movement on the Pirates of the Caribbean front. If the returning screenwriting duo of Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio (who penned all the Pirates movies so far…and Disney’s Aladdin!) can recapture some of the first movie’s magic, it could go a long way toward rekindling the near-universal love this franchise once had.

Looking forward to hearing more as the movie gets prepped for filming on its way to a Summer 2011 release date. In the meanwhile, what do you guys think of these developments? Do you like the hiring of Cruz and Rob Marshall as director?

Images courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.
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What's on the Menu (January 29 - 31)

- Posted by Rusty

Like the last couple of weeks, there aren’t that many new choices in this frame. With the exception of one film that looks interesting, the other 2 new releases this weekend don’t sound very worthwhile. Let’s look at these films in detail… [breakdown of new releases after the jump]

1. “Edge of Darkness”

The Story: Mel Gibson plays a Boston cop who, looking to avenge the murder of his daughter, stumbles upon a conspiracy of powerful players and shady government agents (including the great British actor, Ray Winstone).

The Good: Off-screen antics aside, Gibson remains a terrific actor; it’s good to see him on screen again, particularly in terra firma dramatic territory. Lethal Weapon’s Martin Rigs made him a superstar, and this film looks to play on that type of role—a desperate, emotional man with (you guessed it) nothing to lose. It helps that few could do intensity quite like Gibson too—the phone call scene/duel of threats in Ransom comes to mind, and it remains one of my favorite moments in his career. He’s backed here by the gifted Brit, Ray Winstone, who made the most of his screen time in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and as a CGI-ed Sean Bean look-alike in the title role in Beowulf. He could do shifty, commanding personalities at the tip of a hat.

Behind the camera, this comes from director Martin Campbell, the man who brought us two of the best Bond films, the Pierce Brosnan launcher, Goldeneye, and the exceptional Daniel Craig reboot, Casino Royale (with one of my favorite adventure films, The Mask of Zorro, squeezed in the middle). The man knows how to stage great action, and, for the most part, he makes thrillers with intelligence and taste. Finally, the script is by William Monahan, who won an Oscar for The Departed (which I wasn’t enthusiastic about) and penned Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven, a hugely underrated, beautiful epic (watch the 4-Disc Director’s Cut if you don’t believe me).

The Bad: Actually, I don’t have too much here. This film might not be a masterpiece or a future Oscar winner, but the reviews and word of mouth are quite strong (see below). However, the reviews specify that the film is not exactly a deep or thoughtful one, and the overarching conspiracies (which are, thankfully, nicely hidden from the film’s marketing) don’t hold as much weight as they should. Plus, from the sound of it, the nature of the picture is straightforward—Gibson loses his daughter, he goes out to avenge her—which might sacrifice some room for needed character development, particularly of the supporting cast. And, yes, there is a bit of the “cheesiness” factor—ie, Gibson in the trailer even specifies that he’s a “guy with nothing to lose”.

Reviews: Good, just not great. I especially like the numerous comparisons to last year’s State of Play, which, perhaps in a similar way, unfolded its mystery into a large tapestry of players and seedy motivations. It’s a good sign for me, but, to be fair, I was also one of the few to really like State of Play, so take that as a good indicator.

Overall: This is what I want to see most this weekend. It’s the best-reviewed movie of the bunch, and, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m always up for a well-acted, well-made thriller.

2. “When in Rome”

Story: Kristen Bell plays Beth, one of those standard romantic-comedy gorgeous workaholics—she’s got a great career, but is just perpetually unlucky in love. But, lo and behold, in Rome for her little sister’s wedding, she happens to meet Josh Duhamel at the reception. Sparks fly, though through a series of comic circumstances, things don’t work out the way they should, and a desperate Beth ends up plucking five coins from Rome’s magical wishing fountain. And here’s the film’s big conceit: by the “rules” of this fountain, if you remove a coin from the water, then the owner of that coin is automatically in love with you. And, so, Kristen Bell must then ward off four new suitors (the very colorfully-cast Will Arnett, Dax Shepard, Jon Heder, and Danny DeVito) and figure out if Suitor #5 (Duhamel, who also happened to drop a coin in) is actually in love with her…or if he’s just under the magic spell.

The Good: Kristen Bell. For anyone who’s seen Veronica Mars, you know that there’s nothing this girl can’t do. She’s pretty, brimming with talent and charisma, and just poised to become a major star. It’s a shame she’s not a household name yet (although, I doubt this will be the film that will make that happen). She’s also surrounded by a well-chosen group of funny guys: DeVito is always a delight to see; Shepard stole his scenes in Idiocracy (he played Frito, the lawyer who liked “sex and money”) and Without a Paddle; Napoleon Dynamite’s Jon Heder; and Will Arnett, forever the amazing G.O.B. in Arrested Development, is any film’s secret weapon. These four guys alone guarantee some laughs. Plus, Duhamel may not be a great actor (at least he hasn’t shown much range yet), but he’s a likable screen presence, and, from the trailer, he looks to share some good chemistry with Bell.

The Bad: Well, the whole movie just looks trite and extremely predictable. The trailer was occasionally cute, sure, but it seems to rely on wacky slapstick instead of well-written jokes, something I think will translate to the final film. It also doesn’t help that the conclusion looks telegraphed for miles, and, unless it has some cleverness or twists up its sleeve, I think the ending was actually shown in the AMC Extended preview (the one that plays before the trailers in AMC theaters). Like many romantic comedies, it just seems stupid and gimmicky, possibly ruining the potential for a believable romance. Plus, while I enjoyed director Mark Steven Johnson’s Daredevil (which I still think is underrated, despite its many flaws), he also made Ghost Rider, which I just can’t argue for.

The Reviews: Poor, pretty much all around. Like it looks, the critics attack its underdeveloped script and, perhaps worst of all, the notable lack of laughs.

Overall: Looks like we could easily skip this. As much as I like this cast (and rom-coms in general), there are more worthwhile films out right now. It’s probably harmless and cute, but we could really do better.

3. “Saint John of Laws Vegas”

Story: The great character actor Steve Buscemi (Fargo, Con Air, Big Daddy, Big Fish, and lots lots more) plays compulsive gambler, John Alighieri (does that last name sound familiar?). Having escaped Las Vegas once to construct some sort of normal life, he finds himself drawn back to Sin City to investigate an insurance-fraud claim with his old pal, Virgil (Romany Malco from The 40-Year-Old-Virgin). From then, what ensues is a supposedly wacky road comedy, with wonderful supporting actors popping in, like John Cho (Sulu in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek! And, of course, Harold from the Harold & Kumar movies), Sarah Silverman, and perpetual scene-stealer, Peter Dinklage (Elf, Death at a Funeral). Oh, and perhaps best of all, Dante Alighiri gets a “Story By” credit here—that’s right, the film is like a comic reworking of Dante’s Divine Comedy, with Buscemi playing the Dante role and heading off with Virgil into Inferno’s Hell (re: Las Vegas).

The Good: I love how that story sounds, and the cast is definitely full of entertaining people. Most notably, Buscemi is one of the most likable and watchable people working in Hollywood—just watch how effortlessly he takes the audience’s attention in films like Con Air and The Island.

The Bad: Well, the reviews below aren’t a good sign. It appears like the film doesn’t quite come together into a cohesive package, ending up as a sort of loose collection of comic vignettes, many of which might not be that funny.

Reviews: Pretty poor. Although, for a silver lining, Buscemi and the cast are earning great notices; it just seems like the rest of the film doesn’t rise to their caliber.

Overall: This one’s in very limited release (playing only in LA and New York for now), and it doesn’t seem like it’s worth hunting down. Still, I will rent this in the future—with that cast and its Dante’s Inferno connection, I’m very curious to see how it all turns out (even if I’m not driven to shell out upwards of $10 for it).

And there you have it. Not too exciting of a weekend, but I think Edge of Darkness looks like solid entertainment. What do you guys think? Are you up for watching Mel Gibson kick corrupt-agent ass and take some names?

Like I mentioned before, we’re in for much better-looking movie choices in February, which is now just around the corner. See you guys next week!

Clips courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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