Big & Rich featuring Gretchen Wilson hit the stage for “Fake ID” in this music video from the 2011 remake of Footloose. Starring Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough, Paramount Pictures’ Footloose is set to hit theaters on October 14th.
The Plot: Ren MacCormack (Kenny Wormald) is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont where he experiences a heavy dose of culture shock. A few years prior, the community was rocked by a tragic accident that killed five teenagers after a night out and Bomont’s local councilmen and the beloved Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) responded by implementing ordinances that prohibit loud music and dancing. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling in love with the minister’s troubled daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough) in the process.
Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson) joins Matthew MacFadyen, Luke Evans, and Ray Stevenson in the 3D action-adventure film The Three Musketeers, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and set for an October theatrical release. This second trailer released by Summit Entertainment (the studio best known for the Twilight films) shows off the film’s action, letting us see the Musketeers and D’Artagnan sword fighting and otherwise taking on the bad guys.
The Plot: The hot-headed young D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman) joins forces with three rogue Musketeers (Matthew Macfadyen, Luke Evans and Ray Stevenson) in this reboot of Alexandre Dumas’ story. They must stop the evil Richlieu (Christoph Waltz) and face off with Buckingham (Orlando Bloom) and the treacherous Milady (Milla Jovovich).
Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are in a romantic comedy together and it’s called Larry Crowne. That’s all the marketing you need. Two of Hollywood’s most beloved actors reuniting (if you count Charlie Wilson’s War) and gracing the silver screen with their easy smiles and familiar faces (we’ll get to that in a sec).
There’s already a built-in audience ready to plan their weekend around the film; the actual story and script are almost inconsequential. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what seems to have happened, even with Hanks sitting in the director’s chair and co-writing the screenplay with Nia Vardalos of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame.
The titular Larry (Hanks) gets let go from his job and told it’s because of the glass ceiling. So Larry enrolls in the local community college, and Mrs. Tainot (Roberts) just so happens to be his teacher (what a surprise!).
Through his unlikely friendship with a young co-ed named Tania (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and after Mrs. Tainot has had enough of her shiftless husband with a fondness for soft-core internet erotica (Bryan Cranston), the pair of them begin to make goo-goo eyes at each other. Cue the instructions in your basic screenwriting 101 handbook and you’ve got yourselves a movie (technically).
On the positive side, some of the supporting cast turn in appealing performances. Mbatha-Raw lights up the screen and her character’s zest for life is infectious. George Takei plays an economics professor and is the only consistent source of laughs in the whole ordeal. And while Pam Grier isn’t given anything to do by the script, just the idea that Foxy Brown could be your teacher is pretty badass.
Other actors don’t do as much to elevate their thinly written characters. Cedric the Entertainer fails to live up to his stage name and instead comes off as a slightly offensive caricature. Taraji P. Henson has nothing to do here but read a dozen lines of poor dialogue and make us marvel at the power Hanks obviously wields behind the scenes to get such a good actress to commit to a thankless part. And the aforementioned Bryan Cranston has his comedic talents completely wasted underneath a shallow attempt to make him unlikeable so no one balks at the idea of the married professor developing feelings for her eager, and oh-so-charming student.
This brings us to the leads; Hanks and Roberts. Visually, there’s something wrong with both of them. Either Hanks has had some plastic surgery done or the lighting and make-up department hate him; and almost every time Roberts is on-screen, she’s shot in a close-up with a super soft focus … only hand-drawn arrows and flashing text could make it more obvious that the goal is to hide any imperfections at whatever cost.
As far as their acting, neither seems to be doing any. At this point in their careers, it appears that being movie stars is enough for them and that they don’t see the point in channeling characters that conflict with audience expectations of who they are in their public life.
Part of this is on them, but much of it comes back to a script that at best can be described as lazy; no one seemed to think that people would care if their relationship was developed and three-dimensional. All that seems to really matter is that audiences get a safe, sterile film and the happy ending they need in order to feel their money was well spent.
By the skin of her teeth, Roberts holds onto a basic likability, and Hanks phones in his effort as if he had a dinner reservation to get to. Without the general appeal of its actors, Larry Crowne would fall flatter than a steamrolled pancake, but if you’re burned out on Tom and/or Julia, this is the last thing you want to see. The whole production lacks inspiration and is only for those out there with a serious addiction to the genre.
GRADE: C-
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sexual content.
American Idol winner David Cook chatted up his second album, This Loud Morning, with Ann Curry on Today before debuting a single from the upcoming release, “The Last Goodbye.”
Steven Spielberg directs the 2011 dramatic movie War Horse starring Jeremy Irvine. The PG-13 film is heading to theaters on December 25, 2011.
Jeremy Irvine stars as Albert Narracott, Emily Watson is Rosie Narracott, David Thewlis is Lyons, Peter Mullan is Ted Narracott, and Tom Hiddleston plays Capt Nicholls. The cast also includes Niels Arestrup, Celine Buckens, Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Kennedy, and Toby Kebbell.
Official Synopsis: DreamWorks Pictures’ War Horse, director Steven Spielberg’s epic adventure, is a tale of loyalty, hope, and tenacity set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War. War Horse begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him.
When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets — British cavalry, German soldiers, a French farmer, and his granddaughter — before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land.
The First World War is experienced through the journey of this horse—an odyssey of joy and sorrow, passionate friendship, and high adventure. War Horse is one of the great stories of friendship and war— a successful book, it was turned into a hugely successful international theatrical hit that is arriving on Broadway next year. It now comes to screen in an epic adaptation by one of the great directors in film history.
Kelly Macdonald takes on the lead voice role in Disney/Pixar’s Brave, directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman. The PG-rated animated film will hit theaters on June 22, 2012.
The voice cast also includes Emma Thompson as Queen Elinor, Billy Connolly as King Fergus, Kevin McKidd as Lord MacGuffin, Julie Walters as a wise woman, Robbie Coltrane as Lord Dingwall, and Craig Ferguson as Lord Macintosh.
Official Synopsis: Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In Brave, a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts.
Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Wise Woman (Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.
The first teaser trailer’s arrived for the dramatic film Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy based on the bestselling book John le Carre and directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In – the Swedish version). Set for release in the U.S. on November 18, 2011, the spy film follows the search for a Soviet double agent who has worked his way into the highest level of British Intelligence.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy stars Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, and Ciaran Hinds.
The Plot: Smiley and his people are facing a remarkable challenge: a mole – a Soviet double agent – who has burrowed his way in and up to the highest level of British Intelligence. His treachery has already blown some of their vital operations and their best networks. The mole is one of their own kind. But which one?…
Diablo Cody’s ready to try her hand at directing, with Mandate Pictures picking up Lamb of God which will be her feature film directorial project. Cody (Juno, Jennifer’s Body) wrote the screenplay and will executive produce the film along with Mandate’s President Nathan Kahane.
Filming’s expected to get underway relatively quickly, and casting is just about to begin.
The comedy follows a young conservative religious woman who loses her faith after a plane crash, decides to go to Las Vegas to live the life of a sinner, and on her journey finds her way back to her faith.
“Having been in the trenches with Diablo and Mason on Juno and Young Adult, we immediately jumped at the opportunity to partner with them again. It’s an honor to be a part of Diablo’s transition as a director,” stated Kahane.
Lamb of God marks the third collaboration between Cody, Novick, and Mandate after their successful partnerships on Juno and Young Adult, which will be released by Paramount Pictures. Juno, directed by Reitman and written by Cody, garnered a host of accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (Diablo Cody) and three Academy Award nominations for Best Motion Picture (Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers), Best Actress, and Best Director. The $227 million box-office and critical sensation was released by Fox Searchlight in late 2007.
Joe Jonas grows up and goes solo with “See No More,” a decent rookie effort from the middle Jonas brother. The video depicts a relationship gone bad and Jonas actually proves to be pretty good at emoting.
Check it out and see if you think Joe might just have a shot at a real solo career.
I had every intention of writing a full-length film review about Michael Bay’s third entry in the Robots Look Cooler in Slo-motion Saga, Transformers: Dark of the Moon. However, after sitting through all 2 hours and 37 minutes of it (with credits), I’ve decided that I’m not going to write a review at all.
Instead, consider this the beginning of a formal apology … to my brain.
Dear Brain,
I almost don’t know where to start. Saying “I’m Sorry” simply doesn’t cut it.
You facilitate my body’s movement. You process all the sights, sounds, and textures of the world around me. You regulate my very breath.
And yet, I keep letting you down.
I bring you with me to every film I see. Sometimes, you get a lovely, intimate film like Beginners, an amazing spectacle like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, or even a simple popcorn flick like Super 8 that has some flaws but still qualifies as good entertainment.
And then there are the ridiculously lousy films I submit you to: Sucker Punch, Just Go With It, and Take Me Home Tonight, to name just this year’s most egregious offenders.
Rather than learning from my mistakes (I even saw the Justin Bieber film), I’ve only added to your abuse in watching Transformers: Dark of the Moon, even after reading the YouTube comment by RazorheadX:
“to all the people complaining that Megan Fox isn’t in the movie… who gives a crap?!?!!? This is NOT freakin’ ‘Megan Fox and some robots Part 3’! I honestly couldn’t care less that she’s gone. Yeah, she’s good-looking, but I never saw the other movies cuz of her. OPTIMUS FREAKING PRIME BABY! Total nerdgasm. Call me a geek, I don’t care, I am. btw… this movie is going to be EPIC!!!”
I mean, THIS is the demographic? Some random fanboy (or girl … but I doubt it) angry at the notion of lamenting the replacement of one hot actress for some hot model, but still jacked up beyond belief for the follow-up to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen?
I spared you the assault then, forcing its tremendous craptitude on another critic … only to succumb to some macabre curiosity when that ‘film’ made it to the home market.
But still, knowing all this, I willingly went into that theater last night and awaited whatever Michael ‘I Only Shoot During the Golden Hour’ Bay would sling at us.
What hurt you the most? Was it the new piece of eye candy whose full lips and bright lipstick seem like the prototypical look for a clown hooker? She wasn’t that bad, was she? I mean, when she didn’t have dialogue?
You’re right, I’m sorry.
Was it Bay’s incessant use of slow motion? His inability to understand that less is more and cutting most of the needless technique could probably have brought the running time under 2 hours? Doesn’t slowing things down help to ramp up the ‘cool factor’?
You’re right, I’m sorry.
Maybe what hurt the most was the ridiculously lousy 3D? It should have been amazing – Michael Bay said it would be, even stating in letters to fans and projectionists that those who wanted the best experience should shell out those extra bucks. I even tried to help, removing my 3D glasses every so often … but when the whole screen goes blurry, putting those things back on at least made the picture somewhat clear … even if there still wasn’t any appreciable depth to be gained. Was that not enough?
You’re right again, and I’m sorry.
Wait a tick, I know what bothered you the most! Everything! From the new girl inexplicably attracted to Shia LaBeouf, to the slow motion, to the 3D, to the dialogue, to the new characters that added nothing of significance, all of it was terrible. Even Linkin Park have given up hope, writing the lyric, ‘Your insides crying, ‘Save me now”, into their featured song – paralleling what many of us in the audience were going through.
Worse still, I subjected you to 157 minutes of tedious story development just so I could write a review that no one cared about because no matter how bad the reviews will be, there will still be throngs of people plunking down their money and rewarding the producers’ pockets for their investments.
For years, the state of summer blockbusters has continued to slide as consumers demand less and less for their money; and instead reward lazy writing, directing, and acting as long as the CGI is state of the art. This will probably hold true yet again, despite the overwhelmingly shared opinion that the last installment in the franchise sucked big, huge metal balls (kind of like the ones dangling from Devastator in the film).
Brain, I really wish there was more I could do to apologize. I’d like to say I’ll stop going to films that have less than a snowball’s chance in Hell of being, at the very least, fun. But we both know that won’t happen. I’ll continue to see terrible films (probably sooner than later) and you’ll, unfortunately, keep having to process whatever floats up on the screen into words and thoughts for me to describe.
So while I’m very, very … very, very … very, very sorry that I have yet again submitted you to this kind of abuse, take some comfort in knowing that I’ll try to make it up to you. See what’s in my hand? Sure, it may look like orange juice, but thanks to you moving my body and distinguishing labels on those bottles on the top shelf, there’s more than meets the eye in there.
And soon … very soon … you’ll know that I’m truly sorry and want to make it up to you.
Eternally grateful,
Ian
GRADE: D+
Rated PG-13 for intense prolonged sequences of sci-fi action violence, mayhem and destruction, and for language, some sexuality, and innuendo.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon hits theaters on June 29, 2011.
