What New Movies Come Out Friday, January 18th?
This week, there are seven new movies opening. There are three opening everywhere and four in limited release.
Opening Nationwide on Friday, January 18th:
Movie: 27 Dresses (PG-13) (Read Review)
Starring: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman, Judy Greer & Edward Burns
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Synopsis: Always a bridesmaid, never a bride has never been more true than for a young woman who has been a bridesmaid 27 times. Now, she is asked to stand by her sister’s side at her wedding, but it turns out she is secretly in love with her fiancé.
First Thoughts: Sounds like a good premise for a romantic comedy, but its release date leaves me wondering a bit.
Movie: Cloverfield (PG-13)
Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel & Odette Yustman
Genre: Sci-Fi
Synopsis: Someone picked a bad night for a going-away party, as a giant monster of some sort has picked tonight to destroy New York. The story is told from the point of view of the video camera of one of a group of friend attending the party.
First Thoughts: Only has enough destruction and story to give it a runtime of 84 minutes. Very few movies, if any, unless unbelievable good, would get me to shell out my hard earned cash for something that clocks in at under an hour and a half.
Movie: Mad Money (PG-13)
Starring: Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes, Christopher McDonald, Stephen Root & Ted Danson
Genre: Crime Comedy
Synopsis: Three women that have been playing by the rules there whole lives. They work at the Federal Reserve. One day they decide to get ahead by devising a plan to steal money that is marked for destruction. They start to gather quite a load of cash when someone notices an unforeseen error in their plan. Now with tons of cash at their disposal, they try to stay ahead of the authorities that are trying to track down the cash.
First Thoughts: When I first saw the promos for this movie, it reminded me of the movie Town & Country
Movies in Limited Release:
- Cassandra’s Dream – Modern noir crime thriller starring Ewan McGregor and Colin Ferrel and directed by Woody Allen about two brothers that get over their heads and get tangled up in a deadly situation.
- Day Zero – Drama about three lifelong friends that have just been drafted and have 30 days to deal with the circumstances that surround them.
- Taxi to the Dark Side – Documentary that looks at the practice of torture used in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay.
- Teeth – Horror sex comedy about a young girl with an extra set of teeth. This is one vagina that will leave you without a man-o-log.
Expanding to more theaters this week is There Will Be Blood.
For New Movie Friday there are four new movies this week to choose from. They are 27 Dresses, Cassandra’s Dream, Cloverfield, and Mad Money. What new movie will you be heading out to see this week?
Movie Review: The Bucket List - Starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson
Movie: The Bucket List (PG-13)
Released: January 11th, 2008
Runtime: 1 hr. 37 min.
Ticket Price: $7.50 Matinee
Refreshments: Gummy Bears
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd & Rob Morrow
Director: Rob Reiner
Rating: Worth a Matinee
Synopsis: Two men that find out they are in there final months decide to fulfill some life long wishes before that day comes. So, they create a “Bucket List” of things to do before they kick the bucket. On their list includes things like seeing the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, and the Pyramids in Egypt, skydiving, and racing cars.
Review: The Bucket List is a funky concoction of comedy and drama. A movie about two old men on their deathbed doesn’t really sound funny, but there are a lot of comedic moments to go along with the dramatic ones. It won’t make you laugh until you cry, but you will laugh plenty.
Watching Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson play off each other was a treat. It is hard to believe that with all the movies these two have been in over the years, this is the first time they have ever worked together. Their dying Odd Couple duo on a worldwide road trip was great fun to watch.
For a movie that runs only 97 minutes, they take their time introducing the characters and letting them develop more than a pseudo-friendship before sending them out to cross things off the list. This was a good thing. Had they just sped through to get to the fun part, the fun part wouldn’t have been as fun.
Even, if some of the sentimentality is a bit over-the-top. Overall, it is done pretty well. There are a couple of times when things get crossed off the list that if you don’t feel at least somewhat touched, then you must be pretty cold.
On the down side was the special effects. Some scenes were downright cheesy in their look. The type of shots you might expect from a low budget made-for-TV movie, but not usually seen on the big screen.
The Bucket List is worth taking in a matinee. Mainly for the performances by the two main characters, but also because you will leave the theater feeling good, which is more than can be said about a lot of films.
What did you think of The Bucket List?
What New Movies Open Friday, January 11th?
This week, there are four new movies opening. There are three opening everywhere and one in limited release.
Opening Nationwide on Friday, January 11th:
Movie: First Sunday (PG-13)
Starring: Ice Cube, Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan, Loretta Devine & Michael Beach
Genre: Comedy
Synopsis: Two buddies with a criminal history find out that an ex of one of them is about to move out of state with his son. She won’t leave if they can get the money to help her get out of debt. So, they come up with a plan to rob a church. During the heist, they find that the money has already been stolen. They then end up having to spend the night with some of the church’s parishioners at the church in order to try and get money, but end up getting a whole lot more.
First Thoughts: Have a feeling that this is pretty bad. There is only one marginal laugh in the trailer and since the trailers usually give away all the funny parts that is not a good sign.
Movie: In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (PG-13)
Starring: Jason Statham, Leelee Sobieski, John Rhys-Davies, Ron Perlman, Clair Forlani, Burt Reynolds, Kristanna Loken, Matthew Lillard & Ray Liotta
Genre: Action Adventure Fantasy
Synopsis: War is on the horizon in the kingdom and a man sets out to track down his kidnapped wife and also avenge the death of his son by the Krugs. While this is going on, an evil villain uses his army to try and overthrow the true king and take over his throne.
First Thoughts: An adaptation of the video game Dungeon Siege
Movie: The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie (G)
Starring: Mike Nawrocki & Phil Vischer
Genre: Animated Children’s Fantasy
Synopsis: A group of veggie friends work in offstage at the Pirates Times Dinner Theater. Each would like to star in the show, but some of their faults keep them on the sidelines. One day the get sent back into the 17th century and end up in the middle of a fight with a tyrant and each gets a chance to come into their own and learn what it means to be a hero.
First Thoughts: If you are a parent with small children, then you will probably enjoy this. Well, at least they might enjoy themselves and you will enjoy that.
Movies in Limited Release:
- Summer Palace – Foreign romance drams about a country girl in China that attends a university and falls totally in love with another student.
Expanding to more theaters this week are The Bucket List (read review), starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, The Kite Runner, The Orphanage, and There Will Be Blood.
New Movie Friday is making a little change this year. Last year, only movies that were opening during a given week, usually on Friday, were on the list of choices each week. This year, any movie that opens in my area for the first time in a given week will be a possibility that week. For example, The Bucket List opened weeks ago, but only in LA, NY and Toronto, and that would have left it off of this week’s choices last year. With that little tweak in my self-imposed rules, there are four new movies this week to choose from. They are The Bucket List, First Sunday, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale and The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie. What new movie will you be heading out to see this week?
Movie Review: One Missed Call - Starring Ed Burns & Shannyn Sossamon
Movie: One Missed Call (PG-13)
Released: January 4th, 2008
Runtime: 1 hr. 27 min.
Ticket Price: $7.50 Matinee
Refreshments: Gummy Bears
Starring: Edward Burns, Shannyn Sossamon, Ana Claudia Talancón, Ray Wise & Azura Skye
Director: Eric Valette
Rating: Don’t Even Bother
Synopsis: Friends of a woman start dying around her and each had had received a voicemail on their cell phone with their voice speaking what would turn out to be their last words and time stamped with the future date and time they were going to die. As this keeps happening, she witnesses two of them herself; she thinks there is something more behind this, a connection between the victims. All but one cop thinks she is crazy. But, one detective thinks there might be something to it, as his sister was one of the first victims and they set out to figure out what is really going on.
Review: One Missed Call is a remake of a Japanese movie, Chakushin ari
This being the first major release of 2008 means that, things can only get better from here. It has been quite the swing from seeing the best movie we saw last year, The Great Debaters, last week, to seeing what hopefully, is the worst movie we see this year.
In these horror/mystery/thriller type movies, even if they aren’t that good, which they usually aren’t, at least they try and give the moviegoer some eye candy to keep them watching. But, they can’t even get that right here. Maybe Ed Burns (Confidence) will do it for the ladies, but for the guys, the dowdy librarian look that Shannyn Sossamon (TV’s Moonlight, A Knight’s Tale) is sporting, not so much. Why take a beautiful woman like Sossamon and prettier her down? Cause, this movie could of used anything to make it even somewhat watchable.
New Movie Friday says don’t even bother, as One Missed Call should be one movie you miss. Cause, if you pass on it, you won’t be missing anything.
Did you make the mistake of going to see it? Let us know your thoughts on One Missed Call in the comments.
-
Subscribe via RSS
