What New Movies Open Friday, March 28th, 2008?
Well, haven’t gotten completely caught up, with reviews, around here yet, which would make sense, given this is the first week of the year, where there are actually two movies I would like to see. Overall, there are five new movies hitting the big screen this week. Four are opening everywhere and one is in limited release.
Opening Nationwide on Friday, March 28th:
Movie: 21 (R)
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts & Laurence Fishburne
Genre: Thriller
Synopsis: A shy, but brilliant, M.I.T. student looking for a way to pay for school, ends up joining a group of card counters headed by a professor. Each weekend they head for Vegas with their fake identities to use their knowledge to put the odds in their favor at the blackjack tables. But, the lifestyle starts to get to him and he begins to push the limits, all while trying to stay one step ahead of casino security.
First Thoughts: The movie is based on the events chronicled in the book Bringing Down the House
Movie: Run, Fat Boy, Run (PG-13)
Starring: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria, Dylan Moran, Matthew Fenton & Harish Patel
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Synopsis: A chubby guy realizes that he loves the woman he left at the alter years earlier and wants to get her back. To do so, he attempts to run in and finish a marathon and also convince her that the guy she is about to marry is not right for her.
First Thoughts: Stars Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead), who was also a writer on this and the two mentioned in parentheses, and is directed by David Schwimmer (Friends). Hot Fuzz
Movie: Stop-Loss (R)
Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Timothy Olyphant
Genre: Political Drama
Synopsis: A decorated war Iraq war vet returns home to his small Texas town after his tour of duty ends. He is trying to get his life that he left behind back on track with the help of his family and his best friend, who also served in Iraq. The two of them, along with other Army buddies are trying to make a go in civilian life. Then, he gets ordered by the Army to return to duty, which tests everything that he values.
First Thoughts: Couldn’t be less interested in seeing this.
Movie: Superhero Movie (PG-13)
Starring: Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald, Pamela Anderson, Tracy Morgan & Regina Hall
Genre: Superhero Spoof
Synopsis: A guy gets bit by a genetically enhanced dragonfly and develops superhuman abilities and armored skin and becomes known as the crime fighter “The Dragonfly.” A bad guy ends up getting powers when an experiment goes awry and becomes a super villain that wants to steal your life force. The two must battle it out, all while spoofing every superhero movie ever made.
First Thoughts: Some bits of the trailer actually look funny, which puts this in the category of will see it someday, probably when it hits the likes of HBO or Showtime.
Movie in Limited Release:
- My Brother Is an Only Child – Political dramedy about two Italian brothers with dreams of changing the world, but in extremely different ways. The older becomes a communist and the other a fascist.
For New Movie Friday there are four new movies to choose from this week. They are 21, Run, Fat Boy, Run, Stop-Loss and Superhero Movie. What new movie looks good to you this week?
Movie Review: Drillbit Taylor - Starring Owen Wilson
Released: March 21st, 2008
Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.
Ticket Price: $7.50 Matinee
Refreshments: None
Starring: Owen Wilson, Danny R. McBride, Josh Peck, David Dorfman & Leslie Mann
Director: Steven Brill
Rating: Check it Out When it Hits the Likes of HBO or Showtime
Synopsis: Three less than cool kids are looking forward to the first day of school until they run into the school bully. Yet, they decide to hire a bodyguard to help with their problem. They do so by hiring a guy from an ad online. They’re choice, the only one they can afford, is a homeless beach dweller that convinces them he is was an Army Ranger who will train them physically and mentally to deal with the bully.
Review: Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers) gives a brilliant performance in Drillbit Taylor. Well, at least in the trailer. His title character is a conman and thief, who stole my money by convincing me he was going to be funny. The tagline of the movie states, “You Get What You Pay For” and that couldn’t be further from the truth, as Wilson wasn’t funny and neither was anything else for the most part and I, most definitely, paid for some comedy. The only aspect that came close was the relationship between him and the teacher played by Leslie Mann (Knocked Up).
That might have made a better movie. It has all the romantic comedy angles: a down on his luck guy, a beautiful woman who is unlucky in love, a wacky meet-up, they fall for each other, she finds out he isn’t really a teacher, he wanted to tell her and even tried a couple of times, he does something to show he has changed for the better and isn’t that guy anymore, and they live happily ever after.
Alas, that was not the movie we got. What we did get was one unfunny bit after another, but it did have heart. Which made it strange. You wanted to see the freaks and geeks win. You were rooting for them and happy when they finally overcame. It just wasn’t funny.
Judd Apatow, the writer/director of hits like The 40 Year Old Virgin
Overall, Drillbit Taylor is worth checking out someday when boredom strikes late on a Sunday night and you are flipping through the movie channels looking for something to watch. Unfortunately, it won’t cure the boredom, but it may help you get to sleep.
Well, let us know what you thought of Drillbit Taylor.
What New Movies Start Friday, March 21st, 2008?
This week there are eight new movies hitting the big screen. There are three opening everywhere and five in limited release. It is nice to be getting back to posting again.
Opening Nationwide on Friday, March 21st:
Movie: Drillbit Taylor (PG-13) (Read Review)
Starring: Owen Wilson, Danny R. McBride, Josh Peck, David Dorfman & Leslie Mann
Genre: Comedy
Synopsis: Three less than cool kids are looking forward to the first day of school until they run into the school bully. Yet, they decide before things get totally out of hand that they will find some help with their problem. They do so by hiring a guy from an ad in Soldier of Fortune magazine. They end up hiring a homeless beach dweller that then trains them physically and mentally. Comedy ensues.
First Thoughts: It could be fun, as the main character seems to be right in Owen Wilson’s wheelhouse. Given the rest of what is playing this week, this is the only one that interests me even a little bit. The key will be to go in with low expectations and then hopefully be surprised by what shows up on screen.
Movie: Shutter (PG-13)
Starring: Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor, David Denman, John Hensley & James Kyson Lee
Genre: Horror
Synopsis: A couple of newlyweds start seeing some disturbing ghostly images showing up in the pictures they took after an accident. They decide to investigate further, which turns out not to be a good idea.
First Thoughts: Duh! Wow, a whole 85 minutes of attempted suspense and scariness. Well, I doubt it could be worse than One Missed Call from back in January.
Movie: Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (PG-13)
Starring: Angela Bassett, Jenifer Lewis, David Mann, Tyler Perry & Rick Fox
Genre: Romantic Comedy Drama
Synopsis: A single mother that recently lost her job suddenly gets news that her father, which she had never met, just died. Having no real ties, she decides to move to Georgia and gets to know the members of her father’s family and may have also found a new romance too.
First Thoughts: Tyler Perry’s movies always do pretty well, but I have yet to see one, so probably won’t start with this one.
Movies in Limited Release:
- The Hammer – Sports comedy with Adam Carolla playing a loser that gets a shot to train with a famous boxing coach for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.
- Irina Palm – Comedy drama that has a desperate 50-year-old widow unsuspectingly accepting a job in a sex club.
- Planet B-Boy – Goes inside the global resurgence of break dancing. Wholly 80s flashback, Batman!
- Race – Two brothers whose life is high stakes horse racing in South Africa end up on opposite sides.
- Under the Same Moon – The story of a single mother that leaves her kids with their grandmother while she attempts to cross the border into the U.S. illegally. Opened today.
For New Movie Friday there are four new movies to choose from this week. They are Drillbit Taylor, The Hammer, Shutter and Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns. What new movie will you be heading out to see this week?
Where Did the Movie Posts and Reviews Go?
Well, a few weeks ago, my sister went in for major surgery and I spent a lot of time at the hospital and doing other things preparing for her eventual release. She ended up there for longer than was originally anticipated. So, probably should have posted this earlier, the time normally spent working on this site went to doing that.
I was still able to get out to the theater the last couple of weeks and saw The Bank Job, which was pretty good, and Doomsday, which wasn’t. Jason Statham may yet breakout of the B-movie actioner, as he showed he could do more than just drive fast and kick-ass, although he got to kick a little ass in this too. Doomsday had the beautiful Rhona Mitra (TV’s Boston Legal, The Practice) doing her best Kate Beckinsale (Underworld) impersonation and the rest of the characters were picked right out of the clichéd villains’ catalog. It could have been so much better, especially given the notables in the cast.
Anyway, things will be getting back to normal around these parts this week, with this week’s movie post to follow and a review this Friday. Also, full reviews of the two movies mentioned above will be forthcoming, probably over the weekend.
Now, what should I go see this week?
-
Subscribe via RSS
