Theatrical Releases: Men In Black 3 & Moonrise Kingdom

May 25, 2012 / 1 Comment

MEN IN BLACK 3 || May 25th, 2012

	CHERNOBYL DIARIES \|\| Found-footage horror films are starting to wear me out. If used properly, like Paranormal Activity, they can be quite intriguing, but I am beyond exhausted by the latest in the genre, Chernobyl Diaries. From the trailer alone, I am annoyed by the lack of acting and lack of originality as a group of American tourists get stranded in the site of one of the worst nuclear fallout sites in history, Chernobyl. As they are haunted by the ghosts of the nuclear plant disaster, the tourists are seemingly picked off one by one. I will probably see it on DVD or Netflix to indulge my suspicions about its poor, recycled quality and nothing more.	STREAM
	MEN IN BLACK 3 \|\| Following the success of the original and the quasi-success of the sequel, Barry Sonnenfeld returns to direct the third film in the (now) trilogy, Men In Black. Following Will Smith’s character Agent J, the premise of the films revolves around time travel and Agent J having to save his longtime partner, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). Upon traveling through time, Agent J runs into younger Agent K, brilliantly played by Josh Brolin as they attempt to stop an alien invasion as well as saving Agent K. Having enjoyed the first two films, it is safe to say I will see this film.	THEATER
	MOONRISE KINGDOM \|\| Wes Anderson’s latest film, Moonrise Kingdom welcomes back his regular cast of actors including Bill Murray and Jason Swartzman, as well as welcoming an entire new cast of young actors and veteran actors Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, and Francis McDormand. A young love story involving two troubled children takes form as they run away from home. Anderson’s quirky humor cannot be denied and what results is one of his best works yet.	THEATER

	ARJUN: THE WARRIOR PRINCE \|\| Who knew Disney Pictures was associated with a foreign animated film entitled Arjun: The Warrior Prince. Dubbed to be about the greatest warrior in India, the animation is a throwback to early Disney, reminiscent of Pocahontas meets Prince of Persia. How knows, maybe this film will come up again about Oscar season, as the Academy often has a soft spot for both Disney films and animated foreign films.	PASS
	COWGIRLS N’ ANGELS \|\| This looks like one of the worst films since Free Willy 4: Escape from Pirate’s Cove. Bailee Madison is one child actress I really dislike, as she comes off far too fake in all her roles, which have been plentiful. There’s really nothing about this film that would make me see it. Absolutely nothing.	PASS
	HIDE AWAY \|\| Josh Lucas is a fantastic actor, so if anyone could carry a vague, independent film about sailing, I would definitely have faith in him. However, the trailer does little to hook an audience and besides its numerous awards, there’s little drawing me to see this film.	STREAM
	THE INTOUCHABLES \|\| On paper, this film looks and sounds indulgently dramatic. Many times, based on true story dramas come off too “inspirational” to speak plainly. However, the trailer The Intouchables has determined me to see it at some point, feeling rich with emotion along with being inspirational. A quadriplegic aristocrat, to everyone’s surprise, hires an African American man from the projects to be his assistant. Slightly reminiscent of The Blind Side, both men appear to learn from one another and make an impact on each others’ lives. Having really enjoyed The Blind Side, I am now expecting big things from this heartfelt foreign film.	STREAM
	MIGHTY FINE \|\| Mighty Fine has a few too many elements going on, especially in its trailer. What begins like any average family film about a father who uproots his family to be closer to their business than faces the inevitable fact that his business may be closing. His rage becomes an issue that veers the trailer off course and to compensate for that, the music becomes lighthearted and happy-go-lucky, which creates an uneven feeling. Trailers should highlight the film’s best parts in a way that draws the viewer to the film, not make them question what is going on or doubt the structure of the film and Mighty Fine does a fine job of mis-selling this film.	PASS
	NOW IS GOOD \|\| What comes off like a BBC version of A Walk To Remember, Dakota Fanning stars in an almost unrecognizable role for herself, playing a young British girl with cancer in which she decides to give up treatment and complete her own version of a bucket list with her boyfriend (Jeremy Irvine). Fanning looks and speaks so much like a British actor, I am amazed, and look forward to her career as she gets older. If I do see this film, it will be for her performance.	STREAM
	OS87: THE OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE, MAJOR DEPRESSION, BIPOLAR, ASPERGER’S MOVIE \|\| An honest look at a man with OCD along with several other disorders, this documentary is created by the man himself. Though the trailer doesn’t really speak to the purpose of this film, it does look like an interesting character study and will probably inform audiences as to what some of these disorders are and how they affect the people that have them.	PASS
	OSLO, AUGUST 31ST \|\| Though it played at Cannes and looks slightly visual heavy, there is not enough in the trailer to convince me to see it. There’s very little urgency and absolutely no mention of the drug addiction the main character faces or why he has such little time. Rotten Tomatoes has it at a 95% currently, but none of this sells the film.	PASS
	WALLANDER \|\| What this has to do with Steig Larson or The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I will never know, and how it compares to the Godfather is yet to be seen, but Wallander is very vocal about its odd comparisons instead of giving the viewers of the trailer something to sink their teeth into. I will probably avoid this film as I have far better things to watch.	PASS