Springtime in Maine and in Hollywood share one thing in common - they are the shortest seasons of the year. Winter snows in Maine gradually slow in March but will usually push through into April, creating a mud season which suddenly changes over into spring and then summer. Hollywood bookends its winter movies between the holidays of Christmas in December and Valentine’s Day in February. Since the summer popcorn blockbusters keep getting pushed earlier into the year by studio executives - now starting the first weekend of May - spring is squashed between the months of March and April. That doesn’t mean there isn’t potentially worthwhile films hidden amongst the flowers of the spring, so I will give you a primer on the big and little ones to watch out for.
March 7th -
The big one: 10,000 B.C. - A prehistoric, special-effects driven adventure film with a no-name cast written and directed by Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day” and “The Day After Tomorrow“). Can Emmerich step outside his usual futuristic, science fiction/action genre and deliver a historical journey which balances story and excitement? He did so in “The Patriot” but the Mel Gibson helmed early history drama “Apocalypto” - without any stars, English speakers, or the benefit of biblical inspiration - was a box-office dud. Can Emmerich avoid this trap with his film?
The little one: The Bank Job - The true story of a bank robbery in 1971 of Lloyd’s in London, starring tough guy Jason Statham (“The Transporter”) and directed by Roger Donaldson (“Thirteen Days”). While many of Statham’s recent action films have been below his acting abilities, he is paired with an experienced director of both action and drama in this movie, which may raise the bar for the British actor.
March 14th -
The big one: Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who - An animated adventure based on the fanciful Dr. Seuss book, about an elephant who learns of a microscopic world that no one else believes in. The big news is the voices of comedians Jim Carrey and Steve Carell playing the main characters. The two haven’t been paired together since “Bruce Almighty” - Carrey was not included in the “Evan Almighty“ sequel. Carell is currently a hotter commodity to audience’s than Carrey, who hasn’t done a true comedy in five years. I think this film shows a lot of promise, hopefully it can live up to it.
The little one: Doomsday - A futuristic thriller about a deadly virus striking humanity, by director Neil Marshall who’s “The Descent” was easily the scariest movie in the last decade. This primarily low-budget auteur has be given a bigger budget in this new movie, hopefully to good effect.
March 21st -
The big one: Drillbit Taylor - Owen Wilson (“You, Me and Dupree”) stars as a bodyguard-for-hire to a group of high school kids, who need protection from some bullies. The early preview looks funny, as the film has much of the same humor made popular by “Superbad” and “Knocked Up”, but diluted for a PG-13 rating. Since good comedies can be hard to find, Seth Rogan’s co-writing credit is good enough for me to want to go see it.
The little one: Shutter - If you’ve been missing having Asian-style horror in theatres since “The Ring” and “The Grudge” series’, this movie is for you. A Thai horror re-make about ghosts found in photographs, that may foretell people’s deaths.
March 28th -
The big one: Stop-Loss - Another Iraq themed war drama, that may be better than its underwhelming predecessors, based upon the writing-directing skills of Kimberly Peirce (“Boys Don’t Cry”). Ryan Phillippe (“Flags of Our Fathers”) stars as a soldier, who upon finishing his tenure in the army, learns the government has enacted the stop-loss provision of his contract, keeping him active duty for the foreseeable future.
The little one: 21 - Kevin Spacey leads a young cast, as a professor at MIT, who teaches his most gifted students how to cheat the system in Vegas. Based upon a true story and including his “Superman Returns” co-star Kate Bosworth, this film could be a hit or a miss. Spacey’s choice in films has been off lately, sadly concealing an otherwise gifted actor.
April 4th -
The big one: Leatherheads - A romantic comedy about the early days of unorganized football, starring George Clooney (“Michael Clayton”) and Renee Zellweger (“Cinderella Man”). She plays a reporter and he’s an over-the-hill player. An unexpected spark happens between them, in the midst of the brutality of the burgeoning sport. George Clooney also directs.
April 11th -
The little one: Prom Night - A teen horror flick about a killer who crashes a group of students’ senior prom at a fancy hotel. No big stars and a rookie feature film director does not create much hope that the movie will be a stand-out in the genre. Despite these misgivings, the set-up is intriguing enough to consider giving this a chance.
April 18th -
The big one: The Forbidden Kingdom - The much anticipated pairing of Jackie Chan (“Rush Hour”) and Jet Li (“The One”) in the same kung fu film. This movie is primarily a historical fantasy film, with a teenage boy being magically transported back into ancient China to free the imprisoned Monkey King. Hopefully, these two aging stars will share some screen time together - maybe even fight - or the whole experience could be a colossal waste of time.
The little one: 88 minutes - Al Pacino headlines a varied cast, in a thriller about a forensic psychologist and college professor, who’s testimony at a criminal trial puts his own life in jeopardy. Pacino is always charismatic and powerful in his roles, though his movies can vary in quality. Hopefully this film will be more “Insomnia” than “S1m0ne”.