For the weekend of July 24th, "G-Force," "Orphan," and "The Ugly Truth" battle it out against the second weekend of the "Harry Potter" juggernaut.
"G-Force" is a story aimed primarily at the younger market, about secret agent guinea pigs working for the U.S. government. I wish I was making that up. Super producer Jerry Bruckheimer is behind this Disney production, which promises plenty of stunts and childish humor. Another 3D film, this mixture of live action and computer animation looks unoriginal and tired before even coming out of the gate. I would take the kids to see "Ice Age 3" or "Pixar's Up" again rather than take a chance on this.
"Orphan" is a horror movie about a creepy child adopted by a family. The little girl is not what she appears (though she looks kind of scary from the get-go) and strange things begin happening once she is integrated into the community. There are no big names in the film but often low-budget horror tends to be the most original and terrifying. While the creepy kid sub-genre's been done before ("The Omen" re-make) there is a chance this could be a worthwhile film. Wait for early reviews if you don't want to risk being disappointed and out $7 bucks.
"The Ugly Truth" is a romantic comedy with rising stars Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl starring opposite each other. He is a television commentator that gives brutally honest/sexist opinions on how to make a relationship work. Heigl is his producer and makes a bet with him, allowing him to advise her in her new relationship and if it doesn't work out, Butler will quit his job. Both stars hit it big a few years ago with break-out hits but have had only middling success since. The storyline feels like it's been explored before but ultimately the charisma between the lead actors and the dialogue will determine whether the movie is a success. It may be worth a chance for rom-com enthusiasts but it is not a sure bet.
The weekend of July 31st continues the plethora of late summer, family-oriented films with "Aliens in the Attic," competing against a much more adult dra-medy, "Funny People."
Another live-action meets CGI film (see last weekend's "G-Force" and next weekend's "Shorts" by Robert Rodriguez), "Aliens in the Attic" pits little green aliens against an unsuspecting family. Played primarily for laughs, this mini-adventure has no big stars and explores well-covered terrain of a "home invasion" by little intruders (see "Small Soldiers").
"Funny People" is Judd Apatow's third directorial effort after "40-Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up." Proving the adult comedy is still alive and well with his raunchy social commentary, it is hoped that his latest will be more of the same. Starring Apatow regular Seth Rogan ("Pineapple Express") and Adam Sandler as stand-up comedians; from the movie trailers the film appears more serious than the director?s prior efforts. The low-key advertising campaign may not work to bring in large crowds opening weekend but positive word of mouth could ignite excitement.
On August 7th counter-programming is at work as the family-oriented action frenzy "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" opens against the dramatic, star-powered "Julie & Julia."
After proving toy to cartoon to movie translations could work with "The Transformers," Hasbro developed their toy army soldier line for the big screen. Directed by Stephen Sommers ("The Mummy 1 & 2"; "Van Helsing") and starring an assortment of up-and-coming young actors and a few cinematic veterans including Dennis Quaid, this late season blockbuster hopes to attract families and adults alike. The whiz bang, special effects heavy trailer causes me some concern about the quality of character development and a plot that can sustain an hour and 47 minute runtime. Perhaps my bitterness over the "Transformers" sequel is spilling over into Hasbro's new property, but a balance of substance with style is necessary even in action movies.
Relationship comedy veteran Nora Ephron ("You've Got Mail"; "Bewitched") brings to screen an adaptation and amalgamation of two books--one about the famous chef Julia Child and another about a fan of Child's who seeks to make every one of her recipes. "Julie & Julia" stars the incomparable Meryl Streep as Child and a respected actress of the new generation, Amy Adams, as Child's admirer Julie. Both women starred opposite each other in last year's dramatic "Doubt" and received Oscar nominations. I expect as much if not more from these women in a lighter-toned film, perhaps leading to another Academy Award nod for one or both. Both women are as accomplished as they are entertaining, therefore I expect audiences and critics will equally adore this film.
Science fiction weekend comes the third weekend of August (August 14th) as two smart sci-fi films square off against each other, Peter Jackson produced "District 9" and "The Time Traveler's Wife," based upon the best-selling novel.
"District 9" is about a refugee colony of aliens that crash land on Earth and are supported by the government. They are kept separate from the human population, adding to the resentment for the resources going to support them. Filmed for maximum dramatic impact with real-world immigrant and minority issues barely veiled, "District 9" could be the return of intelligent, thought-provoking science fiction to cinema.
"The Time Traveler's Wife" stars Eric Bana as a man with a condition that causes him to travel back and forth through time without his control. He falls in love with a woman played by Rachel McAdams ("The Wedding Crashers"), whom he meets at different times in her life. They are eventually married but trying to maintain a relationship with someone who comes in and out of your life proves difficult. The movie appears to be more of a relationship drama than a science fiction film, with plenty of sad moments shown in the movie trailers. Whether the movie adaptation can be as successful as the book remains to be seen, but the film stars two very capable actors to bring the characters' plights to life.
Quentin Tarantino releases his violent World War II story, "Inglorious Basterds," the weekend of August 21st. Tarantino wrote the screenplay as well as directing the film. It is about the Allies sending assassins and psychopaths into German-occupied lands to wreak havoc and undermine their war effort. The only big name in the film is Brad Pitt but Tarantino can help launch or rediscover careers with his character-driven stories. Having received positive buzz from the Cannes Film Festival, I am excited to see what he has created.
The final weekend of August is horror weekend, with two scary movies battling to become king of the weekend, "The Final Destination 3D" and Rob Zombie's "Halloween 2."
The fourth in the "Final Destination" series with the director of the second film returning to continue the franchise. A new group of teenagers are saved from certain death after a clairvoyant episode by one of them, seeing their deaths before they actually happen. Cheating death, the teens are picked off one-by-one by seemingly random events. Can any of them learn the secret to survival? A pretty resilient and entertaining series, the addition of 3D (where available) should continue to draw audience interest.
After Zombie re-made the original "Halloween," including a childhood back story for Michael Meyers, he claimed that he was done. Changing his mind, Zombie is back to continue the masked maniac's tale. The original cast of Malcolm McDowell, Scout Taylor-Compton, and Tyler Mane return to reprise their roles as Dr. Loomis, Laurie Strode, and Michael. The early trailers show the masked one stalking Laurie in a hospital, recreating scenes from the original sequel that takes place the same night. Hopefully, Zombie won't stay too close to the material since the best parts of his first Michael movie were in the prequel story. Making the film ultra-violent and somewhat deranged, Zombie at least is taking risks and creating something unique.