New Theatrical Releases: 6/18/04
We have 2 major new releases, 1 big release from this past Wednesday, and 1 new arthouse film that is opening near me. Let's start in reverse order.
First up is Control Room, a film that at first glance doesn't seem too interesting, then I saw a trailer. Now, this isn't a summer blockbuster, nor is it a big sci-fi/action/comedy thing, but what it is is a documentary about news coverage in the Iraqi war from the perspective of the Arabs and the Al-Jazeera, the Arab news network. I don't believe this is getting a widespread release, rather it is traveling the arthouse circuit. In any event, the trailer looked very interesting, and I hope to catch this over the weekend.
Next, we have Around the World in 80 Days. This has been getting awful reviews from pretty much everyone, which is a shame because it is an interesting concept, and previously made into a film back in 1956 with David Niven and Cantinflas. This time around we get Steve Coogan and Jackie Chan. I will end up seeing this because I am a huge Jackie Chan fan, even though his most recent films, haven't been all that good (The Medallion?). Hopefully I will enjoy it more than the reviews would lead me to believe.
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, now here is a movie that looks funny. The commercials look hilarious, and it is getting decent reviews from most major critics. They remark that it is not a great movie but a fun comedy that hits it's marks. It stars Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughan as opposing players on the dodgeball circuit. Vince needs to save his gym and Ben is looking to buy it. That pretty much sums up what plot there is. I could use a good laugh and this likes it could supply it. Also, how many movies can Ben Stiller make in one year? So far we have Along Came Polly, Starsky and Hutch, Envy, and now this.
Last but not least,we get the reteaming of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks in what looks to be the best movie released this weekend, The Terminal, also starring Catherine Zeta-Jones. This one looks really good, the premise puts Tom Hanks as a foreigner who while traveling to New York, his home county undergoes a coup and no longer exists. This leaves Tom in limbo, and forced to stay in the terminal. Now he must live there, and of course meets Catherine. I didn't think this material looked like it needed Spielberg's touch, but he has a wonderful way relationships and this looks to be the core of the movie.
Not sure if they will be able to catch up to Potter and Garfield, but Dodgeball probably has the best chance, even though The Terminal looks to be the better film.
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