May 13, 2005

New Movie Releases.

This is it. The last weekend that potential blockbusters can avoid the oncoming onslaught of the final Star Wars film next week. At least for a few weeks anyway. After, say, three weeks or so it will die down, just in time for Batman Begins to hit in mid-June. With that said, do we have any potential winners for this weekend?

Kicking & Screaming. Will Ferrell returns in his first of two summer films, the other being Bewitched. Here he plays a soccer coach who takes things a bit too seriously when competing with his father (Robert Duvall). Mike Ditka is also in the film playing himself. I have heard that this is a very funny film, and I hope that it is. I feel Ferrell can be a very funny, but his effect on me has been hit and miss, I loved Elf, but I did not care for Old School at all.

Mindhunters. Lousy title, in my opinion, sounds like a cheesy direct to the Sci-Fi Channel kind of flick. It may still be cheesy, but I hope not. It looks like it could be deceptively good. Take a group of the latest and greatest FBI profilers an put them in a test environment, which takes a deadly turn for the real. A decent looking cast, featuring Val Kilmer, who I believe was their teacher, Christian Slater, Patricia Velasquez, Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting's Sick Boy), and LL Cool J. It was directed by Renny Harlin, so the if this is any good is very much in the hit or miss camp.

Monster-In-Law. Jennifer Lopez vs. Jane Fonda. Who will win? Who knows? Who cares? I admit to not having read anything about this. I will say that some moments in the commercials look rather humorous, yet at the same time the whole thing looks to be on the pedestrian side. It also costars Michael Vartan.

Unleashed. This is the film I am most looking forward to seeing this weekend. Who would have thought of pairing Jet Li with Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins? And who would have thought that the trailers would look so enticing? It looks to have an interesting tale in a behavioral studies way, although I think this will be secondary, plus looks to have some downright explosive looking action. I think this has the potential to be Jet Li's best English language film, but I could also be setting myself up for disappointment. It was directed by Louis Leterrier who producer Luc Besson appears to be championing as a new action director, he is currently working on The Transporter 2 with Jason Statham. Here's to hoping for a winner.

The Animation Show. Mike Judge Don Hertzfeldt are delivering the second collection of animated shorts to the big screen. I saw the first edition, and it had some fantastic shorts, I am hoping that this continues that. This is a collection of shorts using a variety of animation techniques from pencil and paper to computer generated animation. Shorts include: Hello, Pan With Us, Guard Dog, and Ward 13. This is playing at my local arthouse.

Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity. This one is getting a brief two day, two show run at the local arthouse. It tells the story, a dramedy, of a single mother, played by Sandra Oh of Sideways and Grey's Anatomy fame, whose daughter, Mindy (Valerie Tan), uses Tao spells to try to help her mothers love life. Of course, chaos ensues. It looks like it could be a sweet and funny comedy, but with only two shows, it may be difficult to attend.

That's it for this week!

Also at Blogcritics. org.

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