FRIDAY PREVIEW: MAY 27th

Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday. But first, here's last weekends top movies in the box office:

First Place: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ($90.2 Million)

Second Place: Bridesmaids ($20.9 Million)

Third Place: Thor ($15.5 Million)

Fourth Place: Fast Five ($10.6 Million)

Fifth Place: Priest ($4.75 Million)

Pretty much the expected; Pirates dominated the weekend, having the biggest opening weekend this year (beating out Fast Five's earlier record of $86.2 Million from April). Bridesmaids did overtake Thor for second place, however the latter has been out for a week longer. With a few new big movies coming out this Friday, how far will Pirates plummet in week two? Hit the jump to see the releases for the weekend of May 27th...

The Hangover Part II

Directed by: Todd Phillips
Written by: Craig Mazin, Scot Armstrong, Todd Phillips
Length: 1 hr 42 mins
Rated: R
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha
Trailer


Synopsis:

Right after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu's wedding. Stu's plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch, however, goes seriously awry. (IMDb)

Not really being a fan of the first one makes me a little biased towards sequels. However, I do expect The Hangover Part II to be a fantastic comedy, especially in the theater. Laughter is contagious, and seeing this movie with a bunch of people who are sure to have hangovers the next day will be a riot. My main problem with the first was that I watched it with two people who had already seen it a dozen times. If I had seen it with a bunch of (for lack of a better word) Hangover Virgins, I'm sure it would have been a better experience. I'd seriously recommend checking this one out while it's popular, which it is sure to be for a long time.




Kung Fu Panda 2

Directed by: Jennifer Yuh

Written by: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger

Length: 1 hr 30 mins
Rated: PG

Cast: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Gary Oldman, Dustin Hoffman, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Jean-Claude Van Damme

Trailer

Synopsis:

Po joins forces with a group of new kung-fu masters to take on an old enemy with a deadly new weapon. (IMDb)

Sequels. Not all of them should be made. Actually, I take that back. Most shouldn't be made. I also wasn't a fan of the first Kung Fu Panda, and this one doesn't look much more promising. It's an animation movie starring talking animals fighting bad guys. Just another standard weekly movie. Fans of the first have pretty good reason to check it out, but for the rest of us, there are better choices.

The Tree of Life

Directed by: Terrance Malick

Written by: Terrance Malick

Length: 2 hrs 18 mins
Rated: PG-13

Cast: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain

Trailer

Synopsis:

The story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence. (IMDb)

Fresh off the Cannes Film Festival (where it took home the top prize), Terrance Malick has created another visually stunning two-hour metaphor. I highly recommend checking out one of Malick's earlier films if you get the chance, The Thin Red Line (which I reviewed earlier this year). I suspect The Tree of Life will be a somewhat slower moving film, full of confusing editing and long periods of silence. Know what you are getting yourself into before you go, but I'd still recommend this movie over anything else currently in theaters.


Conclusion:
The Hangover Part II is a good comedy for anyone, although the jokes might be raunchy and pushing the envelope over at the MPAA for what they can throw into an R-rated movie. Kung Fu Panda is your standard kids movie, which any fan of the first will definitely enjoy. The (already) award winning film, The Tree of Life is guaranteed to be slow, but jam packed with fantastic cinematography and Malick's realism.

Watch Responsibly.