FRIDAY PREVIEW: JUN 24th

A few blockbusters have come and gone, with only a few leaving an impact. Here were last weekends top grossing films:

First Place: Green Lantern ($56.6 Million)

Second Place: Super 8 ($21.2 Million)

Third Place: Mr. Popper's Penguins ($18.2 Million)

Fourth Place: X-Men: First Class ($11.5 Million)

Fifth Place: The Hangover Part II ($9.6 Million)

The Hangover Part II is leading the summer, with a total of $232 Million gathered so far. Next in line is Pirates 4 with $220 Million, then Fast Five with $206 Million, and finally in fourth place is Thor, which has taken a total of $176 Million. Only a few new releases this week, including the latest Pixar film. Hit the jump to see the new releases for the week of June 24th.

Cars 2

Directed by: John Lasseter, Brad Lewis

Written by: Ben Queen, John Lasseter, Brad Lewis, Dan Fogelman

Length: 1 hr 53 mins

Rated: G
Cast: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturro, Thomas Kretschmann

Trailer

Synopsis:

Star race car Lightning McQueen and his pal Mater head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. (IMDb)

I've read some preliminary reviews for Cars 2, and saw what I expected: This is the first Pixar movie worth passing up. I always thought that Cars was the weakest of the entire Pixar library, but that might have had something to do with Larry the Cable Guy playing one of the main characters. Apparently his character, Mater, is now the protagonist, edging out Owen Wilson for the top spot. As much as I've loved every single Pixar movie in the past, I must agree, this one doesn't look like their best work. It doesn't have the heart of Wall-e or the characters of Toy Story. I think it'd be worth it to check out another animated picture instead. (As I write this, Cars 2 has a 39% on RottenTomatoes.com)

Bad Teacher

Directed by: Jake Kasdan

Written by: Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg

Length: 1 hr 32 mins

Rated: R
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake, Phyllis Smith, John Michael Higgins

Trailer

Synopsis:

A comedy centered around a foul-mouthed, junior high teacher who, after being dumped by her sugar daddy, begins to woo a colleague -- a move that pits her against a well-loved teacher. (IMDb)

This looks dumb. I don't know how else to describe a crappy movie. Cameron Diaz remains to be one of my least favorite actresses (although one of my favorite to look at), as she hasn't shown me any talent in her entire acting career, including the one decent movie she was in: Gangs of New York. With a tagline of "She doesn't give an 'F'," what the hell are the thousands of kids who will sneak into this supposed to take away from the movie? That they can slack off in their professional career, or that they need to change their physical appearance to get the jerk guy that won't treat them well anyways? This movie should never have been produced, and Cameron Diaz shouldn't have been given a professional career. (Somehow, as I write this, Bad Teacher is beating Cars 2 with a rating of 49% on RottenTomatoes.com

A Better Life

Directed by: Chris Weitz

Written by: Eric Eason, Roger L. Simon

Length: 1 hr 38 mins

Rated: PG-13
Cast: José Julián, Demián Bichir, Eddie Sotelo
Trailer

Synopsis:

From the director of About a Boy comes A Better Life - a touching, poignant, multi-generational story about a father's love and the lengths a parent will go to give his child the opportunities he never had. (© Summit)

From the director of New Moon, comes this. With Chris Weitz' track record, I wouldn't say he's a director I'm going to pay money to see every time. When when I say that, I mean I would never pay money to see anything of his. However, it looks like he pulled all of the stops this time, because A Better Life doesn't look half bad. I'm personally not interested in the subject matter here, but I can definitely see that there is more than just a drama here, mix a little acting with some emotion and a solid Hispanic (albeit unknown) cast, and you might have a movie on your hands.

Conan O'Brien Can't Stop

Directed by: Rodman Flender

Length: 1 hr 29 mins

Rated: R
Cast: Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter, Jimmy Vivino

Trailer

Synopsis:

After a much-publicized departure from hosting NBC's Tonight Show - and the severing of a 22-year relationship with the network - O'Brien hit the road with a 32-city music-and-comedy show to exercise his performing chops and exorcise a few demons. The "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour" was O'Brien's answer to a contractual stipulation that banned his appearance on television, radio and the Internet for six months following his last show. Filmmaker Rodman Flender's resulting documentary, Conan O'Brien Can't Stop, is an intimate portrait of an artist trained in improvisation, captured at the most improvisational time of his career. It offers a window into the private writers room and rehearsal halls as O'Brien's "half-assed show" (his words) is almost instantly assembled and mounted to an adoring fan base. (Rotten Tomatoes)

Finally! The fourth and final movie is something I'd check out. I've always been a fan of Conan, and have stood (sat) on his side through all of the NBC drama he's been stuck in. I think any fan of Conan will like this movie, you get to see a side of the goofball that usually isn't portrayed on TV. He's not always Mr. Funny, he's human just like the rest of us, and can fear the future. I also expect this to be an absolutely hilarious film, as I was laughing from just the few minutes in the trailer. If you're not a fan of Conan, you really have no reason to see this movie. If you are a fan of Conan, you have nothing to lose.


Conclusion:
Personally, I'd recommend skipping Cars 2, Bad Teacher, and A Better Life, although the former has the strongest chance of being a film with some meat to it. Conan O'Brien Cant Stop looks like the most solid movie of the week, although with it's limited release, it won't be making much money at all. Then again, that's coming from a Conan fan. If you don't like him, but you do like dumb comedies or weak animated films, check out either Bad Teacher or Cars 2. Otherwise, you're screwed.

Watch Responsibly.