FRIDAY PREVIEW: JUL 29th

Week 29. What's new on the docket for the best of 2011? First, let's look at last weeks top films:

First Place: Captain America: The First Avenger ($65.1 Million)
Second Place: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II ($47.4 Million)
Third Place: Friends with Benefits ($18.6 Million)
Fourth Place: Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($12.1 Million)
Fifth Place: Horrible Bosses ($11.9 Million)


Harry Potter 7.2 wasn't able to hold on to the lead for two weeks straight, as isn't surprising. Since the series already has a massive following, it's safe to assume those dedicated fans would see the movie on opening weekend. It's bubble burst and wasn't able to maintain first place for long, as 'everyone' who wanted to see it, had. Captain America took first place, maintaining a 'fresh' rating of 77% on RottenTomatoes.com to help it's case. This week has seven new releases, all across the board of genres. Hit the jump to check out the latest flicks for the weekend of July 29th...



Cowboys & Aliens

Directed by: Jon Favreau
Written by: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Steve Oedekerk, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg
Length: 1 hr 58 mins
Rated: PG-13
Cast: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell
Trailer


Synopsis:

A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way. (IMDb)

My Opinion:

Starting off the week with a Yellow Light. Neither a good or bad omen. Not really an omen at all. More of a 'meh'. Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Iron Man 2), Cowboys & Aliens is cashing in on the pop-comic cult genre of "anything can happen", mixing sci-fi with western. As much of a sucker as I am for a good sci-fi movie, I just feel like this is pushing it a step in a direction I don't want to go. The action looks great and one of my favorite actors, Sam Rockwell, has a role in the film, but I just can't get over the idea in my mind that these two genres shouldn't be mixed. Plus, I also know that humans wouldn't stand a chance if aliens really wanted to take over earth. They wouldn't even have to look at us. They could just release some toxin to kill humans but leave our resources intact (assuming it's our resources they're after), and ta-da. No lasers or contact required. But that's beside the point. I won't be seeing this one in theaters, but maybe via netflix someday in the future.




The Smurfs

Directed by: Raja Gosnell
Written by: Peyo (Characters), J. David Stem, David N. Weiss, Jay Scherick, David Ronn
Length: 1 hr 26 mins
Rated: PG
Cast: Hank Azaria, Katy Perry, Jonathan Winters, Jayma Mays, Neil Patrick Harris
Trailer


Synopsis:

When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours. (IMDb)

My Opinion:

Nope. This looks dumb. Raja Gosnell's last movie was Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Although this does look like a talented cast (Azaria, Perry, Harris), I never cared about the Smurfs in the past, and don't care for a reboot today. I feel like real Smurf fans will be let down as well as their beloved characters are subjected to simple, dry story lines and humor. Pass.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Directed by: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Written by: Dan Fogelman
Length: 1 hr 58 mins
Rated: PG-13
Cast: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon
Trailer


Synopsis:

A father's life unravels while he deals with a marital crisis and tries to manage his relationship with his children. (IMDb)

My Opinion:

From the writer of Fred Claus and Cars 2, and the directors of Bad Santa and Bad News Bears comes... a rom-com? Personally, I'd think this combo would be a terrible match in just about every other situation, but with a knockout cast including Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Julianne Moore, I think this one might be worth checking out. The trailer looks promising, and although it is yet another romantic comedy, I'll try to keep my biases silent. 

Attack the Block

Directed by: Joe Cornish
Written by: Joe Cornish
Length: 1 hr 28 mins
Rated: R
Cast: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail, Nick Frost
Trailer


Synopsis:

A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion. (IMDb)

My Opinion:

Such a simple plot must be relying on something other than originality to sell it's tickets. Attack the Block, written and directed by Joe Cornish, looks to be a clever british comedy, heavy on the inappropriate jokes and gory action to fill it's 88 minute script. Although it might be an interesting flick, me not understanding half of the THICK British accents in the trailer isn't a good start. I might just pass on Attack the Block until it's on DVD.

The Guard

Directed by: John Michael McDonagh
Written by: John Michael McDonagh
Length: 1 hr 36 mins
Rated: R
Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong
Trailer


Synopsis:

An unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality is teamed up with an uptight FBI agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring. (IMDb)

My Opinion:

What is with Brendan Gleeson being such an awesome buddy-buddy partner in movies? He was fantastic alongside Colin Farrell in In Bruges, which is very near the top of my movie character partnerships list. The guard strikes me as being just the right amount of comedy and storytelling, with some great casting in the process. Directed by newbie John Michael McDonagh, I think that The Guard might be worth looking for. But I'd have to recommend watching the trailer before making any decisions first.

The Devil's Double

Directed by: Lee Tamahori
Written by: Michael Thomas (Screenplay), Latif Yahia (Novel)
Length: 1 hr 48 mins
Rated: R
Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Raad Rawi
Trailer


Synopsis:

A chilling vision of the House of Saddam Hussein comes to life through the eyes of the man who was forced to become the double of Hussein's sadistic son. (IMDb)

My Opinion:

Based on the novel, written by Udai Hussein's actual double, Latif Yahia, The Devil's Double looks like a fantastic look at the terrible life he was forced into, from a point of view nobody expected. I just can't tell if it'd be something I'd be interested in seeing in the first place. I appreciate the detail and story, but the subject matter isn't necessarily my cup of tea. Watch the trailer and see for yourself if it's worth checking out.

The Future

Directed by: Miranda July
Written by: Miranda July
Length: 1 hr 31 mins
Rated: R
Cast: Miranda July, Hamish Linklater, David Warshofsky
Trailer


Synopsis:

When a couple decides to adopt a stray cat their perspective on life changes radically, literally altering the course of time and space and testing their faith in each other and themselves. (IMDb)

My Opinion:

Finally, the last new film of the week. I can't really accurately judge this movie, as judging a movie by it's trailer isn't the best way to see how good it'll be. Although it is a good start. The Future looks like a solid indie flick about those middle years in a person's life, which I am going towards, full steam ahead. This one might be worth a watch, just beware: limited release!



Conclusion:

Green Lights
Crazy, Stupid, Love
The Guard


Yellow Lights
Cowboys & Aliens
Attack the Block
The Devil's Double
The Future


Red Lights
The Smurfs