FRIDAY PREVIEW: AUG 5th

Friday always comes sooner than I'm ready for, especially with how few new releases I am able to see. But I digress; Friday is here and so are five new releases. First, check out last weeks cash grabbers...

First Place: Cowboys & Aliens ($36.4 Million)

Second Place: The Smurfs ($35.6 Million)

Third Place: Captain America: The First Avenger ($25.6 Million)

Fourth Place: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II ($22 Million)

Fifth Place: Crazy, Stupid, Love ($19.1 Million)

Both Cowboys and Aliens and The Smurfs were tied neck and neck for a huge chunk of the weekend, but the former was able to pull in an extra $900,000 and take the lead. The final Harry Potter film hit $1 Billion over the week, thanks to it's international releases, since it only had one solid weekend at the box office. This weekend is sure to mess up the hollywood zen, as five new releases are sure to change the box office dynamics. 

Oddly, all five movies have a lot in common. Four of the five are rated R, the fifth being not far away with PG-13. Each of the five movies have a runtime that is within seven minutes of the others, the shortest being 1:45:00, and the longest being 1:52:00. However, only two have a wide release, and the other three have a very limited release. Hit the jump to check them out!

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Directed by: Rupert Wyatt

Written by: Pierre Boulle (Suggested by Novel), Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver (Screenplay)
Length: 1 hr 45 mins

Rating: PG-13

Cast: James Franco, Andy Serkis, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo

Trailer

Synopsis:

An origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy. (IMDb)

My Opinion:

No one saw this one coming. I don't mean the movie itself, because Hollywood will pretty much make a prequel to anything. I mean Rise of the Planet of the Apes actually being good. Maintaining about an 80-85% on RottenTomatoes.com, Rupert Wyatt's latest seems to have blown critics away. Just from watching a few of the trailers and doing a little of my own research, I can see why. I like the general sci-fi theme that goes along with the Planet of the Apes series; humans no longer being on top. Apes have the capacity to live pretty well in our world (they have thumbs for Pete's sake), so I'm not going to blow this one off  because it is simply 'impossible'. Andy Serkis, who played both King Kong and Gollum from Lord of the Rings is helming another motion capture role, which I'm sure he will be remembered for. If you want to know what Serkis actually looks like while acting, check out Chris Nolan's The Prestige. I can just feel this movie being extremely emotional, putting us on the side of the apes as they take the world from humanity. This is one of the few movies I'm willing to see on opening day.


The Change-Up

Directed by: David Dobkin

Written by: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
Length: 1 hr 52 mins

Rating: R

Cast: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde, Leslie Mann, Alan Arkin

Red Band Trailer

Synopsis:

A comedy in which a married father accidentally switches bodies with his best friend, leading to a series of wildly complex difficulties. (IMDb)

My Opinion:

Not for me. Shouldn't be for anyone. As much as I love Jason Bateman and want him to succeed, being paired with Ryan Reynolds is doing him no favors. I used to be a fan of Reynolds; both Buried and Smokin' Aces showed me that he can do something other than college-comedies, but ever since Green Lantern and The Proposal, I'm just not feeling it anymore. The script is straight out of Lindsay Lohan's closet (where no one should ever visit, for the record) and brings nothing new to the table. I just don't see the draw.

The Whistleblower

Directed by: Larysa Kondracki

Written by: Larysa Kondracki, Eilis Kirwan
Length: 1 hr 52 mins

Rating: R

Cast: Rachel Weisz, Monica Bellucci, Vanessa Redgrave

Trailer

Synopsis:

A drama based on the experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who served as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia and outed the U.N. for covering up a sex scandal. (IMDb)

My Opinion:

Looks like a solid flick to me. Newbie director Larysa Kondracki looks like she can make a decent drama on her first go. I've always been a fan of Rachel Weisz (especially since The Fountain), so I've got nothing to bash in that department. This looks like a story that should be told, and a movie that should be made in order to stop future corruption, or at least to open the eyes of the good guys and see the shades of grey. 

Bellflower

Directed by: Evan Glodell

Written by: Evan Glodell
Length: 1 hr 46 mins

Rating: R

Cast: Evan Glodell, Tyler Dawson, Jessie Wiseman

Trailer 

Synopsis:

Two friends spend all their free time building flame-throwers and weapons of mass destruction in hopes that a global apocalypse will occur and clear the runway for their imaginary gang "Mother Medusa". (IMDb)

My Opinion:

I really want to see this movie. I always complain about indie movies having their 'music', and their special 'cinematography', but for the first time in a long time, I can see myself actually appreciating the effort that they put into something so low budget. I can't exactly put my finger on what I like about the trailer, but maybe it just has something to do with explosives, cars, and relationships. This combo just does it for me, and I will be seeking out Bellflower on Netflix very soon. 

Magic Trip

Directed by: Alison Ellwood, Alex Gibney

Written by: Alison Ellwood, Alex Gibney (Screenplay), Ken Kesey (Words and Recordings)
Length: 1 hr 47 mins

Rating: R

Cast: Stanley Tucci (Narrator)

Trailer

Synopsis:

A freewheeling portrait of Ken Kesey and the Merry Prankster's fabled road trip across America. (IMDb)

My Opinion:

I'm just not interested in the subject material in this documentary. If I was alive in the 60's, this would be a great trip back, to see how the whole druggie/hippie movement began. But I wasn't. But then again, maybe I should watch this to get a sense of life in the 60's. Maybe I need the history lesson. But now that I think about it again, I can just watch Mad Men.

Conclusion:

Green Lights:

Rise of the Planet of the Apes- The minor plausibility (thumbs!) of this sci-fi series now has an origin story worth noting. With what I'm sure is fantastic acting by Hollywood's motion capture man, Andy Serkis, I feel like the film will be banking on emotional attachment to the lead ape, Caesar, and I have a feeling it will reel me in. 

The Whistleblower- Although perhaps not the most exciting of dramas, I see this as a story that needed to be told, and I'm sure Rachel Weisz will take it home. 

Bellflower- There is something about this indie romance/high-octane mess that draws me in. Maybe it's that indie music. Or that indie cinematography. But whatever it is, Bellflower is on my list.

Yellow Lights:

Magic Trip- I'm just in no way interested in seeing this movie. That's not to say I think it will be bad, because I'm sure it won't be. I just don't care to see it.

Red Lights:

The Change-up- I'm over Ryan Reynolds and his stupid comedy tendencies. Although I want Jason Bateman's post-Arrested Development career to succeed, the unoriginality of The Change-up is enough to keep me away.