Weekly Roundup - Opening 10/17

Just like last week, there's not a whole lot of great movies coming out this Friday. I don't want to be too negative, but the basic rundown goes something like this: souless action (Max Payne), after school special (The Secret Life of Bees), 80's ripoff (Sex Drive), and complete mess (What Just Happened?). That's not too negative, right?

Weekend Suggestion:

I'd say that W. looks to be the best option for this weekend. Not because it looks like a great movie, but because it should be entertaining to watch how Oliver Stone and Josh Brolin portray the soon-to-be Ex-President.

Max Payne

Movie Info

Directed by: John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines, Flight of the Phoenix)
Written by: Sam Lake (video game), Beau Thorne (screenplay)
Starring: Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, The Italian Job), Mila Kunis (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, That 70's Show), Beau Bridges (Charlotte's Web, 10.5)
Genre: Action
MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for violence including intense shooting sequences, drug content, some sexuality and brief strong language
Runtime: 100 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 8% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 31/100
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
My Response: Max Payne looks to add great special effects and some supernatural elements to the ol' cop-loses-family-and-wants-revenge formula. The movie is based on the popular video game from 2001, and as you know, movies based on video games rarely work out. But, if all you want is some effects eye candy, then hit it up. If you want a memorable action flick, skip it.

Trailer



Official Website

What Just Happened?

Movie Info

Directed by: Barry Levinson (Man of the Year, Bandits)
Written by: Art Linson (book & screenplay)
Starring: Robert De Niro (Raging Bull, Analyze This), John Turturro (The Big Lebowski, Transformers), Bruce Willis (Die Hard, Look Who's Talking)
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R - for language, some violent images, sexual content and some drug material
Runtime: 107 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 64% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 49/100
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
My Response: I saw this film at a screening last night, and I can tell you one thing: skip it. The movie felt like it had no clear purpose, no idea where it was trying to go, and that it needed to be finished. It was more than a little boring, as the person I went with fell asleep. There was some funny parts, but they were few and far between. I think this film is a perfect example of what happens when everyone making a movie goes through the motions at the same time.

Trailer



Official Website

Sex Drive

Movie Info

Directed by: Sean Anders (Never Been Thawed)
Written by: Andy Behrens (book), Sean Anders & John Morris (screenplay)
Starring: Josh Zuckerman (Austin Powers in Goldmember, Surviving Christmas), Seth Green (Austin Powers, Robot Chicken), James Marsden (X-men, 27 Dresses)
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R - for strong crude and sexual content, nudity, language, some drug and alcohol use - all involving teens
Runtime: 109 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 52% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 49/100
IMDB Rating: N/A
My Response: I liked this movie better when it was called The Sure Thing and it starred John Cusack. You can never go wrong with Cusack. Never. Anyway, Sex Drive looks to use a pretty simple formula (horney teenager looking to get lucky + everything goes wrong = funny), and seeing as it stars a few unknowns (Seth Green and James Marsden play minor roles), it will most likely be best viewed on TV during a night when you can't fall asleep.

Trailer


Official Website

The Secret Life of Bees

Movie Info

Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, Disappearing Acts)
Written by: Sue Monk Kidd (novel), Gina Prince-Bythewood (screenplay)
Starring: Queen Latifah (Last Holiday, Beauty Shop), Jennifer Hudson (Sex and the City, Dreamgirls), Dakota Fanning (Man on Fire, War of the Worlds)
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic material and some violence
Runtime: 110 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 53% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 60/100
IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
My Response: The Secret Life of Bees definitely presents a new tweak on the often-visited subject of race relations. While many racially themed movies fall into melodramatic storytelling, I have high hopes that this film will be different. The cast is top notch, and while director Prince-bythewood is inexperienced, I think the film has an interesting enough premise to warrant a viewing.

Trailer



Official Website

W.

Movie Info

Directed by: Oliver Stone (Platoon, JFK, World Trade Center)
Written by: Stanley Weiser (screenplay)
Starring: Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, In The Valley of Elah), Elizabeth Banks (The 40-Year Old Virgin, Heights), Richard Dreyfus (Jaws, Mr. Holland's Opus)
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for language including sexual references, some alcohol abuse, smoking and brief disturbing war images
Runtime: 129 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 58% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 60/100
IMDB Rating: N/A
My Response: Director Stone loves dealing with American political issues, and he's back at it again. He definitely has a ton of talent, as showcased in his stellar filmography, but he also makes sure that his opinion shines through in each of his movies. Expect to see some great story-telling, more-than-solid acting by leading man Josh Brolin (fresh off his great performance in No Country for Old Men), and a very slanted protrayal of the big dubya. I think it's going to be very hard to show this film in any history classes, but it's sure to entertain.

Trailer



Official Website