Oldies:
8/21- My Most Anticipated Films for Summer My Most Anticipated Films for Spring
Winter 07,
Summer 07,
Winter 06,
Summer 06
Review: Tropic Thunder
In the spirit of Zoolander, Ben Stiller wrote, directed and stars in this smart comedy that takes a culture and satirizes every aspect of it, and in this case with an appropriately ironic twist.
The unique ensemble is enough to make a great movie, but to make it more entertaining, the actors must turn into the soldiers they portray when they get dropped in the dangerous drug cartel laden jungle. The first funny part is seeing all the characters come to terms with their inner demons, whether it be addiction, a sense of false identity, or closet homosexuality. And the ironically funny part is that the war movie they set out to make becomes real life for them.
What readers of this site, who I assume are individuals who know more about the movie business than most, will likely enjoy most is the intelligent inside jokes. The best involves a conversation between Stiller and Downey Jr. about why Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks won Oscars for playing mentally-challenged people, but Sean Penn walked home empty handed. But there’s jokes for the rest of the crowd, including gross-out, foul language, and non-PC humor. You might also pick up on references to other war movies like Platoon and Saving Private Ryan. However, I feel like the foul language could have been dimmed down a bit, since the writers really seemed to take full advantage of the R-rating when they didn’t have to.
However, I felt that one hour and forty-five minutes was a little short, and an additional fifteen minutes could have been added to the beginning to explain just how these unfit actors managed to get cast in such a film. Maybe a few more minutes to the epilogue instead of seeing another weird Tom Cruise dance would have been helpful as well. Otherwise, Tropic Thunder is a one of a kind intelligent but occasionally low-brow comedy that spits out laughs like gunfire.
Stars: 3 (out of 4)
Oscar Contention: Supporting Actor Robert Downey Jr., Original Screenplay, Makeup
Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The sequel to 2005’s Christian-allegorical fantasy film The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, is simply more of the same, particularly on the problems.
Of course, you already know the story either because you’ve read the C.S. Lewis book, or because you know it’s going to turn out just like the first film. And that’s precisely the problem. I said it about Spider-Man 2, and I’m saying it here: This is the exact same film as the original. I’m actually convinced you could steal some shots from the first film, reuse them in the second, and nobody would notice. They are both about some cruel dictator trying to take over Narnia and it’s up to the children to lead an army to stop them. They both have a big battle with fantasy creatures on a big green field. And both battles are won when Aslan the lion (Liam Neeson) runs in to save the day. In fact, half the time in this film is spent just reminiscing about what happened in the first film. This is as if the filmmakers knew the second film wouldn’t be as good, so they had to remind the audience of how good the first one was.
Not only did the film steal from itself, but sequences felt too reminiscent of other material as well. I don’t know whether to blame C.S. Lewis or the screenwriters but the feud Caspian has with his uncle is awfully similar to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. And I felt an awful lot of Lord of the Rings vibe in certain sequences. This includes seeing catapults ripping down a fortress, a character repeatedly shooting arrows at oncoming enemies in the woods, and having a river turn into a living tidal wave to wipe out the crossing enemy army.
In general, I believe that the approach to this series was off on the wrong foot to begin with. There was a fundamental problem with beginning a series with the strongest book, since it can only get worse. But then the handling of material is wrong. The audience is supposed to get attached to these characters, but we don’t bother with it because we all know that the movie isn’t going to kill off any of the good ones. There’s no tension when we know everybody will survive or be brought back to life. And it’s clear that director Andrew Adamson intended for this film to be “darker”. Somebody should have told him that you can’t make a film darker just by having more scenes take place at night.
What made the first film great was its sense of wonder, being in an unkown land with strange sights and creatures. However, this film had no new sights that the first film had since we are revisiting all the same locations, and there are no new creatures save for an unusually-large sworded mouse (Eddie Izzard). The first film also served as a strong Christian allegory, but I found no references this time. And like the first film, all jokes manage to fall flat, and the effects are as bad as the first film, despite having three years to improve upon them. And one other pet peeve of mine is the act of typecasting little people actors like Peter Dinklage and Warwick Davis always as dwarves, elves or leprechauns. Give them more credit than that. And don't get me started on casting all Middle-Eastern actors as the villians.
However, I recognize the fact that younger children will not care about all these mentioned details, and they’ll enjoy the film for sights and spectacle without a care for how it compares to the original. So Prince Caspian serves as an enjoyable ride for younger viewers but all others will return to Narnia to see more of the same.
Stars: 1.5 (out of 4)
Oscar Contention: Costumes, Makeup, Visual Effects, Sound, Sound Editing, Score, Song
Brief Review: Cloverfield
In January, J.J. Abrams’ monster movie was some unusually overhyped and over-anticipated project via internet buzz, and in the end only made decent box office. But I’m sure those who saw it enjoyed it for what it was.
Of course, what makes Cloverfield unlike any movie ever is that it is entirely in the first person, presented through the lens of a handheld camera that one of the characters carries everywhere. Being able to create some great effects and sequences with little editing and handheld is an impressive feat by the filmmakers. This unique perspective is the main reason why anybody would want to watch the movie, or avoid it if they get motion sickness. So even though the characters are forgettable and there’s essentially no plot, it still makes for decent entertainment for 90 minutes.
Stars: 3 (out of 4)
Oscar Contention: Cinematography, Editing, Visual Effects, Sound, Sound Editing
Review: Wanted
In the spirit similar to that of the recent Bourne movies, Wanted is an assassin thriller that has some intense sequences with unnecessary details.
The audience is then treated to a series of stylized assassinations. These action sequences implement Matrix-style methods of slowing down time and shifting the camera around all of the action. This is a remarkable technical achievement and it is probably the best aspect of the movie. However, many sequences do bend the laws of reality, and it can’t all be explained by this “spider-sense” gift that the assassins have involving increased adrenaline rates. And pardon me for putting my engineering knowledge to good use, but the only way to “curve a bullet” is to give it a rotational spin upon its vertical axis as opposed to its axial axis. Sorry, but I have a tendency to get technical with film.
The story also takes on a number of twists, which are easy enough to follow but somewhat devastating. These twists also put into question as to whether a sequel would really work, as has been discussed. Also, even though the action set pieces are the best part, practically all of them have been seen in the trailers, leaving nothing as a surprise to me. And I’m not normally one to be morally outraged at the use of language in film. However, the constant use of the f-word in unnecessary situations grew a little too distracting, even to the point at which it had lost all shock value. So you can have too much of a good thing.
But this movie might be worth a glance for some thrilling set pieces, clever effects, and McAvoy who always puts in a good performance even in movies that don’t require much of one. Wanted is a joy ride through a collision course with unexpected turns and hitting the brakes too many times.
Stars: 2.5 (out of 4)
Oscar Contention: Editing, Visual Effects, Sound, Sound Editing
Review: The Dark Knight
The winged hero known as Batman has undergone many revisions on the big screen: from the slow and dark haunted realm of director Tim Burton, to the flashy cartoony nipply vision of Joel Schumacher, and reinvented as real and human in Batman Begins by Christopher Nolan, who once again keeps Batman on earth while blowing our minds off of it.
What follows is a series of subplots, set pieces, and Hitchcock-like scenes of tense anticipation, each one more intense than the last. There are many important messages implied in these actions, the obvious one being whether to give in to acts of terrorism, even in the bleakest of circumstances. This fate is repeatedly tested as the Joker threatens to assassinate officials, blow up hospitals, and even manipulate the minds of others by turning them into criminals themselves. The worst act being turning Harvey Dent, the saving White Knight of Gotham, into a revenge-seeking murderer with the disfigurement that aliases him Two-Face (a remarkable technical accomplishment of both makeup and CGI in one). As was the Joker’s goal, Gotham is only fully lost when the people see those meant to protect them turn evil themselves.
The Dark Knight certainly places itself among the best superhero movies ever, though not the best seeing as how I remain strongly attached to the first two X-Men films. It is however, the least superhero-like superhero film ever, by having nearly all irregularities fairly plausible. Therefore, the film is less a superhero movie than an urban crime drama, and I suspect that when the Academy looks back at recent best picture winners The Departed and No Country for Old Men, it will consider why The Dark Knight, a film with similar and sometimes superior qualities, shouldn’t be considered for the big Oscar races itself. Like the best of films, this one deals with real issues, while keeping the audience entertained, thrilled and guessing. This is not to mention excellent performances from the entire cast, with one particular standout.
Though Heath Ledger broke our hearts in Brokeback Mountain, it will be his performance as the Joker that will be remembered as his career-best performance. Taking on a slithering voice, a manic laugh, a vulture-like hunch, and occasional lip-smacking, Ledger left no detail uninvolved in his outstandingly vile performance. He scares us to death with his incessant laughing while being pummeled, and drops jaws when performing a magic trick of making a pencil disappear into a guy’s head. But he even takes something simple like silently walking away from a burning building and gives a physical performance of wound-up pleasure and violent gratification. If Heath Ledger wins an Oscar this year, it won’t be as compensation, it will be because he truly did have the best supporting male performance of the year, and I don’t think that’s going to change.
The Dark Knight is so far the best movie of the year, surpassing Iron Man and Wall-E. Though I do not recommend it for all since some sequences can be somewhat terrifying in a nightmarish way to sensitive or younger audiences. And even though there is little that could be cut, except perhaps some short forgettable sequences near the beginning, 2.5 hours does seem a little long. But everyone else will enjoy it for the reflection of society, the hardcore action sequences, or for the greatest acting portrayal ever in a superhero film.
Stars: 4 (out of 4)
Oscar Contention: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor Heath Ledger, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Makeup, Visual Effects, Sound, Sound Editing
Review: Wall-E
For the third consecutive year, I must start off my review of the latest Disney/Pixar computer animated film with expressing my continued surprise as to how this studio pairing simply does not know how to fail.
As I’ve said in previous reviews, each Disney/Pixar film has a different strength. Toy Story had comedy, The Incredibles had action, and Ratatouille had style. Besides having the strongest love-story, Wall-E has the greatest imagination to it. Imagination is important in all sci-fi media, and this film has its unique aspects of the future. Writer Stanton created a bleak look at the future with the waste-covered Earth and a society that has become completely motionless, non-interactive and grotesquely lazy, a notion that seems all too possible, a somewhat disturbing aspect of what is considered a G-rated film. Humor is still present, but relies mostly on slapstick humor, thus making it not nearly the funniest Disney/Pixar film. There is also a large degree of style such as several tinted and uniquely oriented shots aided by the addition of top-notch cinematographer Roger Deakins.
Perhaps the most accomplished aspect of this film however is the sound design. Ben Burtt, best known for creating the sounds of the Star Wars universe, was invited to this project to create the many sound of this universe including the entirely digital voices of the robot characters. Another Oscar for sound editing might be on the way for Burtt, for creating unique voices based on sound effects that can actually annunciate mostly audible words.
Despite the slapstick, Wall-E is probably the most adult film from Disney/Pixar and can be enjoyed by anyone despite a somewhat underdeveloped story and disturbing visions of the future. But for an enjoyable mostly silent film of imagination, wonder, and love, Wall-E is adorable and may once again save Earth.
Stars: 3.5 (out of 4)
Oscar Contention: Original Screenplay, Sound, Sound Editing, Score, Animated Film
Review: The Incredible Hulk
Semi-sequel, semi-reboot, comic adaptation The Incredible Hulk promises what you would expect from a Hulk film, but I never expected that promise to be much.
Once the military, headed once again by General Ross (William Hurt) finds Banner, its another cat and mouse game of running, making him angry, and emerging of the Hulk to smash the military to pieces. But instead of a creepy as real-life Nick Nolte as the adversary, we have Tim Roth as a British soldier who desires the Hulk’s power, and thus becomes Abomination, a character that takes the Iron Man formula by giving the hero an enemy that is essentially a bigger and uglier version of the hero. Of course, Liv Tyler is also on board as Banner’s love Betty Ross.
Hardcore Hulk fans, of which I don’t consider myself, will likely enjoy the film for its faithfulness to the classic series. There’s less talking and psychology, and more brainless smash and punch. Those fans might also notice tributes like a cameo by Hulk star Lou Ferrigo, and the iconic but unnecessary line “Hulk smash!” But when you combine this with references and setups to other Marvel films, as well as a few rip-offs, make the film feel completely unoriginal. These rip-offs include a foot chase scene through the balconies of Brazil similar to The Bourne Ultimatum, a hand-held camera tracking shot following the destruction of an evasive monster similar to Cloverfield, and a romantic cave on a cliff with a beauty and a large beast scene similar to Peter Jackson’s King Kong. I doubt I was the only one to notice these distracting similarities.
If you can get by these distractions and don’t mind the concept of extended unoriginal destruction sequences and plot holes over depth and character, you should enjoy the improved effects and an exciting battle between Hulk and Abomination. The sequences contain some original fighting but still can’t compare with the huge imaginative climax battle in Transformers. Yet the film continues to convince me that there can simply be no fully entertaining movie made about this particular hero. It’s just not movie material. So The Incredible Hulk can cause stimulating trips down memory lane for the fanboys, but dull distracting unwanted memories for non-boys.
Stars: 2.5 (out of 4)
Oscar Contention: Visual Effects, Sound, Sound Editing
Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Though it may be made for the 21st century audience, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a welcome addition to the timeless Indiana Jones series.
So a small group of Soviets seems like no match for this misfit team, but like always there are plenty of surprises along the way, including a mound of some giant creeperific ants. Besides the creature hoard scene, there are plenty of other familiar Indy elements including crazy stunts, clever one-liners and a thrilling car chase scene that surpasses those of its predecessors. And you’ve got to compliment Harrison Ford for performing some neck-breaking stuff at his age.
So all the heart and cleverness of the original film is still there. However, it comes with some extra baggage such as too many characters to keep track of, and some unnecessary plot tangents including one scene involving an atomic bomb test. And when it officially becomes an alien movie it suddenly feels like we’ve drifted into the wrong theater. And because it is so loyal to the original series, it feels like it would have been more appreciated in the ‘80s. Audiences have changed and the movie might not hold up to their metro expectations.
Nonetheless, due to several thrill a minute sequences, some stunning visual work, and essentially everything that made the original series great, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is an enjoyable experience for both the classic audiences and new generations.
Stars: 3 (out of 4)
Oscar Contention: Art Direction, Editing, Visual Effects, Sound, Sound Editing
Review: Iron Man
Contrary to the last two years, this summer season of action and mayhem starts off with an entertaining critical superhero success. Thy name: Iron Man.
From there it becomes a rather exciting action movie as the hero fights terrorists in the middle-east and faces off against his former business partner turned nemesis Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) who creates a bigger better armor suit of his own. There’s also a decent amount of comedy, often improvised by the talented Downey Jr. There is also an intriguing romantic subplot involving Stark’s assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), which is merely hinted at even though it never really goes anywhere.
Therefore, with a fair balance of action, comedy, and romance, there is something for everyone to enjoy about the film. This is an improvement over what I consider a somewhat consistently disappointing Spider-Man series for making it real rather than cartoonish, and cleverly serious rather than dramatically goofy. But I don’t hold it in as high of esteem as my beloved X-Men franchise, since it didn’t have the same plot-twisting, clever action choreography, or reflection upon society as that series. So this isn’t the best of the Marvel universe, but holds itself higher than a lot of what the studio has been throwing at us lately.
Yet despite all the attention to detail in the film, it is difficult to miss a couple of plot holes. How Stark survived a climactic explosion is never fully explained. And Jeff Bridges’ character doesn’t seem to be crazy enough to explain the crazy things that he does. Those details aside, the film is exciting, energetic and a perfect addition to the Marvel superhero universe.
Stars: 3 (out of 4)
Oscar Contention: Visual Effects, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
5. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Frankly, I wasn’t a huge fan of the first Chronicles of Narnia film from 2005. It was well made and I’m sure worked well for kids. But it didn’t give the romantic tragedy and dark threat that Lord of the Rings had. It was like Lord of the Rings Jr. But perhaps the second one will be different.
The second chapter in the Chronicles of Narnia series continues a few years after The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe left off with the Pevensie children a little older and returning to Narnia to find it in ruins. And the only one that can help them is Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes). James McAvoy doesn’t reprise his role as Mr. Tumnus, but we will see newly dubbed Oscar winner Tilda Swinton return as the White Witch.
I actually don’t have much faith in this film since I wasn’t greatly impressed with the first film, and this one really doesn’t seem any different. Also, I really don’t know what can become of this series when they started it off with the best book, and the series can only go down. But this appears to be a weak summer, and I can find no other qualified choice to make this list.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian hits theaters May 16. Watch the trailer here.
4. Wall-E
Now that Disney/Pixar films have officially become an annual tradition, they officially have a spot reserved on this annual list of summer films of mine. And seeing as how none before have disappointed, I have no reason to believe any future Disney/Pixar films will.
Wall-E is about a robot left on Earth in the future to clean up mess after mankind leaves the planet. Then Wall-E meets a female robot and falls in love. This looks like the first Disney/Pixar film that is entirely a romance story. Other plot details are vague but it looks like a dialogue-light adventure story dependent on slapstick comedy and cuteness, like a jittery E.T.
This actually might be the first film where the main character is played by a sound technician, in this case, it’s Oscar winning sound editor Ben Burtt, best known for creating the technology noises in the Star Wars films. What Wall-E will probably bring more than Disney/Pixar predecessors is technology. This looks like the best computer animation to date, and involves some of the most innovative sound edits to create the many robot voices. So for the technology and for Disney/Pixar I look forward to this.
Wall-E hits theaters June 27. Watch the trailer here.
3. Iron Man
I’ve been sort of all over the place lately with recent superhero movies. I loved the X-Men trilogy, was indifferent about the Spider-Man trilogy, and hated Superman Returns. And I’m not sure how the latest Marvel adaptation Iron Man (or for that matter The Incredible Hulk) will hold up. It’s a superhero I don’t know a lot about, but I’m eager to learn.
Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, the billionaire and weapons designer who becomes the man in the Iron Man mask after a near-fatal attack. His suit keeps him alive and helps him protect the people who he puts in harms way. Gwenyth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, and Jeff Bridges also star.
The film has certainly generated a lot of fanboy hype, but I remain somewhat skeptical. Standards for superhero movies have grown high, and it will take more than Downey’s charming performance to make this one stand out. If it delivers great action, comedy and spectacle, then I’m totally in.
Iron Man hits theaters May 2. Watch the trailer here.
2. The Dark Knight
Now we enter the really good stuff. The Dark Knight is director Christopher Nolan’s follow-up to 2005’s Batman Begins. Contrary to most, I actually found Batman Begins to be a little underwhelming, since it had somewhat of an anti-climactic ending and violated a few characters. But I love Nolan’s style and hope he can do better things with this sequel.
In this escapade, the caped crusader (Christian Bale) faces off against the Joker (the late Heath Ledger), the most iconic of all Batman villains. Further plot details are unknown, but seeing Ledger’s interpretation of the Joker should be enough. That is clearly what is going to be the most talked about issue with this film. The Joker will always be Ledger’s last completed role and it looks to be a spectacular one, by portraying the Joker not as a practical jokester like Jack Nicholson did 19 years ago. Ledger’s interpretation is more of a dark insanity, exemplified by an uneven smeared Joker face that could land him posthumous Oscar consideration.
This film will be quite an experience. It will have the excitement and darkness of all the best Batman films, but will at the same time have a sympathetic tone as we witness the last great performance of a great young actor. I have great faith in this project to be a hit, and possibly a big Oscar contender.
The Dark Knight hits theaters July 18. Watch the trailer here.
1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull
This trailer premiered about a month ago, and burst me into excitement immediately. After the recap of the previous three Indy films, we see a silhouette pick up the iconic tomb raider hat, and the triumphant John Williams score begin as our hero jumps into action swinging, driving, punching, and crashing, with enough time to deliver a quick one-liner. It’s impossible to watch this short trailer without being reminded of the greatness of the thirty-year old Raiders of the Lost Ark.
This is one of the most under-wrapped plots. But from what we can tell, a now 60+ year old Indy is in South America looking for the “Crystal Skulls” which may or may not be alien artifacts. Joining him are former Indy girl Dr. Ravenwood (Karen Allen) and a James Dean type kid (Shia Labeouf) who may or may not be Indy’s son. Cate Blanchett plays the Cleopatra-topped Russian villainess. And like the original, it involves tomb raiding, vicious natives, big car chases, and plenty of stunts.
This seems like a sequel made in heaven. Not only is Harrison Ford back in fantastic shape for the role, but director Steven Spielberg and writer/producer George Lucas are also back on the team. There’s no reason to believe that this won’t pack everything the original did and also inspire a new group of fans. So many sequels disappoint due to their lack of original teams or original concepts, but this one is in tact. Indiana Jones will once again whip up our excitement and swing into action.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hits theaters May 23. Watch the trailer here.
Likely to be disappointments:
The Happening, Kung Fu Panda, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Speed Racer
Undecided:
Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Incredible Hulk, Mama Mia, Tropic Thunder
This thought randomly occured to me last night. The SAG winners usually match up with the Oscar acting winners in any given year. However, when they do not match up, the SAG winner's film has usually made more money at the box office than that of the Oscar winner. I've compiled this chart which shows several instances in the last 14 years that the SAG and Oscar winners have disagreed, and shows the box office for each of those films. The box office money is in millions.
-
SAG Winner
Oscar Winner
2008
Supporting Actress
Ruby Dee (American Gangster)
$130
Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)
$50
2007
Supporting Actor
Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
$103
Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine)
$60
2006
Supporting Actor
Paul Giamatti (Cinerella Man)
$62
George Clooney (Syriana)
$51
2004
Actor
Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean)
$305
Sean Penn (Mystic River)
$90
2003
Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis (Gangs of New York)
$78
Adrien Brody (The Pianist)
$33
2003
Actress
Renee Zellweger (Chicago)
$171
Nicole Kidman (The Hours)
$42
2003
Supporting Actor
Christopher Walken (Catch Me if You Can)
$165
Chris Cooper (Adaptation)
$22
2002
Actor
Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind)
$171
Denzel Washington (Training Day)
$77
2002
Supporting Actor
Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings)
$313
Jim Broadbent (Iris)
$6
2001
Supporting Actress
Judi Dench (Chocolat)
$72
Marcia Gay Harden (Pollock)
$9
2000
Actress
Annette Bening (American Beauty)
$130
Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry)
$12
1999
Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall (A Civil Action)
$57
James Coburn (Affliction)
$6
1996
Supporting Actor
Ed Harris (Apollo 13)
$172
Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects)
$23
1996
Supporting Actress
Kate Winslet (Sense and Sensibility)
$43
Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite)
$6
1995
Actress
Jodie Foster (Nell)
$34
Jessica Lange (Blue Sky)
$3
Besides those listed, there are only six other times in SAG history that they disagreed with the Oscar winners, however, three of those disagreements can be attributed to lead/supporting disagreement (ie when the SAG put Jennifer Connelly in lead for A Beautiful Mind and the Oscars put her in supporting). Therefore, out of 18 logical disagreements, 15 of them have the SAG winner making more money. That is a tough statistic to disprove, therefore I believe this to be no coincidence.
I think there is a logical explanation. The Oscar voters get the pleasure of private film screenings and free DVDs before they do their voting. Therefore, they have often seen most or all of the nominees by the time they vote. However, the voting SAG members don't usually get the opportunity of screenings and DVDs as much, so they usually have to pay to see the movie in theaters. Therefore, a film's box-office is reflective of how many SAG voters saw it, and therefore reflective of how many SAG voters will vote for it. A film's box-office however does not reflect how many Oscar voters see it. Therefore, a lower-grossing film is less likely to win an acting Oscar than a SAG award, because there is less likelihood that SAG voters have seen it.
What we can learn from this: if you're predicting the SAG awards, and you want to make a bold prediction against the consensus, you should predict a film that made more money than the consensus pick. Also, if you are predicting an Oscar-winner just because they won the SAG award, make sure the SAG award is because of the performance and not because of the box-office.
5. Horton Hears a Who
To date, there have been two Dr. Seuss films, a good one and a bad one. Therefore whether this one will be good or not is a big question mark, and I really don’t know about it. But because there is nothing else, it just barely made the list.
The film features the voices of Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell. Carrey plays an elephant named Horton who discovers a society on a grain of dust. There was a time I would see anything with Jim Carrey in it, but he has chosen some bad material lately, and this might be part of that.
Horton Hears a Who hits theaters March 14. Watch the trailer here.
4. 10,000 B.C.
With the success of Cloverfield as well as other recent films, I think it is becoming evident that original story non-sequels without any known stars can be successful again. This film might be an example of that.
10,000 B.C. takes place in the time mentioned during the coming of the ice age with early humans as well as mammoths and saber-tooth tigers. This will probably be the biggest effects film of Spring, with effects mastermind Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow) directing. For that reason, it might be worth it.
10,000 B.C. hits theaters March 7. Watch the trailer here.
3. Be Kind Rewind
Ever since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, fans have been waiting for director Michel Gondry’s next quirky film. This is it. It might be one of the most clever comedies of the season, and makes lots of film parodies without the immaturities of films like Meet the Spartans.
Jack Black and Mos Def star as video rental store owners whose tapes get ruined so they recreate the films by reenacting them all. The trailer looked pretty funny, particularly the two leads doing a Driving Miss Daisy scene. Though it probably won’t be as wonderful as Eternal Sunshine, it might be worth it.
Be Kind Rewind hits theaters February 22. Watch the trailer here.
2. Cloverfield
This preview is clearly late since the film came out two weeks ago. But I still have not seen it and hope to do so after the Oscar season. What I find most unique is that there have been several reports of people getting sick in the theater from the camera jerkiness. Great!
Cloverfield is a mesh of Godzilla and Blair Witch. A monster destroys New York and the events are captured on a young guys home camcorder. That’s the film. Not a traditional formula, but I think box-office is indicating that untraditional formulas can be successful these days.
Cloverfield hits theaters January 18. Watch the trailer here.
1. Jumper
Again, I’m not even sure I’ll be seeing this, but it simply seems like the best. Being from the director of The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith is the first sign it should be good, and contains the same sort of fast action in a modern setting. I’m sold.
The film stars Hayden Christensen and Jamie Bell as guys with the power to teleport, similar to Nightcrawler in X-Men, only these guys can skip across the world. Samuel L. Jackson is some guy determined to bring them down. I’d like to see the climactic battle between Christensen and Jackson, which would obviously bring back memories of Star Wars episode III. If they can come up with creative teleport methods, I’m definitely seeing it.
Jumper hits theaters February 14. Watch the trailer here.
Likely to be disappointments:
Everything else. It is Spring after all.