Everyone waits until the year is over to compile their “Best of whatever” movie lists. This has become a mundane practice. Time for a bit of a change, kids.
Six new players from last week all found spots on every part of the bench (list). Some, such as ParaNorman, got to sit right next to the coach because of their stellar play. Others, like the overrated Why Stop Now, found their way toward the end of the pine, specifically, sitting on the floor with a towel. And then there’s the unknowns in Robot & Frank, who hustle with their limited talent and impress the coaching staff. Everyone gets a shot, but only a few earn playing time and are worthy of fans’ hard-earned loot.
The new releases for the respective week will have a capsule review at the end of the column. An updated list comes out every Monday. Here’s how things are shaking up so far in 2012:
1. Chronicle
2. The Dark Knight Rises
3. The Cabin in the Woods
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. ParaNorman
6. The Avengers
7. Red Tails
8. The Grey
9. Game Change
10. The Secret World of Arrietty
11. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
12. Friends with Kids
13. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
14. The Raid: Redemption
15. The Odd Life of Timothy Green
16. Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds
17. Big Miracle
18. Think Like a Man
19. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
20. Brake
21. Robot & Frank
22. Hope Springs
23. Rock of Ages
24. HeadHunters
25. Hemingway and Gellhorn
26. Mirror Mirror
27. People Like Us
28. Magic Mike
29. Total Recall (2012)
30. The Campaign
31. Ted
32. 21 Jump Street
33. Snow White and the Huntsman
34. This Means War
35. God Bless America
36. The Three Stooges
37. Gone
38. The Amazing Spider-Man
39. Blue Like Jazz
40. Ruby Sparks
41. American Reunion
42. Jeff, Who Lives at Home
43. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
44. Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best
45. Katy Perry: Part of Me
46. The Expendables 2
47. Ice Age: Continental Drift
48. Juan of the Dead
49. Prometheus
50. Hysteria
51. The Dictator
52. Safe
53. Searching for Sonny
54. Brave
55. The Hunger Games
56. John Carter
57. Wrath of the Titans
58. Dead Dad
59. Underworld: Awakening
60. The Devil Inside
61. Livid
62. The Five-Year Engagement
63. Downtown Express
64. Sparkle
65. Savages
66. Sound of My Voice
67. Project X
68. Men in Black 3
69. Piranha 3DD
70. Dark Shadows
71. The Raven
72. The Bourne Legacy
73. [Rec] 3 Genesis
74. Silent House
75. That’s My Boy
76. Darling Companion
77. Bully
78. The Watch
79. What to Expect When You’re Expecting
80. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
81. Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding
82. Lockout
83. The Woman in Black
84. The Vow
85. Man on a Ledge
86. Step Up Revolution
87. Extraterrestrial
88. The Lucky One
89. Contraband
90. The Samaritan
91. Act of Valor
92. 4:44 Last Day on Earth
93. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
94. Safe House
95. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
96. To Rome with Love
97. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
98. Why Stop Now
99. The Pirates! Band of Misfits
100. Kill List
101. Chernobyl Diaries
102. Haywire
103. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection
104. A Thousand Words
105. Joyful Noise
106. Battleship
107. Wanderlust
Not Screened: One for the Money, Casa De Mi Padre, Chimpanzee, High School, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Nitro Circus 3D
REVIEWS (click on title for full write-up)
This may have set the record for gratuitous winks at the audience. And that’s because each action star alternates winking with both eyes in just about every bloody scene. Thumping guns and bad dialogue litter the middle portions. A weak attempt at substance, in this case showing the bond of Stallone and Statham’s character, ends up being a bland time-filler to the next bloodbath. When the climatic showdown is triggered, the cheap-pop physical storytelling in this extended battle makes the punishment of hearing pathetic cheesy lines all worthwhile. It’s (still on the climax) pretty much iconic and delivers what all classic action fans were looking for in part 1.
Sparkle is flying all over and lands in convenient sitcom places. One sequence will play out similar to a Nickelodeon movie then all of a sudden it can turn into 1989’s Harlem Nights. Oh, and between all that, the cast belts out a few Motown hits from the ‘60s in this 116 minute predictable drama.
The only thing one will take away from this 85 minute scamper is that Jesse Eisenberg and Melissa Leo know how to act. Well that, and Tracy Morgan solidifies that he is hit-or-miss in onscreen comedies. Unfortunately, there isn’t much else here; to the point that this review has to end now, for there truly is nothing else to write about without insanely reaching/stretching by yours truly…
Not joking. And neither is Why Stop Now.
What a late summer movie season treat this is! The 93 minute 3D stop-motion animation, that doesn’t look like the others shoved down our throats, is a clever love letter to the classic horror movie loyalists. And it also has a subtle spoof humor and exceptional visuals to please just about any demographic who enjoys heading to the theaters.
Overall, this is a visual story that is rewarding no matter what walk of life you come from. Not to sound like a PR rep, but you will smile, chuckle, ponder and more importantly, feel. And once again, the lead performers were marvelous to the point that it almost felt as if they found a new method of acting in these types of films.
ROBOT & FRANK (coming soon)
Granted, it’s not the most emotional moving piece, and that’s mainly because the filmmakers choose to keep this relatively light and playful. But it does encompass an uber-subtle commentary about the lost art of values. For as technology grows with future generations, pertinent elements the previous generations valued, may be long forgotten.
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