March 7th
300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (ACTION/WAR)
Directed Noam Murro; Starring Sullivan Stapleton, Rodrigo Santoro, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson
Rated R for strong sustained sequences of stylized bloody violence throughout, a sex scene, nudity and some language.
300, the brainless and unfortunately influential fanboy action epic from 2007 gets this follow-up finally seven years later, after a lengthy gestation deciding whether it was a prequel focusing on the the first film's villain, Xerxes (initially, this film was to be named for him), or a sequel taking place after the first film's events. After all, of those 300 in the title, 299 die, so a traditional sequel wasn't really in the cards. So is this a sequel? Well, kind of. It takes place before, during and after the first film's events. Again, the plot involves a highly-stylized, pulpy take on historic events in the Greco-Persian Wars, particularly involving the Athenian politician Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) and Queen Artemisia I of Caria (sexed-up Eva Green), and the Battle of Artemisium. If you liked the original for reasons beyond Gerard Butler, then I'm sure this will be your thing. Zack Snyder, who co-wrote the screenplay but has not returned to direct, has a video game-inspired visual style not too hard to replicate, and there will be no skimping on the blood.
March 7th
MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN (ANIMATED/ADVENTURE)
Directed by Rob Minkoff; Featuring the Voices of Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann, Allison Janney, Ariel Winter, Stanley Tucci, Mel Brooks, Patrick Warburton
Rated PG for some mild action and brief rude humor.
DreamWorks Animation has found themselves in a bit of a rut lately, with the best of their past three films being the unremarkable THE CROODS, and this upcoming animated adventure/comedy-fantasy doesn't look like it'll be bucking the trend. Based on the creepy Peabody's Improbable History segments from the creepy 1960s television cartoon, The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, Mr. Peabody is a hyper-intelligent talking dog (voiced by Modern Family's Ty Burrell) who lives with his adopted boy, Sherman (voiced by Max Charles). When Sherman and one of his peers use Mr. Peabody's time travel machine without permission, they may have irreparably damaged the space-time continuum (isn't that typical), and Peabody and Sherman have to race to fix everything before it goes too far, all the while interacting with an assortment of comical historical figures voiced by a line-up of celebrities. Rob Minkoff, who co-directed THE LION KING, one of my all-time favorites, actually has a pretty lackluster repertoire otherwise, having directed disappointments like THE HAUNTED MANSION and THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, but I don't expect this film to be terrible. I just don't think it looks particularly good.
March 7th
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (COMEDY/DRAMA)
Directed by Wes Anderson; Starring Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Owen Wilson, Bob Balaban
Rated R for language, some sexual content and violence.
Filmmaker Wes Anderson's style is very unique, arguably too unique, and this may just be his most Wes Anderson-y yet. M. Gustave H. is the legendary concierge of the famous Grand Budapest Hotel in Europe between the wars, who, with his best friend and confidante, bellhop Mr. Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham), are caught up in the intrigues of their clientele, including a stolen painting and a family fortune. Anderson, a critical darling, sometimes more deserving than at others, will most definitely be praised heavily for this film, plus it looks like one of his better ones, but for some it may be a matter of taste.
March 14th
NEED FOR SPEED (ACTION/CRIME)
Directed by Scott Waugh; Starring Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Scott Mescudi, Imogen Poots, Dakota Johnson, Micheal Keaton
Rated PG-13 for sequences of reckless street racing, disturbing crash sequences, nudity and crude language.
Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul) is a blue-collar mechanic recently released from prison for a crime he didn't commit, who becomes part of a ridiculous cross-country race for vengeance and redemption. As much as I love Aaron Paul as Jesse "Yo Bitch" Pinkman from TV's Breaking Bad, this is an adaptation of an Electronic Arts video game racing series, and it seems hard enough for Hollywood to adapt films from video games that have plot elements and characters, so that isn't promising. Furthermore, they hardly seem to be avoiding the inevitable Fast & Furious franchise comparisons, and worse, it's been written/produced/directed by Scott Waugh, the hack behind the unintentionally comedic Navy SEALs porn stunt, ACT OF VALOR (2012). Not interested.
March 14th
TYLER PERRY'S THE SINGLE MOMS CLUB (COMEDY-DRAMA)
Directed by Tyler Perry; Starring Nia Long, Amy Smart, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Terry Crews, Tyler Perry, Cocoa Brown
Rated PG-13 for some sexual material and thematic elements.
Tyler Perry's latest is about single mothers from different walks of life who start a support group to discuss and solve their problems. Tyler Perry's audience is what it is, and his movies rarely venture in interest beyond that audience. If you like his unique brand of loony cultural humor and soapy treatment of domestic tensions, you'll most likely enjoy this, but otherwise, it's doubtful to be of any interest.
March 21st
DIVERGENT (SCI-FI/ACTION)
Directed by Neil Burger; Starring Shailene Woodley, Miles Teller, Kate Winslet, Theo James, Ansel Elgort, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Maggie Q, Zoe Kravitz, Ashley Judd
Rated PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality.
Based on a popular young adult book series, heroine Beatrice "Tris" Prior (Shailene Woodley) lives in a dystopian Chicago where the population is divided into distinct factions based on their strengths and personalities in order to create the most efficient society. However, when Tris is tested to determine which faction she fits best, her test is inconclusive, labeling her a "divergent"; incompatible with any faction. Made a fugitive in her seemingly-utopian but sinister society, Tris is taken in by an underground group of rebels planning a revolution. DIVERGENT is yet another attempt to capitalize on the success of blockbuster young adult novel adaptations like THE HUNGER GAMES and TWILIGHT, while undoubtedly more influenced by the former, but both from the same Lionsgate/Summit studios. I'm not sure how it'll go over, having not read the books, but in spite of the potentially troublesome HUNGER GAMES comparisons, the series seems to have a larger than usual and enthusiastic fan-base. While many similar attempts to reach that audience, such as last year's BEAUTIFUL CREATURES and THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES, have consistently been disappointments, I think this has better odds of success and wide appeal, albeit not of THE HUNGER GAMES or TWILIGHT levels. My main reason for interest in the film is director Neil Burger, whose last film was the very good 2011 thriller LIMITLESS, as well as up-and-comer Shailene Woodley, who was a very likable lead in last year's THE SPECTACULAR NOW.
March 21st
MUPPETS MOST WANTED (FAMILY-COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Directed by James Bobin; Starring Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, Ricky Gervais; Featuring Muppet Performers Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, David Goelz, Bill Barretta, Matt Vogel, Peter Linz
Rated PG for some mild action.
After the Jim Henson's Muppet characters' reboot in 2011's THE MUPPETS, which paid direct homage to THE MUPPET MOVIE with "The Rainbow Connection" and a 'getting the band back together road trip' storyline, Disney's newest addition to their minor franchise is a film that appears to parallel THE MUPPET MOVIE's follow-up, THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER. With the success of their new Muppet Show revival, the Muppets are touring Europe, where they get entangled with an international crime caper after Kermit the Frog is mistaken for a notorious criminal who then takes Kermit's place along with his dastardly sidekick (Ricky Gervais). THE MUPPETS was a relatively minor hit in terms of established property franchises, but grossed enough on a moderate budget to justify this sequel, with director James Bobin and Academy Award-winning songwriter Bret McKenzie returning. The big change for this sequel, however, will be the absence of Jason Segel, who wrote and starred in the first film, but how big of a change that is is not yet clear. It's tricky to anticipate what a Disney film actually has in store, given their tendency to misrepresent films in their marketing (both THE MUPPETS and THE MUPPETS MOST WANTED have had lackluster marketing campaigns interspersed with occasionally inspired moments), but expect lots of self-aware humor and Muppet eccentricity. I'm willing to give it a shot.
March 28th
NOAH (BIBLICAL DRAMA)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky; Starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, Logan Lerman
Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images and brief suggestive content.
This is the most exciting film of the month for sure. Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, best known for low-budget independent thrillers including BLACK SWAN, THE WRESTLER and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, has been trying to make this passion project of his for a long-time, but with the acclaim and awards attention given his last couple of films, he finally had the clout to get backing for a $100 million+ bible epic. Based on the Noah of the Old Testament, of "Noah's Ark", the film considers Noah (played by Russell Crowe) as a guilt-ridden man chosen by God at the coming of a literal apocalypse. With his family, including his wife Naameh (Jennifer Connelly), son Ham (Logan Lerman, of PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER) and Ila (Emma Watson, of the Harry Potter film series), Noah constructs a massive ark to hold two of every land animal on Earth and his family, whilst also fending off the wicked descendants of Cain, who defy God and attempt to destroy Noah's family. Raised Jewish but without a prominently religious background, it's unlikely to be bogged down in proselyting and will most likely follow a mythological approach (although downplayed in the marketing, giants and "Watchers" referenced in scripture are reportedly a presence in the film). There was some concern a few months back when test screenings with various demographics had been poorly received, but were apparently studio cuts without Aronofsky's approval or knowledge. Since then, it has been reported that the studio (Paramount) has relinquished approval of the final cut to Aronofsky.
March 28th
SABOTAGE (ACTION/CRIME DRAMA)
Directed by David Ayer; Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard, Josh Holloway
Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some sexuality/nudity and drug use.
After John "Breacher" Wharton (Arnold Schwarznegger) leads a high-stakes raid on a cartel safe house, he and his elite DEA task force think their jobs are done, but one by one, each agent is being rubbed out, and everyone is a suspect. Schwarzenegger's still trying to reclaim his action star status from before his political career, but with generally tepid response; apparently the audience for that brand of Reagan-era, R-rated brawny action flicks is aging out. However, he does have TRAINING DAY-writer/END OF WATCH-director David Ayers writing and directing this time around, with a script loosely inspired by an Agatha Christie story, so it may be of some interest. I wouldn't expect much though.
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