March 6th
CHAPPIE (SCI-FI/ACTION)
Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity.
In the latest film from Neill Blomkamp, writer/director of socio-politically conscious sci-fi films DISTRICT 9 and ELYSIUM, "CHAPPiE" is an experimental robotic law enforcement unit designed to learn and feel, with voice and performance capture by Sharlto Copley, Blomkamp's regular collaborator. CHAPPIE appears to be returning to the wells that brought about films like ROBOCOP, SHORT CIRCUIT and A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, which Blomkamp will presumably bring a hard edge to, but CHAPPIE also promises to be more whimsical than his previous work. DISTRICT 9 was brilliant, but full disclosure, I've not seen ELYSIUM, which was considered a bit of a letdown. Either way, CHAPPIE promises to be unique, and probably not for everyone.
March 6thUNFINISHED BUSINESS (COMEDY)
Directed by Ken Scott; Starring: Vince Vaughn, Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco, Nick Frost, Sienna Miller, June Diane Raphael, Ella Anderson, James Marsden
Rated R for some strong risque sexual content/graphic nudity, and for language and drug use.
A small business owner (Vince Vaughn) and his associates (Tom Wilkinson and Dave Franco) travel to Europe to close a business deal with life-changing implications, but the trip turns into a series of comically extreme misadventures in this THE HANGOVER/roadtrip-style comedy from the director of DELIVERY MAN. The combination of Wilkinson and Franco is very promising, although Vaughn is a problematic leading man, but in the end, it appears to be walking the line between goofy humor and an overly nasty edge.
March 13th
CINDERELLA (FAMILY-FANTASY/ROMANCE)
Rated PG for mild thematic elements.
The advertising for Disney's live-action adaptation of the classic fairy tale gives the whole story from beginning to end, but there's no sense in complaining, because they apparently haven't made any noteworthy changes to the story as everyone knows it. Obviously it's not like the shot-for-shot remake experiment of Gus Van Sant's 1998 film PSYCHO, but it does beg the question, if it's the same thing, does a newly polished veneer and a no-doubt stunning production design by Academy Award-winner Dante Ferretti make enough of a difference? Even still, there's something refreshing about such a straightforward, earnest approach after the manufactured action-adventure of MALEFICENT and ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Downton Abbey's Lily James stars as the eponymous scullery maid, with Cate Blanchett as her cruel stepmother and Helena Bonham Carter (who else?) as Cinderella's Fairy Godmother.
March 13thRUN ALL NIGHT (ACTION/CRIME)
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra; Starring: Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Genesis Rodriguez, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ed Harris, Boyd Holbrook, Common
Rated R for strong violence, language including sexual references, and some drug use.
Talented character actor turned middle-of-the-road action star Liam Neeson reunites with the director of last year's NON-STOP in another insane action movie, with Neeson as an aging hitman who is forced to protect his estranged son (Joel Kinnaman) and family by waging a war against his brutal former mob boss (Ed Harris). Expect no big surprises here, this is another Neeson starring vehicle action-thriller.
March 20th
THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT (ACTION/SCI-FI)
Directed by Robert Schwentke; Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort, Ray Stevenson, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Maggie Q, Jai Courtney, Miles TellerRated PG-13 for intense violence and action throughout, some sensuality, thematic elements and brief language.
I sort of feel bad for the people who are really looking forward to this movie. The first one in the series was an adequately executed but inherently brain-dead concept that falls apart on a second viewing, but for this sequel, Lionsgate has brought on board director Robert Schwentke (the man who brought us the 2013 mega-flop R.I.P.D.) and the infamous screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (writer of BATMAN & ROBIN and writer/director of last year's A WINTER'S TALE). If THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT doesn't turn out to be an utter travesty it will be a surprise. It's strongest card to play is its hopelessly likable star Shailene Woodley, who plays Tris, the rare individual with multiple personality traits in her dystopian future world, which makes her a fugitive. There will be revolution and sexy times as Tris and the other "divergents" wage war against Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet) and her Erudite faction. And even while I feel bad for many of them, a significant number of this minor franchise's more fervent fan-base of shallow teen girls will be all too pleased as long as Theo James takes off his shirt. At least Tris is a better role model than Bella Swan.
March 20th
DO YOU BELIEVE? (DRAMA)
Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements, an accident sequence and some violence.
The film studio that brought you the news that rocked the world, proving that God exists because you can't prove he doesn't (that's what faith is about, isn't it?) in the surprise 2014 hit GOD'S NOT DEAD, which brought delight to bad movie mavens everywhere, now has an all new Christian MAGNOLIA-wannabe with DO YOU BELIEVE? The movie follows twelve stories to confirm its target audience's baseless fears of being the most victimized demographic in America (Christians), perpetuated by fear-mongering e-mail forwards, but then showing them how, by "coming out" as Christians, they can overcome Satan. Right, okay, well, moving on... No, actually, like with GOD'S NOT DEAD, I really want to see this, but I don't want to spend money that will go directly towards its makers. If this was on Netflix for streaming, I would probably watch the hell out of this.
March 20thTHE GUNMAN (ACTION-THRILLER)
Directed by Pierre Morel; Starring: Sean Penn, Idris Elba, Ray Winstone, Mark Rylance, Javier Bardem, Peter Franzen, Mark Schardan, Jasmine Trinca, Rachel Lascar
Not Yet Rated
Sean Penn tries to do his own TAKEN, with the director of the original TAKEN no less, as the latest over-the-hill star to play an ex-Special Forces agent with a personal vendetta. As an ex-Special Forces agent turned military contractor, Penn plays a man working for a company who he learns has been using him for dirty work. When he wants out, the company throws everything they have at him, or something like that. With a cast that includes Idris Elba, Ray Winstone and Javier Bardem, THE GUNMAN could be a cut above the rest of the "aging action hero" sub-genre.
March 27thGET HARD (COMEDY)
Directed by Etan Cohen; Starring: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison Brie, Edwina Findley, Craig T. Nelson, T.I., Dan Bakkedahl, Gary Owen, Jay Pharoah
Rated R for pervasive crude and sexual content and language, some graphic nudity, and drug material.
Will Ferrell plays a white collar criminal sentenced to ten years in prison, so he hires a black man (Kevin Hart), who unbeknownst to him is actually a mild-mannered suburbanite, to train him how to "get hard" and survive his time on the inside and not get raped. On the one hand, both prison rape and race culture-clash comedies seem to be a bit overdone now, but on the other hand, the advertising is very funny and the Will Ferrell-Kevin Hart teaming has promise. Ferrell and ANCHORMAN-director Adam McKay are producing through their company Gary Sanchez Productions with Etan Cohen, writer of TROPIC THUNDER, making his directorial debut.
March 27th
HOME (ANIMATED-COMEDY/FAMILY)
Rated PG for mild action and some rude humor.
Oh, DreamWorks, DreamWorks, DreamWorks. In another attempt to create a new animated franchise with their stable of characters growing increasingly thin, their newest feature is adapted from a children's book called The True Meaning of Smekday, complete with the typical DreamWorks Animation stunt voice casting including The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons, pop star Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez and comic icon Steve Martin. Searching for a new home planet, the "Boov" race invade Earth and relocate humans, but a human girl manages to escape and team up with Oh (Parsons), a banished Boov. It looks colorful, it looks loud and it looks hopelessly juvenile, but it's made for kids, so whatever.
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