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Summer Movie Preview:
It’s ba-aack…
The Ant Bully
Release Date: August 4
Director: John A. Davis ("The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius")
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Bruce Campbell, Zach Tyler Eisen, Paul Giamatti, Regina King, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep
Plot: Lucas Nickle (Eisen) is the new kid in town, and he hates every second of it. He’s friendless, lonely and, worst of all, picked on by the local bullies. Lucas can't take all this emotional abuse, so he channels his anger on an innocent anthill. You never want to mess with magical ants because they'll find a way to get their tiny arms on a potion and shrink you down to their size, so that you can toil away in their colony and learn important life lessons about friendship, strength, and courage. But most of all, they just want the extra pair of arms to build their colony.
Outtakes: Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, the same team that brought you The Polar Express, are producers on this project.
Worth the Admission: There will undoubtedly be some comparison to 1998’s Antz, if only because both movies are all about these little insects, and look and feel strikingly similar. But where Antz focused on the journey of one lone ant fighting for his colony, The Ant Bully will concentrate on an unlikely protagonist who terrorizes these innocent creatures. Undoubtedly, Lucas will learn a Very Important Lesson at the end, but the voyage there will have to be quite transcendent in order for the audience to gain any sympathy for a little boy who purposely burns bugs. This film won’t be for everyone.
Official Website: www2.warnerbros.com/antbully
Jet Li's Fearless
Fearless: Jet Li dares his competitors to "bring it." And they...do not.
Release Date: August 4
Director: Ronny Yu (Bride of Chucky, Freddy vs. Jason)
Starring: Jet Li, Betty Sun, Dong Yong, Nakamura Shidou
Plot: Jet Li is Huo Yuanjia, a revered and celebrated Chinese martial arts fighter in his prime during the turn of the 20th century. As his fame grows, Huo Yuanjia becomes reckless (not “fearless” – at least, not yet), spoiling for a fight wherever he goes. When one fight costs him the people he loves the most, Huo Yuanjia leaves home and disappears from the world in order to heal. But when an opportunity to defend his country in an international tournament arises, and by proxy a chance to redeem himself, Huo Yuanjia just can't stay away.
Outtakes: This film is based on the true story of Huo Yuanjia (1869-1910), who was the founder of the Jing Wu Association, which went on to become one of the first public martial arts schools in China. Huo Yuanjia's portrayal has also been explored by Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury (1972), and Jet Li's remake, Fist of Legend (1994).
Worth the Admission: Touted as Jet Li’s last “epic” film (whatever that means), Fearless looks like it’s going to be a ferocious martial arts good time. In the trailer, Li takes on about five million different fighters who all look like rejects from the set of Street Fighter. But because it’s Li, and he can fight whomever he damn pleases, it works.
Official Website: www.fearlessthemovie.comThe Night Listener
Release Date: August 4
Director: Patrick Stettner (The Business of Strangers)
Starring: Robin Williams, Toni Collette, Sandra Oh, Rory Culkin, Joe Morton
Plot: Gabriel Noone (Williams), a public radio host, begins a phone relationship with one of his listeners, young Pete (Culkin), and his social worker Donna (Collette). Pete recounts stories of traumatic childhood traumas and painful abuse. But soon Gabriel realizes that Pete's stories don't add up – and that he may not exist at all.
Outtakes: Based on Armistead Maupin's novel of the same name. This film originally premiered at The Sundance Film Festival.
Worth the Admission: The Night Listener has been sitting on the shelves for some time, which could mean a number of things, including little faith in the project and incapability in the studio to market the film. Or, it could mean that the film is so awesome that the studio just wanted to wait for the perfect time to unleash it upon the general public. The latter rarely happens, but I’m hoping that when The Night Listener is released, whenever that may be, it will please moviegoers. The best-selling novel that the film is based on is certainly interesting, and seeing Robin Williams tackle another dramatic role is always enticing. For some extra credit, pick up the book by Armistead Maupin, or check out the analogous true story of J. T. Leroy, a hoax that managed to fool the literary world.
Official Website: www.thenightlistener-movie.comTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Release Date: August 4
Director: Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy)
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sascha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb
Plot: NASCAR racers Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) and Cal Naughton Jr. (Reilly) are known in racing circles as "Thunder" and "Lightning" for their uncanny ability to always place first and second, respectively. When a flamboyant French Formula One driver, Jean Girard (Cohen), threatens Ricky Bobby's supremacy, it's going to be a wacky a race to the finish line.
Outtakes: Producers kept things simple by pitching the concept to studios as, "Six words: Will Ferrell as a Nascar driver."
Worth the Admission: Will Ferrell is a funny man. He knows it, I know it, you know it. But it’s disappointing when his projects aren’t up to par with his comedic capabilities, and this is the case with Talladega Nights. It’s never a good day when co-stars manage to be more likeable and charismatic than the lead, and so far, I’m liking Reilly a tad more than Ferrell’s over-the-top Ricky Bobby. Aside from the minor annoyances, Talladega Nights shouldn’t be all that bad: Sascha Baron Cohen, better known as Ali G, should shine as Ricky Bobby’s flashy and gaudy foe.
Official Website: www.sonypictures.com/movies/talladeganights/World Trade Center
Release Date: August 9
Director: Oliver Stone (Natural Born Killers, Alexander)
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Michael Peña, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jay Hernandez
Plot: World Trade Center celebrates the heroics of the rescuers at the World Trade Center on that fateful September day. This dramatization is based on true events surrounding the rescue efforts of John McLoughlin (Cage) and Will Jimeno (Pena), two Port Authority policemen who are trapped under rubble when they go in to help survivors. The film spans twenty-four hours of that tragic day, and will also focus on the families of these two men as they await for word about their loved ones.
Outtakes: Oliver Stone on World Trade Center: "I've not only done political movies. I've done lots of different kinds of movie and this is a human story, not a political one."
Worth the Admission: Preliminary word on the trailer doesn't look good, despite Cage’s rockin’ mustache. Stone has a penchant for sensationalizing his movies to provoke a response and, although he seems to have a softer touch on World Trade Center, it is Stone after all. A touching and moving film for sure, but not everyone will like their emotions so blatantly manipulated and handed to them neatly wrapped with a bow.
Official Website: www.wtcmovie.comAccepted
Release Date: August 11
Director: Steve Pink (Debut)
Starring: Justin Long, Jonah Hill, Blake Lively, Adam Herschman, Maria Thayer, Anthony Heald
Plot: High school grad Bartleby "B" Gaines (Long) is looking for some acceptance from college admissions, but he isn't getting the love. Perhaps some studying would have helped? But regardless of his situation, B is nothing short of overachiever when he decides to fool his parents and sets up a fake alternative college, South Harmon. Soon, similar rejected students migrate to South Harmon, making B's ruse hard to keep up. In the end, will B's plan be found out? Will he get the girl of his dreams? Or will he live a life in prison, only to find Hollywood bidding for his rights in a tell-all movie?
Outtakes: Some of you may recognize star Justin Long from Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, and Herbie: Fully Loaded.
Worth the Admission: Justin Long is one of my favourite non-recognized, who-the-hell-is-he? actors around. There’s just something so innocent and unassuming about him, and he makes the sweetest, most unconventionally handsome leading man. So good for him for landing a starring gig, but bad for him that it has to be this film. Let’s hope that B does get the girl and avoid jail in the end, so that Long may continue his career and pick better projects the next time around. And here's something to think about when you're looking up the show times for this film: writing duo Adam Cooper and Bill Collage only have one prior credit in their name: New York Minute, starring Mary-Kate and Ashely Olsen.
Official Website: www.acceptedmovie.com
Step Up
Step Up: Where Dirty Dancing meets 8 Mile meets the bargain bins at Blockbuster.
Release Date: August 11
Director: Anne Fletcher (Debut)
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan, Mario, Drew Sidora, Rachel Griffiths
Plot: Tyler Gage (Tatum) is a rebel from the wrong side of the surprisingly clean Hollywood version of the Baltimore tracks, who gets a second chance at life, love, and redemption when a community service stint (see, didn't I say Tyler was a rebel?) sends him to the Maryland School of the Arts – not to dance, unfortunately, but to clean toilets. Nevertheless, Tyler is a rough-around-the-edges dance savant who hooks up with Nora (Dewan), an over-privileged ballet dancer who desperately needs a partner for her senior showcase. Dancing hilarity ensues, but you know Tyler’s mad and unorthodox dancing skills will win everyone over eventually.
Outtakes: Channing Tatum is no stranger to endorsements: he has done modeling campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch and Dolce & Gabbana, as well as starred in commercials for Mountain Dew ("Drive") and Pepsi ("Scratching").
Worth the Admission: Tatum has all the acting range of Vin Diesel, but will hopefully fare better with the kissing scenes, or at least be better at pretending that he actually likes his co-star. Since Dirty Dancing, have any dance-centric movies ever done well at the box office? I guess it doesn’t really matter since it’s a rhetorical question and Step Up is fated to become the next Center Stage, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, and Take The Lead. Also, Baltimore is the new Detroit, and what is Rachel Griffiths doing here?
Official Website: www.myspace.com/stepupmovieThe Return of Zoom
Release Date: August 11
Director: Pete Hewitt (Tom and Huck, Garfield)
Starring: Tim Allen, Courteney Cox, Chevy Chase, Spencer Breslin, Rip Torn, Kate Mara
Plot: Captain Zoom (Allen) is an out-of-work, out-of-shape superhero that has to hang up the Cheetos and return to hero mode when he is enlisted to help train a new generation of superheroes.
Outtakes: Based on the graphic novel by Jason Lethcoe, Zoom's Academy for the Super Gifted, this film has prompted a court battle over infringement rights. Marvel Enterprises and Twentieth Century Fox have sued Sony Pictures and Revolution Studios for finding concepts in the story similar to those found in the X-Men series.
Worth the Admission: It’s nice to see Cox getting post-“Friends” work, but Zoom will do little do alleviate the “Seinfeld”-like curse that has now plagued the “Friends” cast. Zoom is about two years too late in joining the kiddie superhero movie bandwagon that has popped up after the very bankable The Incredibles, and will have to feature Tim Allen in a Santa superhero suit in order to garner any interest.
Official Website: www.sonypictures.comThe Illusionist
Release Date: August 18
Director: Neil Burger (Interview with the Assassin)
Starring: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell, Eddie Marsan, James Babson, Brian Caspe
Plot: Set in 1900 Vienna, The Illusionist follows the life of famed stage magician, Eisenheim (Norton), who falls in love with a woman of much higher standing. If things weren't bad enough, Duchess von Teschen (Biel) is the fiancée to slimy and soulless Crown Prince Leopold (Sewell). Eisenheim and the Duchess plot to run away together, but when Leopold gets a whiff of these plans, he enlists in the help of Chief Inspector Uhl (Giamatti). When the Duchess is killed, Einsenheim is the chief suspect and sets out to use his powers of illusion to bring down Leopold and exact his revenge.
Outtakes: Based on Steven Millhauser's 1990 short story, "Eisenheim the Illusionist" (in The Barnum Museum). The Illusionist premiered at The Sundance Film Festival.
Worth the Admission: Every penny, especially if you’re a Norton fan and can’t get enough of his tortured soul. Biel is an interesting casting choice, especially for a emotionally laden period piece but, considering we learn about the Duchess’ fate well before the film’s release, it’s safe to say that however her performance may mar, it won’t last too long. Sewell and Giamatti also make formidable supporting actors, and the film’s riveting central mystery doesn’t disappoint.
Official Website: www.theillusionist.comIn the Land of Women
Release Date: August 18
Director: Jonathan Kasdan (Debut)
Starring: Adam Brody, Kristen Stewart, Makenzie Vega, Clark Gregg, Elena Anaya, Meg Ryan, Olympia Dukakis
Plot: Carter Webb (Brody) is nursing a broken heart after being dumped by girlfriend Sophia (Anaya). He retreats to Michigan to care for his ailing grandmother (Dukakis) and meets the family across the street: Sarah Hardwicke (Meg Ryan), mother of teenage Lucy (Stewart) and tween Paige (Vega). Through his relationship with each complex woman, Carter discovers that there's more to life than...whatever it was that he previously thought.
Outtakes: This is Meg Ryan's first film since the abysmal flop Against the Ropes (2004).
Worth the Admission: Movies like these are promising – take an adorably flawed protagonist from Small Town, USA, place him in a city core like New York or Los Angeles, make him disillusioned by the bleak big city life, give him a nervous breakdown/firing/broken heart, and return him to his place of origin in order to grow as a person. Regrettably, most of these movies don’t work because a) they’re way too slow; b) they tend to be dialogue-heavy but also very cliché-ridden; c) they’re formulaic; and d) too pretentious for anyone to take seriously. In the Land of Women may fulfill all or none of these criteria, but at least we get to sample Brody’s acting talents outside of “The O.C.”
Official Website: Warner Independent PicturesSnakes on a Plane
Release Date: August 18
Director: David Ellis (Final Destination 2, Cellular)
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Nathan Phillips, Benjamin McKenzie
Plot: There are snakes. There are also things called planes. This high-concept film will attempt to incorporate both into an action-packed thrill ride of snakes on a plane.
Outtakes: New Line Cinema hopes that Samuel L. Jackson will soon spawn a catch phrase. The studio ordered re-shoots for new scenes, one of which includes the much-Internet-parodied, "I want these m*****f****** snakes off this m*****f****** plane!"
Worth the Admission: The concept is so silly and exaggerated that it just may work on a campy, cult angle. Certainly, Jackson kicks ass on a daily basis and can pull off a convincing cop in any film, even ones involving snakes on a plane. On the other hand, do you really want to waste your hard-earned money watching people scramble around on a plane, screaming about snakes? I think that after an hour, you’ll be rooting for the snakes.
Official Website: www.snakesonaplane.com
Trust The Man
Trust The Man: A comedy of errors...or just an error in comedy?
Release Date: August 18
Director: Bart Freundlich (Catch That Kid)
Starring: David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Plot: Two couples try to make their respective relationships work: married couple Rebecca (Moore) and Tom (Duchovny) can’t seem to rekindle their passion in the bedroom, while Tom's younger brother, Tobey (Crudup), has commitment issues with girlfriend and aspiring novelist Elaine (Gyllenhaal).
Outtakes: Director Freundlich also moonlights as Moore’s husband.
Worth the Admission: I could have sworn that I’d never heard of this movie, but then I’d be lying because vague memories of a trailer or two are dancing in my head. And from what I can remember, this looks to be a light-hearted and fun film that pokes fun at, but ultimately celebrates, romance and love. For my money, Duchovny and Moore probably don’t have much chemistry, but scenes between Duchovny and Crudup, as well as between Crudup and Gyllenhaal, are all as cute as buttons. Forgettable romantic comedy, but worth a look if you’ve tired of snakes on planes.
Official Website: www2.foxsearchlight.com/trusttheman/Beerfest
Release Date: August 25
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar (Arrested Development," The Dukes of Hazzard)
Starring: Paul Soter, Jay Chandrasekhar, Erik Stolhanske, Steve Lemme, Will Forte, Mo'nique, Ryan Blanchard, Eric Christian Olsen
Plot: Brothers Todd and Jan Wolfhouse travel to Germany and discover a top secret, centuries-old competition, "Beerfest." Figuring that they're a shoo-in, the brothers receive a painful letdown when their asses are sorely kicked. Returning to America, Todd and Jan assemble a team of rag-tag beer drinkers and return to Beerfest to redeem their honour.
Outtakes: Originally set up at Sony, Warner Bros. Pictures bought the final project. The comedy team behind the picture is called Broken Lizard, and members include Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske. The group has already worked on Super Troopers and Club Dread.
Worth the Admission: I’m looking forward to this film as much as I did back when I heard about Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, which is to say, not at all. I like drinking as much as the next person, but I’m not sure that I’d want to watch a whole movie about it. In all likeliness, the film will probably turn off a lot of people from drinking, so skip this one and have a nice cold one on a patio instead.
Official Website: beerfestmovie.warnerbros.comDOA: Dead or Alive
Release Date: August 25
Director: Corey Yuen (The Transporter)
Starring: Devon Aoki, Sarah Carter, Natassia Malthe, Matthew Marsden, Jamie Pressly, Eric Roberts, Holly Valance
Plot: Based on Tecmo's best-selling video game, Dead or Alive, the film focuses on five female fighters who compete in a fight to the death.
Outtakes: Director Corey Yeun is also a fight choreographer, whose credits include X-Men, The Transporter, and The Transporter 2.
Worth the Admission: Should be fun to watch, but by no means should you enter the theatre with very high expectations. And the early production stills circulating on the Internet are just the right kind of combination of vigorous cheesiness and indifference to artistic value that we’ve come to expect from video-games-turned-feature-films.
Official Website: www.uip.co.uk/deadoralive/Idlewild
Release Date: August 25
Director: Bryan Barber ("Hey Ya!," OutKast music video, "The Way You Move," OutKast music video)
Starring: André Benjamin, Antwan Andre Patton, Paula Patton, Terrence Howard, Patti LaBelle, Ving Rhames
Plot: Set in a 1930s southern speakeasy during the Prohibition era, this is the musical story of Percival (Benjamin), piano player extraordinaire, and Rooster (Patton, a.k.a. Big Boi), the club’s lead performer and manager. Rooster has gangsters who want his club to contend with, while Percival has to choose between the love of his life, Angel (Paula Patton – no relation), and his obligations to his father.
Outtakes: Musical numbers seen in this film will be included in OutKast's upcoming album, which will also act as the soundtrack to the movie.
Worth the Admission: The ubiquitous Terrence Howard returns for another musical, but he’s probably not playing a pimp, which is a little disappointing. Instead, we have the members of OutKast in the forefront and, judging from their spirited videos, this should be a treat. Don’t expect a complicated plot or stellar acting, but do expect an excellent soundtrack and feisty dance numbers.
Official Website: www.idlewildmovie.netInvincible
Release Date: August 25
Director: Ericson Core ("Family Law")
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rispoli, Kevin Conway
Plot: Vince Papale (Wahlberg) has just lost his job and wife. With literally nothing left to lose, he decides to show up for an open casting call for his favourite football team, the Philadelphia Eagles. As a 30-year-old out-of-job substitute teacher and part-time bartender with no football training whatsoever, Papale nevertheless makes the team, and his life is transformed forever.
Outtakes: This film is inspired by the true story of Vince Papale, who holds the record as the oldest rookie non-kicker to play football in the NFL.
Worth the Admission: If you’re looking for a straight-out feel-good movie, this is it. The highs, the lows, the Wahlberg abs – they’re all here. But if you’re the type of person who rolls their eyes at Hallmark commercials and think flowers look better left in a field, skip this one.
Official Website: disney.go.com/disneypictures/invincible/
Material Girls
Material Girls: The Duff sisters get a lesson in humility.
Release Date: August 25
Director: Martha Coolidge ("Sex and the City," The Prince & Me)
Starring: Hilary Duff, Haylie Duff, Anjelica Huston, Brent Spiner, Lukas Haas, Joanne Baron
Plot: Tansie and Persia Marchetta (Hilary and Hailie Duff) are wealthy sisters and heiresses to their family's cosmetics fortune. But when a scandal and ensuing investigation threaten the family's fortune, and the girls are stripped of their credit cards and fancy digs, they must face the real world for the first time in their lives.
Outtakes: The film began production on April 18, 2005, with no distributor. When all hope seemed lost, MGM stepped in and bought the rights – so we can all thank them for this.
Worth the Admission: You can just feel the hilarity oozing out of this one. Frankly, nothing seems more pleasurable than watching the Duff sisters flail about in the real world like most of us do on a daily basis, but watching the Duffs do the Hiltons isn’t worth our valuable, real-life time. Instead of watching this film, take this time clean the ducts in your house, or go out and pet some dogs.
Official Website: www.mgm.com/materialgirls/
[ From The Break-up to Superman Returns. Part I of the preview. ]