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Spring Movie Preview:
April's additions...
Now that spring is here, Hollywood's crop of movies should get a little better. We survived the dry spell that is known as January and February, but we haven't yet reached the summer, when studios usually release their blockbusters, or the fall, when they unleash their Oscar contenders. Still, it shouldn't be so bad, or so we hope. Well, I'll let you be the judge of that.
Big Trouble
AHEM...
Release Date: April 5
Director: Barry Sonnefield (Men in Black, Get Shorty, Wild Wild West)
Cast: Tim Allen, Omar Epps, Janeane Garofalo, Heavy D, Andy Richter, Rene Russo, Tom Sizemore, Ben Foster
Plot: This is based on the Dave Barry book of the same title, and stars a stellar cast in an ensemble comedy about a bomb in a suitcase. Originally set for a September 21st release, the movie was pushed back after the September 11 bombings.
Christine's Take: Sonnefield is not new to ensemble comedies, and I'm pretty confident he can pull it off. But of course, we sadly cannot forget Wild Wild West. Hopefully, with such a talented cast playing off each other, and a screenplay based on Barry's book, they should be able to work with it. Catch it in its initial release, but if not, don't be too disappointed.
Post-Release Verdict: Wow. I don't even remember summarizing this film. And judging by box office results and DVD buzz, I'm not the only one. See DVD details here.High Crimes
Release Date: April 5
Director: Carl Franklin (One True Thing, Devil in a Blue Dress)
Cast: Ashley Judd, Jim Caviezel, Morgan Freeman
Plot: Another movie based on a novel, this time by Joseph Finder, finds Judd playing Claire Heller Chapman, a lawyer who is forced to defend her military husband (Caviezel) when he is charged with participating in mass killings in El Salvador. Freeman plays Claire's co-counsel.
Christine's Take: Apparently there are going to be top army secrets revealed throughout the course of the movie that will challenge Claire's loyalty to her husband. Ooh, the suspense. Seriously, though, I'm not a big fan of Ashley Judd, so my opinion is a little biased. Premise sounds interesting, but I don't think I can stand to watch two hours of Judd on the screen. If you disagree, then go check it out. Also, you suck.
Post-Release Verdict: Amanda Peet was in this film? Now, that changes everything. Except for the "changes" and "everything" part. See DVD details here.National Lampoon's Van Wilder
Release Date: April 5
Director: Watt Becker (debut)
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Tim Matheson, Tom Everett Scott, Tara Reid, Teck Holmes
Plot: Okay, this one's a doozy. Reynolds plays Van Wilder, a college student currently in his seventh year. That's right, seven years, and he's not even getting a Master's. When he finds out that his father will not pay for another year, let alone the rest of this year, Wilder has to come up with a way to find the cash himself. Oh, I should mention Wilder doesn't want to leave college because he's the big man on campus. Yes, because seven years in college is really impressive.
Christine's Take: Ryan Phillippe was in talks to star at one point. Either he has a really good agent or some common sense to decline the role, because this was definitely not the way to go to resurrect his career. If you notice that some of the names of the cast look familiar, that's because Reynolds is one of the guys of ABC's "Two Guys and a Girl" and Teck Holmes is best known for his stint on "MTV's The Real World: Hawaii." Please, if you must go, catch the matinee and save yourself some cash for the therapy that you will inevitably need.
Post-Release Verdict: The film did okay in its DVD afterlife, but I think people are more keen on seeing if Tara Reid drunkenly flashes a breast in any of her scenes. See DVD details here.Crush
Release Date: April 5 (opens nationwide later)
Director: John McKay (debut)
Cast: Andie MacDowell, Imelda Staunton, Anna Chancellor, Kenny Doughty
Plot: Three friends, (MacDowell, Staunton, Chancellor), living in a small English village, meet once a week to swap stories about their love lives (or lack of) and to determine who among them is the saddest. But when Kate (MacDowell) finds herself a hot, younger English man (Doughty) it does not sit well with the rest of the group.
Christine's Take: I'm partial to quirky British romantic comedies, so I'm going to go ahead and give it a thumbs up. MacDowell is a talented actress and it's nice to see her working. Should remind some people of that other quirky British romantic comedy, Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994).
Post-Release Verdict: I haven't heard a peep out of this film since I initially wrote about it, but it is apparantly not so much a light-hearted romantic comedy as it is a black comedy with a twist of menace. See DVD details here.Kung Fu Soccer
Release Date: April 5 (opens nationwide later)
Director: Stephen Chow, Lee Lik Chi (Good of Cookery, King of Comedy)
Cast: Stephen Chow, Lee Wai, Vicki Zhao Wei
Plot: An underdog soccer team enters a soccer tournament with a $1 million grand prize. I don't know why, but obviously it's not only for the explicit reason of winning the money. Maybe they need to save a rainforest, or someone needs an organ transplant that can only be bought on the black market. Being Asian, they are of course trained in the martial art of Shaolin, and use that to kick their way to victory. This movie was picked up at Cannes by Miramax.
Christine's Take: Reportedly Hong Kong's highest grossing home-grown film, Kung Fu Soccer's premise reminded me of a Jackie Chan movie, minus the Jackie Chan. I'm sure the intent is there, but the plot's been done before (think Mighty Ducks (1992) with martial arts). Recommended only for the die-hard martial arts fans.
Post-Release Verdict: The film has been released under the title Shaolin Soccer, and has gone on to do fairly well overseas. Much like Kung Fu Hustle (2005), I have yet to see this movie, but if you're looking for campy fun, it's worth a peruse. See DVD details here.Changing Lanes
Release Date: April 12
Director: Roger Michell (Notting Hill)
Cast: Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, Toni Collette, Amanda Peet
Plot: Afflect is Gavin Banek, a young successful lawyer, and Jackson is Doyle Gibson, a down-on-his-luck businessman. What happens when these two get into a car accident in Manhattan? Why, they swap briefcases by accident, and proceed to make each other's lives miserable, that's what! Collette plays Michelle, Gavin's ex-girlfriend. This is Michell's first movie after suffering a heart attack that caused him to pull out of Captain Corelli's Mandolin.
Christine's Take: This movie has been likened to Michael Douglas' Falling Down (1993), a movie that I never quite enjoyed, so I think I'm going to skip this one. On top of that, I'm mad at Ben Affleck, although I don't think he got my memo yet. Is it me or is Affleck doing really crappy movies? I just hope The Sum of All Fears is a lot better than this drivel.
Post-Release Verdict: I have caught this film twice on television since writing this preview. Both times I have opted to watch a rerun of "8 Simple Rules." And those were the episodes with David Spade. See DVD details here.Frailty
Release Date: April 12
Director: Bill Paxton (debut)
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Luke Askew
Plot: The FBI is tracking a serial killer who calls himself "God's Hands: McConaughey plays Fenton Meeks, a man who comes forward to reveal that he thinks his brother, Adam, is the killer. Told in flashbacks, we get a glimpse of the boys' childhood. Their father (Paxton) believed he was on a divine mission to destroy demons that inhabited human bodies. One son regarded his father as a hero, the other as a villain. This movie had a gazillion opening dates, all pushed back by Lions Gate.
Christine's Take: Remember when Seven (1995) came out? And it was hailed as one of the best psychological thrillers in a long time? And then all those other movies tried to capitalize on that, and they miserably failed? Well, I saw a chunk of those and was very disappointed. Paxton once again re-teams with McConaughey, his U-571 co-star, in his directorial debut. It will be interesting to see what Paxton is capable of. Hopefully, very good things.
Post-Release Verdict: I checked out the spoiler, and the film does sound good. In the very least, it tries to actually elicit suspence, which is more than I can say for other "thrillers." See DVD details here.New Best Friend
Release Date: April 12
Director: Zoe Clarke Williams (Men)
Cast: Taye Diggs, Dominique Swain, Scott Bairstow, Oliver Hudson, Mia Kirshner, Meredith Monroe, Rachel True
Plot: At exclusive Colby University in Carolina, Hadley Watson (Monroe), Julianne McIntyre (True), and Sydney Connors (Swain) are the beautiful and privileged. Alicia Glazer (Kirshner) is not. So when Alicia and Hadley are paired up on an important sociology class thesis project entitled "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way," the beautiful girls make over Alicia and make her popular. When she mysteriously ends up in the hospital, Artie Bonner (Diggs) is hot on the case.
Christine's Take: In addition to the fact that Hollywood insists on telling us that the beautiful and popular crowd is really screwed up - and most of the time murderous - we also get the cast of the WB. Okay, only Monroe was actually on the WB, so on top of that, it's the reject cast of the WB. And I had such high hopes for Swain. Note to Hollywood: WE GET IT.
Post-Release Verdict: Several editorial reviews on Amazon sing the praises of this film, but when the back covers touts it as "a seductive thriller in the tradition of Cruel Intentions and Wild Things", I'm not really sold. See DVD details here.The Cat's Meow
Release Date: April 12 (opens nationwide later)
Director: Peter Bogdavonich (The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon)
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Cary Elwes, Edward Herrmann, Jennifer Tilly, Eddie Izzard
Plot: This is Bogdavonich's first film since 1993's The Thing Called Love. Wow, it has been a while. Based on a play of the same name by Steven Peros, the story is a whodunit set aboard the Oneida, a yacht owned by publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst (Hermann). Hearst may be best known as the inspiration for Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (1941). Hearst is suspicious there is some hanky panky going on between his young lover (Dunst) and Charlie Chaplin (Izzard). The plot centres on the murder and subsequent cover up of Thomas H. Ince (Elwes), best known as the man who introduced the studio system to Hollywood in the fifties.
Christine's Take: Sounds very intriguing, and the fact that it is based on real life events makes it even more exciting. Dunst is always a pleasure to watch, whether she's in period dramas or hamming it up as a bubbly cheerleader. Edward Herrmann, by the way, played Herman Munster in "The Munsters" (1964). This movie has drama! This movie has mystery! This movie has Herman Munster! If you enjoyed Gosford Park (2001) and the like, check this one out.
Post-Release Verdict: This seems to be a hit or miss, depending on your taste, although - like everything else preceeding this preview - I haven't seen the film. See DVD details here.The Sweetest Thing
Release Date: April 12
Director: Roger Krumble (Cruel Intentions)
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, Thomas Jane, Jason Bateman, Selma Blair, Parker Posey
Plot: Christine Walters (Diaz) meets Mr. Right (Jane), but doesn't know how to go about wooing him. Enter Courtney Radcliffe (Applegate), her equally aesthetically-gifted best friend, a cross-country road trip, and you get the gist of things. Oh, Mr. Right also happens to have a fiancée, played by Parker Posey.
Christine's Take: Diaz reportedly earned a $15 million paycheck for this flick, so let's hope it's all worth it. Screenwriter Nancy Pimental, a "South Park" alumnus, makes her feature film debut here. Looks like a raunchy good time in the same vein as There's Something About Mary (1998).
Post-Release Verdict: Okay, here's something I did see. Agreeable flick, but not nearly as memorable as There's Something About Mary. Thomas Jane is an odd choice for a leading man, but he's decent enough to stand his own against Cameron Diaz. See DVD details here.Human Nature
Release Date: April 12 (limited)
Director: Michel Gondry (previously directed music videos for Bjork and the Chemical Brothers)
Cast: Patricia Arquette, Rhys Ifans, Tim Robbins
Plot: There's a naturalist who is covered in body hair (Arquette), a scientist (Robbins), and a man who was raised in the wild and is now being introduced to modern civilization (Ifans). This film premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival and also played at the 2002 Sundance Festival.
Christine's Take: Definitely not for a mainstream audience. Arquette and Robbins are exceptional actors, who unfortunately, don't really get a lot of great roles. Ifans might be known to some as Hugh Grant's hygienically-challenged roommate in Notting Hill (1999). I'm betting on a lot of great physical comedy from Ifans, but the rest is up in the air.
Post-Release Verdict: Michel Gondry has since gone on to direct Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which was a very good movie indeed. See DVD details here.The Triumph of Love
Release Date: April 12 (opens nationwide later)
Director: Claire People (High Season)
Cast: Mira Sorvino, Ben Kingsley, Fiona Shaw, Jay Rodan
Plot: Filmed in Tuscary, this is based on the 18th century play by Pierre Marivaux. Sorvino is Leonide, the Princess of Sparta, who must return the crown to its rightful owner, the prince and her true love. The problem resides in the fact that the prince is being kept under tight watch by a philosopher (Kingsley) and a spinster (Shaw). Leonide must infiltrate their home using a various assortment of disguises, both male and female. In the process, she becomes thrice engaged.
Christine's Take: Reminded me a little bit of Shakespeare in Love (1998), which wasn't that bad. The gender-bender thing, especially in costume drama, might have fallen flat in lesser actresses, but I have faith in Sorvino. In the very least, her low-pitched voice should come in handy for those male roles.
Post-Release Verdict: There seem to be mixed reviews on the film, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a measly 47% fresh rating. Watch at your own discretion. See DVD details here.Murder By Numbers
Release Date: April 19
Director: Barbet Schroeder (Single White Female, Desperate Measures)
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosling, Michael Pitt, Ben Chaplin
Plot: Is there such a thing as a perfect murder? Two gifted teens commit a serious of murders, all the while playing a cat-and-mouse game with forensics specialist Cassie Mayweather (Bullock). The movie explores the events in the teens' pasts that make them capable of murder.
Christine's Take: Miss Congeniality trades her sash for a gun. This is a long stretch for Bullock, one that audiences may not be ready for (as you can recall, Forces of Nature (1999) was not well received - at least, not by me). Nonetheless, Schroeder's earlier work proves that he is capable of building suspense, and the supporting cast (namely Gosling and Pitt) is stellar. Does anyone remember Gosling from "Breaker High"? Good to see he's going places.
Post-Release Verdict: Gosling is going places, most notably as the broody hearththrob in The Notebook (2004), and as Rachel McAdams' very real love interest. Murder By Numbers is good for a late-night cable flick, but not exactly DVD purchase-worthy. See DVD details here.Enigma
Release Date: April 19 (opens nationwide later)
Director: Michael Apted (Gorillas in the Mist, The World is Not Enough)
Cast: Dougray Scott, Saffron Burrows, Kate Winslet, Jeremy Northam
Plot: Best-selling author Robert Harris pens a book about a brilliant British mathematician, Tom Jericho, (played here by Scott) who breaks the Nazi's Enigma code for U-boats. The Nazis change their code, and Jericho once again has to try to crack their code. Someone close to Jericho could also be a spy for the other side. Mick Jagger (yes, that one) and Lorne Michaels (yes, that one) produce.
Christine's Take: Entertainment Weekly describes this film as a cross between A Beautiful Mind (2001) and U-571 (2000). I haven't seen the latter, but heard good things about it. Should be a great psychological thriller.
Post-Release Verdict: Rent The Interpreter instead. See DVD details here.The Scorpion King
Release Date: April 19
Director: Chuck Russell (Eraser, The Mask)
Cast: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Peter Facinelli, Kelly Hu
Plot: This prequel to the box office hit The Mummy Returns (2001) explores the rise of the first Pharaoh of Egypt, The Scorpion King (Johnson). Hu plays Cassandra, a prophet being held hostage by an evil warlord. Johnson was coached in the finer points of the thespian arts by Larry Moss, who also trained Duncan for his role in The Green Mile (1999).
Christine's Take: Okay, I admit it, as hokey as it was, I enjoyed The Mummy Returns. Still, it's not as if I remember much of The Rock, since he was only in it for five minutes. Suffice it to say, I commend The Rock for spreading his action chops further than the ring, but I feel as if I'm going to see The Rock in a movie, not Dwayne Johnson.
Post-Release Verdict: It seems that the only movies I ever see are such mindless romps like this, but believe me, it's just a strange coincidence. For what it is, it's not too bad of a film. And The Rock is mighty cute. See DVD details here.Chelsea Walls
Release Date: April 19 (subject to change)
Director: Ethan Hawke (debut)
Cast: Vincent D'Onofrio, Robert Sean Leonard, Natasha Richardson, Uma Thurman, Christopher Walken, Steve Zahn
Plot: This movie was shot in December 1999 in just sixteen days. The enormous cast boasts about 20 actors, and is set in the infamous Chelsea Hotel in New York City. The Chelsea was a haven for many famous people and is where acclaimed writer Dylan Thomas died. There are five stories told in the course of one day.
Christine's Take: Sounds a little like Four Rooms, but for Hawke's sake, let's hope I'm over-generalizing here.
Post-Release Verdict: If you like watching artsy, semi-pretentious college films shot on digital video, this one's for you. See DVD details here.Frank McClusky, CI
Release Date: April 26
Director: Arlene Sanford (A Very Brady Sequel)
Cast: Dave Sheridan, Joanie "Chyna" Laurer, Dolly Parton, Kevin Pollack, Randy Quaid, Andy Richter
Plot: Overly cautious insurance fraud investigator McClusky (Sheridan) has to change his ways when his partner is killed. Sheridan had minor roles in Scary Movie (2000), Bubble Boy (2001) and Corky Romano (2001). Parton and Quaid play his parents.
Christine's Take: I think if I told you to run, run as far from the theatre as you can, it would just be redundant.
Post-Release Verdict: It's a wonder how this movie was ever made. See DVD details here.Deuces Wild
Release Date: April 26
Director: Scott Kalvert (The Basketball Diaries)
Cast: Fairuza Balk, Matt Dillon, Stephen Dorff, James Franco, Balthazar Getty, Brad Renfro, Joshua Leonard
Plot: Set in 1958, the story centres on the gang wars of New York, namely the feud between the Deuces and the Vipers. Balk plays the leader of an all-girl gang who falls in love with a member of the male gang. Martin Scorcese is the executive producer on this project, but that didn't seem to help much since this movie has been on the shelf since 2000.
Christine's Take: The cast is comprised of many actors who haven't done anything since the 80's, so I'd catch this flick just to see what they look like now. Reminiscent of The Outsiders, although I don't think anyone here is named Ponyboy. Sidebar: James Franco played James Dean on the television biopic.
Post-Release Verdict: Frankie Muniz was in this? Watch The Basketball Diaries instead. See DVD details here.
[ From Star Wars Episode II to The Sum of All Fears. Part II of our Spring 2002 Movie Preview. ]