Tuesday, September 23, 2014

In Theaters: September 26, 2014

There are TWO wide releases PLUS ONE limited release I will be mentioning.

The Boxtrolls


I really don't know what to say about this movie.  I think it's worth a look if only because of its traditional claymation!  At least we know a lot of care went into this movie.  Early reviews are mostly positive.

The Boxtrolls is about an orphan raised by the title characters who sets out to save his surrogate family from an evil exterminator.

The Boxtrolls is rated PG for action, some peril and mild rude humor.

The Equalizer


We have been hearing about this one for a while now.  We think it's a shame it's rated R.

Denzel Washington plays some former military type guy who really knows how to kick butt.  He uses these skills like a one man A-Team.  He helps people who can't help themselves.

Director Antoine Fuqua has had "from the director of Training Day" billed on the posters of his releases since 2003.  That's rough.  Hopefully he can escape his own shadow eventually.

The Equalizer is rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, including some sexual references.

The Song (Limited Release)


I wouldn't normally be mentioning this except that I watched the trailer today and it looks really good.  Call me crazy.

The Song is about an aspiring country singer who meets, falls in love with, and marries a girl from a small town.  After the wedding he writes "The Song" for her and it becomes a smash hit around the country, propelling him to fame and fortune.  A good man is put to the test when the temptations of fame and fortune begin to circle around him, most notably the female country artist who opens for him on tour (the woman on right in the poster).

The Song is based on Songs of Solomon.

The Song is rated PG-13 for thematic elements including some substance abuse, smoking and rude references.  I don't know what the heck a "rude reference" is.


      Big Shot Critic

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

In Theaters: September 19, 2014

There are THREE wide releases this weekend.

The Maze Runner


It seems like we can hardly go a week without another YA novel adaptation!

Pretty much everyone involved with The Maze Runner is a first timer.  The only one who isn't is Will Poulter.  And in this movie his character is supposed to be all serious and awesome.

Will Poulter in The Maze Runner

But whenever I see him now I remember him as the dweeb son from the ads for We're The Millers.

Will Poulter in We're The Millers

Anyway I'm not a big fan of YA adaptations and this is not going to change that for me.  I pass on The Maze Runner.

The Maze Runner is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, including some disturbing images.

This is Where I Leave You


You know how sometimes movies try to normalize or romanticize dysfunctional families?  And you know how it never works?  Well here we go again!

Oh, and it's got Jane Fonda in it.

Uh . . . 

NEXT!

(This is Where I Leave You is rated R for language, sexual content and some drug use)

A Walk Among the Tombstones


Liam Neeson with a gun tracking people down.  Will this one be different?

This is designed to be a very hard hitting thriller which is one reason for its R rating.

Liam Neeson is a private investigator who gets caught up investigating some kidnappings that were committed by some really bad guys.

A Walk Among The Tombstones is rated R for strong violence, disturbing images, language and brief nudity.

      Big Shot Critic

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

In Theaters: September 12, 2014

There are TWO wide releases this weekend.

Dolphin Tale 2


From not legendary director Charles Martin Smith comes the sequel to 2011's Dolphin Tale.  The original was inspired by a true story.  I don't actually know what that true story was, but judging by the prosthetic fin on the dolphin in the poster, I'm gonna say it was about giving a dolphin a prosthetic fin.  Fin is probably not the correct term but that's okay with me.  This is my blog.

Nothing about this suggests to me that it will be bad.  And I like that Ashley Judd and Harry Connick Jr. are in it.  There is one thing that makes me raise an eyebrow though: while the original was inspired by a true story, this one is not.  I'm trying to think of any other time that's happened.

Dolphin Tale 2 is rated PG for some mild thematic elements.

P.S. Director Charles Martin Smith is the one who brought us Air Bud in 1997.  Say what you will about Air Bud.  I give points for cultural staying power.

No Good Deed


I knew nothing about this until moments ago.  Except that a movie by this name was being released this fall.  Anyway here goes!

No Good Deed seems to center around a home invasion.  Remember when Harrison Ford played a bad guy in What Lies Beneath?  And everyone was like, "Wait.  Harrison Ford is the bad guy?"  Well it's Idris Elba's turn.  He usually plays good guys.  Not this time!

We already know female lead Taraji P. Henson can kick butt because we've seen her as that lady detective in the TV show Person of Interest (shoutout to my brother, Dan, for introducing me to that show - see his blog if you want!  just click here).

Director Sam Miller is pretty much a TV man, having directed many episodes of many television series.  Most notably (for this post) he directed several episodes of the British series "Luther," which stars . . . Idris Elba!  This is how actors get jobs a lot of the time.

For the uninitiated, this is probably where you know the name Idris Elba:

that guy from Thor that does the Rainbow Bridge thing

All in all No Good Deed looks pretty solid to me.  The only thing I feel I must mention is the tagline.  It's one of the worst this year for sure.

"First he gets into your house.  Then he gets into your head."

How awful.

No Good Deed is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, menace, terror, and for language.

      Big Shot Critic

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

In Theaters: September 5, 2014

There is only one wide release this weekend.

The Identical


The Identical is about one of two twins separated at birth.  Ryan Wade is raised by a pastor and his wife (Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd) but his dream is to write and perform his own music.  Meanwhile his identical twin becomes the rockstar, Drexel Hemsley (made up for this film).

It's designed as a family film, so expect that if you go see it.  I don't know about this one.  I can say I don't think it's a movie I would enjoy very much.

The Identical is rated PG for thematic material and smoking.

      Big Shot Critic