Hollywood Releases Preview – April, 2010
by HELEN GEIB
And it’s time for another edition of Theatrical Releases! Not a terribly promising lineup again this month, but there are a few films to look forward to.
April 2
Clash of the Titans – A rare example of a remake I’m not just willing to see, but really looking forward to seeing. Not because I don’t like the 1981 original (I love it!), but because I always enjoy a good re-telling/re-invention/re-imagining of a classical myth. For those unfamiliar with the earlier film, the myth in question is the story of the hero Perseus, son of Zeus and a mortal woman. Sam Worthington is Perseus, Alexa Davalos is his love Andromeda, Jason Flemyng his rival Calibos, and Pete Postlethwaite his advisor, with Liam Neeson as Zeus, Ralph Fiennes as Hades, and Luke Evans, Alexander Siddig, and Danny Huston, among others, filling out the Pantheon. Pegasus, Medusa, and the Kraken are some of the mythological creatures to look forward to. Directed by Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk, Transporter 2).
The Last Song – This latest adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel follows close on the heels of Dear John. A teenager (Miley Cyrus) and her younger brother are sent to live for the summer with their estranged father (Greg Kinnear). Young love will be experienced and life lessons learned all around. Directed by Julie Ann Robinson (TV credits) and co-written by Sparks and Jeff Van Wie (no credits).
Why Did I Get Married Too – Writer-director Tyler Perry is back behind and in front of the screen in one of his non-Madea screen outings. In this sequel to 2007′s Why Did I Get Married?, he is one half of one of four married couples on a combination vacation/ marriage therapy retreat. Janet Jackson is one of the wives. The question of the disappearing question mark should be referred to Mr. Perry.
April 9
Date Night – Comedy vehicle for Steve Carell and Tina Fey. A case of mistaken identity turns a married couple’s night on the town into a wild (mis)adventure. Directed by Shawn Levy (the Night at the Museum movies, the Steve Martin The Pink Panther) and, no more promisingly, written by Josh Klausner (“additional screenplay material” for Shrek the Third). I have movie club plans to see this one, so I’m already committed. I recommend you check out the reviews first unless you’re a diehard fan of one of the leads, in which case it’s probably a safe bet.
April 16
Death at a Funeral – Neil LaBute of all people helmed this remake of the 2007 British dysfunctional-family farce of the same title. Then again, LaBute already has an eye-popping filmography: The Wicker Man, Possession, Nurse Betty, Your Friends and Neighbors, In the Company of Men. Both original and remake were written by Dean Craig and feature Peter Dinklage in the same part (although presumably not playing the same person…). I haven’t seen the original, but based on a trailer to trailer comparison, that’s the version I’ll be seeking out. This version stars Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Zoe Saldana, and Tracy Morgan.
Kick-Ass – Kick-Ass (Aaron Johnson) is a teenage superhero crime-fighter who has no super-powers… but does have a homemade superhero outfit, a “trademark” pose, and serious aspirations to being cool. Ditto for the most part Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) and Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), although Hit-Girl looks to be a considerably more proficient fighter than the boys and is cool without trying. Nicolas Cage heads up the supporting cast as Hit-Girl’s dad in this action-comedy based on the comic book series by Mark Millar. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Stardust, Layer Cake) and co-written by Vaughn and Jane Goldman (Stardust).
April 23
The Back-up Plan – A woman pregnant by artificial insemination falls in love on a first date. Will she be able to work up the nerve to tell him the truth? Can they make it work between them? Why can’t actors I like make movies I want to see? Jennifer Lopez stars, Alan Poul (TV credits) directed, Kate Angelo (TV credits) wrote. It’s meant to be a comedy.
The Losers – A betrayed black ops team is out for revenge in this action-(dark)comedy. The first time I saw this trailer I briefly thought it was the A-Team movie, and it does have something of that vibe, minus the ’80s part. Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Idris Elba, Chris Evans, Zoe Saldana, Columbus Short, and Jason Patric; directed by Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard) and written by actor turned screenwriter Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights and its TV spinoff) and James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, The Rundown). This could be really great. Or it could be really awful. I’ll let you know.
April 30
Furry Vengeance – A promises-to-be-hideous “family” “comedy” starring Brendan Fraser as a family man real estate agent bedeviled by creepy, I mean, lovable but mad as- well, anyway, CG-enhanced forest animals about to be displaced by a shopping mall. Don’t take your kids to see this unless you think a man being coated in sewage through the machinations of gleefully vindictive small furry animals is the last word in hilarity. Directed by Roger Kumble (Cruel Intentions, College Road Trip) from a script by Michael Carnes and Josh Gilbert; co-starring Brooke Shields as the presumably loving, but going by the trailer, painfully unobservant wife.
A Nightmare on Elm Street – Video game director Samuel Bayer makes his film debut with the return of Freddy Krueger. Jackie Earle Haley takes the killer’s part, with Katie Cassidy, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara, and Thomas Dekker as some of the teenagers he terrorizes. The script is by Wesley Strick (The Saint, Cape Fear) and Eric Heisserer.
