PopSyndicate.com

New Movie Musings

Quick thoughts on this week's new releases... Just wanted to take a quick look at a few of the new movies hitting screens this week and "assess the risk" of spending hard-earned money on them. Let's take a look, shall we?

Resident Evil: Extinction

Third movie syndrome. Is Hollywood just throwing something out there to make a few more bucks or are they franchise-building? Third movies sometimes hit that wall of "put lots more of what everyone loved about the first two movies in it" and "we don't need a good story because we have lots more of what everyone loved about the first two movies." You get the exceptions of course (Indiana Jones and Lethal Weapon), but you still have those others (Highlander, Star Trek and Jaws). Could this be one of those good ones?

Positives - Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter (from Heroes), director Russell Mulcahy (Highlander), Las Vegas (what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas so they have an out if the "extinction" doesn't take)
Negatives - director Russell Mulcahy (Highlander II, The Shadow)

Good Luck Chuck

Comedian Dane Cook dealing with a curse cast upon him as a child by a spin-the-bottle kiss denied Goth girl? An accident prone Jessica Alba? Intriguing.

Positives - Dane Cook (usually good for a few laughs), Jessica Alba, director Mark Helfrich (his directorial debut if I'm not mistaken... he's worked as an editor on tons of movies--the Rush Hour movies, I Come In Peace, Rambo II, Critters, Red Dragon, and lots more including one of my favorite movies, Last Boy Scout)
Negatives - trailers really push the slapstick, gag-a-minute aspects...marketing sense wonders if they're pushing those elements to cover up for other things (but I'm just nitpicking here)

Sydney White

Concept feels kinda like an Animal House or Revenge of the Nerds type of underdog college humor movie but with a sorority.

Positives - Amanda Bynes can be a bit campy at times, but handles comedy well
Negatives - writer and director seem a little light on prior experience

Transformers: The IMAX Experience

Cause everyone wants to see a giant robot piss on a federal agent on a 3-story tall screen.

Positives - definitely has the effects and visuals to support the IMAX experience
Negatives - already saw it and this is delaying the DVD release (dammit)

___