Awesome, a light week of releases, so I can sit back and take it easy and not stress my brain too much writing these things up.
Before we get started though, I would like to welcome you all back to the BSR! Weekend Movie Previews. This one is for the weekend of June 13, 2014. Per usual, before we get started, a quick disclaimer. All of the film information presented here, including the plot summary, has been pulled from the Opening This Week page of IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/nowplaying/). I have not seen any of these movies at the time of this writing. Join us this week as we preview 22 Jump Street, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Rover, and more.
22 Jump Street (2014)
R 112 min – Action | Comedy | Crime
Directors: Phil Lord | Christopher Miller
Stars: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube, Nick Offerman
Summary: After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local college.
Thoughts: It seems like it was only just yesterday that we were drooling endlessly over a Lord and Miller movie. Oh wait… It basically was. The Lego Movie has gotten all kinds of endless love, and the filmmakers have been soaking in that impenetrable haze of infallibility. They shouldn’t get too used to it, but based on early reviews, they are probably still good through this movie. The first Jump Street movie was surprisingly likable, and was able to pull off the comedy reboot in a way that Starsky & Hutch, and Dragnet struggled with. Here’s to comedy sequels and reboots that don’t completely suck.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
PG 102 min – Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy
Director: Dean DeBlois
Stars: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson
Summary: When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.
Thoughts: This is the second sequel opening this weekend, and the one that I am probably a bit more interested in seeing. The first movie was a lot of fun, and a big step up thematically and storywise from what we can generally expect outa Dreamworks Animation. The one thing that I am not as excited about is Jay Baruchel’s voice. After This Is The End and the endless profanities there, it feels weird to hear that same voice in a children’s cartoon. Also, I am surprised that they actually have a sequel, considering that they also have a TV series based on the same characters and situations.
Hellion (2014) – [Limited]
94 min – Drama | Thriller
Director: Kat Candler
Stars: Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis, Josh Wiggins, Deke Garner
Summary: When motocross and heavy metal obsessed thirteen-year-old Jacob’s increasing delinquent behavior forces CPS to place his little brother, Wes, with his aunt, Jacob and his emotionally absent father, Hollis, must finally take responsibility for their actions and for each other in order to bring Wes home.
Thoughts: I am not sure how to feel about this movie. It looks technically great. But it is about several things I have no interest in: MotoCross and Bad Parenting. There is probably a reason those two things are always popping up together. Does Juliette Lewis even age? She still looks like that same endangered little girl in Cape Fear.
The Rover (2014) – [Limited]
R 102 min – Crime | Drama
Director: David Michôd
Stars: Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy, David Field
Summary: 10 years after a global economic collapse, a hardened, ruthless ex-soldier tracks down the men who stole his only possession. As he travels through the lawless Australian outback, he takes a damaged young man as his unwitting accomplice.
Thoughts: This looks almost like a prequel to both the original Mad Max and The Road. And man, I love when Guy Pearce plays beat up. And it is good to see that Robert Pattinson is not content to rest on his vampire laurels.
The Signal (2014) – [Limited]
PG-13 95 min – Sci-Fi | Thriller
Director: William Eubank
Stars: Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke, Beau Knapp, Laurence Fishburne
Summary: On a road trip, Nic and two friends are drawn to an isolated area by a computer genius. When everything suddenly goes dark, Nic regains consciousness – only to find himself in a waking nightmare.
Thoughts: The summary for this movie above reads like a completely different movie than the trailer presents. Actually, the movie the trailer presents is close to indecipherable. Don’t get me wrong, I agree with the majority of you that trailers shouldn’t give away the whole movie, but man, let’s at least get in the ball park with them. Wouldn’t it be awesome if the actual movie turned out to be a Will Ferrell comedy.
Now, it’s your turn – if you have seen any of these movies, let us know your thoughts in the comments.