Serious Films:
Summary:
Billy Taggart is a NYC cop who is asked by Mayor Nicholas Hostetler to tail his
wife to find out who she is cheating on him with. However, Taggart finds
himself immersed in a much bigger scandal. Filmmakers:
Director Allen Hughes typically works with his brother Albert. Together they have
directed Menace II Society, Dead Presidents, From Hell (which is visually
very impressive), and The
Book of Eli. This is his first solo feature. He is working with composers Atticus Ross (who scored The
Book of Eli for Hughes, and did fantastic work with Trent Reznor scoring The
Social Network and The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Leopold
Ross, and Claudia Sarne,
cinematographer Ben Seresin (Unstoppable), and production
designer Tom Duffield (The Kingdom). Cast: The film stars Mark Wahlberg (who is also
producing) and Russell Crowe,
with Natalie Martinez, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jeffrey Wright, Kyle Chandler, Barry Pepper, Justin Chambers, Alona Tal, James Ransone, and Griffin Dunne in support. Expectations: Broken
City is definitely a contender for best film of the month with Gangster Squad (though, this
being the movie graveyard known as January, that is not saying much). The
Hughes Brothers’ films are generally entertaining (we shall see how Allen does
on his own), but they have never made anything special. The cast is
surprisingly good for a crime drama relegated to January. It looks like a
decent actiony thriller built inside a crime drama. Not sure it is anything
more than a rental, but you could do worse if you need something to see. Trailer: Here.
Action/Adventure:
Summary:
Small-town sheriff Ray Owens and his inexperienced officers is the only thing
that stands between the leader of a drug cartel, who escaped from a local
courthouse, and his freedom once he reaches the Mexican border. Filmmakers: Korean filmmaker Jee-woon Kim makes
his Hollywood debut with The Last Stand. He is well known for his action and
horror films in Korea (like The
Good, the Bad, the Weird and I
Saw the Devil). He is working with frequent collaborators composer Mowg and cinematographer Ji-yong Kim, while action
specialist production designer Franco-Giacomo
Carbone is new to his team. Cast: The
film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger,
with support from Jaimie
Alexander, Rodrigo Santoro,
Forest Whitaker, Genesis Rodriguez, Peter Stormare, Harry Dean Stanton, Johnny Knoxville, Zach Gilford, and Luis Guzman. Expectations: The Last Stand marks Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s return to starring in action films (following up his
appearance in The
Expendables 2). Will audiences still want to come to the theatres to see
him? This certainly does not have the same nostalgic draw as The
Expendables films. Lionsgate is taking a tempered approach, as this is a
relatively low budget film, and I suspect they imagine this will do much better
business in foreign (and ancillary) markets. Schwarzenegger fans are probably
better off just re-watching his classics (like Predator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and
Total Recall) and waiting to
rent this than rushing out to theatres. Trailer: Here.
Summary:
What if Hansel and Gretel grew up to hunt and kill supernatural beings like
witches after being held captive by one as children? Now we will finally know
the find out. Filmmakers: Norwegian
writer-director Tommy Wirkola seems like a good fit for this film. He had a
breakthrough hit (of sorts) with his film Dead Snow. He is working with
producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (maybe this is
supposed to be a comedy too?), composer Atli Orvarsson (The Eagle), cinematographer Michael Bonvillain (Wanderlust),
and production designer Stephen
Scott (Hellboy II: The
Golden Army). Cast: Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton star, with Famke Janssen, Zoe Bell, Peter Stormare, and Thomas Mann in support. Expectations: Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters was
delayed by Paramount Pictures from March 2012 to January 2013. Their reason
being (very reasonably) that Renner would be a bigger star in 2013 coming off Mission:
Impossible – Ghost Protocol, The
Avengers, and The Bourne
Legacy than in March 2012, plus January plays better internationally
(important for action movies which translate better than comedies and dramas)
and Paramount has not had a good performer in January in the last few years
(and that will probably not change with this). All that said, however, delays
usually do not mean good things for the quality of the movie (again, was this
an action comedy and then delayed to be reworked? – It certainly does not look
like a comedy in the trailer). Putting a twist on well-known stories sometimes
works okay, but usually you end up with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
or The Brothers Grimm (both
of which look like the direct ancestors of this film). Hansel and Gretel Witch
Hunters looks like an overly stupid action film, but I will probably still rent
it to enjoy its silliness on some level (and hopefully it really is a comedy). Trailer: Here.
Summary:
After professional thief Parker is double-crossed and left for dead by his
cohorts, he seeks revenge. His plan is to shanghai them and hijack their latest
score. To do this, he must make an unlikely alliance with a woman on the
inside, Leslie. Filmmakers: Oscar nominated
director (for Ray, he also
won an Oscar for a short film he made in the 1970s) Taylor Hackford is no
stranger to action films and dramatic thrillers. His best includes Blood In, Blood Out, Dolores Claiborne, and The Devil’s Advocate. He is
working with composer David
Buckley (The Town),
cinematographer J. Michael Muro
(Rush Hour 3), and
production designer Missy Stewart
(A Better Life). Cast: The film stars Jason Statham and co-stars Jennifer Lopez. Nick Nolte, Michael Chiklis, Clifton Collins Jr., and Wendell Pierce feature in
support. Expectations: Jason Statham is on a
breakneck pace of putting out mediocre throwaway action films, and Parker is
just his latest (this will be his thirteenth since 2006’s Crank). There is really no
reason to see this in theatres unless you love action films and are a big
Statham fan. It looks very forgettable. Trailer: Here.
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