Guest post by the impeccable Ben Fuller
Welcome back to the second installment of BSR! Weekend Movie Previews. This one is for the weekend of May 2, 2014.
As per usual, a quick disclaimer before we get started: I have not seen any of these movies, nor have I researched any of them. I am mostly just trusting in the universal power of pop culture osmosis to inform my admittedly clueless opinions. 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/). This week we are previewing “The Protector 2”, “Locker”, “Walk of Shame”, “Belle”, and “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”.
If there are no further questions, let’s go ahead and dig into the pile.
The Protector 2 (2013)
Trailer:
R 104 min – Action
Director: Prachya Pinkaew
Stars: Tony Jaa, RZA, Petchtai Wongkamlao, JeeJa Yanin
Summary: When the owner of a major elephant camp is murdered, Kham finds himself the number one suspect and on the run from both the police and the deceased’s vengeful the twin nieces. But luck is on Kham’s side when he runs into an Interpol agent sent to Thailand on a secret mission.
Thoughts: I am conflicted on this. I have a lot of Martial Arts Movie Fan Friends who swear by Tony Jaa, but I have never found his movies that compelling. Looking at this newest release and comparing it to “Raid 2”, and seeing how little wire work was in that, and how much wire work and CG enhancement there seems to be in this, it all kinda turns me off. Would it have killed them to have at least one shot of an elephant in the trailer? Just one? Regardless some martial arts badassery is better than none, right?
Ida (2013) – [Limited]
Trailer:
PG-13 80 min – Drama
Director: Pawel Pawlikowski
Stars: Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska, Dawid Ogrodnik, Jerzy Trela
Summary: Anna, a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, is on the verge of taking her vows when she discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation.
Thoughts: I know nothing about anyone involved in this film, but it looks just stunningly, gorgeously executed. There is always room in the world for film, lovingly crafted.
Walk of Shame (2014)
Trailer:
R 95 min – Comedy
Director: Steven Brill
Stars: Elizabeth Banks, James Marsden, Gillian Jacobs, Sarah Wright
Summary: A reporter’s dream of becoming a news anchor is compromised after a one-night stand leaves her stranded in downtown L.A. without a phone, car, ID or money – and only 8 hours to make it to the most important job interview of her life.
Thoughts: Similar to “The Other Woman” last week, I am probably not the demographic for this flick. Having said that Elizabeth Banks has some serious comedy chops, and Gillian Jacobs at times is my favorite thing about “Community”. Plus, when is James Marsden going to get a real role in a Superhero movie. I really don’t count that mopey extended cameo version of Cyclops he did in the “X-Men” movies, I mean a real role in an MCU flick. Not sure who he would be though, I thought he would’ve been a decent Captain America at one point. Anyway, “Walk of Shame” – a comedy by the guy who directed “Drillbit Taylor”. There you go.
Belle (2013)
Trailer:
PG 104 min – Drama
Director: Amma Asante
Stars: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Matthew Goode, Emily Watson, Miranda Richardson
Summary: An illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral is raised by her aristocratic great-uncle.
Thoughts: I am always leery of films that proclaim loudly that they are based on a True Story. I always need to run to Wikipedia and try to research up on it to see what is real and what isn’t, and I have been burned far more often than not. Having said that, this film looks like it is trying to tackle a bigger truth than the run of the mill truth, with which I am fine. Ultimately, I am not sure how well it will work, since the trailer seems a bit overly earnest and obvious. However, the cast looks really great, and the cinematography looks good.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Trailer:
PG-13 142 min – Action | Adventure | Fantasy
Director: Marc Webb
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti
Summary: Peter Parker runs the gauntlet as the mysterious company Oscorp sends up a slew of supervillains against him, impacting on his life.
Thoughts: I didn’t hate the last Spider-Man movie, but I wasn’t over the moon for it either. I can kinda see why they thought it was a good idea to re-boot the origin, but I don’t think I can agree that it worked as well as they probably hoped. I think the last film, similar to “Man of Steel”, made some good creative choices, but I feel like they squandered a lot of good will too in order to up the dramatic conflict quotient. I did really like the more practical approach to the web swinging effects, and based on the trailer for this one, that part still looks great. But…. seriously, this movie looks exhausting.
Disagree? Call me out in the comments below. Agree? Please defend me in the comments below, we are probably outnumbered.