February was a time for love with the breakaway success of Valentine’s Day. However, March seems to be more of a ragtag group. After all, March doesn’t really have the advantage of any real marketable holidays, aside from St. Patty’s Day and after this year’s Leap Year most audiences are probably over the Irish thing. So with March, there’s no real rhyme or reason to the releases, but hey, they always say that variety is the spice of life. You have some of the more family-friendly movies such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid while also exploring some more explicit fare with John Cusack in Hot Tub Time Machine. It seems to be an odd mix of movies for the kids and the ever-popular gross-out comedy. Leading off the month of March is Tim Burton’s highly anticipated adaptation of a Lewis Carroll classic…
March 5
Movie of the Week Alice in Wonderland
The Stars: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman
The Plot: A young girl finds herself lost in a world unlike any other place she’s seen as she struggles to find her way home.
The Buzz: One of the most anticipated movies of the season, with an all-star cast and a much beloved and well-known story. Tim Burton is expected to put his own spin on the classic tale, but it should be nice to see Burton experimenting once again with his color palette.
The Others:
Brooklyn’s Finest - Don Cheadle, Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke
Stolen - Jon Hamm, Josh Lucas, James Van Der Beek
March 12
Movie of the Week She’s Out of My League
The Stars: Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve, Krysten Ritter, Mike Vogel, Lindsay Sloane
The Plot: A guy meets the girl of his dreams, but his insecurity threatens to end their relationship before it has a chance to begin.
The Buzz: It’s looking like Jay Baruchel’s veteran years as a supporting actor of big-name comedians may be coming to an end. For the first time, Jay Baruchel isn’t being overshadowed by the likes of Seth Rogen. This isn’t a complaint against Rogen, it just seems like it’s high time to let Baruchel shine.
The Others:
Remember Me - Robert Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin, Pierce Brosnan
Our Family Wedding - Forest Whitaker, America Ferrera, Taye Diggs
Green Zone - Matt Damon, Brendan Gleeson, Jason Isaacs
March 19
Movie of the Week Diary of a Wimpy Kid
The Stars: Chloe Moretz, Steve Zahn, Rachael Harris, Alex Ferris
The Plot: The story of a middle-schooler and frequent victim of torture, trying to make it through the 7th grade.
The Buzz: The more family-oriented pick of the month, this movie looks like pure fun. Not necessarily memorable, but an enjoyable day out with the kids. The presence of seasoned comedians such as Steve Zahn and Rachael Harris (who some of you may recognize as “that chick from ‘I Love the 90s’”) hints that it should be enjoyable for kids and their parents.
The Others:
The Bounty Hunter - Gerard Butler, Jennifer Aniston
Repo Men - Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Live Schrieber
The Runaways - Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon
March 26
Movie of the Week Hot Tub Time Machine
The Stars: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, Chevy Chase, Lizzy Caplan
The Plot: A bunch of friends head back to the 1980s thanks to their hot tub time machine.
The Buzz: Ridiculous? Yes. Promising? It seems it… with a host of comedy greats and a premise as ludicrous as time traveling jacuzzis, people seem to be expecting great things. The trailers for the film suggest plot isn’t a priority, but a guilty pleasure for sure.
The Others:
How to Train Your Dragon - Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Kristen Wiig