Monthly Movie Preview – February 2011 Well, congratulations readers. You made it through the onslaught of terrible movie after terrible movie that makes up most of the month of January. Moving right along, Hollywood's ready to offer something a little different. For the most part, I think Hollywood's just trying to get people to leave the house and get into the theaters. Shocking strategy, right? But after last year's performances at the box office, it's no surprise that Hollywood seems to be making a conscious effort to get people into the megaplexes. Then again, that's really the only way I can check out the disproportionate number of action flicks that February has to offer alongside the romantic tripe. Take a look for yourself.
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February 4
Movie of the Week
The Roommate
The Stars: Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet, Aly Michalka The Plot: A girl begins to fear for her life as her roommate slowly starts to try to steal her identity. The Buzz: Have you ever been in a theater where people straight up laugh at a trailer... for a movie that isn't a comedy? There's something about this movie that looks so painfully bad that I find myself drawn towards it. For starters, I'm pretty sure before one of the girls starts to try to take over the other one's life, I still can't really tell these two actresses apart. I can't even tell which one is supposed to be the crazy one! Yup, this movie has "train wreck" written all over it and I, for one, cannot wait to see what kind of PG-13 crazy Meester and kelly can cook up. Oh yeah, and I wasn't about to go see Sanctum so the choice for movie of the week was kinda easy...
The Others:
Sanctum - Richard Roxburgh, Ioan Gruffudd, Rhys Wakefield
February 11
Movie of the Week
The Eagle
The Stars: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland The Plot: A young soldier sets off to find a lost army's golden emblem to honor his father. The Buzz: Channing Tatum tends to make some pretty questionable choices, but whenever I see a trailer for this, it reminds me of Gladiator lite (same taste, fewer bloodbaths) mixed with the HBO series Rome. If it even brings half of either of those to this movie, I'll be placed. I'm a sucker for action flicks and ancient Rome so it'd be tough for them to screw this up. Plus, Focus Features involvement was a bit of a welcome surprise, so it might be worth a shot.
The Others:
Gnomeo and Juliet - James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Patrick Stewart Just Go With It - Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker Justin Bieber: Never Say Never - Justin Bieber, Usher, Miley Cyrus
February 18
Movie of the Week
I Am Number Four
The Stars: Alex Pettyfer, Dianna Agron, Timothy Olyphant The Plot: A genetically superior teen must hide who really is from the world as he is hunted down by an assassin. The Buzz: I Am Number Four looks like it's got a decent amount to offer. I mean, sure, I'm pretty sure by the end of each trailer I've seen the whole movie, but there's a vague sense of mystery to it. But it's got action for some folks and a bit of a romance for others, so this could go one of two ways. It could be a definite crowd pleaser or it could be a mess. I'm feeling optimistic today so I'm hoping for a halfway decent popcorn flick, but I'm still keeping my expectations low.
The Others:
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son - Martin Lawrence, Brandon T. Jackson, Portia Doubleday Unknown - Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger
February 25
Movie of the Week
Drive Angry
The Stars: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner The Plot: A man goes after those responsible for the death of his wife and the kidnapping of his daughter. The Buzz: Oh, did I mention that he escapes from Hell? Yeah, this is just the kind of schlock that promises a good time. Nicolas Cage makes questionable choices most of the time, so it's no surprise to see his name attached to this, but there's something so awesomely bad about this premise. This is one of the only times I will probably ever recommend seeing something in 3D, but considering it's from the same director that brought us the delightfully trashy My Bloody Valentine in 3D, a very shame-filled part of me is stoked for this one.
The Others:
Hall Pass - Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate, Jenna Fischer Shelter - Julianne Moore, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Frances Conroy