Hitting movie theaters this weekend:

The Change-Up - Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde Magic Trip - Stanley Tucci, Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary Rise of the Planet of the Apes - James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto

Movie of the Week

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

The Stars: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto The Plot: An origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy. The Buzz: I wish there were something better out this Friday, I wish Rise of the Planet of the Apes wasn't my Movie of the Week. Consolation prize is: James Franco rules. Freida Pinto ain't too bad either. I suppose this could make for a good popcorn-munching party, during an el cheapo matinee anyway.

Yeah, Rise of the Planet of the Apes looks far better than The Change-Up, least to me it does. Can America please go more than seven weeks between each Ryan Reynolds release? He's tough enough to take in very small doses, I can't take this over-exposure. Olivia Wilde and Justin Bateman are flirting with the same plague. I love Wilde and enjoy Bateman, but jeepers, they'd better be careful, don't want to pull a Portman here.

Every Friday we'll have new reviews of the latest films. TSR's complete Film Review Database

New Blu-ray and DVDs released this week:

Conan the Barbarian (BD) - Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow Conan the Destroyer (BD) -Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grace Jones, Olivia d'Abo MST3K, Vol. XXI [Deluxe Edition] (DVD) - Joel Hodgson The Name of the Rose (BD) - Sean Connery, Christian Slater, Helmut Qualtinger

Blu-ray/DVD of the Week

Conan the Barbarian (1982)

The Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow The Plot: The epic tale of child sold into slavery who grows into a man who seeks revenge against the warlord who massacred his tribe. The Buzz: Epic classic. Arnold Schwarzenegger in as Conan, James Earl Jones in as Thulsa Doom (whose politics remind me a lot of our current POTUS, no kidding). This is just a really well done fantasy picture. Looking back at the film, nearly 30 years after its release, one might argue that Conan the Barbarian is a bit guilty of hanging on to some arguably outmoded Old Hollywood devices (slow pacing, overly heavy/sweeping score), but if you're patient and you love fantasy films, this is one to own, as the rewatchability value is very high here.

Also out this week is Conan the Destroyer (1984). It's equally fun, quite a bit different, and a whole lot "more moderner," considering just two years separate the two films.

I'm excited to check out the blu-ray treatment of these classics. I'm hoping they do the audio/visual overhaul that's necessary to bring 'em up to blu-ray snuff. It's definitely a good time to release these films on blu-ray, as it's just two weeks before the release of the Conan the Barbarian reboot.

Check out our reviews of these movies and more ... TSR's complete Film Review Database