Hitting movie theaters this weekend:
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked - Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris Young Adult - Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Patton Oswalt Movie of the Week
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
The Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris The Plot: Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty. The Buzz: Guy Ritchie's career has been effectively side-tracked by the Holmes franchise, and I think that's a good thing. I hope the trend continues. Downey Jr. and Law make for the perfect pair, and though I was disappointed when I learned, months back, that Daniel Day-Lewis had dropped out as Moriarty, I was pleased to see that his replacement was Jared Harris. Rachel McAdams looks to play backseat here to newcomer Noomi Rapace, which I'm not too excited about, but everything else here looks great.
I'd had pretty low expectations for the first film, and as it turned out I really enjoyed it. The whole package was just so slick, had such a fresh new vibe. Hans Zimmer's score was ridiculously awesome and unique, and in my opinion, was the single most powerful element of the film. I hope Zimmer's score is again at the forefront, and I hope this second installment lives up to the first. Based on what I've seen from the omnipresent adverts, it looks like it's likely that it will.
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:
Fright Night (BD/DVD) - Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, David Tennant Heavenly Creatures (BD) - Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse Kung Fu Panda 2 (BD/DVD) - Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan Rise of the Planet of the Apes (BD/DVD) - James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto The Rocketeer: 20th Anniversary Edition (BD) - Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin
Blu-ray/DVD of the Week
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Stars: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto The Plot: During experiments to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a genetically-enhanced chimpanzee uses its greater intelligence to lead other apes to freedom. The Buzz: I kinda wish there were something better out this week, I kinda wish Rise of the Planet of the Apes wasn’t my DVD of the Week. The consolation prize is: James Franco rules. Freida Pinto ain’t too bad either. I suppose this could make for a good popcorn-munching party. Yeah, Rise of the Planet of the Apes did well at the box office, was very well reviewed, and ultimately has a lot going for it -- I've been skeptical, but now that it's out on DVD, I'm definitely going to check it out.