Jun 09 2008
What to See This Weekend?
My top pick of the week would be the Sergei Bodrov directed Mongol. It actually released on a very limited scale this past week and is going to see a wider release this weekend.Mongol is a melodic epic on the rise of Genghis Khan. This is the first installment on what is to be a trilogy on the life of Khan.
This film has gotten rave reviews and was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2008 Oscars. I am officially highly recommending this. It was wonderful (review later this week). If you live in the Minneapolis area and want a free pass I have a couple to give away. Either leave a comment or send me an e-mail - first come first serve.Watch the trailer:
There are two big studio releases this week that might be worth checking out as well: The Incredible Hulk & The Happening.Hulk is poised to be this weeks major release, likely to take home tops at the box office, unseating Kung-Fu Panda. Despite the highly publicized battle over the ending between the studio execs and Edward Norton the early word on the film is that is going to be a huge success, possibly rivaling Iron Man or The Dark Knight as the major blockbuster of the year.
The film looks like it is kind of following in the footsteps of Ang Lee’s poorly received version of the Hulk, despite early rumors that the film was going to present a major break for the studio. It appears as though Bruce Banner is being tracked, again, by the government and found in the jungle (where we left Eric Bana years ago). The villain of this film, The Abomination, seems to pose a similar threat to the villain of the Ang Lee version. Creating a sense of battling self for the greater good, which seems to be a big theme in the super-hero film this year (Iron Man has to defeat the arms dealer within, Bruce Wayne is going to have to play the villain for Gotham to defeat the Joker). Anyhow here is the trailer. The film looks like it will be interesting, probably the big one this weekend with midnight screenings everywhere.
The Happening is the new M. Night Shyamalan vehicle starring Mark Wahlberg. Very little seems to have been revealed about this film in the trailer and promotions, maybe an attempt by the studio, after the box office failure of The Village, to create a sense of intrigue. That and giving away any plot features might start to ruin the inevitable plot twists that mark every Shyamalan film.
The little information that is available suggests that the film centers on a major event sweeping the nation that has everyone committing suicide. Who knows, for most people the question is, who cares? Shyamalan has not recreated the popularity of films like The Sixth Sense in quite a while, with a string of failures like Signs. Shyamalan needs to find his tune again or risk becoming irrelevant in modern cinema. Though the trailers do seem aimed at someone who knows his work, though may have lost faith in his capabilities. The trailers with any voice over are always mentioning that it is Shyamalan’s first R-rated film, for whatever that’s worth.Anyhow, this film is sure to rake in a bit of money this week and will certainly break the top five at the box office over the weekend. Though it would take some very positive reviews to have it compete with The Incredible Hulk.
The final film on this weeks list is Quid Pro Quo which will see a limited release this weekend. The critics still seem to be out on this. Vera Farminga looks fantastic in this oddly shaped thriller, and it might have some success just based on the fact that it is not a blockbuster and cinephiles everywhere have to be clamoring for a decent release after the disappointing Indiana Jones and Chronicles of Narnia sequels.
Nick Stahl plays a partially paralyzed reporter sent out to conduct some interviews which lead him to an odd subculture where people are becoming intentionally paralyzed in what appears to be some sort of kinky ritual. The film seems to oscillate between a love story and a horrific thriller. This is sure to at least make you a little bit uncomfortable. I wasn’t totally sold after reading a plot summary but the trailer is quite good.
This weeks current top ten:
1. Kung-Fu Panda
2. You Don’t Mess With the Zohan
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
4. Sex and the City
5. The Strangers
6. Iron Man
7. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
8. What Happens in Vegas
9. Baby Mama
10. Made of Honor
