While Airbenders, Predators and talking toys are drawing in audiences for a summer of great movies, don’t forget about the ones coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray this summer as well. Check out these hot summer releases and find a reason to stay inside and watch them.
July 6
Brooklyn’s Finest (Millennium Films)
In a sort of cinematic homecoming that will please any fan of very intense cop dramas, Antoine Fuqua returns to the genre which has helped define his career. As with his previous work on Training Day, Fuqua shows us that being a cop is not always what it seems. It isn’t always to serve and protect the people, but themselves, because they have their own personal problems which can cause conflicts in a job where they are expected to uphold the law. This is the story of three very conflicted cops who are very different in where they come from and where they are headed, but what they all share is a common dilemma of being torn between what they want or need to do and what they are expected to do on the mean streets of Brooklyn. The film stars Don Cheadle (Iron Man 2), Ethan Hawke (Daybreakers), Richard Gere (The Jackal) and Wesley Snipes (Blade) in his first film to get a theatrical release in five years.
July 6
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Music Box Films)
Sweden has really been churning out quite a few really good movies here lately. In 2008, we got one of the most atmospherically pleasing vampire movies ever: Let the Right One In, and now two years later we are treated to this cinematic gem. This murder mystery thriller is a very faithful adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s novel, Men Who Hate Women, which was a great relief to Larsson’s fans who were concerned how his work would be translated on the silver screen. While director Niels Arden Oplev, made some significant changes to the source material, it is nothing that truly hampers this film’s deserved greatness. The film is long (152 minutes) but it has its fair share of depraved, scary, shocking, grim and thrilling moments which almost make you forget the runtime as a journalist and computer hacker investigates a series of 40 year old murders which are connected to a mysterious family with Nazi ties. Intrigued yet? You should be.
July 13
The Bounty Hunter (Columbia Pictures)
In a world where romantic comedies and action romances are a dime a dozen, The Bounty Hunter did not do much to set itself apart as a film the deserved to be watched more than any other movie of this sort. The film follows ex-cop turned bounty hunter Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler, 300) as he pursues his latest bounty: his ex-wife, reporter Nicole Hurley (Jennifer Aniston, Bruce Almighty) as she skips town chasing a story on a supposed suicide and in so doing, violates her probation. As she follows up on her story, she also manages to rile up some baddies bent on killing her before she digs too deep. While this onscreen duo, share some marginal chemistry, it simply isn’t enough to keep this film’s head above water. The poorly paced script, if it can be called so, is basically almost two hours of flat, recycled jokes. Lastly, the film just isn’t all that believable, or funny. In the end, this movie has very little merit and if you must watch it, be sure you rent before you buy.
July 13
Greenberg (Scott Rudin Productions)
Ben Stiller is back in one of his best movies yet: Greenberg, and this time it is not for his comedic side. This new dramatic comedy from director Noel Baumbach shows us that Ben Stiller has a lot more to offer moviegoers than more Night at the Museum movies. Ben Stiller plays Roger Greenberg, a slacker in his forties who is struggling to sort his life out while he is housesitting for his brother. Baumbach and Stiller are a great match and we really see how Stiller handles a role that is both comedic and dramatic. However, much like the misadvertised Adventureland, this is not your average “funny” movie. This movie is one of those very rare, realistic character driven movies that understands the real life progression of events and rather than rush through those moments, allows the viewer to consider them with Greenberg. Do not be fooled by seeing Ben Stiller’s face and expect to see Zoolander or Heavyweights, but expect to see a movie that is very contemplative and slow, but still very well acted and directed. Well done to all on that one.
July 20
The Losers (Warner Bros.)
Move over A-Team, because if you are looking for a punchy, witty, over the top action movie, look no further. The Losers has all of these things and more. Adapting the short lived Vertigo comic book series, the film follows a group of U.S. Special Forces soldiers who are double crossed on a mission to Bolivia and presumed dead, until they come back hunting the ones who sent them to die and raise all kinds of Hell in the process. The picture boasts a stellar cast, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek), Chris Evans (Push) and the always great Jason Patric (The Alamo) as the diabolical bad man who is hunting them down and director Sylvain White has found a good balance here of humor and a tight and fast paced action. There are a lot of things that can be said about The Losers, but in the end it is a solid, well executed action comedy that deserves multiple viewings.
July 20
Cop Out (Warner Bros.)
The buddy cop movie is one of the most popular action comedy subcategories around. From Turner and Hooch to Lethal Weapon, buddy cop movies are always a great source of equal parts action and comedy. Cop Out, directed by fan favorite Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma) while slightly cliché, was actually a pretty funny movie. This was Kevin Smith’s first time directing a movie which he had not also written, however, it would be hard to discern that from the viewing since it is laden with jokes about genitalia, poop, and latent homosexuality. In the lead roles we have one of the greatest action stars of our time, Bruce Willis (Die Hard) alongside one of the great comedians of our time Tracy Morgan (Half Baked) which is a great recipe for comedy. The problem is that while it tries to spoof buddy cop movies, it also tries very hard to act like one which can cause confusion, on screen and in the audience. The film itself, while not quite sure what to make of itself, is handled as well as possible by Smith and by the cast. The result is the kind of comedy that is worth one, maybe two viewings, but not much more than that, lest it overstay its welcome.
July 27
Clash of The Titans (Warner Brothers Pictures)
Clash of the Titans, a remake of Ray Harryhausen’s stop motion classic from 1981, is the kind of movie that fans are divided on. Perseus (Sam Worthington, Terminator Salvation) is a demigod who is unaware of his godly birthright. He is chosen to lead a mission to destroy Medusa and save the city of Argos and in return, win the hand of Princess Andromeda (Alexa Davalos, The Mist). There can be no denying that the updated special effects make a world of difference in storytelling, however, there are those who say it was all style and no substance. It is a sad truth that many times in big budget action films like this, the special effects overtake the storyline in the hope that you, the viewer, will be so mystified by the monstrous creatures, stunning landscapes or the fast moving fight scenes, you won’t notice that the storyline has gotten shortchanged slightly. That being said, Clash of the Titans is a decent remake, especially considering the never-ending slew of remakes and reboots we have been subjected to lately. Is the movie a great one? By no means is a great movie, but it is an entertaining film.
July 27
Repo Men (Universal Pictures)
Didn’t this movie just get made from the guys over at Lions Gate Studios just a couple of years ago, only it was set to music? What was it called? Oh yes, Repo! The Genetic Opera. In the future, artificial organ donations are done on credit, but if you can make your payments, well, you get the idea. A group of men known as the “Repo Men”, will come to either collect your money or repossess your organs, by any means necessary. Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes, Gattaca) and Forrest Whitaker (Vantage Point, Battlefield Earth) play the part of the legalized assassins who work for The Union. By removing the musical framework on Darren Lynn Bousman’s earlier (and better) film and twisting the plot slightly to have Jude Law fighting for his life when he receives an organ transplant he cannot pay for, the film becomes an exercise in mediocrity. My advice, pass on this and rent Bousman’s musical version, because at least that was an original idea.
The “B” Reel
A Column for The Forgotten Movies That You Should Be Watching
The Fall (Googly Films)
There are not too many films out there that can claim to be “fairy tales for adults,” however; The Fall is one of the chosen few that can make that claim, and with good reason. The film follows paraplegic Hollywood stuntman Roy Walker (Lee Pace, The Good Shepherd) as he lays in a hospital bed in 1920s California telling a tale of adventure, love, betrayal and ultimate friendship to a fellow patient Alexandria (Catinca Untaru). As the story becomes more and more involved and Alexandria becomes more and more attached to Roy, the lines between fantasy and reality become blurred. The viewer takes a journey with Alexandria inside the vivid and extravagant world created by Roy for Alexandria. As that journey is taken we are reminded of what it is to be a child: Imaginative, curious, and most importantly innocent. The Fall is the beautiful middle ground between the comical fantasy romp, The Princess Bride and the hauntingly emotional and dark, Pan’s Labyrinth. Director Tarsem Singh (The Cell) has a very keen eye for visually arresting landscapes and an unmatched ability to draw the viewer inside the film and give you something that stays with you long after the credits roll. This film is the very definition of beautiful film making.
