Movies for this week
The Incredible Hulk
Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt take to the silver screen this weekend as the Incredible Hulk smashes into theatres. Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Norton) is a fugitive on the run from the government attempting to find a way to control his hulk persona, chaos ensues. A decent script for a graphic novel turned movie and cinematography that attempts just about every trick in the book makes for a good foundation for this film. Well done graphics also lend to a pretty sharp experience. Probably best enjoyed on the big screen. The Incredible Hulk is rated PG-13.
The Happening
Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and John Leguizamo star in M. Night Shyamalan’s latest offering. An unknown force is causing mass suicide in the North East and school teacher Elliot Moore (Wahlberg) and his wife (Deschanel) try to escape what seems to be an impossible foe. Conceptually interesting but poorly scripted dialogue and weak performances all round leave the viewer starved for the quality one has come to expect from Shyamalan. Maybe worth a rental at a later date. The Happening is rated R.
Hellboy 2
The creative mind of writer/director Guillermo del Toro strikes gold again this weekend with the second installment of this graphic novel to screen adaptation. Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and company are forced to intervene in a world war between humans and elves, but who will survive the onslaught? Impressive visuals, quirky humor, well choreographed action, and interesting cinematography make this film a must see for fans of the genre. Rated PG-13.
Garden Party
The fast paced seedy lifestyle of Hollywood is under examination in this ensemble film from writer/director Jason Freeland. Shot on an incredibly small budget of five hundred thousand dollars, this indie film has a certain rough edge to tell a tale of multiple short stories all woven together. Semi interesting characters keep this film moving, and reasonable acting from most players makes this film tolerable. Perhaps best as a rental in a few months. Rated R.
Journey to the Center of The Earth
Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser) plays a college professor in search of his lost brother. While searching a series of unfortunate events lands Trevor, his guide Hanna, and nephew Sean plummeting to the center of the earth only to discover the tales of Jules Verne were true. Shot to be viewed in 3D, this film makes up for what it lacks in finesse and quality with kitch and makes for a fun adventure for families looking for a visual roller coaster. rated PG.
Meet Dave
Eddie Murphy stars in this sci-fi comedy as a spaceship that looks like a human being, controlled by tiny aliens on a mission to save the earth. Co-written by Mystery Science Theatre 3000 writer Bill Corbett, this film aims for moderate laughs but falls short. Maybe a rental at a later date. rated PG