HOP
Starring: James Marsden, Russell Brand, Kaley Cuoco,
Hank Azaria, Gary Cole,
Elizabeth Perkins, David Hasselhoff, Chelsea Handler
& Hugh Laurie
Directed by Tim Hill for distribution by Universal
The Plot: A out of work
slacker (Marsden) is tricked into taking care of the Easter Bunny’s son
(Brand), who ran away to Los Angeles instead of taking over the family
business.
The Final Word: “Hop” cleverly
blends CGI and live-action to tell this story about an unlikely friendship.
Russell Brand lends his voice to the Easter Bunny’s son E.B., who instead of
taking over for dear old dad, wants to be a drummer in Hollywood. Upon his
arrival, Marsden’s character hits E.B. with his car and the bunny fakes an injury
in exchange for a place to stay. It’s actually a fun concept and is (of course)
perfectly timed to the upcoming Easter holiday. This will also be the first movie for
“The Big Bang Theory’s” Kaley Cuoco since her sitcom premiered. She’ll co-star as Marsden’s love interest, who is also admired by E.B.
INSIDIOUS
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye,
Ty Simpkins & Barbara Hershey
Directed by James Wan for distribution by
FilmDistrict
The Plot: A family finds
their new house haunted by evil spirits only to realize the root of their
problem may not actually be the house.
The Final Word: This
new take on the classic haunted house genre comes courtesy of a collaboration
of talent from the people behind “Saw” and “Paranormal Activity.” Horror films
are notoriously unpredictable, but they have also been a hugely successful as
of late. With the pedigree behind this film and a cast led by rising stars
Patrick Wilson and “Damages’” Rose Bryne, upstart company FilmDistrict could
make a splash if it doesn’t get overshadowed by “Source Code.”
SOURCE CODE
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera
Farmiga & Jeffrey Wright
Directed by Duncan Jones for distribution by Summit
Entertainment
The Plot: A soldier
(Gyllenhaal) becomes a part of a secret government program known as the “Source
Code,” where he is given the ability to travel back in time to eight minutes
prior to a terrorist attack.
The Final Word: Director Duncan Jones put himself on the map in
2009 with a little-known film called “Moon.” The indie hit attracted the
attention of Summit, which led to this movie, which could probably best be
described as “Groundhog Day” with a twist. The son of David Bowie, Jones is
slowly making a name for himself and is looking for “Code” to bring him
mainstream buzz. The tricky part here is that Gyllenhaal, while known in the
mainstream, still hasn’t been able to prove he can consistently open a picture
on his own. Yes, “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Day After Tomorrow” did
extremely well, but he was also a supporting player in both. While he is a
talented actor, his films don’t perform well, with the most obvious example
being last year’s high profile dud “Prince of Persia.” Although “Code” is just
the right mix of indie, but molded for mainstream viewing, so it is possible he
could be a great fit here, but honestly the jury is still out.
SUPER
Starring: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon & Nathan Fillion
Directed by James Gunn for distribution by IFC Midnight (Films)
The Plot: An ordinary man (Wilson) transforms himself into a superhero after his wife (Tyler) leaves him for a psychopathic drug dealer (Bacon).
The Final Word: This is the definition of an indie film, but it comes with a very mainstream cast, which should earn it some attention. Although Gunn, who also wrote the script, is known for dark and edgy style which could limit its potential audience, but more than likely those going to see it will know ahead of time what to expect.: An ordinary man (Wilson) transforms himself into a superhero after his wife (Tyler) leaves him for a psychopathic drug dealer (Bacon).
Previewed next week: Arthur, Hanna, Born To Be Wild 3D, Your Highness
