COWBOYS & ALIENS
Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde,
Sam Rockwell,
Adam Beach, Paul Dano, Noah Ringer, Keith Carradine,
Clancy Brown & Ana de la Reguera
Directed by Jon Favreau for distribution by
Universal Pictures
The Plot: A drifter
(Craig) awakens in a small Western town with no memory of how he got there and
soon finds himself teaming with the local sheriff (Ford) to battle a invading
group of aliens from outer space.
The Final Word: Jon Favreau has
taken an ageless genre and put a new spin on it, but best of all it’s in 2D!
The movie already has enough gimmicks; it doesn’t need an added dimension as
well. Craig and Ford should make for a fun on-screen paring and Olivia Wilde is
one of the hottest rising young actresses. This is the role the “House” actress
took that set up her (well written) temporary exit from the series.
THE SMURFS
Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Hank Azaria, Anton Yelchin, Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen,
George Lopez, Paul Reubens, John Oliver, Kenan Thompson,
B.J. Novak, Jeff Foxworthy, Wolfgang Puck, Gary Basaraba & Tim Gunn
Directed by Raja Gosnell for distribution by Columbia (Sony)
The Plot: Chased out of their own world by the evil Gargamel (Azaria), the Smurfs find themselves in a place they are unfamiliar with; Earth! Now the little blue cartoon characters must rely on the help of a married New York City couple (Harris, Mays) to find their way home.
The Final Word: Well it was only a matter of time before the friendly little blue animated kid icons got the big screen treatment and audiences are looking forward to their return. With a mix of CGI and live action, the Smurfs return to the world of pop culture sporting a strong voice ensemble and a perfectly casted Hank Azaria as the evil Gargamel. Audiences should feel nostalgic enough to give this film version a go, but some older viewers may be turned off by some of the lower brow humor shown off the trailer. Regardless, Columbia is expecting their blue friends to translate into a lot of green.
CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE.
Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone,
Julianne Moore,
Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon & John Carroll Lynch
Directed by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa for
distribution by Warner Brothers
The Plot: After learning
that his wife (Moore) has been cheating on him, a married man (Carrell) teams
up with a cocky playboy (Gosling) to get back in the dating game.
The Final Word: Steve Carell’s
“Office” exit has opened the doors to more movie opportunities for the talented
and affable actor. Here, he teams with a who’s who of Hollywood including the
very in demand Emma Stone, who became a hot commodity after last year’s “Easy
A.” All of the leads have proven they can hold their own, but this a big chance
for Gosling, who has yet to be showcase his comedic side. Paired with Carell,
they’ll create a new type of “odd couple” which audiences could really enjoy
watching.
Previewed next week: "The Change-Up" and "Rise of the Planet of The Apes"
