TANGLED
Starring the
voices of: Mandy Moore, Zachery Levi, Donna Murphy,
Ron Pearlman, M.C.
Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett & Paul F. Tompkins
Directed by Byron
Howard, Nathan Greno for distribution by Walt Disney Pictures
The Plot: A new
re-telling of the classic fairytale “Rapunzel” with Mandy Moore voicing the
long haired maiden and Zachery Levi as the dashing outlaw who discovers her
castle while on the run.
The Final Word: In 1989 Disney began a new era of
box office dominance with “The Little Mermaid.” In the years following “the house the mouse
built” thrived with some of the most profitable and critically acclaimed films
(“Beauty & The Beast,” “The Lion King,” “Aladdin”) in the company’s
history, culminating in 1995 with “Toy Story.” The Pixar classic paved the way
for the next generation of animated storytelling and the early buzz is that
“Tangled,” could so the same.
BURLESQUE
Starring: Cher, Christina Aguilera, Eric Dane, Cam
Gigandet, Julianne Hough,
Peter Gallagher, Alan
Cumming, Kristen Bell & Stanley
Tucci
Directed by Steve
Antin for distribution by Screen Gems (Sony)
The Plot: A small
town girl (Aguilera) with a amazing voice stumbles upon a burlesque club, where
the owner and headlining act (Cher) offers her a chance at a new life.
The Final Word: Cher has been off the grid for a number of
years, but every time she re-appears people do tend to take notice. Paired with
Christian Aguilera and a strong supporting cast, the musical drama could make a
splash or just fall flat, the jury is still out.
FASTER
Starring: Dwayne
Johnson, Billy Bob Thorton, Carla Gugino & Maggie Grace
Directed by George
Tillman Jr. for distribution by CBS Films
The Plot: A wronged
man (Johnson) freed from jail, after serving time for a botched bank robbery
that took the life of his brother, decides to track down those responsible
while being hunted himself.
The Final Word: CBS Films puts Dwayne Johnson in
the driver’s seat of their first action movie, hoping the former wrestler’s
presence will be enough to jump start their luck at the box office. This is a
radically different type of story than the studio’s two previous films
(“Extraordinary Measures” & “The Back-Up Plan”), but just may be what they
need to succeed.
LOVE & OTHER DRUGS
Starring: Jake
Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Oliver Platt & Hank Azaria
Directed by Ed
Zwick for distribution by 20th Century Fox
The Plot: A pharmaceutical sales rep (Gyllenhaal) falls for an alluring free spirit (Hathaway) only to learn love is a type of drug that he isn’t as familiar with as he thought.
The Final Word: Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway have a lot more in common that
many people would probably assume at first glance. Breaking onto the scene
around the same time, the pair have both stayed out of the negative Hollywood
limelight. In fact they’ve made successful careers out of playing the same type
of damaged characters, some of their not so lucky contemporaries have turned
into. While movies that focus on flawed characters don’t always lead to high
box office receipts they do lead to success during Oscar season, which is
something these former nominees know a lot about.
THE NUTCRACKER IN 3D
Starring: Elle
Fanning, Nathan Lane, Charlie Row & John Turturro
Directed by Andrei
Konchalovsky for distribution by Freestyle Releasing
The Plot: The classic
holiday tale returns to theatres, but this time in 3D.
The Final Word: Really not much to discuss here. This cherished story always does well
around this time of the year no matter what the medium.
Previewed next week: "The Warrior's Way" and a special "Oscar" preview.
Previewed next week: "The Warrior's Way" and a special "Oscar" preview.
