DREDD 3D
Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey & Rachel Wood
Directed by Pete Travis for distribution by Lionsgate
The Plot: In a world where society has crumbled to unspeakable levels, a group of cops named “judges” are given the power to act as judge, jury and executioner. Following a heinous crime, one of the city’s most notorious “judges” springs into action along with his rookie trainee to take down a slum controlled by a merciless Madame.
The Final Word: Anybody else the Sylvester Stallone version of “Judge Dredd” from 1996 that nearly destroyed the franchise? Yeah, Lionsgate is hoping you don’t and will be able to go into this version with an open mind. While fans seem willing to give the filmmakers a second chance, the problem is there may not be as many left as studio executives had hoped when they originally greenlit the project.
END OF WATCH
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Anna
Kendrick,
Frank Gillo & America Ferrera
Directed by David Ayer for distribution by Open Road
Films
The Plot: Two police
officers are marked for death after they disrupt the plans of a local drug
cartel and must fight to stay one step ahead of the group’s allies.
The Final Word: While
Gyllenhaal and Pena are earning some of the strongest reviews of their careers
for the action drama, audiences don’t seem to be that interested. Many probably
wouldn’t even know the plot if they weren’t a preview like this one. However,
Hollywood is ripe with movies that start off with no buzz, earning solid
reviews and then dominate during award season.
HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue, Max
Thieriot & Gil Bellows
Directed by Mark Tonderai for distribution by
Relativity Media
The Plot: A mother and
daughter looking for a fresh start move to a new house where they learn their
neighbor is the sole survivor of a brutal crime that still haunts the
neighborhood.
The Final Word: Jennifer
Lawrence is still riding high courtesy of “The Hunger Games” and Relativity
should be able to milk that opening weekend. The trick is going to be
sustaining whatever type of buzz the movie manages to garner as the movie opens
at the start of a very crowded time at the box office.
TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin
Timberlake, John Goodman,
Robert Patrick, Matthew Lillard, Scott Eastwood
& Joe Massingill
Directed by Robert Lorenz for distribution by Warner
Brothers
The Plot: A aging
baseball scout seeing his career slip away reluctantly allows his daughter to
accompany him on his latest scouting trip in order to prove to his bosses he
still has what it takes to get his job done.
The Final Word: Despite his
status as a Hollywood legend, the four-time Academy Award winning filmmaker has
seen a very uneven track record as of late. Every year Eastwood is talked about
in Oscar circles as automatic contender, but it’s been years since he’s been an
automatic nominee. In addition, “Curve” will actually be Eastwood’s first movie
in almost twenty years that he has starred in but hasn’t directed. First time
director Robert Lorenz instead shepherded the project with some helpful hints
probably coming from his iconic star.
