BROKEN CITY
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe,
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Barry Pepper, & Kyle
Chandler
Directed by Allen Hughes for distribution by 20th
Century Fox
The Plot: A down and out
cop turn private investigator is double-crossed by his latest client who also
happens to be the mayor of New York.
The Final Word: While the
film’s trailers (and name) have been everywhere, it’s unfortunate that the plot
for the most part gets buried in the footage. On paper the on-screen pairing of
Wahlberg and Crowe seems like a good idea, but somehow everything has gotten
lost in translation.
THE LAST STAND
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker,
Johnny Knoxville,
Rodrigo Santoro, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzmán,
Eduardo Noriega, Peter Stormare, Zach Gilford,
Genesis Rodriguez, Daniel Henney & John Patrick
Amedori
Directed by Kim Jee-Woon for distribution by Lionsgate
The Plot: A one-time FBI
agent turned sheriff of a sleepy little border town near Mexico finds himself
on the front lines when a dangerous criminal escapes custody and ends up on a
collision course with his jurisdiction.
The Final Word: Love him or
hate him, Schwarzenegger remains one of the most well-known action movies stars
of all time. Now 65, the actor has proven he’s not ready to call it a career
and based on the success of action franchise “The Expendables,” it is clear
audiences aren’t ready for him (or his big name friends) to walk off into the
sunset just yet either.
MAMA
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau,
Megan Charpentier & Isabelle Nellsse
Directed by Andres Muschietti for distribution by Universal
The Plot: Two girls who
vanish into the woods after their father brutally kills their mother. 5 years
later the girls are found in an abandoned cabin and returned to their uncle and
his girlfriend who soon realize something else has returned with them
The Final Word: del Toro is one
of today’s most talented sci-fi/horror producers and each of his films attract
a loyal following. He also usually gets a warm reception from critics which was
again the case today as many seemed very pleased with the film.
