Weekend Preview-TOTAL RECALL And A Number Of Comedies Bring In August.
Welcome to August! All the massive, HUGE blockbusters are in theaters and now we have some not so massive blockbusters ready to come out. This week we have one remake, one sequel and one genre bending comedy(or is it a drama? not really sure).
Total Recall– In 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in a crazy sci-fi flick about a man whose looking for an escape from his not-so-fun life and instead finds himself in a world of trouble. Now, a reboot is back – and the 2012’s version has fresh take on the concept… keeping some aspects of the original intact, and making some creative changes as well.
Doug Quaid (Colin Farrell) is looking for an escape from his boring life. As an escape he visits Rekall, a company that provides its clients with fake, implanted memories of a life they would like to have led. (Say for example, an intriguing life as spy.) Well, this is the movies, so the head trip goes terribly wrong and Quaid is accused of being an actual spy. Total Recall is a remake in name but is more based on the actual short story that inspired the original film – the story written by Phillip K. Dick entitled “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale.” The movie is written by Kurt Wimmer(Salt) and Mark Bomback(Unstoppable). Directed by Len Wiseman (The Underworld Series).
The film boasts an impressive cast that includes Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bill Nighy and John Cho. I love the cast, and the director knows how to do action. I say see Total Recall, just think less “Get to da choppa” and more Jason Bourne on acid. There’s also a famously odd character in the original, a three breasted woman on Mars. The character, who has no real impact on the story, is back in the reboot, and has already become an internet sensation. Go figure.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days-The third in the series, based on the award winning children’s books, the third film reintroduces protagonist Greg as he tries to hatch a plan on how to enjoy his summer. As things get more out of control, he realizes this summer will not be as great as he had planned. The source material for this series was its strongest asset, and it has been a mediochre performer at the box office for the most part (Averaging less then 60 million dollars). When it comes to films like Diary of a Wimpy Kid:Dog Days, parents love the material and kids seem to enjoy the movies. They are not quality films for parents and no one really expects them to be. Most of the normal faces return for this film including Steve Zahn and Rachael Harris(The Hangover). If your child was a fan of the two previous films then most reviewers agree this one will not disappoint, if not, then don’t bother. Live action children’s films are never really as charming as their animated counterparts and just end up being directly for the kids and not so much for the parents.
Celeste and Jesse Forever – This, in my opinion, is the movie I am most excited for this weekend. Its about highschool sweethearts who get married young then find themselves going in opposite directions. Celeste(Rashida Jones) is a successful owner of a media consulting firm, Jesse(Andy Samberg) is unemployed and in no rush. After getting a divorce they remain best of friends until Jesse starts to move on. This goes in neither drama nor comedy which makes it a Dramedy(only in Hollywood would this be an actual word but I digress), this is the perfect type of film for its actors to showcase their talents. Celeste and Jesse brings a great cast that includes Emma Roberts(Scream 4) Ari Graynor(The Sitter), Eric Christen Olsen(NCIS LA), Rob Huebel(The Descendants), Chris Messina(Ruby Sparks) and Elijah Wood(Lord Of The Rings). My biggest passion as a movie geek is seeing actors do different things, I really enjoy seeing actors take on different roles. My favorite examples are Brad Pitt in Burn After Reading and Will Ferrell in Stranger Then Fiction. So I am thrilled to see Andy Samberg leave that comfort zone of being a goofball and actually show his acting chops. It’s also a time to see what Rashida Jones has as a main stream, top billed actress. Her most serious role came in The Social Network which she is only in for a little while. I say see Celeste and Jesse, just to see what these actors have and enjoy a real good story.