Release Dates Jul 11 2008 @ 12:00 am
Theater Releases for July 11th, 2008
Hey friends…and welcome to new readers. For the unitiated, we do this twice a week: One of us goes through the new releases and makes fun of them, and then the fanboys post angry comments. Again, the movies are listed in order of my own interest…not the order that the various Hollywood cartels would have us put them in. Enjoy.
Journey to the Center of the Earth
I think it’s safe to say that no one is rooting for Walden Media more than myself. I just can’t say anything terribly bad about a company dedicated to turning great children’s books into great movies, and Because of Winn-Dixie and the latest Narnia movie were both brilliant. Heck, they even had a hand in distributing Michael Apted’s Amazing Grace, which I thank them for. Unfortunately, they just don’t have a very good track record, particularly when it comes to Jules Verne (Around the World in 80 Days, anyone?). On the bright side, this very loose adaptation of his novel of the same name looks fairly easy to sit through — it’s in 3D, which promises eye candy; and after Dudley Do-Right, it can’t possibly be Brendan Frasier’s worst film (although it remains to be seen whether The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor will usurp that particular title). The verdict? This probably isn’t terrible, but if you’re looking for famblee entertainment, WALL-E is likely a better choice.
Recommended if you didn’t learn your lesson from Beowulf
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Ladies and gentlemen, I present “Exhibit A” in the category of “Second Installment of a Comic Book Franchise That I Don’t Particularly Care About From a Director I Otherwise Admire” (see next week’s The Dark Knight for Exhibit B). I guess the first Hellboy had its admirers (…cue the crickets), but I thought that it was one of the most unrelentingly stupid things I’d ever had to sit through, and had all of one good scene (that one where Hellboy talks to that kid on that roof — why couldn’t the whole movie have been like that?). But “visionary director” (thanks to the Hellboy II trailer for that not-at-all-desperate-sounding phrase) Guilermo del Toro proved with Pan’s Labrynth that he can, in fact, direct a real movie…and the trailer for this one looks kind of cool. So it might be worth a shot. Oh, and for those of you who don’t know the premise: Hellboy is some sort of reformed demon who battles some sort of bad guys and some sort of saves the day. Y’know — not at all like Ghost Rider or Spawn. Or Blade. Or…um…Little Nicky.
Recommended if you liked V for Vendetta or 300
Meet Dave
Ugh…watch me not care. Yet another halfway-decent high concept, ruined by the presence of Eddie Murphy. Hey, producers: Just because Eddie implied that he might sorta-kinda be able to act in Dreamgirls doesn’t mean that you need to keep giving him work, especially in movies that would still be forgettable garbage even if they starred Alec Guinness. Anyway, Eddie is a human-shaped spaceship piloted by bite-sized aliens, and…yeah, sorry, but an Eddie Murphy vehicle just isn’t worth any more effort.
Recommended if your girl wants to party all the time, party all the time, party all the time…
on Jul 11 2008 @ 3:37 am 1. Nick Plowman said …
I’m just about to leave the house to go to a press screening of “Journey” and I’m scared. I hate Brendan Fraser.
I wish “Hellboy 2″ was opening in SA. Darn it.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 5:36 am 2. Cinexcellence said …
Ouch. Just unknowingly walked into a wall of comic book adaptation hate.
And FWIW, I really enjoyed watching Beowulf in 3-D. I’ll definitely be checking out Hellboy II (liked the first one), but I’m not so sure about Journey.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 5:41 am 3. Phillip Johnston said …
Oh, Del Toro is definitely a visionary in my mind. Have you seen The Devil’s Backbone? Pan’s Labyrinth is just as good, but DB gets overlooked. Its one of the finest ghost stories I’ve heard … and not just in the scary sense.
A fine director, IMO.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 5:45 am 4. Luke Harrington said …
I agree, but I really didn’t care for Hellboy. Meh .
I’ll have to check out Devil’s Backbone, though.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 5:56 am 5. G said …
I’m not sure whether I prefer Pan’s Labyrinth or Devil’s Backbone. I like them both a great deal.
I also like Hellboy.
The comics are quite good too, although I read all the Hellboy comics when someone lent them to me when the first movie came out, so now there’s like 20 more volumes of Hellboy and its spinoffs that I haven’t read….but they’re probably good too.
If you haven’t, you all should netflix the short film The Amazing Screw-On Head. It’s pretty ok.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 6:57 am 6. Colleeny said …
I heart Brendan Frasier. I don’t think hes that great of an actor… I just would like to be his friend. Their will always be a chair open of BF at the monthly poker game. Journey will be a great big PASS for me.
Looking forward to hellboy II a lot more than any other comic book adaption this year. Del Toro ads to the films appeal, but I loved the first hell boy film despite a few big problems with it.
I keep adding Eddie Murphie’s name to my Dead Pool!
on Jul 11 2008 @ 7:11 am 7. Evan Derrick said …
Ok, I think it’s time someone pried the keyboard out of Luke’s hands. Bagging on Hellboy and Dark Knight in the same post? For shame, for shame.
I enjoyed the first HB but wasn’t overwhelmed or anything (on record, I liked the comic, particularly Mike Mignola’s brilliant art work). I’m actually quite excited about this one. Del Toro had to fight really, really hard to get it made, so it’s something of a passion project for him. I’m catching an early screening later today and the review will be up sometime this weekend.
So Colleeny loves Brendan Frasier and Nick hates him. Would it be safe to say one of you wants to have his babies and the other wants to sell them into slavery? (I’m sorry, I just couldn’t help myself)
And G, I can vouch for The Amazing Screw-On Head. Actually, Luke, you might really enjoy that one. It’s like a steampunk Sherlock Holmes-ish animated comic that features (what else) a guy with a head that screws on in the title role.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 8:17 am 8. Luke Harrington said …
Okay…Devil’s Backbone and Screw-on Head have both been Netflix’d. You all owe me a Coke if they’re bad.
It’s possible I would have liked Hellboy, were I in a different frame of mind when I watched it. There were just too many twelve-year-old boys who had told me it was “Totally badass,” or some variation thereon. That kind of buzz can turn me off to anything.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 10:22 am 9. G said …
Oh yeah, I gotta back Evan up on this one: Hellboy and Batman Begins were both sweet. But critical consensus is already that the sequels are better, so get used to it.
How do you guys feel about Nolan and del Toro? Where do they stand for you in terms of current directors? I’d probably put them very high – maybe top 5 for Nolan and top 10 for Guillermo. That’s in terms of current/anticipated future success, not past success (ie, Woody Allen is in my top 3 of all time, but not top 100 working currently)
on Jul 11 2008 @ 10:53 am 10. Colleeny said …
I don’t want to have Mr. Fraiser’s babies, but I wouldn’t mind f…. oh never mind
on Jul 11 2008 @ 11:30 am 11. Rachel said …
No love for Batman? I’m crushed. And I thought you were so cool, Luke…
on Jul 11 2008 @ 11:54 am 12. Luke Harrington said …
Sorry, Rachel. I really wanted to like Batman Begins, but I just couldn’t shake the notion that it was little more than Warner Brothers desperately trying to keep their 80-year-old IP profitable. That said, it’s not a bad film, and I certainly won’t fault anyone for liking it.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 12:21 pm 13. Rachel said …
Hey, that’s cool. I know I’ve been haggled for not liking films that everyone else worshipped, most recently Knocked Up.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 1:27 pm 14. Craig Kennedy said …
Count me among he Hellboy admirers, though I just watched it on DVD and it didn’t hold up all that well.
I originally walked into it expecting nothing. Had no familiarity with the comic. Didn’t care. Sounded stupid. What I got was a subversion of the usual superhero BS and it was pretty funny. Good enough for me anyway.
I’m actually so bored of the whole superhero thing, I’m a bit skeptical of Dark Knight. I’ll be there opening night, but if it’s not great, I’m taking a break from the genre.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 1:31 pm 15. Evan Derrick said …
Just got back from Hellboy. You know that whole “from visionary filmmaker _________” line marketing departments chuck around all the time like flimsy confetti? Well in Del Toro’s case, it is actually merited. The guy’s imagination is apparently limitless. Hellboy isn’t so much a comic book film as it is a pliable canvas with which Del Toro can exert his considerable skill. The story is kind of ho-hum at times, hits a lot of the generic “I don’t really belong” beats. But the visuals…my gosh, the visuals. Around every corner is a new and incredible sight until you think the film is going to buckle underneath the load. It’s positively gorgeous.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 1:42 pm 16. Craig Kennedy said …
“Hellboy isn’t so much a comic book film as it is a pliable canvas with which Del Toro can exert his considerable skill.”
Ok, I was already sold, but now I’m definitely hitting it this weekend.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 7:53 pm 17. Phillip Johnston said …
I haven’t seen Following (his first film), but in my eyes Christopher Nolan hasn’t made a bad (or even mediocre) film yet. I’m especially fond of Batman Begins and The Prestige.
Perhaps I’m not the person to blab about how brilliant Del Toro is since I’ve only seen Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth, but I think the man has major storytelling skills. His commentaries for both of those films are full of life and he opens his own stories up like a seasoned literature prof. Lots of talk about the importance of mythology and a well-crafted story. I’m a fan.
on Jul 11 2008 @ 8:30 pm 18. Daniel said …
What Evan said in #15. Best effects of the year so far.
Easy, Evan – I’m excluding Speed Racer!
on Jul 11 2008 @ 9:20 pm 19. Phillip Johnston said …
FWIW, Journey was tolerable but the majority of the “action scenes” lacked any kind of tension. The 3D was kind of cool though, and I get to keep the neato glasses.