The options this week are pretty decent. There aren’t necessarily any great films, but you’ve got a pretty wide variety to choose from. You’ll almost certainly find something that interests you somewhat this week.

21
Personally, I hate it when producers spell their movie titles with numerals. Note to Hollywood: please consult your MLA handbook before titling any more movies. You’re not as cool as you think. Thank you. Anyway, Twenty-one (as I’m going to call it from now on) is the story of an MIT math student who discovers he can pay for college by spinning the rules of blackjack in his favor. Call it Ocean’s Eleven (not Ocean’s 11, by the way) for smart people. It’s “Based on a true story!” which is almost never a good sign…but I think this one looks pretty intriguing. Count me in.

Recommended if you like Catch Me if You Can, gambling, or statistics

Run, Fat Boy, Run
The directorial debut of David Schwimmer…yes, that David Schwimmer. Ross made a movie. This one’s a British romantic comedy, and if anyone knows how to do romantic comedies, it’s the British. Shakespeare…Austen…Fielding…it’s all good. Thing is, Schwimmer’s an American working in Britain…so I’m not promising you anything. It does have Hank Azaria in it, though, so it’s got some potential.

Recommended if you like Along Came Polly, Bridget Jones’s Diary, or Hitch

Stop-Loss
Is anyone else sick of MTV pretending to be antiwar because they think it gives them some sort of credibility with the young ‘uns? I’m no fan of the U.S.’s current foreign policy, but come on, guys…you’re a music station (and, what’s more, one that doesn’t even play music anymore). That doesn’t exactly give you a lot of credibility on complicated global issues. Can’t you stick to the latest Britney gossip, or something? Regardless, this one is a drama about a soldier from the Iraq war who fights back when Uncle Sam tries to extend his tour of duty. It’s got the potential to be a decent drama…but I wouldn’t count on it, if its politics are even half as heavy-handed as they come off in the trailer.

Recommended if you like Three Kings, The Kingdom, or pretending to be politically active by sitting in an air-conditioned theater and eating snacks

Superhero Movie
Free tip: if a movie has the word “Movie” in the title, just don’t go. Just stay away. This one works amazingly well: you’d avoid all the craptastic parodies of the last ten years like Scary Movie, but you’d also avoid Santa Claus: The Movie, Garfield: The Movie, Left Behind: The Movie and Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. You really can’t lose with this one.

Recommended if you like movies that think they’re clever because they’re like other movies