While we welcome the delightful 50 degree weather that can only mean springtime in Boston, this time of the year is pretty dreary as far as movies go. You might as well determinedly spend an afternoon on the BU beach, denying the fact that it’s still freakin’ cold, instead of escaping to the theaters.
This phenomenon happens every year: the Oscars are over, so Hollywood takes a vacation. The elite, rich, and talented are temporarily replaced by the fluff.’ So far this spring, we’ve been subjected to ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’ ‘-‘- it’s about cute girls figuring out life and boys, ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ ‘-‘- it’s about a cute girl figuring out life and boys . . . while shopping, and yet another Tyler Perry movie ‘-‘- this time Madea goes to jail!
In addition to the never-ending Madea movies, we get other recycled ideas.’ ‘Fired Up!’ is ‘Bring It On’ meets ‘American Pie.’ ‘Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience’ is ‘Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour,’ just with male tweens this time.’ And ‘Knowing’ is every other Nicolas Cage movie from the past four years.
Even ‘Watchmen,’ one movie I had been anxious to see since its chilling trailer first hit theaters, was a disappointment in early March. Terrible acting and makeup, plus a strict adherence to the graphic novel format resulted in a long, dull flop. Director Zack Snyder bravely attempted to make ‘The Unfilmable Film,’ however, and he deserves a bit of credit for that.
One bright spot amongst the gray was February release ‘Coraline.’ A psychedelic trip into an unhappy daughter’s imaginings of a different world, ‘Coraline’ provides a fresh take on those kids-movies-that-are-really-adult-movies movies. Darker than Pixar and deeper than ‘Shrek,’ ‘Coraline’ is masterfully directed by Henry Selick ‘-‘- the whiz behind ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas.” This one is definitely worth checking out come DVD time.
So when will the sun come out?’ We have a few possibilities for some great entertainment before the summer blockbusters hit.’ Look for ‘The Soloist’ April 24, ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ May 1, ‘Star Trek’ May 8 and ‘Up’ May 29. We might not have any award winners here, but there’s a good chance they’ll top Matthew McConaughey’s ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.” Yep, it’s exactly what it sounds like.
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