Trailer: Matt Damon vs. Jodie Foster in Elysium, Blomkamp's follow-up to District 9

In the distant future, the wealthy reside on Elysium, a beautiful, space station-based metropolis, while everyone else remains on a dilapidated Earth. Diagnosed with a terminal illness whose cure lies at the orbiting city, Earth resident Max (Matt Damon) accepts a dangerous mission that puts him in the line of fire of an anti-immigration Elysium politician (Jodie Foster). Like District 9, director Neill Blomkamp's previous film, Elysium explores political themes and makes good use of a modest budget ($90 million here compared to District's $30 million). Elysium also stars District lead Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, William Fichtner and Diego Luna. It launches into theaters on August 9, 2013.

Trailer: 300: Rise of an Empire

The new trailer for 300: Rise of the Empire has oiled itself up and is ready for all to see. The movie is a sequel of the first one and follows the Spartans as they get revenge on (or try to defend against, can't really tell) Xerxes. It looks like Cersei Lannister is stirring up war again because the trailer starts off with her telling the Spartans to fight. After that, there are lots of dramatic, shirtless, and oiled up fight scenes. Rodrigo Santoro returns as the pseudo S&M Xerxes but the rest of the cast appear to be new. 300's original director is back on as a writer and producer; the same guy who did the phenomenal Man of Steel, Zack Snyder. Snyder is a genius with the camera and this movie appears to have the same amazing cinematography that made those two movies so enjoyable. The 300 sequel rises to theaters on March 7, 2014. 

What to Watch this Weekend: June 14, 2013

 

In Theaters: Man of Steel

Man of Steel is a good movie; a very good movie. It's a dramatic take on Superman that is refreshingly different from the approach taken by the Marvel movies. We both thought you should see it, and this weekend is the perfect chance to do just that!

In Theaters: This is the End

Sure, This is the End--at a glance--doesn't appear to be a great movie, but it has a great opening, a slow middle, and a surprisingly good ending. It's a lot of fun to watch, especially seeing the actors playing exaggerated versions of themselves. We recommended you see it.

On DVD: Oz the Great and Powerful

Oz has great special effects and a few magical moments and characters, but its plot is surprisingly dull. The world is beautiful though sometimes it looks like everyone is wandering through pretty, computer-generated paintings, and Mila Kunis and James Franco's performances aren't always effective. It's a somewhat inspired prequel that deserves better execution. If you're going to buy it today, make sure to save $7.

Streaming (Amazon): Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection

4 stars in 460 customer reviews on Amazon can't be wrong. Tyler Perry's long running Madea series is back and in this movie, Madea has to protect some wall street something or other who has been set up. Again, 4 stars in 460 customer reviews. 

Review: White House Down

Release date: June 28, 2013
Running time: 137 minutes
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhall, Jason Clarke, Richard Jenkins
Who to see it with: Patriots

Lee:

White House Down is the year's second, and superior, action film set at the President's official residence. Tatum plays John Cale, a US Capitol Police Officer who chose the wrong day to take a White House tour. He and his distant daughter happen to be there when mercenaries take over in search of the Commander-in-Chief (Foxx).

Both WHD and Olympus Has Fallen resemble the somewhat inspired idea of "Die Hard at the White House". They're both cliched and ridiculous, but WHD is better executed. OHF kept a fairly serious tone that sometimes bored me, but here director Roland Emmerich depicts terrorism in the same over-the-top, light manner found in his doomsday movies Independence Day and 2012. That means there's numerous funny, and often corny, one liners spouted in the midst of crisis. President Sawyer will be many's favorite character. He is, by far, the wittiest person in the film, and is believably awkward when caught up in the action. The movie is best when pairing tough Tatum with clumsy, earnest Foxx. It feels routine when they're apart, though characters like a dorky tour guide bring laughs and numerous plot twists maintain interest in the villains.

WHD has a noticeably higher budget and is slightly less graphic than R-rated OHF. There are lots of explosions and computer-aided flying shots throughout the film. Unfortunately, the special effects have an obvious, animated look. Washingtonians will be humored by a brief shot of a recognizable Chinatown intersection. White House Down offers nothing you haven't seen before, but the likable team of Tatum and Foxx raise it above other routine action films.

Rent it.

David:

I'm going to have to disagree a little with Lee here. I didn't think the movie was amazing but I appreciated it for what it was, a fun and slightly dumb summer action movie. Sure the plot didn't exactly make sense and the hacker guy was really annoying, but I definitely enjoyed it. There was heavy use of CG but for some summer movies, I can forgive that. I really liked the Tatum and Foxx pair; I thought they had a really good dynamic and were fun to watch. I also thought the action and the sound effects might merit a trip to the theater. Plus, as an added bonus, there are plenty of guns--both on Tatum's arms and in his hands--that are best experienced on the big screen with premium sound. And, similar to what happened in Fast 6, there is a certain appeal to seeing a cheesy summer movie with an audience that is cheering along with the heroes. Although I ultimately agree that it is a rental, I still think it's very close to a see it. If you like Tatum and Foxx (and really, who doesn't love them) and go in with the right mindset, then this is a great summer flick to see in theaters.

Review: The Bling Ring

Release Date: June 21, 2013

Running Time: 90 minutes

Starring: Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, Leslie Mann

Who to see it with: Someone intrigued by strange crime stories and teenage foolishness

Lee:

Inspired by a real crime spree that occurred in 2008 and 2009, The Bling Ring revolves around a group of teenagers who take their celebrity worship too far when they burglarize several homes. It primarily follows initially good-natured transfer student Marc (Broussard). He quickly bonds with morally challenged Rebecca and her friends, who show no remorse as they invade the stars' homes. The heists are fascinatingly uncomplicated, requiring little more than Google Maps and celebrity gossip blogs. You'd think the rich would have better security.

TBR's characters can be hard to accept. They're all quite shallow and unsympathetic, experiencing little, if any, growth by the end of the film. The plot sometimes alternates between burglaries and parties with little meaning, showing their revelry without providing much overt commentary. This distance is found in Sofia Coppola's other work, but her characters usually seem less one-dimensional. Fortunately, the actors bring the simple characters to life. Chang is both magnetic and off-putting as heartless Rebecca, and I liked seeing Watson play someone so unlike Hermione. It's often darkly funny, but also disturbing in its portrayal of teenage media obsession and casual attitudes toward crime and drug use. TBR is an interesting and surprising crime tale, but its characters' lack of depth may leave you feeling cold.

Rent it.

Fun facts: The scenes located at Paris Hilton's home were shot at her actual house, making its ridiculous Paris-themed decor funnier than anything the filmmakers could have conceived. It's interesting that the spree's biggest victim not only makes a cameo appearance but also provided access to the crime scene. The non-celebrity characters' names were changed.

Good Deal: Purchase $50+ in Fandango gift cards, see Man of Steel for free.

Man of Steel is a very good movie. We both thought you should see it. You're probably already planning on seeing it. So why not go see it for free. If you buy $50+ in gift cards to Fandango (which you can use to see other movies), you'll get a free ticket to see Man of Steel. It's not a great deal but if you're going to see the movie anyways and use Fandango, you probably want to take advantage of it.

News: Aaron Paul stars in Need for Speed, an unexpected video game-to-film adaptation

Some video game franchises have interesting concepts and stories that, if adapted correctly, could drive compelling films. Need for Speed, a series of racing games that puts players in the driver's seats of some of the world's fastest cars, is not in that category. Nevertheless, an NfS film is racing into theaters on March 14, 2014. Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul introduced this brief behind-the-scenes look at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Paul plays a vengeful, fresh out of prison street racer who enters a cross-country race to confront the former partner who framed him.

This sounds like a mediocre action flick, but mediocrity would be an achievement considering the low quality of the average video game movie. The video gives the impression that the action will be more serious and less amusingly over-the-top than that of the Fast and Furious franchise, but director Scott Waugh's work on the thrilling Act of Valor and stuntman background could make Need's races stand out.  Need for Speed also stars Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Kid Cudi, Rami Malek and Michael Keaton.