1. Salt (Sony/Columbia, 3,612 Theaters, 100 Minutes, Rated PG-13): The one fact I know about this film is that Tom Cruise passed on it to make Knight & Day, thinking this role was too close to his Ethan Hunt role from the Mission Impossible movies. This raises many questions. Does this mean that the only person worthy or replacing Tom Cruise is Angelina Jolie? Is Tom Cruise so easily replaceable that anybody can replace him? And if chose Knight & Day over this one, how badly must this one suck?
The plot involves a C.I.A. agent framed and accused of being a Russian spy. She goes on the run to try and clear her name. Stunts and a lot of near misses ensue.
In other words, a plot that you’ve seen a thousand times before.
2. Ramona And Beezus (Fox, 2,719 Theaters, 104 Minutes, Rated G):When I mentioned this film to wife, she oohed and aahed. The books of Beverly Cleary were obviously a very important part of her childhood, as can be assumed they were with many other people’s childhood.
Of course, my wife is several times the age of the target audience for this film ( I won’t say exactly how many times older–I don’t want to sleep on the couch tonight). But if our daughter was only a decade older, says the wife, she would have taken her to see this film.
I don’t know how prevalent this attitude is, or how many kids love the Beverly Cleary books like my wife does, but if this is a popular sentiment, Angelina might be in for a spot of trouble.
