1. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (Warner Brothers, 2,575 Theaters, 90 Minutes, Rated PG): When I first saw this trailer, I got a big Happy Feet vibe off of it. And while it is advertise as being from the studio that brought us that movie, and the owls do remind one of those penguins, what shocked me more was the director.
The director is Zack Snyder. The same Zack Snyder that directed 300, Dawn of the Dead, and Watchmen. I wonder if there will be any uncomfortably drawn out sex scenes in this film.
Probably not, because this film was adapted from a line of children’s books. Young owls are, well, owlnapped and forced into military service. One young owl escapes and find friendly owls to help him free his friends.
2. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Fox, 3, 565 Theaters, 133 Minutes, Rated PG-13): If there was ever a movie in need of a sequel 23 years later, it’s probably not this one. Can’t see people clamoring for a follow-up over the last 20 years.
But with the economy the way it is, the scandals at Enron, Goldman Sachs and others, and the us-and-them mentality between the haves and the have-nots, it is the perfect time for a sequel. Greed is good has become a religious text for a lot of people, and others have suffered.
Gordon Gekko appears to be a white hat in this film, trying to warn the financial community of its bleak future. I don’t know if I am ready for that.
This film got an unfortunate boost from Micahel Douglas’ announcement that he has cancer. I am pulling for him, and I hope this isn’t one of his last films.
3. You Again (Touchstone, 2,548 Theaters, 105 Minutes, Rated PG): Not to put on my feminist hat or anything, but really? Is this film really saying that women are so catty that it passes from generation to generation? That women never grow out of the petty feuds and animosities? Man, that’s kind of backwards thinking.
Anyway, the film, which was written by a woman–way to keep those negative stereotypes going, ladies–is about a woman whose world it turned upside down when she realizes that her brother is going to marry a woman who made her high school life miserable. She then begins to do all she can to break up the impending nuptials.
Complicating matters is the fact that the woman’s mom had a similar hate/hate relationship with the bride’s mom. Somehow, I get the feeling there will be a food fight involving a wedding cake. I can just feel it.
The cast is filled with pretty good actors, including that unstoppable juggernaut of octogenarian humor, Betty White, so maybe the film won’t be as bad as it seems.
