1. The Lucky One (Warner Brothers, 3,155 Theaters, 101 Minutes, Rated PG-13): Whenever I see “From the makers of The Notebook and Insert name of other Nicholas Spark adaptation here,” I know exactly what I’ll be getting–a treackly romance with a quasi-absurd twist to it. But seldom is the twist as creepy as this one.
Zac Efron stars as an Iraqi War veteran who survives three tours of duty due to a special good luck charm–a picture of a woman that he randomly found in the desert. When he get back home, he stalks–er–I mean tracks her down, gets a job at a kennel her family owns, and begins to pitch woo.
I know nothing about the Sparks’ novel the film is based on, but I heard that it was based on a true story and the woman in the picture was the girlfriend of the soldier’s platoon mate. I don’t know if this is true, but it can’t be far from it. I mean, how else would her picture get in that area of Iraq anyway? That just makes this film that much creepier.
2. Think Like A Man (Sony/Screen Gems, 2,015 Theaters, 123 Minutes, Rated PG-13): 2012 is becoming a big year for films adapted from non-fiction books. Later this year, we can expect What to Expect When You’re Expecting, based on the successful self-help book for expectant mothers. This week, we get this film, adapted from Steve Harvey’s relationship advice book, Act Like a Woman, Think Like a Man.
I think this trend is ludicrous. I mean, The Lucky One shows there is no lack of fiction to build films around. Hollywood should have a while before they get to the self-help section.
This one at least involves Harvey, as he builds a story around a group of men, upset because their mates keep getting the upper hand in their relationships thanks to Harvey’s book, who act to counteract the advice the girls are getting. That’s a sign of a bunch of great relationships there.
3. Chimpanzee (Disney, 1,563 Theaters, 78 Minutes, Rated G): In what’s becoming a yearly tradition, Disney is releasing a nature documentary to celebrate Earth Day. This year, the film features adorable chimpanzees.
The story focuses on a 3-year-old who is separated from its troop and adopted by another chimp. But does the plot really matter? Even if it was 78 minutes of the chimpanzee eating food it would still be more appealing than the other two films this week.
