1. Resident Evil: Retribution (Sony/Screen Gems, 3,012 Theaters, 95 Minutes, Rated R): Most films based on video games die a quick death at the box office. Not this one. This is the fifth installment of the franchise and is the main reason why Milla Jovovich doesn’t have to become a full-time participant of the comic-con circuit for the foreseeable future.
Doing a plot description for this film is kinda superfluous. If you are a fan of the franchise, you already know what it’s going to be about and you’re already there. If you haven’t seen one of these films, coming in at this stage of the game might not be worth the trouble.
But, since I have column space to fill, here it goes. Alice (Jovovich) fights zombies and the company that created them, while finding out more about her personal history.
2.Finding Nemo 3D (Disney, 2,904 Theaters, 100 Minutes, Rated G): I’m torn about this film. What it boils down to is this: I love Pixar (and like this film a lot) but hate the 3D trend with a passion. Love the fact the film is hitting theaters almost a decade (really!) after it was first released, sad that it is being released in a blatant cash grab.
The film is a classic and I recommend that if your kids (or you yourself) haven’t seen it, then by all means do so. If you’re lucky, then a theater near you might be showing it in non-3D, so you can save yourself THAT headache.
3. Last Ounce of Courage (Veritas/Rocky Mountain Pictures, 1,407 Theaters, 101 Minutes, Rated PG): Finally, we have this mystery entry for a film I have never heard of. This is what the synopsis on IMDB says about the film:
Last Ounce of Courage is the story of an American hero standing up for his beliefs in a time of cynicism and fear. Inspired by his grandson, a grieving father and courageous youth will rally their community to conserve the freedoms we the people hold dear. Bob Revere is a small town Mayor and combat decorated veteran. He faces a root of bitterness from his past filled with heartbreaking loss. His grandson comes back into his life after many years to ask the most important question, What are we doing with our life to make a difference? Bob had grown apathetic along with an entire town. Now with the help of children, a group of people all band together to inspire hope, take back the freedoms that are being lost and take a stand for truth.
Kinda vague, right? So I research further, and watch the trailer below, and find out that noble fight for freedom the soldier’s death inspires his son and father to fight is the fight to restore Christmas to his bucolic Red State-ish town. Yes, I live in a suburb of hyperliberal New York City and there are more Christmas decorations decorating the streets come November than you can choke a reindeer with, but in the redneck paradise Bob Revere (get it?) lives in, you can’t do so much as have a Christmas Parade without the ACLU getting involved.
Yes, this is the worst kind of ham-fisted propaganda–one that is poorly written, poorly acted, and poorly thought out. Instead of spending your money on this, put it in an envelope and send it off to the Romney campaign. It will probably be better spent that way.
