New Releases: February 7, 2014

1. The LEGO Movie (Warner Brothers, 3,775 Theaters, 100 Minutes, Rated PG):
When this film was first announced, I thought it would suck on ice. Much like the Stretch Armstrong film, I didn’t think there would be a way to translate this toy on to the big screen.

Then I saw the trailers for the film, and they looked really good. It seem to have a goofy sense of humor and an irreverent tone. Whether this comes through on the regular film or not, I don’t know. But I am surprised that the trailer was as good as it was. Add that to the fact that you can see members of the DC Comics, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and other pop culture properties on screen together, you have a pretty big draw.

The film deals with an ordinary minifigure who is mistakenly believed to be the Masterbuilder, a powerful architect who can save LEGO land from the evil Lord Business.

2. The Monuments Men (Sony/Columbia, 3,083 Theaters, 118 Minutes, Rated PG-13):
Typically, when a movie is delayed, that is never a good sign. However, in this case, I am willing to make an exception.

This is George Clooney’s latest and it was originally scheduled for December of last year, but Clooney wanted a little more time to do post-production work on it. But the film has a cast to die for, one that you can’t see creating a bad movie even if they tried. So I think this one might be safe to go to.

The film is based on the true story of a military group who is brought together to rescue priceless works of art the Nazis stole and to return them to their rightful owners.

3. Vampire Academy (The Weinstein Company, 2,676 Theaters,104 Minutes, Rated PG-13):
Yet another attempt to bring a popular series of YA novels to the big screen, and by this point they have all but given up. I mean, it has the lowest theater count, and the advertising has been far less than for other attempts at the genre.

This seems to be a “Twilight meets Harry Potter” as it details the goings on at an exclusive academy for vampires and their guardians. There is a lot of romance, betrayal, and in-fighting.

I expect this film to die a quick death at the cineplexes and we’ll have to see what else comes along the pike to try and fill the Hunger Games’ shoes.