Expect “Alice In Wonderland” to continue dominating the box-office this weekend, even with several new films out in wide release. The Burton/Depp 3D extravaganza is doing very well with repeat business, with the public much more infatuated with the film than critics. “The Bounty Hunter” should post decent numbers for second place, filling the rom-com void and boosted by the romantic rumors linking the two stars of the film. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “Repo Men” should fill the next slots, but shouldn’t see much shelf life. You’re better off checking out your local art-house this weekend, there’s been a number of great films expanding (“A Prophet,” “Mother”) and some interesting choices this week with “Greenberg” and “The Runaways” opening small.
In Wide Release: If the name Gerard Butler isn’t enough to get you running and screaming out of the theater, multiply that by Jennifer Aniston and you’ve got this week’s wretched looking “The Bounty Hunter.” The ubiquitous “Gamer” star plays a desperate bounty hunter who gets handed the assignment of a lifetime: tracking down his own bail-skipping ex-wife. We probably won’t get around to reviewing this one, unless somehow convinced otherwise, but the film has the distinction of snagging a spot on out Least Anticipated of 2010 list. Currently riding at just 8% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 33 score from Metacritic.
Miguel Sapochnik makes a very ambitious directorial debut this weekend with the futuristic thriller “Repo Men.” The film presents a world where medical advances have enabled sophisticated mechanical organs to extend the lives of humans across the world. These organs come at a premium though, and if you can’t pay your bill there are organ repossession men who will take the merchandise back. Jude Law and Forest Whitaker star as said repo men in the film, probably saved from a direct-to-dvd dumping by the success of “Sherlock Holmes” a few months back. We got a chance to see the film earlier this week finding it surprisingly chock full of off-the-wall ideas and interesting action sequences if not successful on the whole. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 22% rating, with a score of 29 from Metacritic.
Also in wide release the big screen adaptation of Jeff Kinney’s best selling illustrated novel “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” The books in the series, which have sold 28 million copies, bring us the misadventures of Greg Heffley, a quick-witted pre-teen trying to survive middle school. The film should draw in its target audience, but we can’t see it expanding too much beyond. RT: 55%, Metacritic: 64.
In Limited Release: Director (and frequent Wes Anderson collaborator) Noah Baumbach returns with his first film since 2007’s “Margot at the Wedding” with the new comedy “Greenberg.” Ben Stiller plays the titular Roger Greenberg, a forty-something NYC bachelor and failed musician who travels to LA to house sit for his much, much more successful brother. Looking for direction and purpose, he begins to connect with his brother’s personal assistant (mumblecore stalwart Greta Gerwig) and like all Baumbach films, much awkwardness follows. We posted our review yesterday, finding it to be Baumbach’s most difficult to watch picture yet, with some funny moments and great performances, but overall a bit fractured in narrative and structure. Critics are pretty positive on the whole, with Rotten Tomatoes showing a 77% rating and Metacritic a score of 78.
The story of Joan Jett and her first band comes to the big screen this weekend in director Floria Sigismondi’s “The Runaways.” Sigismondi, a visionary music video director, makes her feature debut here with a cast of promising young stars including Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart as Jett. Michael Shannon plays the group’s manager, stealing the show as usual. In our review, we found the film to be strangely unengaging, despite the good performances from the strong cast. Sigismondi doesn’t leave much of a fingerprint on the film, but we look forward to the director tackling more interesting material in the future. RT: 66%, Metacritic: 63.
International literary sensation “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” gets it’s first big-screen adaptation this week, but it definitely won’t be the last. The first in a trilogy of novels completed just before the death of author Steig Larsson is the story of an unlikely friendship between a crusading journalist and a brilliant, but very damaged private investigator. We saw the film at SXSW, finding it about on par with the wretched “DaVinci Code” in terms of pop-lit adaptations. With David Fincher looking to helm the American adaptation, it might be wise to let that be your first exposure to the story. Rotten Tomatoes shows critics on the whole having much more favorable opinions with an 82% rating, while Metacritic gives it a score of 73.
Also in limited release this week, the Jonathan Demme directed concert film “Neil Young Trunk Show,” which should be a real treat for fans of both artists. RT: 91%, Metacritic: 88. Leonardo Dicaprio narrates the IMAX “Hubble 3D” documentary, which promises incredible visuals and plenty of NASA propaganda. RT: 69%.