Disney’s money train will start to slow this weekend as “Alice In Wonderland” will be forced to give up some of its 3D and IMAX screens to Dreamwork’s animated adventure “How To Train Your Dragon.” Expect a very healthy opening for the film, which surprisingly has been enjoying much stronger reviews than Tim Burton’s blockbuster. “Hot Tub Time Machine” has been testing very well and should be able to draw a sizable older audience looking for a laugh this weekend. Whether it can have the staying power of last year’s “The Hangover” is improbable, but after “2012” and this John Cusack is a viable box office star again. At the art-house, director Atom Egoyan returns with the corny erotic thriller “Chloe,” while auteur Catherine Breillat brings us her latest, the off-kilter fairytale, “Bluebeard.” There’s something for everyone this weekend, with great docs and smaller films also opening in limited, so take advantage and support your local theaters!
In Wide Release: A group of aging bros wake up from a debauched night of Jacuzzi madness in “Hot Tub Time Machine.” With a title that silly the film may run the risk of swimming in the plot-less skies of the memorably monikered but instantly forgettable “Snakes On A Plane.” MGM certainly hopes that the marriage of “The Hangover” with the nostalgic sweetness of “The Wedding Singer” will lead to very solid box office with the older crowd on the modestly budgeted feature. “High Fidelity” co-screenwriter Steve Pink directs a cast headlined by his old buddy John Cusack with mainstays Rob Cordry, Craig Robinson, and Lizzy Caplan. Rotten Tomatoes is at a so-so 69% with Metacritic weighing in with a 65 score.
Dreamworks animation doesn’t get the cred that their main rival Pixar enjoys, but they’ve managed to put out a string of blockbusters with the “Shrek” series, “Kung Fu Panda” and Madagascar” having earned their stripes at the box office. They will try to replicate that success this weekend with “How To Train Your Dragon,” a 3D comedic adventure about a teenage viking decides to befriend a dragon instead of slaying it. If you’ve got young people in your life you could probably do a lot worse at the theaters this weekend, even if it’s no “Toy Story 3.” The critics are all about the film with a glowing 94% at RT and a 74 score from Metacritic.
In Limited Release: “Chloe” is the story a successful woman who begins to suspect her equally successful husband may be an adulterer. She employees an alluring and quite young prostitute to test his wills. They begin to have a tantalizing affair, the devastated wife hearing all the juicy details from her hired gun. All is well and good in the made for Cinemax department, but this film is directed by the sometimes great Atom Egoyan (“The Sweet Hereafter,” “Exotica”) and the cast includes talent of such distinction as Liam Neeson, Juliette Moore, and Amanda Seyfried. We reviewed the film yesterday, finding no delight in terrible script, despite committed performances. Better luck next time guys. Rotten Tomatoes falls in line at 52% with Metacritic a score of 50.
The provocateur behind films such as “Fat Girl” and “Romance,” Catherine Breillat returns this week with “Bluebeard.” The director turns her eye to the classic French fairy tale from the point of view of the Marie-Catherine, the child bride of the famed wife-murdering ogre. We had been excited about the film for months, but two of our writers have reviewed the film, finding it dull, with disappointingly shoddy production values. RT shows critics much more enthralled than we were with a 100% rating, Metacritic chimes in with a score of 84.
“Waking Sleeping Beauty” is fascinating documentary about Walt Disney Animation’s second rise to prominence after a string of major failures in the 70’s and 80’s. The filmmakers certainly know their material: director Don Hahn was a young producer at the studio, while the doc’s producer Peter Schnieder was the head of the animation group leading up to it’s renaissance with films like “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Aladdin.” We just posted our review, surprised to find the movie gripping and emotionally involving, even if it feels a little truncated like a small piece of a huge Ken Burns style epic. Rotten Tomatoes has the film at 71%, Metacritic agrees with a 71 score.
“Welcome,” the latest from director Pierre Loiret, is the tale of an Iraqi teen who has crossed Europe on foot to be with his girlfriend in England. His one last obstacle is traversing the English Channel, so he begins to take swimming lessons from a former professional who eventually becomes part of the young man’s life. We got a chance to see the film back in the fall and recommend giving it a shot if it opens near you. It is a rewarding a nuanced look at a complex issue, that avoids any grandstanding and let’s the characters tell the story. RT has no reviews posted yet, so you’ll have to take our word for it.
Other options opening in limited release this week: “The Eclipse,” with a great cast including Ciarán Hinds, Iben Hjejle, and Aidan Quinn tells the story of a widower living in a possibly haunted house who volunteers at the local literary festival. He is assigned to, and promptly falls for a striking female author who is being pursued by a former lover and self-obsessed author in his own right. RT: 67%, Metacritic: 60. Sean Bean and Chris Hemsworth star in the psychological thriller “Ca$h,” about a young couple who find themselves doing just about anything in the pursuit of dead presidents. Not much buzz on this one, with only one (negative) review on RT so far.