Upcoming Movies: My Take.

April 15

Scream 4: 

In 1997, Wes Craven simultaneously parodied and rebuilt the slasher genre that he helped create twenty years earlier. Now fourteen years after the first “Scream” film, he returns with a new sequel; one that is rumored to be the beginning of a new trilogy playing with the possibilities and confines of horror films. What I wonder is how the last fourteen years will affect the franchise. Not only because “Scream” sported two sequels (the first of which held up, the second one: not so much), but because the nature of the horror genre has changed so much during that time. Since “Scream,” audiences have seen “The Blair Witch Project” and its spiritual successor “Paranormal Activity,” films which went the opposite direction from slashers and went for subtlety and mood over gore and violence. Of course the last decade also brought forth the horror sub-genre not-so-lovingly dubbed “torture porn,” films like the “Saw” Franchise and “Hostel,” where violence and gore takes such prevalence, it borders (or crosses into) the realm of perverse pleasure. How will a decade of changes to the genre affect a series that comments on the genre? 

I am dived; on one side I fear that Wes Craven is just trying to lure in audiences by making yet another by-the-numbers sequel in a well-established franchise in order to cash in. The optimist in me hopes that he is returning because he feels as though there is still fun to be had with the “Scream” team. Given that he has been able to cast such up and comers like Emma Roberts and Alison Brie along with the original cast of Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette, it sounds promising. We will see when it comes out this Friday.

Rio: 

Gone are the times when studios can just put a few talking animals on screen and expect a hit. So the new computer-generated animated feature “Rio” has an uphill battle to win over critics. The G-Rated comedy stars Jesse Eisenberg as a Blu, a Macaw taken to South America to be reunited with the last female of his species Jewell, voiced by Anne Hathaway. There’s been a surprising lack of advertising on this film, a badsign for this kind of kid-flick, but advance critics have given it positive notice. I walk into this film cautiously optimistic. With its colorful pallet and a wide-ranging A-list cast, this animated feature might be able to go the distance… but I’ve been burned before. 

On a personal note, we don’t often see many kids films set in locations known for their rampant poverty. If they’re starting a trend, I would kill to see a Pixar film set in Detroit’s west side. It would certainly be different anyway.

The Conspirator:

Robert Redford directs this real-life drama about Mary Surratt, the lone woman charged as a co-conspirator in the Lincoln assassination following the Civil War. As a history buff, I’m sold on almost any film with a good cast, a good director, a decent script, and a respect for the actual events. This film certainly has a good cast being lead by actors like Robin Wright Penn, James McAvoy, and Tom Wilkinson. The story of Mary Surratt is rife with drama and intrigue. The remaining factors that could make or break the film are the execution of the story and, surprisingly, Redford. While his acting ability is nigh incontrovertible, his history behind the camera is less-so, having directed duds like “The Legend of Bagger Vance” and “Lions for Lambs.” A historical legal drama sounds more like it could fall into his wheel house.

April 22

Water for Elephants:

The highly anticipated adaptation of the Sara Gruen novel, it tells the story of veterinary student Jacob (Robert Pattinson) who falls in love under the big top with a circus’ star performer Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) during The Great Depression. Having never read the book, I’m walking into this film cold, but I have heard nothing but good things. It’s being helmed by Francis Lawrence, who has thus far directed music videos and action films like “Constantine” and “I am Legend.” He sounds like an odd resume for a romance, but this could just be his big break. 

“Water for Elephants” is a film that has the opportunity to be full of emotion, feeling, and hope. It also could be a cheesy, unbelievable melodrama. Still, heading into the summer block-buster season this could be a refreshing blast of cool (non-exploding, super-powered, or transforming) air.

Apollo 18:

The latest in the “previously unreleased footage” sub-genre of horror and suspense along the lines of “Paranormal Activity,” “Apollo 18” is the story of the secret final manned mission to the moon. While we traditionally thought that missions to the moon were no longer funded due to things like high cost, and extreme impracticality, the actual answer, as it turns out, is monsters.

More or less, this is most likely going to be “Paranormal Activity” in space. I’m curious how they plan to have a full film full of surprises and shocks on the moon because it’s, you know, pretty empty. I’m guessing it will probably be good for a few good jumps for horror fans, with some creepy claustrophobic scenes between the film’s two stars, but I doubt scientific accuracy or logic is going to be high on the list of priorities, so you can leave the astronomy book at home.

April 29

Fast Five:

It’s that time of year again. Time for another “The Fast and the Furious” sequel. Watching the trailer, I half expected Vin Diesel to break character and moan that this is the only job he can get now. Fast Five is sure to have at least one or two decent action sequences squeezed between horrible dialogue, sexy chicks in bikinis, and car porn. That and Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Dwayne Johnson standing around looking tough.

I don’t expect this movie to try to be anything it’s not; but this is a franchise that used up its reserve of cool about two films ago. Could it surprise us with a fun two hours of action and adventure? Sure, but I’m not expecting much.

Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil:

Having barely been able to sit through the original “Hoodwinked,” an updated and hipper version of the red-riding hood tale, I don’t look forward to this particular sequel. Anne Hathaway seems to agree, having ditched her role as Red and joined the much better looking “Rio.” How they plan to continue the adventures of Red (now voiced by Hayden Panettiere) and her skydiving granny (voiced by Glenn Close), I don’t know. Since the original was filled with tired jokes and gimmicks used in a plethora of other animated features, I don’t really have any desire to find out.