Upcoming Theatrical Releases
The Equalizer
Director: Antoine Fuqua
R; 2 hr. 11 mins.
Trailer
In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington plays McCall, a man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer. (Synopsis by Sony)
If the last line of the synopsis didn’t clue you in to how extremely dumb this movie is let me spell it out: Absolutely. Mind-numbingly. Dumb. It’s good guys vs. bad guys and is too scripted to be interesting. Denzel can (and should) do better. Skip it.
The Boxtrolls
Director: Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi
PG; 1 hr. 40 mins.
Trailer
A family event movie from the creators of “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” that introduces audiences to a new breed of family – The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright) in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town’s villain, Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley), comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls, Eggs decides to venture above ground, “into the light,” where he meets and teams up with fabulously feisty Winnifred (Elle Fanning). Together, they devise a daring plan to save Eggs’ family. Directors: Anthony Staachi and Graham Annable. (Synopsis by Focus)
An artistic comedy that maintains the wit and charm of Annable and Stacchi’s previous works. This rides close to the edge of trying to do too much with the script, but is still one of the best animated films of this year. See it.
Upcoming DVD Releases
Neighbors
Director: Nicholas Stoller
R; 1 hr. 37 mins.
Trailer
Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne lead the cast of Neighbors, a comedy about a young couple suffering from arrested development who are forced to live next to a fraternity house after the birth of their newborn baby. Neighbors is directed by Nick Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek). (Synopsis by Universal)
It is hit-or-miss depending on your tolerance for gross humor. Adding to the problem is a lack of focus and an overuse of SNL type comedy ploys. It’s worth seeing for a few laughs, but don’t expect too much. Rent it.
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