Weekend Contenders: A is for Action
Published on Jun 11th, 2010
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There are only two new wide releases this weekend, both of which should be able to knock Shrek Forever After from atop the box office throne.
The A-Team slams into action this weekend, bringing a new and improved take on the popular television series of the same name. The original show boasted explosions, shoot-outs, fist fights, and an insane amount of testosterone. Joe Carnahan's version looks to take the t.v. series' ideas to the extreme, with absolutely no shortage of ridiculous and over-the-top mayhem.
Also opening wide is the family-friendly remake of The Karate Kid. This reboot of the original 1984 classic takes the plot out of California and into China, with a new focus on kung fu rather than karate. Mr. Miyagi has been turned into Mr. Han (Jackie Chan playing a janitor), and Daniel-son has been replaced with Dre Parker (Jaden Smith). The narrative remains the same; after Dre gets into trouble with bullies at school, he gains knowledge, wisdom, and mean fighting skills from an old, martial arts master. Harald Zwart, best known for The Pink Panther 2 and Agent Cody Banks, directs.
Opening in limited release is Winter's Bone, starring Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes (Miracle at St. Anna, American Gangster). The movie is directed by Debra Granik, who also wrote the screenplay. Also releasing in limited this weekend is the dramatic love story Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky. Joan Rivers is out in force this weekend as well, releasing the limited Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work documentary. The film covers Rivers' years in the entertainment business while coinciding perfectly with her 75th birthday.
Heavyweights (Wide Release)
The A-Team
1980s TV action gets a reboot with this new version of The A-Team, which shifts the Vietnam vet backstory to a group of Iraq War vets who become mercenaries for hire. Joe Carnahan (Smokin' Aces) directs from a script by G.I. Joe's Skip Woods. Liam Neeson heads up the crew as Hannibal, the brains of the operation, with Bradley Cooper as Face, UFC star Quinton "Rampage" Jackson filling in for Mr. T as B.A. Baracus, and District 9's breakout star, Sharlto Copley, inheriting the unhinged role of "Howling Mad" Murdock. Jessica Biel also co-stars. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Director: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel Sharlto Copley, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence throughout, language and smoking.
Official Website: http://www.ateam-movie.com/
(Click poster for movie trailer, full cast, plot summary, and more..)
The Karate Kid
The Karate Kid franchise is resurrected with this Columbia Pictures production starring Will Smith's son, Jaden, as the youngster who learns more than simple karate lessons from a whimsical martial arts master (Jackie Chan). ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Director: Harald Zwart
Starring: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for bullying, martial arts action violence and some mild language.
Official Website: http://www.karatekid-themovie.com/
(Click poster for movie trailer, full cast, plot summary, and more..)
Lightweights (Limited Release)
Winter's Bone
Her family home in danger of being repossessed after her meth-cooking dad skips bail and disappears, Ozark teen Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) breaks the local code of conduct by confronting her kin about their conspiracy of silence. Should she fail to track her father down, Ree Dolly, her younger siblings, and their disabled mother will soon be rendered homeless. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
The brief love affair between two 20th century icons is dramatized in this period drama from director Jan Kounen. Igor Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen) was one of Europe's most promising new composers when in 1913 he premiered his ballet Le Sacre du Printemps (aka The Rite of Spring); the piece proved to be wildly controversial, and the audience at the Paris debut was vocal in their disgust, ruining Stravinsky's… (Read Full Synopsis)
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Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Joan Rivers launched her career as a standup comic in the early '60s, a time when female comedians were few and far between, and after several years of working nightclubs to unresponsive audiences, she was booked on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1965 and soon became one of the most successful comedy acts in the nation. Since then, Rivers has hosted several TV talk shows, written best-selling books, directed a feature film, launched a line of jewelry, and kept up a..(Read Full Synopsis)
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Article written by Matt Wehner on GotchaMovies.com. Reposted with permission.
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