It’s time to take a look at some of the upcoming releases for the month of December. There are quite a bunch of films storming multiplexes, some that look great and some not so much.
1- Seven Pounds – The trailers of today always have the same problem. They show the whole movie. It’s something that has been bothering me for a long time. After seeing most trailers 2 or 3 times, I feel like I’ve seen the whole movie and lose complete interest. The trailer for Seven Pounds is refreshing in that it takes the completely opposite path. I’ve watched this trailer a plethora of times and still have no clear idea what the movie is about. Because of this, I am so intrigued by this movie and I can’t wait to see it. The fact that the film stars Will Smith doesn’t hurt either. I’m a big fan of Smith’s and his movies rarely disappoint me. He is one of the few stars that can do anything, whether it is comedy, drama, action, romance or anything in between. I think Seven Pounds will be a great movie, but I’m totally curious about how it will perform at the box office. Will audiences respond and go see a movie with such an ambiguous trailer? Or are have we truly reached the point where audiences only respond to trailers that show the whole movie? We’ll find out next month.
2- Revolutionary Road – This is another trailer that doesn’t show much, but what it does show, looks terrific. This is the kind of movie that director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) should always make. A drama about a family from the suburbs who seemingly have the perfect life, but in reality is searching for so much more. It is also notable that this is the first pairing of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet since Titanic, although Road will be lucky to gross 10% of what Titanic made. In my opinion, Leonardo DiCaprio is the finest actor working today and possibly of all time, so with that being said, I’d watch him in anything.
3- Frost / Nixon – Ron Howard is an amazing director and this movie looks to be one of his best. With powerful acting, directing and writing, Frost / Nixon is the perfect candidate for Academy Award nominations, but its box office chances are slim at best.
4- Marley & Me – Owen Wilson stars in exactly 2 types of movies, box office bombs and box office smashes. There is no in between. Owen Wilson plus Jennifer Aniston plus a dog, in a funny, family film could spell big hit. The real question however is, after Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Bolt, are audiences really going to want to see another movie about the exploits of a dog?
5- Yes Man – Alas poor Jim Carrey, whose comedy stylings have gone the way of the dinosaur. Don’t get me wrong, he cracks me up, but in a world where raunchy Judd Apatow comedies, rule the box office, Yes Man seems like it should have been made a decade ago. I’d like to be wrong about this, but as far as box office chances, Yes Man looks more like colossal bomb, Fun with Dick & Jane, than box office powerhouse, Bruce Almighty.
6- Bedtime Stories – When Adam Sandler put out Billy Madison way back in 1995, did anyone really think they he would become the box office juggernaut that he is? Probably not, but nonetheless, Sandler is a huge movie star. However, his last film, Don’t Mess with the Zohan, started showing signs of decay at the box office. Sure it made $100M, but it grossed that mostly from up front demand and the movie didn’t display the legs of his other hit comedies. But just when Sandler’s star is about to lose its shine, he makes a brilliant career move by making a big family comedy that still maintains his goofy persona and comedy style. This movie is going to be a huge hit!
7- Valkyrie – Combined with his brilliant comedic turn in Tropic Thunder, Valkyrie should catapult Tom Cruise from media laughing stock back to respectable A list actor. This film reteams director Bryan Singer and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie for the first time since The Usual Suspects and it looks incredible. I’ll be very happy when the Tom Cruise bashing stops. If you look at it all objectively, he’s been crucified for his religious beliefs (we live in America) and being a fool in love, not for his career path. I mean seriously, the guy really hasn’t made a bad movie since 1985’s Legend. That’s pretty impressive and should not be forgotten.
8- The Spirit – Frank Miller brings comic books to the screen in a way that is very true to the source material as evidenced by this trailer and by Sin City. His style is even obvious in movies adapted from his work and not directed by him such as 300. I’m a huge comic book fan as you already know, but my problem is I’m not really a big fan of Frank Millers. I don’t care for his stories (other than the classic graphic novel, The Dark Knight Returns) or his artwork or his movies. Yes… that’s right, I said it… I didn’t like Sin City (with the exception of the Bruce Willis sequence) and I really didn’t like 300. I know I’m in the minority here based on box office receipts, but I think this time, Frank Miller has a bomb on his hands. Sure The Spirit has a decent fan base, but he’s certainly no Batman or even Iron Man. The ironic part is that I think The Spirit looks pretty cool and will probably be a better movie than Sin City or 300.
9- The Day the Earth Stood Still – The trailer looks pretty cool, but I got a bad feeling about this one. I know he is playing an alien, but Keanu Reeves’ performance looks as wooden as ever. This is a retelling of a classic sci-fi film, but that doesn’t mean it will be successful. I think it will perform closer to The Invasion than to War of the Worlds. If Keanu Reeves continues to make box office bombs, it may be time to make Bill and Ted’s Excellent Night School Adventure.
10- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – I cannot wait to see this movie! I think it is going to be a classic. Brad Pitt will be nominated for an Oscar for this performance and it will be deserved. Unfortunately, due to the ambitious storyline (a man is born old and grows younger as he ages) and long running time (3 hours+), I think it is going to fizzle at the box office. Nonetheless, I think director David Fincher is going to deliver one hell of a movie.