New Movies: March 4, 2011

Oscar excitement has left town, and along with it the glut of nominated films that dominate movie theaters this time of year. So welcome to the new arrivals! There are many, if you count obscure foreign and Sundance type films that are only playing in big cities. Not counting those, here’s what we got:


Now Playing in a Theater Near You

RANGO Johnny Depp plays a lizard in this live action animated tale of a pet store chameleon who gets lost in the Wild West. Depp based the character of Rango on Hunter Thompson, which is edgy, to say the least, and may be why so many critics caution that this film is probably not going to appeal to the pre-school set. It’s the first animated film to come out of Industrial Light and Magic, George Lucas’ special effects company, and that makes it worth seeing ; but wait, there’s more: director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) upped the realism by having his cast act out the story as though it were a live action shoot, instead of the usual thing of calling the actors in to record their lines individually. Most of the big name critics are big time fans.

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU Matt Damon and Emily Blunt play star-crossed lovers in a sci-fi world that is determined to control their destinies; in order to be together, they must outmaneuver the mysterious Adjustment Bureau. Terrance Stamp and John Slattery play the mysterious evil puppetmasters. Based on a Philip K. Dick short story and directed by George Nofi (Bourne Ultimatum), The Adjustment Bureau is supposed to be a pretty good thriller and an even better love story. Generally good reviews.

TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT Topher Grace takes another stab at stardom in this story about an aimless college graduate whose life is upended when his high school crush invites him to an “epic” end of summer party. It’s sort of like American graffiti, if John Hughes had directed it in the eighties. Most critics love Topher and don’t love this film.

BEASTLY Aimed at the Twilight set, this modern take on the Beauty and the Beast fable features Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number 4) as the Beast, Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical) as Beauty and Mary Kate Olsen as the witch. Cool. It’s all set in New York and has a Gossip Girl kind of vibe. Lukewarm reception by critics, who mostly seem to think it could have been a lot better. Well, we all know the story works.

Hall Pass and Drive Angry are also still around, even though they could barely scrape together an audience last weekend; theater owners seem to think they deserve a second chance. Oscar winner The King's Speech is in wide release and worth checking out if you haven’t seen it yet, and i f you’re in the mood for a fun thriller, Unknown is probably at a multiplex near you.