August 2008 Movie Releases

 

 

 

“The Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” – Brendan Fraser returns and Maria Bello replaces Rachel Weisz as another adventure takes them to China where Fraser’s son unearths the tomb of the Dragon Emperor and his army of 10,000. Also starring Jet Li. Opens August 1, 2008

 

“Swing Vote” – Kevin Costner is the “average Joe-loser” who finds that the election comes down to his vote. Opens August 1, 2008

 

“Pineapple Express” – Seth Rogen and James Franco are the pothead and dealer who are on the run after witnessing a cop commit a murder. Opens August 6, 2008

 

“Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” – Four lifelong friends parting ways but keeping in contact through a single pair of pants. Star America Ferrera. Opens August 6, 2008

 

“Tropic Thunder” – Take an action star (Ben Stiller), a comedian (Jack Black), and an award-winning Australian actor who undergoes surgery to appear “black” (Robert Downey, Jr.) and have them make a war movie by dropping them in the middle of a REAL war. The trailer is hilarious. Opens August 13, 2008

 

“Henry Poole is Here” – Luke Wilson is Henry Poole, a man who has given up on life until his neighbor finds the face of Jesus in his stucco. Also stars Radha Mitchell, George Lopez, and Cheryl Hines. Opens August 15, 2008

 

“Mirrors” – Val Kilmer (where’s he been?) plays a security guard whose life is turned inside out when mirrors in the place he’s guarding have supernatural demons. Opens August 15, 2008

 

“Star Wars: Clone Wars” – George Lucas milks the Star Wars cash cow again but this time through the Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Anakin and Obi Wan have a new adventure, this time during the infamous Clone Wars. Opens August 15, 2008

 

“Vicky Christina Barcelona” – Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Christina (Scarlett Johansson) are sisters who go to Barcelona, where they meet an artist (Javier Bardem). Bardem seduces them and when his ex-wife (Penelope Cruz) shows up, things really get out-of-hand. Opens August 15, 2008

 

“The Rocker” – “Office” star Rainn Wilson is a former rock drummer-be who fills in for a high school kid after he’s suspended. Alrighty then. Opens August 20, 2008

 

“Death Race” – Briton action star Jason Statham is a NASCAR driver who is framed for the death of his wife. Punishment: he’s sent to a prison where the female warden cuts him a deal. If he can survive a no-holds-barred souped-up muscle car race, then he’s free to go. But will the warden let him survive? Also stars Ian McShane. Opens August 22, 2008

 

“Hamlet 2” – Where do I start? Steve Coogan is a failed actor turned high school drama teacher. When the school threatens to cut the drama program, he creates the play “Hamlet 2” (there’s a time machine involved). What follows is zany madness, complete with a your usual hijinks and a musical number called, “Rock Me Sexy Jesus.” Also stars Catherine Keener, Amy Poehler, David Arquette, and Elisabeth Shue. Opens August 22, 2008

“House Bunny” – Formerly titled “I Know What Boys Like,” Anna Farris is a playmate kicked outta Hef’s place and winds up in a sorority. And that would happen because…? Opens August 22, 2008

 

“Traitor” – Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce in a tale of mystery, intrigue, and espionage. Opens August 27, 2008

 

“Babylon A.D.” – Vin Diesel and Michelle Yeoh in a sci-fi movie where he has to escort her because her body contains an organism that a cult believes will create the new Messiah. Ov vey. Opens August 29, 2008

“College” – Three best friends in high school check out a college. Been there, seen that. Opens August 29, 2008

 

“Disaster Movie” – Those guys who brought you “Epic Movie” and the like are at it again. Please stop them. Opens August 29, 2008

Movie Review: X-Files: I Want to Believe

 

 

 

I tried to believe…

 

Starring David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Billy Connelly, Amanda Peet, and Alvin ‘Xzibit’ Joiner. Directed by Chris Carter

 

It hurts me to write this review.

 

Can I say how much I really, really wanted this movie to be worth the 10 bucks? Can I say how big of an “X-Files” fan I am? Would any of it matter?

 

I digress.

 

It’s been 6 years since “The X-Files” left FOX network. The movie picks up in the present. Scully (Anderson) is currently working at a Catholic Hospital, fighting to cure a child who has a practically incurable disease. Mulder lives with her in a house off the beaten path. With a giant beard and making newsclippings to post on the walls, he comes off more as the bad guys he hunted down on “X-Files” episodes than as a former “Mr. FBI.” When Scully is approached by Agent Mosley Drummy (Xzibit) she is told to pass the info onto Fox: an FBI agent is missing and all “transgressions” will be forgiven if he’ll help out on this case.

 

Why do they need him? ASAC Dakota Whitney (Peet) is consulting an ex-communicated priest (37 counts of child molestation) named Father Joe Crissman (Connelly). He’s “drawn” to the victims, helping to find the occasional lost limb packed under ice. Whitney wants Mulder to debunk the guy; prove he’s a fraud. Mulder instead finds instances where Father Joe really could be psychic, much to the dismay of Scully, Whitney, and Drummy.

 

What kills me about the movie is I liked it to a POINT. After that point, the rest of the film was inconsequential. If you know even a little bit about movies you know that most scenes are not shot in order. This is overly apparent because after the “twist” of the story occurs, I was entirely waiting for Mulder to look at Scully and say, “You know what, Scully? This was entirely f’d up.”

 

Gillan Anderson and David Duchovny do work well together; that’s never been a problem. They’ve created one of the greatest couples in television history. The only snag between them in this movie is that they don’t work TOGETHER. Yes, they are both out of the FBI and Mulder pleads with Scully to help him out, but it never fully happens. That was part of what worked in the TV series. That aside, there was nothing in regards to acting that ANYBODY did wrong. ‘Twas the story that killed the Beast.

 

And what else can I tell you about the story that turned me off from it? The “twist” of it all involves organ transplants, kidnapping, homosexuality, “Frankenstein,” and all the rest of the above. I was enjoying the movie up until that PART. If you choose to watch this, you’ll know what I mean.

 

Some other reviewers have said this is a “long” version of the TV show. I’ve watched several movies in my life and can’t say that this did or didn’t feel like an overly long episode. I can say that if it had been an episode, it would’ve been a forgettable one.

 

I can’t recommend going to see this in a theatre. It’s not that I wish I hadn’t, it’s more along the lines of I wouldn’t pay to see it again. If you are an X-Phile (you know who you are) and you want to see it, go for it. It’s probably the last chance to see Mulder and Scully on the silver screen. BTW, watch for a cameo appearance by another fave character.

 

My grade: C