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This Friday will be the only weekend in May when an expected huge blockbuster sequel is not released. Last weekend saw the release of Spider-man 3, which promptly broke the one day and three box office records. Next weekend will the Shrek the Third, and the following weekend the third Pirates movie will open. While these movies will all open huge, it remains to be seen how much staying power they will have.
One movie opening this weekend which might have some staying power of itself is 28 Weeks Later. This sequel will not open as big, but could hold on because it might be the rare quality sequel, based on some early reviews.
The other movies opening this weekend all have been plagued with various problems. Delta Farce is the latest Larry the Cable Guy movie, and given the horrible looking previews, its demise will be swift. The Ex is the latest romantic comedy starring Zach Braff, but the release date has been moved around. While this indicates a good attempt to find its niche, the problem may be that the movie is neither funny nor romantic enough. Jason Bateman is always a welcome addition to a cast, but if all you use him for is a retread of a Big Lebowski joke (admittedly the best part of the trailer), the good ideas might have run out quickly in the script. Finally, Gergia Rule is the other wide release this weekend, and unfortunately it has been impossible to avoid the tabloid tales from the making of this movie. Even if there wasn’t the bad buzz, the movie would still not look to open big, because lack of laughs or interesting moments in the trailer.
Despite these choices, there are still some good movie-going opportunities in Chicago. The Music Box Theatre has a festival of animation, along with The Descent as its midnight movie. Over at the Siskel Center, there is a presentation of the Oscar nominated shorts on Friday. So, if you’ve already seen Spider-Man 3, check out these alternatives, and get ready for the rest of the blockbuster season. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
