New Movie Releases. 5/13
Published May 13, 2005
This is it. The last weekend that potential blockbusters can avoid the oncoming onslaught of the final Star Wars film next week. At least for a few weeks anyway. After, say, three weeks or so it will die down, just in time for Batman Begins to hit in mid-June. With that said, do we have any potential winners for this weekend?
Kicking & Screaming. Will Ferrell returns in his first of two summer films, the other being Bewitched. Here he plays a soccer coach who takes things a bit too seriously when competing with his father (Robert Duvall). Mike Ditka is also in the film playing himself. I have heard that this is a very funny film, and I hope that it is. I feel Ferrell can be a very funny, but his effect on me has been hit and miss, I loved Elf, but I did not care for Old School at all.
Mindhunters. Lousy title, in my opinion, sounds like a cheesy direct to the Sci-Fi Channel kind of flick. It may still be cheesy, but I hope not. It looks like it could be deceptively good. Take a group of the latest and greatest FBI profilers an put them in a test environment, which takes a deadly turn for the real. A decent looking cast, featuring Val Kilmer, who I believe was their teacher, Christian Slater, Patricia Velasquez, Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting's Sick Boy), and LL Cool J. It was directed by Renny Harlin, so the if this is any good is very much in the hit or miss camp.
Monster-In-Law. Jennifer Lopez vs. Jane Fonda. Who will win? Who knows? Who cares? I admit to not having read anything about this. I will say that some moments in the commercials look rather humorous, yet at the same time the whole thing looks to be on the pedestrian side. It also costars Michael Vartan.
Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about entertainment when he isn't sitting in a movie theater. He is known around the office as the "Movie Guy" and is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Interests include science fiction, horror, and metal music. His writings can be found at Draven99's Musings, as well as Film School Rejects. 
- New Movie Releases. 5/13
- Published: May 13, 2005
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Video
- Part of a feature: New Movies
- Writer: Chris Beaumont
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Comments on this articleComments
The hit or miss comment on Renny Harlin is funny. When was the last time that guy had a hit? When was the last time he made a decent film? Did he ever?
Mindhunters has been delayed so many times that it couldn't be good. And I know that it isn't because the import DVD has been at my local video store for months.
Maybe I should have clarified a bit. Harlin has made films I have enjoyed, naybe not "hit" in the traditional sense, but as far as me liking.
Let's look at a few of his movies:
Exorcist The Beginning=Awful
Driven=No desire to see
Deep Blue Sea= B movie fun
Long Kiss Goodnight=I liked this a lot, probably his best film
Cliffhanger=Decent Stallone vehicle
Ford Fairlane=Please
Cutthroat Island=Haven't seen yet
Die Hard 2=Fun big action pic
Nightmare on Elm Street 4=One of the better entries,but I am a fan of the series.
Die Hard 2 wasn't an awful sequel but only because part 3 was worse. Same for Elm Street in the context of later episodes.
I enjoy Ford Fairlane most but that is because I find Andrew Dice Clay amusing in a derisive manner.
Ford Farlaine is not a terrible comedy by any means, and I think Clay actually showed potentially as a comic actor before his disappearance from the scene.
I thought Elf was a snooze-fest (no offense, Mr. Favreau) but that Old School was one of the best comedies of the last 10 years. I think Ferrel is much stronger as a part of a good ensemble cast and am therefore not compelled to see him in starring vehicles at this point.
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The hit or miss comment on Renny Harlin is funny. When was the last time that guy had a hit? When was the last time he made a decent film? Did he ever?
Mindhunters has been delayed so many times that it couldn't be good. And I know that it isn't because the import DVD has been at my local video store for months.