Written by Mitch Cyrus

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One more week before the Summer Blockbuster season kicks off with a sonic boom in the form of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.

In the meantime, there is absolutely nothing coming out this week that would even be worth a bargain matinee.

Mini Review – Brothers

This rates as another movie that I regret not getting to the theater to see when it was first released.  It is a hard movie to watch, with very raw and emotionally draining scenes, but it is still an amazing little film.

Tobey Maguire stars as Marine Captain Sam Cahill.  As the movie starts, he is about to be deployed from his base in Minnesota for another tour in Afghanistan, something that unsettles his wife Grace (Natalie Portman) and the eldest of his two young daughters.

Adding tension to the situation is the release from prison of Sam’s younger brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal).  Tommy had always been the wild child growing up, rebelling against his strict Marine sergeant father (Sam Shepard) and his “perfect” big brother.  Now free after spending three years for robbing a bank, Tommy is ruining Sam’s last few days at home by his actions, and the re-actions of their father.

Things change when Sam is deployed.  His helicopter is shot down and he is presumed dead.  Grace tries to pull together the shattered pieces of her life, but struggles until Tommy steps up to try to help her and the girls.

Meanwhile, Sam has been captured by the Taliban along with another soldier, and spends a few months imprisoned by them.  When he is finally found and rescued, he comes back mentally scarred from what he endured.

A simple plot, you might think, and that it is, but it is the incredible acting and totally honest script from David Benioff adapting the original Susanne Bier story that makes this so riveting.  Maguire, Gyllenhaal, Portman, and Shepard are nothing short of amazing.  Add to that nine year old Bailee Madison giving a performance that was worthy of a Best Supporting Actress nomination as the tormented oldest child and you have a film that stuns you with the power of the performances of all involved.

It is a story of redemption, and a story of innocence and trust that is lost.  You watch as Tommy and Sam both change almost into what the other one was, and it will break your heart as you see it.

I was afraid that this was a movie that could easily fall into so many trite clichés, but it never did.  I’m not sure it’s something that I’ll ever watch again, but I’m glad I watched it this time.

My Rating – Brian Sipe (3 ½ footballs)

News and Rumors

~ Ron Howard is being tapped to adapt the Steven King hit “The Dark Tower” into a movie…which is then planned on being the base for a TV spin off series.  The book itself is a mixture of horror, fantasy, and western genres, centering on Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger of his kind on a quest to save the world.

~ The next obscure comic book to be chosen for adaptation to the big screen is “Incognito”, an Icon Comic focusing around villain Zack Overkill, who has been put in the Witness Protection Program after testifying against The Black Death (who just so happens to be his boss).  Zack was forced to take a drug to dull his powers, but soon begins to experiment with his own narcotics to find a way out.  So what we will have will be a mixture of pulp and noir styles involving an anti-hero.  This one I might keep an eye on for further developments.

~ Who says Hollywood has never met a garbage movie it won’t film?  Paramount Studios has passed on “Anchorman 2”.  Evidently the script was THAT bad…and given the string of bombs that have come from Will Ferrell lately, no wonder they said “no thanks”.

Stupid Remakes and Sequels

~ Gremilns 3?  Even with original director Joe Dante involved, I’m not too sure about this icon from the 80s.

~ On the heels of the soon to be released remake of “Predator”, is this really surprising?  Fox will remake another famous Ah-nuld film: “Commando”.  Good luck to the meathead dumb enough to try to step into those shoes.  At least with “Predator”, they aren’t really remaking The Governator’s character…like they will do here.

This week's new movie releases: 

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner

Plot :  Disfigured serial killer Freddy Krueger stalks a group of young people in their dreams, forcing them to remain awake as the only alternative to death.

View Trailer

The BeerBuzz: The only good thing to be said about this film is that it’s not getting the worst reviews of the weekend…it’s at an absolutely ass kicking 12% positive currently on Rotten Tomatoes, four times greater than “Furry Vengeance”.  The bottom line with this film is that there is absolutely nothing original with it…so why didn’t they just remaster and re-release the original?

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Furry Vengeance

Starring: Brendan Fraser (minus any pride he may have left in his body) and Brooke Shields

Plot: A real estate developer (Fraser) looking to turn a forest into new homes faces some unusually tough competition: the local woodland creatures.

View Trailer

The BeerBuzz: Brendan…dood…you need to seriously just STOP.  Go back to making Mummy films and taking small roles in artsy dramatic films (“Crash”, “Gods and Monsters”), but for the love of God stop it with horrible films like this and “Monkeybone”, “Dudley Do-Right”, and “Bedazzled”.  Sad to say, this one might be worse than the three I just mentioned, and could rival “Snow Dogs” as the worst animal movie ever.

New DVD Releases for Tuesday, May 4:

Nine  – I once wrote that Daniel Day-Lewis has always picked his roles carefully, and has never ended up in a flop.  Until this.  Rob Marshall, the director of the Oscar winning “Chicago”, tries to recreate that Oscar magic with a musical based off the Fellini classic “8 ½”.  The adaptation may have been a hit on Broadway in 1982, but it bombs here despite the efforts of an amazing cast the also features Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Fergie, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, and Sophia Loren.

Leap Year  – Horrid romantic comedy with too-cute-for-her-own-good Amy Adams as a young woman who goes to Ireland to propose to her long-time boyfriend, but finds herself instead in Wales, attracted to someone else.  Blah.

Tooth Fairy – I make fun of Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), but I give the man credit for knowing how to get a consistent paycheck by making movie after movie where he plays the same person in a kiddie film.  Here he’s a “star” minor league hockey player and major league louse who is forced to be an honest-to-goodness Tooth Fairy as punishment for his nastiness.  Your kids that are 11 and under will love it, and you won’t want to hang yourself if you are forced to watch it with them.

Calendar Watch  

Next Week: Iron Man 2 

Upcoming Biggies (click on the hyperlink to view the available trailers).

Robin Hood – May 14 – Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe in what is supposed to be a more “historic” account of the legendary hero.

Shrek Forever After – May 21 – 3D entry into the series that is seemingly the only way Michael Myers or Eddie Murphy can make any money

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – May 28 – Might this finally be the first video game that translates to a huge hit at the box office?  Depends on whether or not you can buy Jake Gyllenhaal as an action hero.  Why not?  It worked for Tobey Maguire, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr.

The A-Team – June 11 – Based on the campy TV series…but the makers of this film are trying to sell it more as an action film with no camp.  With Liam Neeson playing Hannibal Smith as their leader, they may have a chance.

Toy Story 3D – June 18 -  It looks like a big year for 3D films in 2010.  In this one, Buzz, Woody, and the rest of the toys are dumped into a day care after Andy grows up and goes to college.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – July 2 – More Wussy Vampires!  I can’t wait! (sorry…sarcasmectomy isn’t scheduled for a few months yet).

Inception – July 16 – Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page in a Christopher Nolan sci-fi mind bender that looks to be in the mode of “Momento”

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – July 16 – Live action remake of the Disney classic short, starring Nicolas Cage.

Salt – July 23 – Angelina Jolie as a CIA operative accused of being a Russian spy.

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps – September 24 – Oliver Stone brings Michael Douglass back as Gordon Gecko, teaming him with Shia LaBeouf in a film that looks to be quite different in tone than the last one.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I – November 19 – Part One of the final book about Harry, Hermione, and Ron.  This one (and I’m sure the last one) will be in 3-D.

Tron Legacy – December 17 – Might be the most anticipated Holiday release of this year.