TGITDNMAR (9/28/07)

It's that time again for TGITDNMAR, which (obviously) stands for Thank God It's The Day New Movies Are Released.

I've fallen waaaay behind in my filmgoing lately, as there are a number of movies in theaters now that I want to (or kind of want to) see, and the situation should only get better over the coming weeks. Fortunately, this week won't compound the problem too much, as only one of the four listed below will get added to that list.


The Game Plan
Dwayne Johnson decides to follow in the footsteps of Vin Diesel (The Pacifier) and Hulk Hogan (Mr. Nanny) as large men starring with small children. And really, who can blame him - just look at the wonders it did for their acting careers.

But seriously, this seems like a really bad career move, despite the opportunity to get your name out there to a bunch of kids. Johnson parlayed his successful turns as the Scorpion King from The Mummy series into starring (and somewhat acclaimed) roles in The Rundown and Walking Tall, along with a lauded supporting role in the otherwise panned Be Cool. But first Gridiron Gang and now this? Southland Tales better be good.
Fletch's Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 0%


The Kingdom
Hooray for the Phoenix area! Parts of The Kingdom were filmed on the highways around Mesa, as the production shut down one for a weekend last year. Unfortunately, that's about the only nice thing I can say about this film. Though it has a strong cast (Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jeremy Piven, Jason Bateman), Kingdom is getting blasted for being a jingoistic shoot-em-up that takes itself too seriously and moralizes when it should be storytelling. Throw in the overrated Jennifer Garner in a leading role and I'm out. I'd rather see In the Valley of Elah or Rendition instead.
Fletch's Chance of Viewing: 6%


Lust, Caution
The IMDb description for this film reads as such: "In 1940s Shanghai, an influential figure and a young woman are swept up in an emotional affair with deadly political ramifications." There's a lot more to it, but what I can't understand is why no one is noticing that this film sounds exactly like Paul Verhoeven's Black Book, which was released just earlier this year. While that was good, I can't say I'm dying to see an alternate version (sub the language and setting, naturally) 8 months later.
Fletch's Chance of Viewing: 10%


The Darjeeling Limited
Now this is what I've been waiting for. The fifth feature from Wes Anderson finds Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Adrien Brody starring as brothers on a trek to India to spread the ashes of their dead father. Wackiness, nostalgia and quirkiness are sure to ensue. Anderson alums Bill Murray and Angelica Huston also co-star, and Natalie Portman and Official Fletch Fave Irfan Khan show up as well. This was my choice for most anticipated film of the fall, by the way.
Fletch's Chance of Viewing: 200%