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Who’s In It? Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm, Oscar Isaac, Scott Glenn
Who Made It? Directed by Zack Snyder (Warner Bros.)
What Is It? An insitutionalized girl and her fellow female patients mentally escape together into an alternate reality where they steal mystical objects and kick wild amounts of ass. Or something.
How’s It Look From Here? Snyder obviously set out to present sexy young ladies beating on dragons and zombie Nazis and samurai robots, but did he manage to tie it all into a cogent story? Or will it matter to anyone curious to see said ladies demolishing said foes?
That quintet of action gals seems capable (although the originally cast actresses Amanda Seyfried, Emma Stone and Evan Rachel Wood could have made a very different finished product), but it remains to be seen if the whole thing makes any more sense than the eyeball-scorching trailers, or if it will just be two hours of dazzling bullet-riddled lunacy. And those visuals may get the fanboys salivating (and as that’s the demo it’s catering to, Snyder and the studio better hope so), but will general audiences just be mystified and avoid it altogether?
At least Snyder and WB had the sense to pull the plug on the still-inferior post-production 3D process, since that format doesn’t need any more negative word of mouth than it’s already gathered.
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID 2: RODRICK RULES
Who’s In It? Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn
Who Made It? Directed by David Bowers (Fox)
What Is It? Wimpy Greg Heffley enters seventh grade and has to deal with being an “undersized weakling.” Meanwhile at home, his mother has started a “Mom Bucks” program, which older brother and chief tormentor Rodrick manipulates to further his own agenda. On top of that, Greg has to deal with a crush, a junk food ban and a secret party. Not to mention a future filled with unemployment and crushing heartbreak, although that’s probably a few movies down the line.
How’s It Look From Here? Talk about counterprogramming — WIMPY couldn’t be further on the spectrum from the thunder and sizzle of SUCKER PUNCH. But the first WIMPY KID movie was a reasonable success and the series has a built-in audience thanks to the bestselling books (this sequel is adapted from the second of Jeff Kinney’s series), and it certainly seems a “safe” alternative to parents looking to keep their kids away from gun-chicks in leather.
Director Bowers comes from an animation background (FLUSHED AWAY, ASTRO BOY) so he seems like an appropriate choice to bring the beloved books to life, and he has all the principal actors returning for the second round of childhood troubles.
OUTLOOK: If you’re reading this site and you plan to hit the theaters for something new this weekend, there’s practically no doubt you’re heading straight for Snyder’s fine-looking young women and their automatic weapons.
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