Weekend Movie Trailers and Reviews: Seriously, Be Afraid of the Dark
by Andy Neuenschwander
This weekend's movie offerings include a horror flick, Paul Rudd, some adorable co-stars, and the aforementioned Zoe exacting revenge while wearing little clothing. Sounds pretty good, right? Read on to check out trailers for the three big openers this weekend.
"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" - Rated R, 100 mins.
The advertising is a bit misleading on this one. The trailers play up the fact that this horror film is from "Pan's Labyrinth" director Guillermo Del Toro, but he didn't direct this one. He just produced it.
But that doesn't mean that the Del Toro touch isn't there. The pint-sized monsters in this haunted house tale about a family (Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce) that encounter an army of hellish creatures in their new home are definitely Del Toro-esque, and look like they might have fit right into "Pan's Labyrinth."
But is it scary? There are sure to be some moments to make you jump, but the slow-play suspense that is worked at here never quite comes out the way it's intended...that is, in that Hitchcockian sort of way.
Rotten Tomatoes has "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" at 54% among critics with a 74% positive audience reaction. Though there are some scares, we never really care enough to be truly frightened.
See it if: You enjoy a good "boo!" moment, or find little bite-sized demons adorable.
"Our Idiot Brother" - Rated R, 90 mins.
Paul Rudd stars in this comedy that claims that "every family has one"...an idiot brother, that is. I'm not so sure about that (if I can't think of one in my family, then does that mean it's me?), but I am sure that Paul Rudd+comedy=gold. Well, okay, not all the time...but "Dinner for Schmucks" was an anomaly. This guy is hilarious in supporting roles, such as in "Anchorman" or "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," but also has his moments as a lead, as in "Role Models" or "I Love You, Man."
Not only that, but the movie features a truly excellent supporting cast, including Zooey Deschanel, Elizabeth Banks, the underrated Steve Coogan, and "Parks and Recreation" regulars Adam Scott and Rashida Jones. Heck, between those actors and actresses there's enough adorable to go around for men or women to enjoy this one...even though Rudd does have a pretty funky beard.
Rotten Tomatoes has "Our Idiot Brother" at 68% among critics with a 74% positive audience reaction. Though the movie might struggle a bit here and there with structure and story, the cast and humor are more than enough to carry it.
See it if: You need a closer look to determine whether Rudd really grew that beard or not.
"Colombiana" - Rated PG-13, 107 mins.
Oddly enough, the only big opener of the weekend that isn't rated R is the action movie. This one, which comes from the guy who brought you "The Transporter" and "Taken," is very much along the same lines as those two actioners: kick-ass hero (or heroine, in this case) seeks revenge on bad guys.
This time around, it's not the macho Jason Statham or the surprisingly badass Liam Neeson causing chaos, though. It's Zoe Saldana, who had major roles in "Avatar" and "Star Trek" for a very big breakout year a couple of years ago. Saldana plays a woman who, as a 10-year-old girl, witnessed the murder of her parents. Like a Batman gone bad, she becomes an assassin bent on getting revenge on those that wronged her..
Rotten Tomatoes has "Colombiana" at 56% among critics with a 66% positive audience reaction. By most reports, you should expect what you got from "The Transporter" films and "Taken": over-the-top action that borders on camp, with some humor and lots of explosions, and of course hot girls (Saldana, mostly) wearing little clothing.
See it if: You're interested in finding out how many creative ways Saldana can kill people while in her underwear.