Weekend Movie Trailers and Reviews: Of Wolves ('The Grey') and Men (on a Ledge)
by Andy NeuenschwanderWhile none of the movies hitting theaters this weekend necessarily have "blockbuster" written all over them, each one provides an action blend in different genres to a pretty specific audience. So which one should you go see? Check out reviews and trailers of the weekend's releases below and find out!
"The Grey"
Rated R, 117 mins.
We have seen Liam Neeson play sensitive before (see "Love Actually") and we've seen him play bad-ass (see "Taken"). "The Grey" most definitely falls in the "bad-ass" category, as Neeson plays the leader of a group of oil rig workers whose plane crashes in the snowy wilderness of Alaska. It would be tough enough just to deal with surviving in that environment, but the roughnecks also have to fend off a ravenous pack of wolves.
Rotten Tomatoes has "The Grey" at 74% among critics with 77% positive reviews from audiences. Critics are calling it an exciting survival tale, but also praising the believable characters and the surprising depth to the story.
See it if: You want to have "I've... been... kissed by a rose, on The Grey" in your head all day.
"Man on a Ledge"
Rated PG-13, 102 mins.
Plot twists are the name of the game with "Man on a Ledge," which features Sam Worthington as an ex-cop who is now wanted for a crime (that of course he didn't commit), and thus goes out on the ledge of a building to presumably clear his name. Elizabeth Banks plays the negotiator in charge of talking him down, and between them the tangled web of mysteries is untangled.
Rotten Tomatoes has "Man on a Ledge" at only 22% among critics, with a 65% rating from audiences. Critics are calling the plotlines "preposterous" and the characters flat and uninteresting. But it is a thriller, so there's some fun to be had.
See it if: You remember Worthington or Banks from somewhere else and you can't quite place it but you know you liked them in it. Dangit, what did you see them in? That's going to drive you nuts through the whole thing.
"One for the Money"
Rated PG-13, 106 mins.
Based on the best-selling novel (which spawned a ridiculously long-running series) by Janet Evanovich, "One for the Money" follows Stephanie Plum, a woman who starts a new career as a recovery agent (read: bounty hunter) for a bail bond company. Girl-power moments, romantic entanglements, and kooky characters ensue.
Rotten Tomatoes has "One for the Money" at just 0% currently, but after only eight reviews. The number might pick up, but the movie wasn't screened for critics, which is always a bad sign. Audiences seem to be enjoying it, though, giving it an 85% overall. One has to wonder if it's truly that bad, or if critics have latched on to hating Katherine Heigl movies no matter what the title. Probably a bit of both.
See it if: Well, if you're a fan of the books, that's probably a given. If you're not, and you're a woman, there's always Jason O'Mara. And if you're a guy, there's no denying that Heigl is nice to look it.