Movies: Coraline, Fanboys, The Pink Panther 2, Push and He’s Just Not That Into You
By Erik Samdahl
If I can choose the movie, can I choose none of the above?
It’s a battle of the Hollywood throwaways this weekend as five films compete to prove they’re not the worst.
To be fair, Coraline looks pretty good. From the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, this stop-motion CGI adventure film is about a girl who, bored with her family, manages to find an alternate version of her life via a magical portal. Her new parents are cooler – until Coraline realizes that they want her to sew buttons over her eyes. That’s not very cool.
As creative and intriguing as Coraline appears to be, however, the four other films coming to theaters range from desperate to downright unwanted. Fanboys is the long-awaited comedy that simultaneously makes fun of and embraces Star Wars fans; unfortunately, the fact that it has been tossed around from one release date to the next for the last several years does not bode well. And other than the presence of one Kristin Bell, the movie looks about as awesome as a Trekkie hanging out with Manchester United.
If lame satire isn’t your forte, there’s always The Pink Panther 2, the unnecessary and never-asked-for sequel starring Steve Martin. The first one was a disaster, and this one is no different. Crazy, over-the-top antics ensue, but nobody cares.
Thankfully there’s Push, the action-thriller about super-powered teens that look a lot like Dakota Fanning and Chris Evans. This looks like good mindless entertainment, until you consider that there must be a reason why a well-casted superhero action flick is being released in February. Oh, and did anyone see the last two Chris Evans superhero movies? Yes, London didn’t fare so well.
Lastly, for women who want to feel better about themselves (or worse about their relationships), there’s He’s Just Not That Into You, a deathtrap for men who are all too aware that even if they survive this weekend, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Pain, pain, and more pain!
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Erik Samdahl writes movie reviews and articles for FilmJabber.com.
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