APRIL, 8

MOVIES RELEASED

1-CELL MATES 2: HEARTS AND MINDS

Action / Thriller
Cast: Johnny Depp, Jack Nicholson, Winona Ryder, Elle Fanning, Woody Harrelson, James Woods
Director: Brett Ratner
Screenwriter: Ted Froats

Box Office: 83 mill.
Net Gains: 71 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: A bit higher box office than the first movie. And, once again, the importance of DVD market is checked. Great net gains due to outstanding DVD sales. The production of the third episode is guaranteed.

2-QUADROPHENIA

Drama / Musical
Cast: Jamie Bell, Evan Rachel Wood, Daniel Day Lewis, Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie, Ryan Gosling
Director: Alan Parker
Screenwriter and Producer: Ben Tyler

Box Office: 37 mill.
Net Gains: 3 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: It was hard to expect a good box office. American market has pretty ignored this ‘very british’ movie, but European market has saved it from disaster. Anyway, I liked it so much and feel more than proud of it.

3-ULTRAMAN: AFRAID OF THE CLONES

Sci-Fi / Comedy
The Cast: Eddie Murphy, Jessica Simpson, Rob Schneider, Jackie Chan, Tia Carrere
Director: Tim Story
Producer: Eddie Murphy
Screenwriter: Steve Connors

Box Office: 75 mill.
Net Gains: 42 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: Surprisingly, the best box office of the saga. One of those movies to watch (and enjoy) without prejudices. Youngest moviegoers seem to have fan with Ultraman, so maybe this could become a new beginning for the clumsy hero.

THE CRITICS CORNER

1-CELL MATES 2: HEARTS AND MINDS

'Cell Mates is not a saga or a franchise. It is more a single story told in three films. I hate those movies that end up with a 'to be concluded'. I mean, I can accept already knowing that a movie is part of a trilogy or whatever, but I expect that at least each movie from a franchise will have its own partial ending. I hated the end of 'Empire strikes back' with Han Solo left cryonized or whatever. I hated the end of the second movie from 'Pirates in the Caribbean' with Jack Sparrow left in the bellies of that sea monster. I hate being enjoying a movie and suddenly reading on screen 'to be concluded'. Agggg, it's like if you are having sex and suddenly, in the best moment of it all, your partenaire stops and says 'to be concluded'... You can't avoid getting mad, you know. Besides that, my question is: did this story need three movies to be told?"
-Vic Carter

"Brett Ratner has left aside all the sense of humour in the first movie of this saga. The first 'Cell Mates' was an action movie but, at the same time, it had a touch of self-parody, as if the movie didn't take too seriously itself, that enriched the appeal of the show. Now, Ratner - who is very far away as director from the mastery of the Cohen Brothers - has just directed a regular action movie, without the wild side of the first one and more attached to the mainstream rules of the action genre. And I have the feeling that something has been lost in the way. 'Cell Mates 2' is an entertaining movie. But nothing more. The saga does not pretend to be original or innovative anymore. That may be good for box office, but it seems like the chance of making a different kind of action movie has been wasted."
-Tim Reeves

"Johnny Depp does not make many action movies in CMP. So this is a good chance of watching him doing something apart from the dramas he is used to make for the Studio. But, at the same time, I have the feeling that his talent is wasted here. It is like if he has been here more controlled by Ratner than he was in the first episode by the Cohen Brothers. All the shades his character showed in the first movie have been diluted here for the benefit of action. Personally, I prefer watching Depp giving us an acting lesson in movies like 'Parody Of Arts' or 'Smoke Signals' than just watching him jumping from a window running away from the SWAT. And about Nicholson... well, all that haikus thing may be surprising and funny at the beginning but, after a while, the truth is that it becomes annoying".
-Amy Ratched

2-QUADROPHENIA

"Many years ago, I was shocked by the visual power of Alan Parker / Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'. I had never been much of a fan of that album that my older brother adored as if it was a kind of gospel for him. But when Parker turned that music into images, I understood the power of it all and converted to that same religion. Besides ‘The Wall’, I have never been much of a fan of rock musicals. But Parker has always been a tricky but powerful moviemaker. He has made me reconsider some of my prejudices as he has made a new version of the 79's movie that takes the best of the always difficult task of combining music and images'"
-Charlie Kiggs

"Fans of MTV, stay away from this movie. This is not an empty videoclip. This is a solid rock story where powerful music perfectly combines with a deep story about the loss of innocence. In a certain way, 'Quadrophenia' makes me think on 'Catcher In The Rye'. Maybe, the music style - as I say, far away from the without soul prefabricated music you can find in MTV -, the Mods movement - a precedent of the Punk invasion of the 70's -, and the looks of England in the 50's makes this movie hard to connect with these times youngsters. But watching this movie - as much as the original version of it - should be an obliged reference for any teenager wanting to know what is rock and what means growing up."
-Anne Roman

"I enjoyed very much this camp revival. When I heard CMP was developing a new version of Quadrophenia I was afraid it could be as those old rock bands that one day are back on the road but they cannot recover at all the magic of their glory days (hmmm... The Who?). I thought this movie could become a decaffeinated version of the original one. Luckily, it is not. In some aspects, it has improved very much the original. And the main improvement is, without doubt, the cast. Jamie Bell seems to be born to play his character. He is the best casting choice I've seen in ages. Hugh Laurie proves to be the brilliant actor in the best British tradition he is beyond 'House'. Ryan Gosling, one of the best young American actors of our days, takes out all the juice from his minor role. And, as expected, Daniel Day Lewis and Tilda Swinton are as efficient as always. It is a pleasure when your worst premonitions turn into a delicious surprise."
-Roy Winslow

3-ULTRAMAN: AFRAID OF THE CLONES

"Did we really need a third adventure of Eddie Murphy's Ultraman? Steve Connors thought so. Probably, nobody else would. To my surprise, this third episode has worked better than the two previous ones. And I can’t find any special reason for it. Once again, the fun of the show consists on a parody of superhero movies with Eddie Murphy acting clumsy. And, for some reason, many moviegoers find that premise appealing enough to pay a ticket to watch it. Well, you know, people are free to spend their money the way they want…”
-Chris Merlon

“The Ultraman movies have a few invariable rules by now. First, an exaggerated plot laughing at the traditional rules of the superhero movies (a villain willing to rule the world, a bad beginning for the hero and a final happy ending). Second, a weird an unexpected cast with surprising names in it (from Pamela Anderson to Jackie Chan). And third, the traditional crazed villain played in a humoristic way (Danny DeVito, Will Ferrell and the most surprising one this time, Jessica Simpson). The formula works well enough in box office to keep making sequels. Obviously, nobody is looking for quality here. It is just a big joke and you can either laugh at it or simply hate it.”
-Andy Weyman

“I am not going to say that this is a good movie. It is not. But Eddie Murphy has this secret power – that only works from time to time - of making an awful movie work in box office (remember ‘Norbit’?). This third adventure is the best of the three (and again I insist that this does not mean it is a good movie). It has a few skills to be remarked: the villain (Jessica Simpson playing a genius willing to be sexy! So crazy!), Kataman (a self-parody by Jackie Chan playing a hero with the lifestyle of a Hollywood star) and the good pace of director Tim Story (making a better work than Chris Columbus or Harold Ramis in the previous episodes). But still that’s not enough. Making three movies of this franchise is like stretching a joke too much.”
-Robert Benson


CELL MATES 2: HEARTS AND MINDS

In this next installment of the Cell Mates series, the GMA award winning dynamic duo Johnny Depp and Jack Nicholson pair up again with a different director and a more serious approach to the series. As I understand, Froats didn't want the first to be comical anyway. I just hope fans of the first will also understand the changes since it's a film with so much potential to score more GMA nods this year. This had me on the edge of the seat guessing until the very end. A solid action/thriller!

QUADROPHENIA

Holy crap...and that's not a negative connotation. I was iffy on the idea of remaking The Who's rock opera but I was glad Ben Tyler did. He once again impresses and him being a fan of the original showed his heart. Tyler didn't want to settle for anything less than brilliant. It's what 'Across the Universe' wanted to be.

ULTRAMAN: AFRAID OF THE CLONES

I'll be honest with you. I've never really imagined Ultraman and didn't expect a series out of it. But here it is, 3rd installment and I wish Eddie Murphy would just stop. He's been embarrassing himself for several years. Not to say he should just quit his career completely, he's showed in the past that he has so much talent that he's not using. If you read my reviews you'll find it rare that I end up disliking films and that I try to find some good qualities but I couldn't for Ultraman 3.