JULY, 1

MOVIES RELEASED

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

Action / Adventure / Fantasy
Cast: James McAvoy, Kate Bosworth, Liam Neeson, Hugo Weaving, Angela Bassett. Voice of Hayden Pannettiere.
Director: Stephen Sommers
Producer: George Lucas
Screenwriter: Josh Collins

Box Office: 100 mill.
Net Gains: 87 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: Far away from expectations, but still a nice box office breakdown. Maybe audiences just don’t buy anything and are becoming a bit tired of certain formulas. But things have gone well enough to expect possible sequels.

BLACK GUYS

Comedy
Cast: Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Seth Rogen, Jason Schwartzman, Ashanti, Whoopi Goldberg
Director: Judd Apatow
Screenwriter: Steve Connors

Box Office: 35 mill.
Net Gains: 7 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: I admit I’m surprised. I would never say this is a masterpiece or anything, but it has the potential enough to have made a much better box office. In fact, distributors also believed in it, as it was released in 5250 theatres, which is a pretty high number for a comedy. But some times things just don’t turn out as expected.

A HORSE WITH NO NAME

Adventure / Comedy
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Chris Evans, Sam Elliott
Director: Mimi Leder
Screenwriter: Ted Froats



Box Office: 62 mill.
Net Gains: 128 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: Yeah! Amazing net gains: a megahit in both the American and the foreign DVD market. Together with a nice box office, it has made it one of the most profitable movies of the Season! I would have never imagined that. So here we have the ‘sleeper’ of the Season. I love that.

THE CRITICS CORNER

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

“During all the promotional interviews for this movie, producer George Lucas was very worried to let perfectly clear that this movie has nothing to do with the ‘Game Boy’ franchise. Doesn’t it? ‘The Legend Of Zelda’ could very well be a spin off from the successful saga created by John Daws, this time with only live action characters instead of the digital characters we see in the Game Boy’s movies. Remember that Lucas is also the producer of those ones and the ‘Lucas touch’ is very much present here. So here is another pc game based show, efficiently designed by CMP and supported by an obvious high budget to make it all look spectacular. Fans oz Zelda’s games won’t be disappointed, as the movie adapts faithfully the games. If you are not one of those fans, you may feel CMP is selling you a light version of another lordofthering-esque universe.”
-Charlie Kiggs

“A brilliant production design that carries as a dead weight a weak screenplay. Josh Collins does not move as comfortably in this kind of stories as he does when writing drama. Once again – as was recently said referred to a different kind of movie, ‘The Dark Tower’ – the storyline requires certain knowledge of the original material – pc games this time – to completely get into it. Besides that, the characters are a bit flat designed and the plot gets absorbed and eaten by that spectacular production design. But, at the end, it is what it wants to be: a major visual show to fill up movie theatres. I don’t think Lucas or Collins pretended any other thing than that”.
-Ron Carter

“Now that it seems like the CMP’s Dungeons & Dragons saga is over, the Studio finds the right substitute for it with another major production based on fantasy worlds. More childish than the ‘DnD’ movies, this Zelda is one of those perfect products to make a lot of money not only in box office but also with all kind of merchandising. Lucas knows a lot about that. And, after the CMP’s Star Wars trilogy, now he can go on with both the Game Boy franchise and this new one, making him and Harry Stark even richer. ‘The Legend Of Zelda’ is one of those films that are conceived as something more than just a film: a multidimensional and profitable business. And, in those cases, writing only in terms of movie quality does not make much sense.”
-Jackie O’Callaghan

BLACK GUYS

"The problem with Judd Apatow's movies - and lets remember here movies like 'The 40 Year Old Virgin' or 'Knocked Up' - is that its premises are much better than its developments. The concept of a 40 year old man that has never made love or the starting point of a nice intelligent woman pregnant after only one sex night with a freak could have turned into great contemporary comedies. But when I watched those movies, I just had the feeling that the brilliant premises of those movies deflated too fast turning the movies into stupid easy comedies, very similar to the ones John Hughes or John Landis used to direct or produce in the 80's. Same happens with 'Black Guys'. The premise - two white Wall Street's yuppies turn into two black unemployed Harlem's losers - could have taken us to an acid comedy based on the differences between blacks and whites and the strong racial prejudices that still exist in our society. Instead of that, the nice beginning rapidly moves to a predictable story with predictable jokes and to an easy moral about how helping others can turn us into better human beings. The movie is funny, but it could have been something much better than it is."
-Bill Benson

“I can’t help it: this movie makes me remember so much Eddie Murphy’s ‘Coming To America’. The premise and the storyline have quite a few things in common. Two guys arriving to a black neighbourhood (Prince of Zamunda and his servant there, two ex-white guys here… anyway, a couple out of place), they get a job in a fast food restaurant (same thing in both films) and one of them falls with a waiter there (another similarity). I loved ‘Coming To America’, probably one of the best Murphy’s comedies (long before his actual decadence), so maybe I’m not fair saying that this one is not as good as that was.”
-Tim Reeve

“A movie based on racial jokes always walks on thin ice. But I must praise Connors’ screenplay, as it makes laughs at both blacks and whites’ prejudices with intelligence and he pictures a funny parody of both black and whites’ stereotypes. Chris Rock makes a good comedy work, while the rest of the cast just do what they are expected to. Seth Rogen keeps waiting for a good comedy character that hasn’t arrived yet for him. And maybe Martin Lawrence is the only one that does not find the right tone, showing again the same acting ‘tics’ we have seen him in previous movies.”
-Anne Roman

A HORSE WITH NO NAME

"A few decades ago, before the 'Pixar Era', Disney Studios used to produce live action family movies that sometimes included adventures with animals. They were naive and well intentioned movies that would look too simple nowadays. 'A Horse With No Name' reminded me those forgettable movies. This is a nice movie for all audiences to watch and forget. But, for once, don't take this in a bad way. I think that's part of its appeal. 'A Horse With No Name' is a movie with an absolute lack of pretentions. It does not look for any kind of technical innovation. It does not pretend to tell any kind of bigger than life story. It does not have a message or moral. It is just a nice story of friendship between two guys and a horse. That's all and it's ok. A 'white' story, in the sense it has no violence, fool language, sex... A relaxing way to spend a day at the movies with all the family not being afraid of bad surprises"
-Amy Ratched

"This time, Froats has stayed away from his deep dramas or his creative musicals. Froats offers us here a peculiar road movie with an interesting premise: how would it be to take a horse from one United States' coast to the other without a cent in your pocket. Shia LaBeouf and Chris Evans are the ones to make it possible. Far away from their heroic characters in movies like 'Transformers' or 'Fantastic Four', both play ordinary guys and they do it efficiently. The chemistry works between them in this 'friendship story'. And Mimi Leder has directed it without stridencies, conscious that this is a minor movie and with the perfect doses of sense of humour. In some way, this is an old fashioned movie, far from the regular fireworks shows that usually hit the screens once and again these days. It is a pity that audiences have forgotten to appreciate little movies like this cause here we have a well done movie that renews our faith in storytellers as an alternative to digital effects engineers."
-Roy Winslow

"It is difficult to say anything bad about this movie as much as it is also difficult to find any special good thing to say about it. It is even difficult to say if this is a great, good, bad or awful movie. I would not recommend watching this movie but I would not recommend not watching this movie neither. What I mean is that this is the right movie to watch if you feel in the right mood to watch a movie that won't break you in tears nor make you laugh wildly. It is not particularly moving but it isn't also particularly boring. It is ok. And that's what it is."
-Chris Burguess


THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

Josh Collins takes a step out of his usual element to bring to the big screen an adaptation of the Zelda franchise. I think he's been understanding more that sometimes, you just gotta make money. I wasn't too into the plot of the film, but I'll give props to Josh and Stephen Sommers for trying to stick to the original story. The acting was bearable. The special effects were even grand. It wasn't horrible at all, but cinematic masterpiece it was not. I would say just a little above average if I had a 'star system' it would be three 3.5 to 3.75 stars.

BLACK GUYS

This has got to be one of the most original comedies I've seen. This is definitely NOT 'White Chicks 2: Chix Go Black' A trading places scenario with white guys walking the mile in the shoes of black guys. Judd Apatow has a knack for making his audiences laugh while feeling warmed on the inside. Does the color of human skin really determine the level of success? It certainly took a long time to make a black man a Presidential candidate and some are still wondering whether or not that was a good idea. I enjoyed this movie. Not as raunchy as many other Apatow flicks, but mature humor with a grown up point which I tend to lean more towards when it comes to comedy.

A HORSE WITH NO NAME

I was kind of wondering if this film would be like the song. And it wasn't. Maybe loosely based off of it? Anyway, it was a nice refresh to see a movie families could bring grandma and the kids to when most CMP movies don't cater to the needs of those particular targets. Ok sure the humor isn't intended for the very little ones, but it's not 'Sex Monster' Shia and Chris played off each other very well and made the adventure with the horse very enjoyable. Like them not wanting to ride the horse together fearing they would be one night in a tent away from becoming Brokeback Mountain. This is very touching story!