Spring Film Guide: March 2012

March has a much improved selection over the first two months of 2012. There’s several movies that I really want to see and have even already enjoyed one so far. Project X was a fun movie in my opinion, although overall it has been panned by critics. The other movie released this past weekend, The Lorax has received quite mixed reviews but opened huge at the box office earning an estimated $70.7 million, followed up by Project X with a decent $20.7 million.

• John Carter – This movie is definitely not made for me. But hopefully for Taylor Kitsch and Disney (the budget is said to be around $250 million) some people are really excited about it. It’s based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs (you might not know his name, but you do know Tarzan, who he also created) and is supposed to have a celebrated sci-fi story. The trailer came off to me as melodramatic and bland.
• Silent House – The horror movie shot (supposedly) in one take depicting a real time scenario? My interest was piqued by this gimmick and then you add Elizabeth Olsen, star of Martha Marcy May Marlene, and you can bet I’m in for all 88 minutes of this film. Yeah, it’s a remake so they are basically just copying the idea, but I can get past that fact and give it a chance anyway. 
• A Thousand Words  – Eddie Murphy. Directed by the guy who did Norbit. Shelved for three years. This is going to be awful.

• 21 Jump Street – I cannot wait to see this! Like I am giddy with anticipation since I first saw the trailer. Even Rob who dismisses anything with Channing Tatum on impulse thinks he looks funny in it. Lindsay and I have insisted on his potential for awhile now (his SNL episode was fantastic) so he better deliver. Jonah Hill looks fantastic and I think their chemistry will be great.
• Casa de mi Padre – Will Ferrell starring in a Spanish language film? Like seriously, this is the sort of brilliant idea that Adam Sandler only thinks he has. It looks hilarious, but I have faith in anything Ferrell stars in anyway.
• Jeff, Who Lives At Home – The champs of mumblecore (for better or worse), the Duplass brothers direct this comedy starring Jason Segal and Ed Helms as brothers who both have their issues. Nick is really excited for this, while I am a bit more reserved. Will it be another Cyrus scenario where it seems more like a straight-up comedy and then the mumblecore sneaks up on you in theaters? That wouldn’t necessarily turn me off, but I’m sure it would for others. I don’t completely write off the genre but I would definitely not consider myself a big fan.

• The Hunger Games – THIS IS THE DAY I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR since January. It took me awhile to read this series, but once I did I was hooked. I love this story of the dystopian fight to the last survivor (seen before in Battle Royale, etc but whatever). I am just crossing my fingers that it will be as brutal as the book depicts. All the trailers seem super true to the novel but not much of the actual games are shown. Either way I am pumped! Also, studios must be worried about going against this, because there’s no other wide release this week.

• Mirror, Mirror – The first Snow White film of the year (a sentence that should never be written). This looks more along the lines of Alice in Wonderland (2010) and geared towards kids? I guess. I think it looks like shit and the terrible one liners make me cringe. What are you doing Armie?!!
• Wrath of the Titans – The sequel to a movie that was deemed terrible yet made tons of money. How insufferable. At least this one will be shot in 3D instead of converted, which was probably the most called out weakness of the film at a time when the cost of 3D tickets were super-inflated. Don’t care about this at all.