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This weekend there are six new films out for you to choose from: sci-fi action in The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1, biopic in Get On Up, thriller in No Good Deed, drama in The Horseman, comedy in What We Do In The Shadows, and apparent comedy in My Old Lady.
The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 stems from the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy, and the book is being split into two films. This time round, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) reluctantly becomes the symbol of a mass rebellion against the autocratic Capitol.
The film is directed by Francis Lawrence, who took over the franchise with the second film, and also stars Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Toby Jones, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Natalie Dormer, Michelle Forbes and Prison Break‘s Robert Knepper.
I thought both of the first two films were so-so, but verging on worth a watch, so overall, this one will be a…
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Get On Up is a James Brown biopic that chronicles the singer and all-round entertainer’s rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history. It stars Chadwick Boseman as James Brown, himself, plus Nelsan Ellis, Jill Scott, Tika Sumpter, Viola Davis and Nick Eversman as Mick Jagger.
All that said, while I do like the man’s music, the idea of the film doesn’t really grab me.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
No Good Deed sees a lonely mother invite a handsome car accident victim into her home. Desperate for a little attention, she doesn’t realize she’s entertaining a sociopathic, yet charming escape convict. In one terrorizing night her life completely changes as she fight for her own life and the life of her children.
Starring Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson, Leslie Bibb and Kate del Castillo, No Good Deed must be bad as it came out in the US on September 12th, but hasn’t been released over here until this week. And, watching the trailer, it looked as predictable as predictable can be for this sort of nonsense. Give this one a wide berth!
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
The Horseman tells the tale of three women who have been driven mad by pioneer life are to be transported across the country by covered wagon by the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy, who in turn employs low-life drifter George Briggs to assist her.
With large cast including Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter, Barry Corbin, William Fichtner, John Lithgow, Tim Blake Nelson and James Spader, despite a great cast, this film looks boring as hell so I’ll be giving it a miss also.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
What We Do In The Shadows
Follow the lives of Viago (Taika Waititi), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), and Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) – three flatmates who are just trying to get by and overcome life’s obstacles-like being immortal vampires who must feast on human blood. Hundreds of years old, the vampires are finding that beyond sunlight catastrophes, hitting the main artery, and not being able to get a sense of their wardrobe without a reflection-modern society has them struggling with the mundane like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.
The trailer has an element of humour which kinda rescues it, so while it didn’t grab me at first, on balance I think it’s worth a watch.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
My Old Lady centres on an American who inherits an apartment in Paris that comes with an unexpected resident.
Starring Kevin Kline, Maggie Smith and Kristin Scott Thomas, this looks like a predictable farce, so I’ll pass.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.