Alan Rapp

So what’s out there this week.  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released this Friday which includes a new romantic comedy with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, the second film this year about troubled young gymnasts, and more water attacking film audiences.  All that and more; read on.

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Here’s what’s scheduled to hit theaters this week.  Want to know more, just click on the title for film info including a full cast list.  Want a closer look, just click on the poster to watch the trailer.

The Break-Up

In what appears to be another War of the Roses-lite comedy Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) breaks up with her longtime boyfriend (Vince Vaughn).  Since neither is willing to move out of the condo they both stay trying by various and nefarious means to force the other to leave.  The film supports a fine cast that includes Joey Lauren Adams (Chasing Amy), Ann-Margaret, new Iron Man director Jon Favreau, John Michael Higgins, and Jason Bateman but director Peyton Reed hasn’t tickled America’s funnybone since his first film project – 2000’s Bring It On.

Banlieue 13 [13th District] (Limited Release)

The near future of Paris is the setting for this French thriller that involves an undercover member of the elite police force (French action star Cyril Raffaelli) and a criminal (David Belle) attempting to infiltrate a gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb.  Directed by first-timer Pierre Morel and written by Luc Besson who teamed-up to give us The Transporter and Danny the Dog (Morel served as cinematographer on both).  Early reports on the film’s look and plot compare it to a French Escape From New York.  The film also stars Tony D’Amario, Larbi Naceri, Dany Verissiom, and Francois Chattot.

Peaceful Warrior (Limited Release)

The latest from writer/director Victor Salva (Jeepers Creepers, Clownhouse, Powder) is an inspirational and emotional tale of a young collegiate gymnast (Scott Mechlowicz) who strikes up a student/mentor relationship with a gas station sage (Nick Nolte) who teaches him the “way of the peaceful warrior.”  The film is based on Dan Millman’s semi-autobiographical book of the same name.  The supporting cast for the film includes Amy Smart, Ashton Holmes, Beatrice Rosen, Paul Wesley, Agnes Bruckner and even Millman himself gets a cameo.

Taepung [Typhoon] (Limited Release)

Korean blockbutster action film about a North Korean pirate’s mad plan involving creating a typhoon by nuclear means in order to use it to attack the Korean Peninsula.  The film was written and directed by Kyung-Taek Kwak (Champion, Chingoo) and stars Dong-Kun Jang, Jung-Jae Lee, Mi-yeon Lee, Chattapong Pantannaunkul, and David Mc Innis.  Are audiences going to be too water-logged by Poseidon to give this subtitled special effects flick a chance?

You may or may not know that the new trailer for Ghost Rider starring Nicholas Cage has been attached to X3.  Now normally we’d just let you go see the filck and get a chance at the trailer there as we don’t normally post trailers.  But you see we went to see X3 and that’s a high price indeed for a peek at the new Ghost Rider film so here you go.  Just click on the pic!!

Ghost Rider
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You may or may not know that the new trailer for Ghost Rider starring Nicholas Cage has been attached to X3.  Now normally we’d just let you go see the filck and get a chance at the trailer there as we don’t normally post trailers.  But you see we went to see X3 and that’s a high price indeed for a peek at the new Ghost Rider film so here you go.  Just click on the pic!!

 

We’ll have reviews for X3: X-Men United for you Friday, but before we get to where we’re going it’s always a good idea to look back where we’ve been.  So let’s look back at the first two chapters of the series, shall we?  Indeed we shall…

X-Men & X2
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The mutant gang of Marvel Comics has come a long way from the original conception of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby back in 1963.  The group has, for not better word, evolved and grown into a series of titles that has become the backbone of Marvel Comics.  Three films have been made, the latest about to hit theaters Friday, so let’s take a look at how mutants have faired on film.

The story begins:

A war rages between two groups of mutants (humans who have “evolved” with genetic mutations that leave them stronger and more powerful).  As the film opens a US Senator (Bruce Davison) is pushing for the mandatory registration of all mutants and two outcasts Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin) stumble into the struggle between Professor Xavier’s (Patrick Stewart) X-Men who wish to coexist peacefully with normal humans and Magneto’s (Ian McKellen) Brotherhood of Mutants who believe themselves superior to the rest of us.  Magneto’s plan in the film involves using Rogue to power a weapon that will turn every world leader attending the UN summit into a mutant (for reasons that are only clear to Bryan Singer).  The X-Men save the day and Wolverine leaves to search into his mysterious past…

The story evolves:

Wolverine learns a little about his past which involves government scientist William Stryker (Brian Cox) who wants every mutant dead and has discovered a way to meet his goal which involves using the mutant mind-control powers of his son and the big brain of Prof X.  Other plot threads involve Jean Grey facing her fears that her powers are growing out of control, Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) and Pyro (Aaron Stanford) vying for the attention of Rogue, and an attempt on the President’s life by a myserious new mutant called Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) which leads to a government lockdown on mutants and an all-out assault on the school.  Aside from Nightcrawler, both Colossus (Daniel Cudmore) and Deathstyke (Kelly Hu) make their first appearances on film as does the Beast (sort of).  The film ends with the team successfully stopping Stryker but with the tragic loss of one of thier own…

Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, After the Sunset) takes over for Bryan Singer as the film gives us the showdown between the X-Men and the Brotherhood, Iceman and Pyro finally have it out, the resurrection of Jean Grey as the Phoenix, a “cure” for mutation, and new heroes like Beast (Kelsey Grammer) and Angel (Ben Foster) and villains such as the Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones) but oddly enough in a film with every freakin’ mutant imaginable no progeny of Magneto make an appearance.  We took a peek last night and Aaron and I both agree (wrap your mind ‘round that one folks!).  You’ll have to wait until Friday for the review, but until then I’ll wet your appetite with a review from a film that in every aspect is on par with this one (click here).