March 2014 Preview!

Here is a quick look at the films I plan to see in March:

300: Rise of an Empire (3/7/14)
The sequel to one of the most hyper-stylized action epics, but with only one of the original cast members. Zack Snyder's popularity is debatable right now, so I don't expect this to make as much as the first one.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman (3/7/14)
I mostly lost interest in this one after RDJ dropped out (he was going to voice Mr. Peabody), but the trailer looks like it will be funny. And history!

The Grand Budapest Hotel (3/7/14)
Wes Anderson is a brilliant man. If you haven't seen the trailer for this yet please please watch it now. This is the film I'm most excited for this month.

Divergent (3/21/14)
I haven't read the books, but I'll give the movie a shot. Hopefully this will join the more successful YA film adaptations.

Muppets Most Wanted (3/21/14)
I love the Muppets, but I actually didn't see their most recent movie. Jason Segel just doesn't do much for me. But with Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, scores of cameos, and an evil Kermit the frog look-alike, this one should be hilarious.

Nymphomaniac: Part 1 (3/21/14)
As a filmmaker and critic it is important to study a wide variety of films. That's all I'm going to say about this one.

Noah (3/28/14)
Darren Aronofsky's not-your-Sunday-School-version-of-the-story take on the biblical account of Noah and the great flood, starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins, and Emma Watson.

Which of this month's releases are you most excited about?

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Just saw Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit…

It definitely had potential. The acting was good enough for an action popcorn flick and it had some nice set-pieces.

What disappointed me the the most was the writing. As an origin story, the prologue felt rushed, jumping from one event to the next. I understand the importance of showing how Ryan went from being a PhD student in Economics to joining the Marines to being recruited by the CIA, but I feel it all could have been done in a more cohesive way.

I was also very disappointed by Keira Knightly’s character. She performed it well enough, but what should have been a complex, intellectual, independent female role devolved into a typical action film damsel in distress. Her character had good moments, such as pushing Ryan to be more than his injury and debating Russian poetry with Kenneth Branaugh, but the rest seemed like a totally different character. The scene where Ryan reveals to her that he is in the CIA, which was probably meant to be a touching scene where she finally believes that he isn’t cheating, actually brought laughter from the audience — including myself — because of how ridiculous her reaction was.

I would like to see more of Pine’s Jack Ryan, but any sequels would have to do a much better job of honoring Tom Clancy’s work.

3 out of 5 stars.

Viewed February 8, 2014 at LOOK Cinemas Prestonwood in Dallas, Texas.