Opening in cinemas across Australia this week we have the latest comedy from director Jay Roache (Meet the Parents and Austin Powers) starring the always funny Steve Carell and Zack Snyder’s latest effort, the awkwardly titled Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole. Continue reading for film details, trailers and recommendations!
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS
Review: ★ ½
Genre: Comedy
Rating: M
Running Time: 114 min
Director: Jay Roach
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis
Official Website: Link.
For session times in your area, click here.
Studio’s Synopsis:
“Dinner for Schmucks” tells the story of Tim (Paul Rudd), a guy on the verge of having it all. The only thing standing between him and total career success is finding the perfect guest to bring to his boss’ annual Dinner for Extraordinary People, an event where the winner of the evening brings the most eccentric character as his guest. Enter Barry (Steve Carell), a guy with a passion for dressing mice up in tiny outfits to recreate great works of art.
Worth seeing?
A loose Hollywood adaptation of the 1998 French Comedy (originally a stage play) The Dinner Game, has thus far received mixed reviews overseas (Rotten Tomatoes Rating) but should be a relatively entertaining time killer due to the involvement of the master of goofball comedy Steve Carell and cinema’s best straight man Paul Rudd. Director Jay Roach has previously helmed the comedy hits Meet The Parents and Austin Powers (as well as their less funny sequels).
Box Office Predictions:
U.S. box office has been a mid level $72 million which is in line with Paul Rudd’s past box office but a bit on the light side for Steve Carell who is used to crossing the 100 million mark. Expect local box office in the range of $3-4 million, comparable with previous Rudd comedies I Love You Man and Role Models.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgEDubRe6M8
LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: THE OWLS OF GA’HOOLE
Review: ★ ★ ★ ★
Genre: Animation/Adventure/Fantasy
Rating: PG
Running Time: 98 min
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Abbie Cornish, Helen Mirren, Hugo Weaving, Geoffrey Rush
Official Website: Link.
For session times in your area, click here.
Studio’s Synopsis:
The Guardians of Ga’Hoole are a band of Owl warriors who once fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. When a young Owl, Soren, and his brother, Kludd fall from a tree top into the lair of the Pure Ones, their only hope is the legendary Guardians of Ga’Hoole.
Worth seeing?
Zack Synder’s seems to have made quite a strange decision to follow up the excellent, yet underrated Watchmen with this animated fantasy based on Kathryn Lasky’s modestly known Guardians of Ga’Hoole books (of which there are 15 in total). Reviews have praised the dazzling visuals but as usual with this kind of film the story is reportedly undercooked (Rotten Tomatoes Rating).
Box Office Predictions:
After becoming Synder’s first film to not open at number one at the U.S. box office and only pulling in a disappointing 16 million over opening weekend, there isn’t much chance of recouping the film’s 100 million budget. Being filmed in Australia and featuring an impressive Aussie cast, local box office should be respectable. Don’t expect Happy Feet numbers but somewhere in the 10-15 million range is quite possible.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8RKCmkOyB4
THE TREE
Review: ★ ★ ½
Genre: Drama/Australian-French
Rating: M
Running Time: 100 min
Director: Julie Bertuccelli
Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Marton Csokas, Aden Young
Official Website: Link:
The Tree is in limited release, for session times in your area, click here.
Studio’s Synopsis:
After the sudden death of her father, 8-year-old Simone shares a secret with her mother Dawn. She’s convinced her father speaks to her through the leaves of her favourite tree and he’s come back to protect them but the new bond between mother and daughter is threatened when Dawn starts a relationship with George, the plumber, called in to remove the tree’s troublesome roots.
As the branches of the tree start to infiltrate the house, the family is forced to make an agonising decision. But have they left it too late?
Worth seeing?
Based on the debut novel by Judy Pascoe and co-produced between Australia and France, this film received a seven minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. Expect another quiet little Aussie meditation on small town family life.
Box Office Predictions:
Australian films rarely explode at the box office even locally. Even with great reviews the film will most likely struggle to hit 300k.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSLTwvurWA0
