Another weekend and another set of reboots and remakes. This week Hollywood has its sights set squarely on that most distinguished of decades, the 1980s. Classic family film "The Karate Kid" returns in high gloss fashion, while "The A-Team" amazingly makes their first trip to the silver screen. We imagine that most of the international audience will be busy watching the World Cup, so this could be one of the milder weekends at the box office this summer. In limited runs: the Sundance fave "Winter's Bone" is released, alongside the period drama "Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky" and the surprisingly engaging documentary "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work."
Even though the 90s golden age for big screen TV remakes has passed ("The Brady Bunch Movie," The Addams Family" anyone?) Hollywood still manages to push something through the system every once in a while. Around this time last summer we had "Get Smart," a surprise hit that surely helped pave the way for this week's "The A-Team" from director Joe Carnahan ("Narc"). The update of the cheeseball 80's action show stars Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson, Sharlto Copley, and Quinton Jackson as the former Special Forces soldiers who must go rogue in an attempt to clear their name after being framed for war crimes. We posted a review earlier today, finding the film to be fun and completely mindless with another impressive performance from "District 9"'s Copley. RT: 50% Metacritic: 45. A refreshingly unflinching celebrity documentary "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" arrives in a limited run today. The film offers a glimpse at an entire year in the legendary comedienne's life as she willingly discusses her career and personal life, from her love of plastic surgery, her fallout with Johnny Carson, her husband's suicide, winning "Celebrity Apprentice" and everything in between. We posted a review yesterday, finding a surprisingly raw and compelling documentary that is as far away from a fluff piece as you could imagine. RT: 90% Metacritic: 81.
Also out in limited run: We're hoping to get a chance to check out the South African crime flick "Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema." The film tells the story of the rise of a criminal kingpin during the fall of Apartheid . Metacritic: 66." The documentary "Reel Injun" tracks Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans throughout film history. RT: 83% Metacritic: 58. Four low-income NYC families are followed as they enter a charter school lottery for a chance at a better education for their children in the documentary " The Lottery. RT: 60% Metacritic: 57.

1 comment:
Get Smart is from summer 2008.
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