May 2008
(as seen in the Scottsdale Airpark News)
Movies in theaters are alive and well as Hollywood
continues to release some very exciting films. Why see these films
in a theater instead of at home on your great home theater system?
Some movies are best experienced on a massive screen with amazing
sound, with audience interaction, or maybe that guilty pleasure
-- with hot liquid butter poured all over that big bag of popcorn.
There could be one annoyance though -- deciding just what to see,
given there are often five or more new movies released every week.
So with your busy life, if you could see just one newly released
movie per week, which five in May should they be?
| |
|
|
For the weekend of May 2, it is “Iron
Man”, starring Robert Downey Jr., Terrence
Howard (The Brave One), Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Hilary
Swank, and Samuel L. Jackson, directed by Jon Favreau (The
Break Up). Genre: sci-fi action / adventure, rated PG-13.
The plot: based on the long-running Marvel comic book series,
"Iron Man" is the story of Tony Stark (Downey),
the enigmatic heir to the Stark Enterprises fortune. A driven
inventor and executive who seems to have it all, Tony is
haunted by his dark side. Though he commands his empire
by day, by night he secretly becomes "Iron Man,"
the living embodiment of decades of defense spending and
innovation. Strapping on billions of dollars worth of state-of-the-art
armor and weaponry each night to fight all forms of crime,
Tony begins to crack under the strain of his fractured lifestyle
and must ultimately confront the one opponent he can never
beat -- himself.
The other two movies opening this weekend are: Made
of Honor and Son of Rambo. |
| |
|
|
For the weekend of May 9, it is “Speed
Racer”, starring Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild),
Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox (Lost), Susan Sarandon, and John
Goodman, directed by Larry Wachowski and Andy Wachowski (the
Matrix trilogy). Genre: action / adventure, rated PG. The
plot: based on the classic 1960's Japanese animated series,
this chronicles the aspirations of the young & very talented
race car driver “Speed Racer” (Hirsch) as he attempts
to obtain glory by winning an annual cross-country race. With
the help of his auto-centric family and the Mach 5, the advanced
car created by his father, he has a good chance of winning
the competition. The biggest problem may be his chief rival,
Racer-X.
The other four movies opening this weekend are: Frontier(s),
Mister Lonely, Redbelt,
and What Happens in Vegas. |
| |
|
|
For the weekend of May 16, it is “The
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”, starring
Ben Barnes (Stardust), William Moseley (Chronicles of Narnia),
Georgie Henley (Chronicles of Narnia), Anna Popplewell (Chronicles
of Narnia), Skandar Keynes (Chronicles of Narnia), Sergio
Castellitto (Paris je t’aime) and Tilda Swinton, directed
by Andrew Adamson (Chronicles of Narnia). Genre: family adventure
/ fantasy, not yet rated. The plot: one year after the incredible
events of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,"
the Kings and Queens of Narnia find themselves back in that
faraway wondrous realm, only to discover that more than 1,300
years have passed in Narnian time. During their absence, the
Golden Age of Narnia has become extinct, as it has been conquered
and is now under the control of the evil King Miraz (Castellitto),
who rules the land without mercy. The four children meet an
intriguing new character: Narnia's rightful heir to the throne,
the young Prince Caspian (Barnes), who has been forced into
hiding as his uncle Miraz plots to kill him in order to place
his own newborn son on the throne. With the help of some new
allies, the Narnians, led by the mighty knights Peter (Moseley)
and Caspian, embark on a remarkable journey to find Aslan,
rescue Narnia from Miraz's tyrannical hold, and restore magic
and glory to the land.
No other movies are scheduled to open this weekend. |
| |
|
| |
For the weekend of May 23, and the Scottsdale
Airpark Movie of the Month, it is “Indiana Jones
and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, starring
Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf (Transformers), Cate Blanchett,
Ray Winstone (Beowulf), John Hurt (V for Vendetta), Jim Broadbent
(Chronicles of Narnia), and Karen Allen (Briar Patch), directed
by Steven Spielberg. Genre: action / adventure, not yet rated.
The plot: Indiana Jones (Ford) is back in this fourth adventure,
this time set in the early '50s, and his son (LaBeouf) becomes
part of the thrill. Other details can’t be verified
as the studio has been very secretive. Even so, we are sure
this will be terrific.
No other movies are scheduled to open this weekend. |
| |
|
|
For the weekend of May 30, it is “Sex
and the City: The Movie”, starring Sarah Jessica
Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Chris
Noth (Law & Order), and Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls),
directed by Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City). Genre:
romantic comedy, not yet rated. The plot: the movie version
of the long-running HBO series (1998-2004) featuring the further
exploits of Carrie Bradshaw, Samantha Jones, Charlotte York
and Miranda Hobbes. The series was originally based on autobiographical
columns written by Candace Bushnell.
The other three movies opening this weekend are: Meet
Dave, The Foot Fist Way, and The
Strangers. |
| |
|
These are
expected to play at the multiplexes in the Scottsdale, AZ - Airpark
area including:
Harkins Scottsdale 101 at 7000 E. Mayo Blvd. 480-538-1707
AMC Desert Ridge 18 at 21000 N. Tatum Blvd. 480-606-0806
United Artists (Regal) Sonora Village 10 at 15512 N. Pima
Rd. 480-998-1300
Farrelli’s Cinema Supper Club at 14202 N. Scottsdale
Rd. 480-905-7200
Furthermore, gong to the movies still gives you the most entertainment
“bang for the buck” when compared to a similar two hour
venture at any professional sporting event, play or music performance.
See you at the movies!
Note: While the release dates & ratings for
these movies were correct at the time of printing, studios sometimes
make last-minute changes. If this happens, we apologize for any
inconvenience.
|
®
