A low-level hood searches desperately for a hot gun ("Running Scared"). A cute pooch battles the forces of evil ("Doogal"). The irrepressible Madea holds a family reunion ("Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion"). It can only mean one thing — this week’s wide releases!
Paul Walker has spent 2006 getting out of tight spots. In "Eight Below," he and a pack of sled dogs had to escape the cold of Antarctica, and now in "Running Scared," he has to find a lost firearm used in a hit or face the consequences from his Mafioso bosses and the cops. It’s a pretty cool setup; heck, it made for a tense, involving picture when Kurosawa tried it in "Stray Dog." But critics say director Wayne Kramer, who debuted with the kinetic "The Cooler," is on shakier ground with this one; they say it’s got a weak twist and far too brutal violence. "Running Scared" currently stands at 37 percent on the Tomatometer.
Speaking of running scared, apparently the people responsible for both "Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion" and "Doogal" are terrified that critics will poison the coveted opening weekend box office with bad reviews. These two films weren’t screened for critics, joining an infamous list that includes last week’s "Date Movie." So without further ado, Critical Consensus would like to give mad props to Roadhg67, who correctly guessed that "Date Movie" would have a Tomatometer of 10 percent. Roadhg67, you are a genius. Let’s see if the rest of you are as smart as Mr. or Ms. Hg67: Guess the Tomatometer for "Madea" and "Doogal."
Recent Paul Walker Movies:
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71% — Eight Below (2006)
20% — Into the Blue (2005)
25% — Noel (2004)
37% — 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
12% — Timeline (2003)
