This week at the movies, we’ve got a pioneering ballplayer (42, starring Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford) and a horror spoof (Scary Movie V, starring Ashley Tisdale and Simon Rex). What do the critics have to say?
The life of Jackie Robinson is so readymade for cinema that it would be hard to mess it up. And indeed, critics say 42 is a warm, inspirational tribute to a great American hero, even if it often plays things a little too safe. Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) becomes the first African American to play in the majors when Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) signs him to a contract, and his inspired play and unimpeachable character strike a blow against prejudice. The pundits say 42 is so beautifully filmed and well acted that it triumphs over the filmmakers’ strict adherence to the biopic playbook. (Check out this week’s Total Recall, in which we count down Ford’s best-reviewed movies, as well as our list of the best-reviewed baseball movies of all time.)
We’d love to let you know if Scary Movie V provides uproarious laughter and incendiary satire, but it was barely reviewed prior to its release in theaters. This latest installment of the venerable spoof series offers more of the same: satirical jabs at contemporary horror movies, with a bunch of famous people — including Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, and Snoop Dogg — making cameos. Once again, it’s time to guess the Tomatometer! (Check out this week’s 24 Frames for a gallery of long-running movie franchises.)
Ken Loach‘s The Angels’ Share, a dramedy about a working class man in trouble with the law who has one more shot to go straight, is Certified Fresh at 89 percent.
It’s a Disaster, starring Julia Stiles and David Cross in a comedy about a group of couples whose brunch is interrupted by an attack on their city, is at 78 percent.
Disconnect, starring Jason Bateman and Hope Davis in a drama about a group of people who have complicated relationships with their computers and smartphones, is at 74 percent (check out our interviews with the Disconnect cast
Paris Manhattan, a romantic comedy about a French Woody Allen fan who’s looking for Mr. Right, is at 71 percent.
Brandon Cronenberg‘s Antiviral, a sci-fi thriller about a clinic that specializes in injecting fans with the diseases of celebrities, is at 69 percent.
Into the White, starring Rupert Grint in a drama about a pair of World War II fighter pilots who’ve been shot down in a remote area, is at 56 percent.
Terrence Malick‘s To The Wonder, starring Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams in a romantic drama about a young couple struggling with commitment issues, is at 38 percent.
