Weekend Watch (May 16th-18th)

Hello everyone and welcome back to another edition of Weekend Watch!

This weekend's match-up is particularly interesting as Jon Hamm and Disney go up against the return of what some consider, the most famous monster to appear on the silver screen: Godzilla.

First up: Million Dollar Arm



Synopsis: A sports agents recruits cricket players to play in the MLB.

With baseball season underway and last month's release of "Draft Day", I can see how a studio like Disney would want to capitalize on "America's favorite past time," but of course, in their own fashion. Million Dollar Arm follows Jon Hamm on his quest to make a baseball player out of an Indian cricket player. Hamm certainly leads the way in this trailer, with his other cast members: Bill Paxton, Lake Bell, Alan Arkin, Bar Paly, and Aasif Mandvi, more or less filling in the backdrop. I'm not a big fan of sports centered movies; don't get me wrong, I enjoy the tugs at my heart when I watch a solid performance, I just don't usually watch these kinds of movies in the theater(s). But Disney is apt to remind us (including myself) of their past accomplishments of "Miracle" and "Invincible," plus with the added feature of this being based off a "true story," I can certainly see the intrigue.

Verdict: The movie looks like a good one to take the family to, with a touch of heart, comedy, drama, and of course Disney's trademark of pulling for the underdog, it looks like a good one to see.


Next up: Godzilla



Synopsis: From visionary new director Gareth Edwards ("Monsters") comes a powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of titanic forces of nature, when the awe-inspiring Godzilla rises to restore balance as humanity stands defenseless.

It's been nearly 16 years since Godzilla has graced the American big screen(s); the last Godzilla movie was back in 1998 and starred Matthew Broderick, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Kevin Dunn and Jean Reno. So for those who still remember that "movie," hearing about a Godzilla remake was probably worrisome. Fortunately, or unfortunately however you look at it, CGI has come a long way and we can now create characters like Caesar from the new "Planet of the Apes" franchise that look so good, that with some fantastic acting behind these characters - we can almost be fooled into believing they're real. Now with that being said, what's shown off of Godzilla in this trailer looks pretty good; from the fearsome monster's scaly back to the sheer size of it, Godzilla certainly looks like a monstrous creature to be feared. Add in a fantastic cast with members: Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Victor Rasuk, Juliette Binoche, and Sally Hawkins - it's certainly going to draw a crowd. I particularly enjoy how it seems shot from the angel of our ineffectiveness, and therefore the fear of our demise from such a great threat. To me, that would keep me guessing as to how humanity will win out in the end - or will we?

Verdict: Looking for a blockbuster movie to see this weekend and not a fan of baseball? "Godzilla" is definitely the movie for you. See it with your friends, maybe even on opening day, and enjoy the gravity of every impossible situation with the crowd(s).

*Finally we have: A Touch of Sin
 


Synopsis: Four outcasts on the edges of a rapidly changing China, channel their rage into a bloody rampage.

Okay, so this one is, well, let's just say "unusual," which is probably why it's received rave reviews from the likes of the Fesival De Cannes and the Toronto International Film Festival. Watching the trailer, as it explained how our cast: Zhao Tao, Jiang Wu, Wang Baoqiang, Luo Lanshan, Zhang Jiayi, and Li Meng, were all sort of connected, reminded me of how "Crash" was shot. It's one of those movies that seems disconnected at the beginning, telling the stories of these four, seemingly random people, but as the movie goes, their stories are more connected then they've ever realized.

Verdict: If you're into reading subtitles through a movie and loved "Crash," then this one is for you. Unusual movies like this sometimes intrigue me, so I might check this one out myself (just probably not in the theater).