Movies Update

In today’s episode of Boing Boing tv, Xeni visits with John Gaeta, the Academy Award-winning Visual Effects supervisor of the Matrix trilogy, to learn more about his digital craft in the new film Speed Racer. This latest Wachowski brothers project reinterprets the classic 1960s Japanese anime series of the same name, and opens in theaters nationwide on May 9.

According to HR, the big screen adventures of Speed, Racer X, Trixie and the gang have been ?tracking unimpressively in prerelease surveys. People, apparently, aren’t saying they are super excited about seeing this movie and that may result in a box office of ‘only′ $25 million to $35 million during the opening weekend. Since Iron Man made almost $100 million last weekend, it has a good chance of finishing first this weekend and keeping Speed Racer in, gasp, second place. It?s all downhill from there.

Still, it might not be as dire for the Racer family as it seems. Family films are tough to track before opening, so moms, dads, and their kids might give Hollywood the old middle finger and go see this anyway. Even a paltry $35 million dollar opening will put the film on track to be profitable, so that will make the studio happy and allow them to make more movies without coming up with any new or fresh ideas. Warner Brothers executives sound very optimistic. President Dan Fellman said, ?this is the first real family movie of the summer, and we?re going to give it out best.? Actually, that doesn?t sound very optimistic at all.

Star(s) to watch : Emile Hirsch (”The Girl Next Door”) as Speed X, & Matthew Fox (”Vantage Point”, “Smokin’ Aces”) as Racer X.

Genre : Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adaptation.

Release date : May 9, 2008

Official website : http://speedracerthemovie.warnerbros.com/

Poster : http://movies-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/speed_racer1-200×300.jpg

Trailer :

SUNDAY AM: Here are the official blockbuster numbers — Paramount Pictures release of Marvel Studios′ Iron Man, in 4,105 theaters,’made an estimated $35,125,000 on Friday 5/2, an estimated $37,500,000 on Saturday 5/3, for an estimated 3-day weekend box office of $100,750,000.’Advance screenings in select locations, about 2,500 venues, from 8:00 PM to midnight on Thursday 5/1 contributed an additional $3,500,000.’With this addition, the total estimated box office is $104,250,000. The estimated international box office for the weekend is $96,750,000 from 57 territories.?The total combined estimated global box office for Marvel Studios′ Iron Man is $201,000,000.

The remarkable tally stands as the second biggest opening day in box office history for a non-sequel trailing only the $39.4M of fellow Marvel Comics super hero Spider-Man from this very same weekend in 2002. Tony Stark and pals edged out Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone which launched in November 2001 with $32.3M on its opening Friday. That figure however, would amount to roughly $40M at today’s ticket prices. Still, Iron Man could not be in better company given that the character is not as universally known as Spider-Man, Batman, or Superman. Audience feedback has been very positive too as the Paramount release has earned a solid A- average from over 3,000 users of Yahoo Movies.

The Marvel comic book character’s suit embodies a futuristic technology that may enhance human capabilities in war, but the current battlefield belongs to a growing swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and robots that could someday give even Iron Man a run for his money. UAVs clocked more than 500,000 hours in the air by the beginning of 2008, performing many of the tasks normally done by piloted aircraft.

Star(s) to watch : Leslie Bibb as Christine Everhart, Gwyneth Paltrow (”Seven”, “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”, “Shallow Hal”) as Virginia “Pepper” Potts, Terrence Howard (”The Brave One”) as Jim Rhodes, Jeff Bridges (”Blown Away”, “Jagged Edge”) as Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger, & Robert Downey Jr. (”The Shaggy Dog”, “A Scanner Darkly”) as Tony Stark/Iron Man.

Genre : Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Adaptation.

Release date : May 2, 2008

Rating : 9/10

Official website : http://www.ironmanmovie.com/

Poster : http://movies-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/iron_man-212×300.jpg

Trailer :

The Seeker, titled The Dark Is Rising in the United Kingdom and The Seeker: The Dark is Rising in Canada, is a 2007 film adaptation of the second book in the five-book children’s fantasy series The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper. The Seeker is the first film to be produced by Walden Media and 20th Century Fox as part of their Fox-Walden partnership.

Based on the book series by by Susan Cooper, Eleven-year-old Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig) discovers he’s one of the last Old Ones - a group of immortals. And he has to save the world from the dark forces.

To scroll through an entire section, just hit “Check All Names”. You will see 25 messages at a time. It is best to do that AFTER you have scrolled through section by section. For your first visit, it is best to scroll through the entire section. Some people do not put in accurate dates, or simply do not remember.

Star(s) to watch : Amelia Warner (”Aeon Flux”) as Maggie Barnes.

Genre : Adventure, Fantasy, Adaptation.

Release date : October 5, 2007

Rating : 6/10

Official website : http://www.seekthesigns.com/

Poster : http://movies-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/the_seeker-202×300.jpg

Trailer :

In the sleepy English countryside of decades past, there is a town that has stood on a jut of granite for six hundred years. And immediately to the east stands a high stone wall, for which the village is named. Here in the town of Wall, Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. One crisp October night, as they watch, a star falls from the sky, and Victoria promises to marry Tristran if he′ll retrieve that star and bring it back for her. It is this promise that sends Tristran through the only gap in the wall, across the meadow, and into the most unforgettable adventure of his life.

“Stardust″ is set principally in a world known as Stormhold, an alternate reality of magic and marvels that lies across a stone wall from a small English village. A son of that village, Dunstan Thorne, once traveled illegally across the wall and sired a son, Tristran, who was left on his doorstep and raised in ignorance of the true story of his birth. Now Tristran is 18 and in love with a haughty local beauty. One night, courting her in a field, he vows to fetch for her the star that has fallen beyond the wall. And by so doing he braves harms he can’t imagine.

The star means different things to different people. It is a token sent into the world by the dying king of Stormhold as a challenge to the sons who wish to inherit his crown. It is a potential source of life to a trio of witches who hope to gain immortality by devouring it. And it is, most anomalously, in earthly form, a beautiful, saucy girl at whose side Tristran suddenly appears and whom he is intent on dragging back to his village. And so a chase begins: Tristran drags the unwilling star back home, the king’s sons race to fetch the jewel around the star’s neck, and the cruelest of the witches wants to capture the star and rip out the star’s heart for her vain purposes.

Star(s) to watch : Robert De Niro (”The Score”, “Heat”) as Captain Shakespeare, Sienna Miller as Victoria, & Ben Barnes as Young Dunstan Thorne.

Genre : Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi.

Release date : August 10, 2007

Rating : 8/10

Official website : http://www.stardustmovie.com/

Poster : http://movies-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/stardust-202×300.jpg

Trailer :

Spider-Man 3 is the third film in the Spider-Man film series and is scheduled to be released on May 4, 2007. The movie is directed by Sam Raimi. Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Dylan Baker, and J. K. Simmons are the confirmed returning cast members from the previous two Spider-Man movies.

So Spider-Man 3’s action is superb and its theme fairly weighty. Then why does it feel a letdown from its predecessor? Nearly all the blame rests with director Sam Raimi, who’s taken the success of some light slapstick moments in Spider-Man 2 as a cue to get even sillier.

This is another word you don?t want to see in a review. Bigger isn?t always better, this is Spider-Man, not porn. The movie feels like the producers were actually trying to make it as difficult as possible for there to be a sequel made (A big possibility, When production started on this, the license was supposed revert to Marvel & they were supposed to make Spidey 4, 5, & 6. Is this true?

Star(s) to watch : Tobey Maguire (”Cats & Dogs”) as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Topher Grace (”Ocean’s Eleven”) as Venom/Eddie Brock, James Franco (”The Wicker Man”) as New Goblin/Harry Osborn, & J. K. Simmons (”The Jackal”, “The Ladykillers”) as J Jonah Jameson.

Genre : Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adaptation, Sequel.

Release date : May 4, 2007

Rating : 9/10

Official website : http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/spiderman3/site/

Poster : http://movies-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/spiderman_3-201×300.jpg

Trailer :

Rush Hour 3 is a 2007 film and the third installment in the martial arts/action-comedy Rush Hour franchise starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker that began with the 1998 film Rush Hour and continued with the first sequel Rush Hour 2 in 2001. The film was officially announced on May 7, 2006, and filming began on July 4, 2006.

Action kicks off in Los Angeles with an assassination attempt on Chan′s charge, the Chinese ambassador from the first movie, who is leading a new initiative to take out the Triad criminal organization. Stuck in traffic cop duty, Tucker inserts himself into Chan′s investigation, despite their friendship being strained from an offputting incident in New York, their destination at the end of Rush Hour 2. The Triads keep after them, and they learn that Paris holds the key to stopping the gangsters, so off they go.

There is nothing new delivered by Rush Hour 3. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker reprise their roles and pick up exactly where they left off from the previous two films. Chan’s isn’t as virile as he used to be, but one has to be impressed that this 53-year old actor can still do some amazing stunt work. Chris Tucker, however, is still just as loud and annoying as ever.

Star(s) to watch : Jackie Chan (”City Hunter”, “The Armour of God”) as Chief Inspector Lee.

Genre : Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sequel.

Release date : August 10, 2007

Rating : 6/10

Official website : http://www.rushhourmovie.com/

Poster : http://movies-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/rush_hour_3-202𝗬.jpg

Trailer :

“Ratatouille” is the latest from Pixar Animation Studios and the follow-up from director Brad Bird to his well-regarded animated feature “The Incredibles”. The film comes at a time when some audiences are getting a little indifferent towards CGI animated features, simply because - like special effects in live-action pictures - audiences have reached the point where even remarkable visuals don′t impress quite as much as they used to.

Director Brad Bird’s first animated effort, The Iron Giant (1999), was on equal ground with some of Pixar’s finest work. Employing a seamless blend of CG animation and traditional hand-drawn artwork, this touching story of a boy and his fifty-foot tall robot from outer space enjoyed critical acclaimbut flopped at the box office, unfortunately. Still, there was an undeniable stamp of quality and passion on display, enough for audiences to realize that Bird would enjoy future success in animation.

The ratatouille dish prepared by Remy is the alternate variation called confit byaldi. It was adapted by film consultant Thomas Keller. This variation differs much from the conventional ratatouille in terms of preparation and method. The major difference is that the vegetables used are sliced thinly and baked instead of cooking them in the pot.

Genre : Adventure, Comedy, Animation.

Release date : June 29, 2007

Rating : 8/10

Official website : http://www.ratatouille.com/

Poster : http://movies-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/ratatouille-202×300.jpg

Trailer :

An action-adventure set in the time when Vikings tried to conquer North America, a young Norse boy is left behind after his clan shipwrecks on the Eastern shores. Despite his lineage, the boy is raised by the very Indians his kinsmen set out to destroy. Years later, as the Vikings return to stage another barbaric raid on his village, the 25 year-old Norse warrior wages a personal war to stop the Vikings’ trail of death and destruction. Forging his own path, his destiny is revealed and his identity re-claimed.

Star(s) to watch : Karl Urban (”The Lord of the Rings”, “The Bourne Supremacy”) as Ghost.

Genre : Action, Adventure, Remake.

Release date : April 13, 2007

Rating : 7/10

Official website : http://www.pathfinderthemovie.com/

Poster : http://movies-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/pathfinder-202×300.jpg

Trailer :

Director Tim Story’s original Fantastic Four movie received a critical crapping, and the second one is fairing no better. That’s not an indictment of his movies, it’s just the way things turn out. The Fantastic Four gets no respect for the same reason comedies don’t win Oscars and Michael Bay gets treated like the anti-christ. In their rush to justify their profession by setting film up as a penultimate art form, most critics have no room for movies as entertainment. Art they may be, but the ability to deliver pure, light-hearted fun is an underrated talent. It’s not as easy as it seems, and so many movies get it completely wrong. Say what you want about the Fantastic Four, but Tim Story’s movies get fun right.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is as energetic and full of pep as the original, and if you liked that one then you’re going to love this. These are men in tights after all, there’s nothing wrong with ditching the tears once in awhile for a simple romp through the clouds with a guy who can light himself on fire. That’s what Fantastic Four is all about and Rise of the Silver Surfer delivers in precisely the same way as the original by refusing to take itself too seriously.

Rise of the Silver Surfer isn’t a huge improvement, and it doesn’t even try to reinvent the wheel, but its minor upgrades here and there make a cumulative difference. For starters, there are much-improved special effects. The effects in the first one looked kind of cheap, probably because the studio was trying to keep the budget down. Since it ended up making crazy money at the box office and on DVD, FOX clearly had no problem springing for some better CGI this time around. The Silver Surfer is particularly cool, as is the new Fantastic Four plane that figures prominently in one action scene.

Star(s) to watch : Chris Evans (”Cellular”, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”) as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, Jessica Alba (”Sin City”, “Into the Blue”) as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Julian McMahon (”Premonition”) as Victor Von Doom/Dr. Doom, & Vanessa Minnillo as Johnny’s Wedding Date.

Genre : Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adaptation, Sequel.

Release date : June 15, 2007

Rating : 9/10

Official website : http://www.fantasticfourmovie.com/

Poster : http://movies-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/fantastic_four-202×300.jpg

Trailer :

D-War released in North America as D-War: Dragon Wars, also referred to colloquially and in some marketing materials as Dragon Wars, is a 2007 South Korean film written and directed by Shim Hyung-rae. It is a fantasy-action film that was its nation’s largest-budgeted as of 2007.

Dragon Wars, or D-War as it was originally titled, is a Korean film set in Los Angeles, financed with Korean money and helmed by a Korean director (former comedian Hyung-rae Shim), starring a largely American cast. Its plot revolves around TV reporter Ethan (Jason Behr) who discovers that L.A.’s recent earthquakes aren’t just natural plate tectonics but the awakenings of a giant ancient serpent — a Korean serpent — that he is fated to battle because, well, the 500-year-old spirit of a warrior lives within him. He’s charged with finding the reincarnated version of that warrior’s soulmate, now a hot girl named Sarah (Amanda Brooks), and defeating the serpent before it becomes a dragon, destroys L.A., wreaks havoc on the world, etc.

Originally titled Dragon Wars (and still referred to by this title in publicity material), D-War has a long production history in South Korea. The film was announced in 2002 by director Shim Hyung-rae as his follow-up project to Yonggary.

Star(s) to watch : Jason Behr (”Skinwalkers”, “Freddy vs. Jason”, “The Grudge”) as Ethan Kendrick, & Amanda Brooks (”Flightplan”) as Sarah.

Genre : Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Fantasy.

Release date : September 14, 2007

Rating : 9/10

Official website : http://www.d-war.com/

Poster : http://movies-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/dragon_wars-202×300.jpg

Trailer :