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Some releases may not be showing locally this week.
17 AGAIN (PG-13) Mike O'Donnell
(Matthew Perry) is an unhappy
37-year-old on the verge of divorce.
So. when a mystical janitor (Brian
Doyle-Murray) offers Mike a chance
to return to his hotshot days as a
teenage basketball star who looked
like Zac Efron, he says yes. Now
that Mike looks like the High School
Musical star, his wife. Scarlett (Leslie
Mann), shows her cougar-ish side
and his daughter. Maggie (Michelle
Trachtenberg), goes all Lorraine McFly.
The unimaginative casting and several
giant, unpavigable plotholes hide a
charming performance from the young
lead. Efron may still be too lightweight
for heavier fare, but he proves he’s
more than Disney’s song-and-dance
man. Alas. 17 Again has nothing new
to offer the body-switching canon but
Efron. Make your ticket-buying deci
sions accordingly.
BATTLE FOR TERRA (PG) With the
Earth destroyed, humanity is searching
for a suitable replacement. The peace
ful. albeit inhabited, planet of Terra
would be perfect. Now space explorer
Jim Stanton (v. Luke Wilson) must
choose between his people and his
new friends, two rebellious teens. Mala
and Senn (v. Evan Rachel Wood and
Justin Long).
THE BIG LEBOWSKI (R) 1998. The
Dude (Jeff Bridges) abides, while
seeking recompense for a pissed-on
.rug from a millionaire with whom he
shares a name in a Coen Brothers’
comedy that keeps getting funnier
every single time I see it. The Big
Lebowski was somewhat of a critical
and commercial disappointment when
it followed on the heels of the Coen
Brothers’s Oscar-winning breathrough.
Fargo, what a difference 10 years make.
With John Goodman, John Turturro,
Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Phillip
Seymour Hoffman and Sam Elliot as
"The Stranger.*
CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE (R) Crank
was the first hit of a new. highly addic
tive designer drug. Crank: High Voltage
ups the dosage, ensuring that the
audience will either become an addict,
jonesing for that third hit, or a corpse,
OD-ing on the most mainlined bit of
video-game-influenced, cinematic
pornography this side of the letters
XXX. Writing-directing duo Neveldine/
Taylor would surely take that last
statement as the compliment it was
meant to be. Seemingly invincible
hitman Chev Chelios (Jason Statham)
survived falling from a helicopter at
the end of the first movie. Scooped off
the road with a giant shovel, he’s taken
immediately to a makeshift operating
theater. The Triads want Chev’s Timex-
tough ticker, which they replace with a
battery-powered artificial heart, meant
to keep him alive until they can harvest
the rest of his organs. Chev isn’t too
keen on the idea, so he escapes, hell
bent on finding his “strawberry tart."
Unfortunately, Chev demolishes the
external battery keeping his borrowed
heart pumping. He now has one hour
until the internal battery runs out. As
luck would have it, this backup can be
temporarily recharged with friction and
jolts of electricity. With assistance from
a crazed Chinese hooker (Bai Ling), his
dead pal Kaylo’s brother Venus (Efren
Ramirez), Doc Miles (Dwighi Yoakam)
and girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart), Chev
rampages through the city, killing,
molesting and destroying anything
between him and his pumper. Fans of
the first Crank will not be disappointed.
The ante is upped considerably in what
is possibly the most implausible movie
I’ve ever seen. Yet C.WV typifies the
toddler-ish subgenre of the video game
action flick. A non-stop, frenetic assault
of amorality and violence, Neveldine/
Taylor's second film connotes Nintendo
titles, Killer Zand No More Heroes,
both the twisted progeny of Suda 51,
as well as the notorious, mega-selling
Grand Theft Auto franchise. Neveldine/
Taylor is/are not iust videogame junk
ies. Their film also displays inherited
traits from Quentin Tarantino, Leone’s
spaghetti westerns and Japanese
genius Takashi Miike. Cinematically.
C:HVis a direct descendant of Miike’s
gore-filled Yakuza flicks, although
C:HVs exploitative one-dimensionality
grows tiring at an hour and a half.
C:HV is no more meant to please the
Merchant-Ivory crowd than Pride and
Prejudice is intended to sate Mortal
Kombatveterans. However, the film, no
matter how depraved and immorally
Please! Scratch my nose.
monotonous, is injected with far more
creativity than the generic Hollywood
action flick (see 12 Rounds), ''m
not saying Neveldine/Taylor is/are
the next Tarantino, but their newest
feature makes me think they might be
Hollywood's domesticated version of
Miike.
DEATH NOTE: CHANGE THE
WORLD (NR) The popuiar manga
franchise returns to the big screen
for a special live action presentation
that also includes exclusive behind-
the-scenes footage and interviews.
Presented in Japanese with English
subtitles on the first night and in over
dubbed English on the second night
EARTH (G) Films don’t come much
more beautiful than DisneyNature's
first release, Earth. Breathtaking natural
vistas of deserts—sand and ice—and
oceans and rainforests trump exploding
explosions and computer-generated
armies any day. Three mothers—polar
bear, elephant, humpback whale—and
their children dangerously trek through
their native environments. James
Earl Jones narrates Mother Nature’s
plot with the proper gravitas; too bad
a little anthropomorphism slips in
every once and a while. (Thankfully,
the transgression never reaches Arctic
Talds toxic levels.) As with most nature
documentaries, boredom steps in
occasionally, only to be dismissed by
thirty lions taking down an elephant in
the African dark. (That sequence was
really cool.) Also, monkeys, as we all
know, are hilarious. They're nature's
comedians. Stay through the credits to
get a glimpse into the incredible means
by which this impossible footage was
obtained. I’m already excited about next
Earth Day's release. Oceans.
FAST & FURIOUS (PG-13) The
fourth model of the Fast & Furious
franchise knows exactly what it is and
doesn't try to be anything else. It is
graphic vehicular pornography with
the ultra-softcore sexuality of a bikini-
filled car mag. On the lam con Dominic
Toretto (Vin Diesel) and FBI agent Brian
O'Conner (the inexplicably appealing
Paul Walker) are reunited by the death
of a friend as they seek revenge against
the drug lord responsible for her death.
No one should mistake this article-less
edition of F&F\oi a work of cinematic
art; it's upfront and honest about its
lowbrow ambitions.
FIGHTING (PG-13) See Movie Pick.
GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS
PAST (PG-13) Love gets all Dickens
on Connor Mead's (Matthew
McConaughey) ass when the fashion
photog is visited by the ghosts of his
exes at his younger brother's wed
ding. Of course, all the hauntings are
intended to convince Connor that
fellow wedding guest, Jenny Perotti
(Jennifer Garner), is his true love.
McConaughey looks as rascally as
ever; ‘Alias* veteran Garner is tough
enough to tame him; and director Mark
Waters brought something different to
Mean Girls.
GOMORRAH (NR) 2008. Matteo
Garrone adapts Roberto Saviano's
account of organized crime in modern
day Naples. (Saviano has been living
under 24-hour protection since the
book's release.) Gomorrah recounts the
lives of five individuals who think they
can make it with the area's mafia, the
Cocnom A Golden Globe nominee for
Best Foreign Language Rim, Gomorrah
has already snagged the Grand Jury
Prize at Cannes and five European Film
Awards. The film was Italy’s official
submission to the Academy Awards,
but it didn't make the final cut.
GRAN TORINO (R) A retired Ford
employee and Korean War vet, Walt
Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) still lives in
the same Michigan neighborhood in
which he and his now deceased wife,
Dorothy, raised two ungrateful sons.
But the old neighborhood has changed.
Immigrants have invaded Walt's shores.
The film paints a poignant portrait of
entrenched racial hatred overcome by
human kindness and interaction. Walt's
transformation proves you can teach
an old dog new tricks. Gran Torino
proves Eastwood is already a master
of them all.
HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE
(G) It's highly doubtful any Hannah
Montana fans will leave this super
sized. big screen episode of the hit
Disney series unsatisfied. As hard as it
might be to believe, Hannah Montana:
The Movie is a charmer.
THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT
(PG-13) Supposedly based on a true
story, this horror film charts one fam
ily’s “encounter with the dark forces of
the supernatural.’ When the Campbell
family moves to their Victorian home
in upstate Connecticut, they soon dis
cover the house’s disturbing history.
HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU
(PG-13) Based on the self-help/ chick-
lit bestseller by Greg Behrendt (a “Sex
and the City’ story editor) and Liz
Tucillo, He's Just Not That Into You is
too long, cinematographically desolate,
and fashioned solely out of gender-
defined traits and hang-ups. A bunch
of Baltimoreans, representing every
white, hetero demographic, navigate
the stormy waters of love.
HOTEL FOR DOGS (PG) Nickelodeon
Movies' new doggie flick is no Beverly
Hills Chihuahua, and that is not a
compliment. The gadget-enhanced
antics of Hotel for Dogs, based on a
novel by Lois Duncan, will please the
tykes; adults must fend for themselves
as foster kids, Andi and Bruce (Emma
Roberts and Jake T. Austin), join forces
with the teens at the local pet store
to save the city’s strays. The kiddies'
sedated happiness is all that really
matters with a movie like this.
THE INFORMERS (R) The third
filmed adaptation of a work by Bret
Easton Ellis, arch lord of ‘80s empti
ness, is definitely not as successful as
Mary Harron's excellent, underrated
American Psycho nor as entertainingly
naughty as Roger AvaryS The Rules
of Attraction. (Less Titan Zero would
probably have benefited from being
made in the ‘90s or aughts.) I knew I’m
supposed to realize how depressing
and hollow the lives of Ellis' blonde,
Ray Banned mannequins (includ
ing Jon Foster, Amber Heard, Austin
Nichols and Lou Taylor Pucci) are,
but should hedonism be this boring?
Why downplay the novel's vampires?
The film could totally have benefited
from actual bloodsuckers, not just the
metaphorical variety. The film's adult
actors—Billy Bob Thornton, Kim
Basinger and Mickey Rourke—all
do their thing with maximum profes
sionalism and minimal emotional
MOVIE LISTINGS
Theater schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead.
ACC L3BRARY (706-613-3650)
MWtary Intelligence and You (NR) 7:00 (Th. 4/30)
BEECHWOOD (706-546-1011)
Due to production deadlines, Beechwood movie times are
only accurate through April 30. Visit www.Flagpole.com for
updated times.
17 Again (PG-13) 4:50, 7:15, 9:45
Crank: High Voltage (R) 4:40, 10:05 (no 10:05 show
W. 4/29 & Th. 4/30)
Death Note: Change the World (NR) 7:30 (W. 4/29
& Th. 4/30)
Earth (G) 5:10, 7:30, 9:45
Fart & Furious (PG-13) 4:30, 7:00, 9:35
Fighting (PG-13) 5:00, 7:30, 9:55
Hannah Montana: The Movie (G) 4:55, 7:20, 9:40
The Informers (R) 4:55, 7:20, 9:40
Monsters vs. Aliens (3D) (PG) 5:00, 7:30, 10:00
Observe and Report (R) 7:40 (no shows W. 4/29 &
Th. 4/30)
Obsessed (PG-13) 4:25, 7:10, 9:40
The Soloist (PG-13) 4:05, 7:05, 9:55
State of Play (PG-13) 4:00, 7:00, 9:50
CARMIKi 12 (706-354-0016)
Due to production deadlines, Carmike movie times are
only accurate through April 30. Visit www.Flagpole.com for
updated times.
17 Again (PG-13) 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45
Crank: High Voltage (R) 1:00, 4:00, 7:15, 9:45
Earth (G) 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:30
Fart & Furious (PG-13) 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00
Fighting (PG-13) 1:00, 3:40, 6:30, 9:10
Hannah Montana: The Movie (G) 12:30, 2:45, 5:00,
7:15. 9:30
The Haunting in Connecticut (PG-13) 12:30, 2:45,
5:00, 7:15, 9:30
Monsters vs. Aliens (3D) (PG) 12:30, 2:45, 5:00,
7:15, 9:30
Observe and Report (R) 1:15, 4:20, 7:10, 9:35
Obsessed (PG-13) 1:20, 4:05, 6:50, 9:25
The Soloist (PG-13) 12:15, 4:00, 7:05, 10:10
State of Play (PG-13) 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:55
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (PG-13) 12:00, 2:30, 5:00,
7:30, 10:00 (starts F. 5/1)
CINi (706-353-3343)
The Big lebowski (R) 11:15 (F. 5/1)
Gomorrah (NR) 7:00, 9:45 (addl time F. 5/1-Su. 5/3:
4:00) (no 9:45 show Su. 5/3) (starts F. 5/1)
Sunshine Cleaning (R) 4:30, 7:15, 9:30 (new times
F. 5/1: 7:15)
Timecrimes (R) 9:15 (addT time F. 5/1-Su. 5/3: 5:15)
(no 9:15 show Su. 5/3) (starts F. 5/1)
GEORGIA SQUARE 5 (706-548-3426)
Due to production deadlines, Georgia Square Five
movie times are only accurate through April 30. Visit www.
Flagpolrcom for updated times.
Gran Torino (R) 4:05, 7:20, 9:55
He's Just Not That Into You (PG-13) 4:00, 9:45
Hotel for Dogs (PG) 7:25
New in Town (PG) 5:20, 7:40, 10:00
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (PG) 5:10, 7:30, 9:50
Taken (PG-13) 5:15, 7:35, 9:55
engagement. It’s obvious why this cold
film failed to warm Sundance's frozen
audiences.
MILITARY INTELLIGENCE AND
YOU! (NR) 2006. A loving satire of
World War II military propaganda films,
Military Intelligence and You! stars
Patrick Muldoon (Starship Troopers
and the older guy who cheated on Kelly
at The Attic on “Saved by the Bell*) as
Major Nick Read, an Army intelligence
analyst searching for the elusive Ghost
Squadron. With Elizabeth Bennett,
Mackenzie Astin (“The Facts of Life’),
Eric Jungmam and appearances
from William Holden, Alan Ladd, and
President Ronald Reagan. Part of the
ACC Library's iFilms series.
MONSTERS VS. ALIENS (PG)
Rather than tying the knot with self-
involved local TV weatherman, Derek
Dietl (Paul Rudd), Susan becomes the
49 foot, 11 inch (get it?) Ginormica.
Captured by General W.R. Monger (v.
Kiefer Sutherland), Susan/Ginormica
meets her fellow monsters. Meanwhile,
the earth is being threatened by four
eyed squidling, Gallaxhar (v. Rainn
Wilson). Unsure of what to do, the
namby-pamby president (v. Stephen
Colbert) takes General Monger up on
his offer of unleashing the monsters on
the aliens. The ensuing battle over San
Francisco is the film’s visual water
mark. The wonderfully animated MvA
may be remarkable for its major action
set pieces but lacks the charm and wit
of more memorable family films.
NEW IN.TOWN (PG-13) Rente
Zellweger plays Lucy Hill, an execu
tive from Miami sent to small-town
Minnesota to restructure a local
manufacturing plant. Though the locals
(including Harry Connick, Jr.) are
initially frigid, they warm to Lucy and
she to them before a change of plans
forces her to reorder her priorities.
You've probably already guessed that
Connickls character plays a key role in
Lucy’s transformation. With Frances
Conroy (“Six Feet Under*), J.K.
Simmons (Juno) and Nathan Pillion,
whom I’ll watch in anything.
OBSERVE AND REPORT (R) Ronnie
Barnhardt (Seth Rogen) isn't exactly
living his dream. A wannabe cop,
Ronnie protects the Forest Ridge mall
for a living. Paul Blart, this is not.
Observe and Report spits, hisses,
scratches and claws. The comedy from
writer-director Jody Hill (The Foot Fist
Way, HBO's “Eastbound and Down*)
tries its damnedest to be unlikable,
repugnant even. But it’s not. Instead,
Observe and Report is the funniest film
I've seen since Role Models. (Sorry, / v
Love You, Man, I’ve moved on.) Every
joke goes too far; every gag threatens
to make you gag. The violence, though
played for laughs, is brutal. Observe
and Report leaves no room for a middle
ground. You'll either love it or you'll
hate it, but you'll never know which if
you don’t see it.
OBSESSED (PG-13) It’s great to
see how far women have come. In
Obsessed, a flick that would've felt
more comfortable in the early ‘90s, s
Sharon Charles (Beyonte Knowles)
and temporary office temptress Lisa
(Ali Larter, ’Heroes') duke it out like
true feminists over successful V.P,
Derek Charles (Idris Elba), who's also
Sharon's hubby. At least Fatal Attraction
had the decency to implicate the dude.
Obsesseds Derek is blameless; ifs all
the succubus' fault. The most predict
able movie of the year—the method of
the antagonist’s demise is telegraphed
by the opening credits—Obsessed
also suffers from the atrocious acting of
Beyonte, who needs a talented direc
tor and superior dialogue to approach
passable. Superior actors Elba and
Larter do pretty well considering the
material. Larter sinks her teeth into
her umpteenth bad girl like it's her first
time and pulls it off better than previ
ous crazed temp, Lara Flynn Boyle.
12 FLAGPOLE.COM • APRIL 29, 2009