Wrath of the Titans 2 stars Sam Worthington.
There is not much new to report this week but
The Hunger Games continues in subtitled fashion in two cinemas so you should see it soon as the dubbed versions will remain but you cannot guarantee how long the English language version will stay. There is also an animated Mexican movie for kids at the Gaviotas (
Mejores Amigos) that they say is subtitled (in English I presume) but I have no information about it.
There is no movie this Tuesday from Mazatlán Film and Theater as the School for the Arts is closed for Semana Santa, but next week the great film A Better Life with Demián Bichir will be on tap. See the website at www.mazact.com for full details.
Opening this week:
Wrath of the Titans 2 – (Furia de Titanes 2)Cinépolis, MiCine, Gaviotas, Cinemex Toreo
A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus, the demigod son of Zeus, is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. It's hard to believe they made a sequel out of a movie that was so bad to begin with but…if it sells… Critics say the 3D effects are pretty good but they don't make up for the wooden acting and dialogue and the chaotic plot.
View the trailer:
Continuing this week:
The Hunger Games (Los Juegos del Hambre) – Cinépolis, Cinemex Toreo (dubbed at other theaters)
The critics say it is a hit. A thrilling, fast paced rendition of the popular novel set in a future North America where pairs of teenagers each year must compete against each other until only one survivor remains. The wonderful young actress Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) stars and is apparently terrific in this well acted film. This one sounds promising.
View the trailer:
The Rum Diary (Diario de un Seductor) – Gaviotas
Johnny Depp stars in this film based on the Hunter S. Thompson novel about a young man in the 1950s moving to Puerto Rico to write for a local newspaper. He becomes obsessed with the daughter of an American entrepreneur who wants to turn Puerto Rico into a capitalist paradise in service of the wealthy. Very mixed reviews on this movie that sounds kind of rambling with not much focus. Johnny Depp is always a treat on screen though and I suspect there is a lot of great 1950s ambiance in play.
Caballo de Guerra (War Horse) – Gaviotas
The sprawling Steven Spielberg WW 1 epic about a horse that goes to war. Nominated for mucho Academy Awards but didn't win any. The film is technically superb with great special effects but it is unabashedly sentimental and manipulative. I found myself having a hard time believing a lot of it even though it was based on a true story – I still didn't believe it…but the horse was really good.
Chronicle (Poder Sin Limites) – Cinépolis, Gaviotas, Cinemex Mazatlán
Three high school students make an incredible discovery, leading to their developing uncanny powers beyond their understanding. As they learn to control their abilities and use them to their advantage, their lives start to spin out of control, and their darker sides begin to take over. It sounds like more of the same teenage superhero stuff but it apparently has a smart script, fast pacing and good performances from a talented young cast. It sounds original and entertaining.
This Means War (Esto es Guerra) –Cinépolis, Gaviotas, Cinemex Mazatlán
Oh good, a romantic comedy that is neither romantic nor funny—just what we needed. The world's deadliest CIA agents battle each other over a woman with a lot of high tech gadgetry. There are likeable stars in this film (Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine) but their talents are apparently wasted here with a poor script.
John Carter (John Carter: Entre Dos Mundos) – Cinemex Toreo
A big flashy action-adventure movie based on the classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. John Carter, a war weary Civil War soldier, somehow finds himself on Mars where he becomes engaged in an epic battle amongst the inhabitants. There are bad guys and monsters and a beautiful princess and our hero finds his humanity in the end. There are great special effects but as usual the movie is overlong and the plot is muddled but there is certainly enough to enjoy here for action-adventure fans; for critics – not so much.
The Vow (Votos de Amor) – Cinépolis, Cinemex Mazatlán
A newlywed couple is recovering from a car accident that had left the wife in a coma. They must now overcome memory loss and fall in love again. If you look up 'hackneyed script' in the dictionary I think you will find this film there. Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum make a charming couple apparently but the script is so lame that is not likely to satisfy anyone who has ever been to the movies before.
The Woman in Black (La Dama de Negro) –Both Cinemexes
Daniel Radcliffe (our little Harry Potter all grown up) stars in this good old fashioned ghost story. There is much period (Victorian) atmosphere here (setting, costumes, etc.) and the events are more chilling than outright horrifying. Based on a novel by Susan Hill, this story features all the traditional trappings of ghost stories (abandoned mansion etc.) but it offers some interesting twists and elements and a nice chilling ending. This sounds like a well produced ghost story for those who enjoy having the hairs on their neck gradually raised without having to cover their eyes.
Mazatlan Film and Theater is on Tuesday nights only at the School for the Arts next to the Angela Peralta Theater. Cinemex Toreo is the one on Rafael Buelna and Cinemex Mazatlan is the one off Insurgentes and Ejercito Mexicana, Gaviotas is on Camaron Sabalo in the GZ. Xtreme Cinema is on Ejercito at Plaza de las Americas in Centro. Cinépolis is at the Grand Plaza. MiCine is at the Sorianna Santa Rosa Plaza on Luis Donaldo Colosio Avenue.
Websites for show times are:
Mazatlan Film and Theater: www.mazact.com
Cinepolis Gran Plaza and MiCine Santa Rosa: www.cinepolis.com
Xtreme Cinema: www.extremecinemas.com
Gaviotas: www.cinemasgaviotas.com.mx
Cinemex Mazatlan: www.cinemex.com/cines/124
Cinemex Toreo: www.cinemex.com/cines/123
