Weekend Warm-up [2.24.06]

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on February 24, 2006

Our commitment to bringing you the information necessary to go forth and enjoy movies we have decided that even if we don’t get a chance to review a film right away, we should at least give you a heads up. So here it is, the  Weekend Warm-up. Here is what you should be going to see this weekend:

Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion [Trailer]
The Setup: Another hilarious romp through the comedic mind of Tyler Perry, Madea’s Family Reunion brings back the pistol packing grandma, played by Perry, who is forced to deal with not only planning a family reunion, but other dramatic instances that seem to form in her everyday life. Madea not only takes in a runaway but also has to deal with her love troubled nieces.
The Acclaim: The critics seem to be a mixed bag here. Some love it, some hate it. My thoughts are that if you liked Perry’s previous work, then this one should entertain as well. Here is a differing opinion:

“Madea is meant to be a communal experience. But a critic’s job isn’t to judge how a movie plays in an ideal viewing. It’s to look at the movie. Madea is dismal.” - Dan Feinberg, ZAP2IT.com

After the jump we hit Running Scared and Tsotsi…

Running Scared [Trailer]
The Setup: A “hot” snub-nosed .38 pistol brings together a mob flunky (Walker), his young kid (Bright), a Russian gangster … and a cop who should be dead.
The Acclaim: Will this be another successful weekend for Paul Walker? Who knows. This time around there are not cute puppies who are in danger to carry the emotional weight of the film. This flim is getting obliterated by critics, and probably rightfully so. Without being much of an expert, I can tell this would be a small waste of time and money to go see. Here is a little concurence from the Hollywood elite:

“A frighteningly garish, over-directed mess…technically so fast and furious–to use a phrase its star will be familiar with–that it’s the visual equivalent of an assault.” - Frank Swietek, One Guy’s Opinion

Tsotsi [Trailer]
The Setup: Six days in the violent life of a young Johannesburg gang leader (Chweneyagae).
The Acclaim: This one all but cleaned house at the Toronto Film Festival and is nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. All the critics are calling this one everything but uninteresting. Due to the limited release, not everyone will get to see it, but you should want to… Or at least that’s what our critic counterparts around the globe are saying:

“Tsotsi can be abrasive stuff, but the fierce, internalized salvation of the title character is a true inspiration, and makes for a resoundingly compelling South African treat.” - Brian Orndorf, eFilmCritic.com

Enjoy your weekend!

Tags: Tsotsi, Running Scared, Paul Walker, Tyler Perry, Box Office, New Movies, Releases

Read more articles by Neil Miller