Weekend Movies: Take a Hit

Looking at this weekend’s new movie releases, it’s shocking that this is still technically part of summer.

I’m certain that the only thing anyone remembers about the 2007 videogame adaptation ‘Hitman‘ is that it starred the always-excellent Timothy Olyphant. For some reason, eight years later, Fox thought it was about time to pump $35 million in the production of an R-rated sequel – one without its previous star. Instead, ‘Hitman: Agent 47‘ is headlined by mostly unknown Rupert Friend as the genetically enhanced and barcoded super assassin. With the help of a woman, he must fight off the enemy while attempting to understand his past. No joke, Fox is pushing ‘Agent 47’ out to 3,100 locations.

In another surprisingly bold move, Lionsgate is pushing its latest stoner action flick to nearly 2,800 screens. With excessively low production value, ‘American Ultra‘ feels like what we’ve come to expect from Summit Entertainment (which is no big surprise since the two merged): a great idea realized with poor execution. ‘Adventureland‘ stars Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart re-team for this overly serious and very occasionally comedic pot-filled action thriller about a simple-minded, marijuana-loving couple who are unexpectedly thrust into a Jason Bourne-like scenario. Eisenberg plays a convenience store clerk whose anxiety won’t allow him to leave his secluded small town. Stewart plays his lovey-dovey, up-for-anything girlfriend. Before he’s tipped off to it, it’s revealed to us in the audience that Eisenberg is a highly trained killing machine whose memory has been erased. When a power hungry CIA executive (Topher Grace) decides to wipe out the former assets from the secret program, Eisenberg is activated for survival. ‘American Ultra’ has Discount Bargain Blu-ray Bin written all over it. With an R-rating, it’s going to have a hard time finding a theatrical audience.

Despite also having an R rating, the very low-budget horror flick ‘Sinister 2‘ shouldn’t have any difficulty becoming profitable. The sequel replaces Ethan Hawke with Shannyn Sossamon as the lead. She (a single mom) and her two boys move into the demon-inhabited home from the first movie. Strange apparitions, disturbing film reels, and everything from the first ‘Sinister‘ are duplicated. When the local sheriff realized that the new move-ins are likely to suffer the same horrible fate as the last inhabitants, he tries to save them.

In limited release, from the director of ‘Drinking Buddies‘ comes the star-filled dark comedy ‘Digging for Fire‘. Jake Johnson and Rosemarie DeWitt play a couple who go their separate ways for the weekend, only to end up on misguided adventures of their own. He and his buddies spend time in the woods looking for clues to explain why a rusty handgun and a bone were found side-by-side. She heads to the city and starts acting like a flirty single woman again. The promising cast includes Orlando Bloom, Sam Elliott, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Ron Livingston, Melanie Lynskey, Chris Messina, Sam Rockwell and Jenny Slate. Of all the movies opening this weekend, ‘Digging for Fire’ is definitely the most promising.

1 comment

  1. EM

    I’m looking forward to a retro showing of Time Bandits tonight—outdoors at a local park! The milieu might enhance the Robin Hood segment…

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