WIDE RELEASES
Cloud Atlas
Directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer
What's It About? This sprawling mutli-storyline epic trans-time period adventure/romance/drama (even that feels inadequate) explores how the lives and actions of individuals ripples through time and can impact the future.
Early Reaction: Rather split. Most critics are impressed by the scope of this 172-minute endeavor, but they admit it's not for everyone.
Metacritic: 52/100
Rotten Tomatoes: 60%
What to Watch for: What your sci-fi geek friends think of the movie —with much of the film leaning on science fiction elements, a good cue as to whether you'll actually enjoy nearly three hours in the movie theater with this one is if it enthralls your fellow geek brethren.
Silent Hill: Revelation 3D
Written and Directed by Michael J. Bassett
Starring: Adelaide Clemens, Kit Harington, Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell
Distributor: Open Road Films
Theater Count: 2,933
What's It About? Although no one remembers it, the original Silent Hill movie based on the creepy game series did fairly well at the box office back in the day (2006). In this one, Heather Mason (Clemens) finds her father (Bean) missing and is slowly pulled into the town of Silent Hill, where hell holds power over the living.
Early Reaction: Not good, though not many critics have seen it yet.
Metacritic: TBD
Rotten Tomatoes: 20%
What to Watch for: Does it please fans of the games? — There's only one audience this movie needs to work for: the people who care. Hopefully it's creepy and creative enough to do that much.
Fun Size
Directed by Josh Schwartz
Written by Max Werner
Starring: Victoria Justice, Jane Levy, Thomas Middleditch, Thomas Mann
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Theater Count: 3,014
What's It About? Nickelodeon Pictures (yup) presents this trick-or-treating/high school party comedy. April and Wren get invited to the party of a lifetime by the cutest guy in school, but Wren finds out she's stuck babysitting her younger brother. Not on purpose, she ends up losing him.
Early Reaction: Another '80s-imitating teen comedy that doesn't exactly work.
Metacritic: 37/100
Rotten Tomatoes: 27%
What to Watch for: Some occasional clever writing — If you're stuck seeing this one, there have got to be some hidden gems. Writer Werner works on The Colbert Report and director Schwartz created The O.C. and Chuck.
Chasing Mavericks
Directed by Michael Apted, Curtis Hanson
Written by Kario Salem
Starring: Gerard Butler, Jonny Weston, Elizabeth Shue, Leven Rambin
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Theater Count: 2,002
What's It About? A suring vet mentors a young, ambitious man on how to tackle the dangerous maverick surf break, a wave of legendary size.
Early Reaction: For a surfing movie, it's discouraging to hear that the's a total lack of excitement in this movie. It appears to be on the tame side of sports drama.
Metacritic: 43/100
Rotten Tomatoes: 32%
What to Watch for: Gerard Butler's dramatic prowess — I've had my doubts that it exists, but the actor wants to be taken a bit more seriously. This isn't as good a test as, say, last year's Machine Gun Preacher, but it's possibly the one thing worth watching this movie for.
LIMITED RELEASES
Pusher — This is the British remake of Nicolas Winding Refn's hit Danish series of the same name about how one drug dealer's botched deal leaves him in the path of a crime lord and over the course of a week, he grows more and more desperate to rectify the situation. (Metacritic: 53/100, Rotten Tomatoes: 49%) — Radius TWC
The Loneliest Planet — Julia Loktev won the Grand Jury Prize at AFI fest for this story of a couple that goes on a backpacking trip to the Caucasus Mountains and finds their entire world and relationship unraveled with one single misstep. (Metacritic: 77/100, Rotten Tomatoes: 81%) — IFC
Orchestra of Exiles — The story of Bronislaw Huberman. This doc tells how he stood up against the rising Nazi regime and helped save many Jews from the Holocaust. He would later found the Israel Philharmonic. (Metacritic: 58/100, Rotten Tomatoes: 80%) — First Run
The Zen of Bennett — A documentary on singer Tony Bennett that reflects on his 60-year career as he turns 85 and looks at his most recent endeavors. (Metacritic: 70/100, Rotten Tomatoes: 80%) — Abramorama
In Over My Head — A man's playboy lifestyle with his girlfriend and best friend gets interrupted when his parents leave town and he must watch his younger siblings, only to have tragedy strike and leave him the guardian of the kids. — Slater Brothers