“Battle: Los Angeles”
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez; Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman
In this sci-fi thriller, Earth is under attack from a dangerous and unknown enemy: aliens. Major cities start to fall to their power and soon, only LA is left standing, leaving a Marine staff sergeant (Eckhart) as Earth’s last defense.
It almost seems a little early in the year for a movie where the main attraction is the special effects. But for those who love action and adventure and didn’t have much to watch when all the Oscar movies went into wider release, it should be a big draw.
“Jane Eyre”
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender; Directed by: Cary Fukunaga
In this classic Victorian tale, we follow orphan Jane (Wasikowska) as she becomes a governess for the mysterious Mr. Rochester’s (Fassbender) ward Adele. Jane enchants her gruff employer in what is one of the greatest love stories of all time.
It’s hard to give something originality when the story you’re going off of is well known and has been adapted many times before. But Wasikowska has shown her talents in several of this years Oscar nominees (“Alice in Wonderland,” “The Kids are All Right”) and will be sure to hold the viewer’s attention.
“Red Riding Hood”
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Lukas Hass; Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
This story is no children’s book. In this dark thriller adaptation, a young woman, Valerie (Seyfried) has big plans to run
away with her boyfriend to avoid being pushed into an unwanted marriage. But, her plans get destroyed when Valerie’s sister is found, murdered by the werewolf who has held their town in its grip for years. When it’s discovered the wolf is drawn to Valerie, she is forced to take center stage in the hunt for the wolf.
Anyone who’s a fan of the ‘Twilight” franchise (or who’s girlfriend is) has probably heard of the director. While Hardwicke did a fantastic job with the film “Thirteen,” if she approaches “Red Riding Hood” like she did the original “Twilight” film, it’s likely critics will pan it. But, with Seyfried as the lead actress, it might be worth a look.
“Mars Needs Moms”
Starring: Seth Green, Joan Cusack; Directed by: Simon Wells
Disney’s latest offering follows Milo as he treks across the galaxy to get his mother back from the Martians who have kidnapped her. Based on a children’s book, the Martians need the moms of Earthlings for their own kids. Milo gets some help from several Martians to get back to his mom.
Directed by the great grandson of H.G. Wells, this film about love and appreciation is in the right hands, especially when you consider the excellent voice cast to back him up. Kid or not, definitely check it out.
Playing at the Student Center:
“Megamind”
8 p.m., Friday
Starring: Will Ferrell, Tina Fay, Brad Pitt; Directed by: Tom McGrath
The super villain becomes the hero in this Dreamworks production. Megamind (Ferrell) has always been in the shadow of the hero of Metro City. From birth, the two have been competing for attention and, eventually, power. But, when Megamind finally succeeds in defeating Metro Man (Pitt), he has no idea how to run a city as an evil mastermind and, eventually, longs for the competition that vexed him for so long.
Dreamworks continues in the tradition of Shrek, making the scary bad guy the hero and they do a great job with it. The writing is funny and, when backed by the talents of Saturday Night Live greats and Oscar nominees, it’s a perfect way to spend part of your weekend.
