February's Most Anticipated Films
by Brian Eggert
The below list of theatrical releases includes this site’s top recommendations for February 2011. The choices—based on the quality of actors, director, story, and trailers—are pure guesswork and have no bearing on the inevitable review. For a complete list of upcoming releases and their respective movie trailers, visit the Calendar.
February 4:
Sanctum
No, James Cameron didn’t direct Sanctum, the latest 3D event in a year filled with 3D events. As executive producer, however, Cameron’s name is all over the marketing campaign for this cave-set disaster movie, if only because no one’s ever heard of the movie’s actual director, Alister Grierson. Using the same technology employed on Avatar to render an extra dimension, the film was actually shot in 3D, and not post-converted. Not that it makes much difference in the long run; this critic will be seeking out the plain-old 2D version to review. The based-on-a-true-story scenario follows a group of cave climbers who are trapped inside a flooding, unexplored cave system. It’s a fight for survival and time with a few twists and turns along the way, fortunately none of them involving mutated bat-people (I hope). Click here for the trailer.
February 11:
The Eagle
Channing Tatum brings his muscle-bound physique to The Eagle, an adventure set around a most intriguing historical mystery. In a film that, save for Tatum’s presence, might have me excited, director Kevin Macdonald (State of Play, The Last King of Scotland) voyages to the end of the Roman Empire where Tatum’s soldier character attempts to restore the honor of his father, a lost commander of Rome’s Ninth Legion. Tatum’s shoddy British accent is joined by a respectable supporting cast of Jamie Bell and Donald Sutherland. Though Macdonald’s direction and the sharp looking presentation are sure to outmaneuver the bloodthirsty thrills of Neil Marshall’s similarly-themed Centurion from last year, the film’s success resides in Tatum’s performance and whether or not his meager talents can live up to the promise of Macdonald’s production. Click here for the trailer.
February 18:
Unknown
With Orphan, director Jaume Collet-Serra took banal material and elevated it to dramatic heights, making his presence behind the camera for Unknown all the more exciting. This Hitchcockian tale finds Liam Neeson waking up from an accident with short-term memory loss. When he finally recalls his former life, his wife (January Jones) claims she doesn’t recognize him, and his identity seems to be stolen. As he tries to assemble pieces of what happened, he uncovers a conspiracy that leads to a number of exciting-looking action scenes and chases. Neeson appears to be in full-fledged Taken mode here, playing an unlikely action hero with a sympathetic backstory. And with a supporting cast that includes Diane Kruger, Frank Langella, Bruno Ganz, and Aidan Quinn, the result is bound to supply some early year entertainment. Click here for the trailer.
February 25:
Drive Angry
Here’s a guilty pleasure for you: In Drive Angry 3D, Nicolas Cage plays a felon who escapes from Hell with a scorched face to stop a cult from murdering his baby granddaughter. Think Ghost Rider, but with a car instead of a motorcycle. Patrick Lussier, director of the My Blood Valentine remake, handled 3D with capable hands on that movie, including enough intentional camp to earn it a cult following. And since Cage has crowned himself the king of camp (see Season of the Witch), he and Lussier make a logical actor-director pairing. Filled with car chases, supernatural themes, and tons of bloody violence, if nothing else the movie will propel Cage’s bad reputation among moviegoers. But for those with a taste for Cage with a side of cheese, chances are Drive Angry will be a hoot. Click here for the trailer.
One Film You Shouldn't See
February 12:
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
If ever there was a movie that didn’t need to be reviewed on Deep Focus Review, or seen by anyone in the civilized world, it’s Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. Unless you’re a 12-year-old girl or a registered sex offender, there’s no reason to buy a ticket to this piece of pop-culture propaganda. In the trailer, Bieber revels in his overstated coolness and unearned confidence by offering tweens life advice, having endured so much in his 16 years on the planet earth. There’s also concert footage shot in 3D so the aforementioned demographics can “reach out and touch” the movie’s star. But Bieber has simply gone too high too fast to last in any significant way. Before long, he’ll be included in the same “what-the-hell-happened-to…” group as Corey Haim, the Olsen Twins, and Brittney Spears. So rather than jump on the bandwagon, give the preteen or pervert in your home a book to read instead. Click here for the trailer.