This week at the box office, we have an animated pussycat, a sci-fi twist on money and time, and Johnny Depp as a Hunter S. Thompson-like character. None of which are likely to dethrone reigning box office champ, Paranormal Activity 3.
Puss in Boots
What does it say about the Hollywood machine that we’d rather watch a swashbuckling animated cat in a sword fight, than three live human men do the same? Still, there’s no doubt that Puss In Boots looks far more charming than last week’s The Three Musketeers remake. The story is about Puss pre-Shrek, before he meets all his Shrek pals. Brought to life by Antonio Banderas, Puss is supposed to be a smooth operator saving the innocent, but has a dash of dork in him. His female kitty counterpart is voiced by Salma Hayek (naturally) and Humpty Dumpty is played by Zach Galifianakis (of course.)
Perfect For: Five-year olds. And everyone else.
What the Critics Say: A hit! Writes Variety: “Puss' origin story could easily stand on its own—a testament to clever writing on the part of its creative team and an irresistible central performance by Antonio Banderas.” And the Associated Press says that “the role has been an ideal showcase for Banderas to have a little fun with his suave, sophisticated image.”
Our Take: Anyone have a five-year old we can borrow for cover?
In Time
You know the saying, “time is money”? Here, money is time, and everything you buy costs you a minute—a cup of coffee shaves time off your life. Everyone’s time meter ends at 25, after that you must replenish your time or you die—which creates a black market for more time. No surprise, the rich have more time than the poor. The movie takes off when Justin Timberlake is gifted with a large amount of time from a rich benefactor, which makes him a target for thieves. The overall story is a metaphor in a way for what is happening today—a small number of people hold all the power, while the rest of us schmucks work to live.
Perfect For: People who like looking at beautiful, young people doing dashing things—including Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Justin Timberlake, Olivia Wilde and Vincent Kartheiser.
What the Critics Say: Not much. It has the aura of box office bomb since almost no one has bothered to review it (yet, according to Rotten Tomatoes 92 percent of the audience wants to see it). The only critic who has delved deeply into In Time is Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle, who praises its uncanny double meaning. “But coming now, today, In Time is not just satisfying. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's “important,” because that would overstate it, but it certainly feels like part of the national conversation.”
Our Take: We are intrigued by the premise but wonder if the trailer has shown us the whole movie.
The Rum Diary
We’ll let you in on a secret: Hunter S. Thompson is overrated, which means that you shouldn’t treat every new or re-released piece of lesser-known work as genius. However, Johnny Depp can’t be convinced otherwise; first, he helped get the novel published years later for his old friend, and now has been pushing to get the project to the big screen. Naturally, he stars as the Thompson stand-in, a journalist, bored with uptight American mores, roaming around in rum-soaked Puerto Rico. And naturally, there will be rum-induced shenanigans, hot babes (here, played by Amanda Heard), and journalistic endeavors.
Perfect For: People who love a good hallucination scene in their movies; Johnny Depp doing anything.
What the Critics Say: A very mixed bag; occasionally charming, occasionally ridiculous depending on who you’re asking. J. Hoberman at the Village Voice writes: “Truth to tell, The Rum Diary is actually more of a light morning-after hangover—it won’t leave you with a headache.” But Rex Reed at the New York Observer is less kind: “The Rum Diary, based on another literary punch-out by gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, was made three years ago, shelved in some musty editing room where unreleasable movies go, and looks it. The dust still shows.”
