The Pride

Issue date: 3/10/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Overture Films

This week is the first in roughly a month to feature several films opening in wide release. This week's mixed bag of films contains a family action flick, a lowbrow comedy, a horror remake, and several limited release films.

First, Disney studios graces filmgoers with another in the studios "Witch Mountain" series with "Race to Witch Mountain." The plot consists of two aliens that look like human children and their quest to leave Las Vegas and head to Witch Mountain. To get there quicker, they hitch a ride in a cab and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson happens to play the driver.

The fate of the earth is in his hands in this family action film. This will be a perfect film for filmgoers of all ages with a story for children plus action and humor for the older crowd. Also, those who are familiar with the other "Witch Mountain" films can reminisce while enjoying this new installment. It is certainly a better choice than other family films presently in theaters, such as "Hotel for Dogs" and "The Pink Panther 2."

Next, there is a film that causes me to shrug in disgust. Hollywood just punished cinemas with "Fired Up" and this week they offer "Miss March." The plot is boringly simple. It follows the shenanigans of two young men who find out a girl they knew in high school is now a centerfold for the Playboy magazine.

Just like "Fired Up," this is going to be a poor film. It will rely on lowbrow, immature jokes to draw in high school and college-aged viewers. "Miss March" is just another teen movie, pushing the boundaries of soft-core pornography, and I hope you do not waste your money on it.

The last movie in wide release this week is a remake of Wes Craven's breakout film "The Last House on the Left." I fear that the original, revolutionary horror film will be reduced to a gore-fest in this remake.

Horror films used to be about building tension and keeping viewers on the edge of their seat. Now, since films like "Saw" and "Hostel," horror films have become all about blood and mutilation. Real thrills in horror films come from fear leading to the violence, not the actual deaths. This film has potential if it can maintain a high level of anxiety in viewers.

Also out this week are several films going into limited release. Though there are several, I would like to give a nod to "Edge of Love" and "Three Monkeys" which appear to be a pair of really artistic films.

Lastly, I would like to mention "Sunshine Cleaning," which I expect to be very entertaining and enter wide release in a few weeks. It is another drama comedy hybrid in the vein of "Little Miss Sunshine" about a pair of sisters who start a crime scene clean-up company. It evolves into a heartwarming story when they console those affected by the tragedies they are cleaning. Keep an eye out for this one if you cannot make it to a theater screening limited releases.

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