What to Watch This Weekend: May 31, 2013

In Theaters: Now You See Me

Yes, we gave it a rent it in the review, but we did say it was on the cusp of seeing it. It's a fun summer movie with a great cast and fun story. It's not perfect, but it'll be a good way to have some fun and beat the heat this weekend.

On DVD: Nothing

Nothing really came out this week. Luckily, there are some great streaming options.

Streaming (Netflix): The Intouchables

This is an amazing French movie about a streetwise man who becomes a caretaker for a rich paraplegic. It has tons of heart and charm. They're remaking it as an English movie, but don't bother waiting for that. See it now on Netflix!

Streaming (Netflix): The End of Watch

I haven't seen it, but this riveting cop drama from the writers of Training Day was well-received due to its gritty realism and convincing performances. It has a great cast and good reviews, so make sure to check it out.

Streaming (Amazon): Three Kings

George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube. Do I really need to say more?

Trailer: Monsters University Final Trailer

Disney Pixar has scared up a final trailer for Monsters University, the prequel for 2001's amazing animated movie, Monsters, Inc. Monsters U follows Mike and Sully as they attend college, learn about scaring, and develop into the friends we saw in Monsters, Inc. The trailer highlights some of the initial tension between Mike and Sully and shows some of the new characters we meet at the University. We reviewed this movie last month and loved it. You should definitely plan on seeing this one when it comes out on June 21, 2013!

Screening: The Way, Way Back Advance Screening

Screening Date:  June 3, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM

City: Washington, DC

Want a break from your summer job?  Then head on over to an advance screening of the the new summer movie "The Way, Way Back," starring Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Alison Janney, and Sam Rockwell!  The screening takes place on June 3, 2013 at 7:00 PM and features an extra special Q&A session with the writers (and actors) of the film, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.  I saw it last week and absolutely loved it!  

Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

We will be selecting winners on Saturday.  To qualify, you MUST be a fan of Watch or Pass on Facebook, so if you haven't "liked" us yet, please go there and do so now.  After that, please comment on this blog post (using Diquis, so we have an email address to contact you at) with your answer to the question: What is the best (or worst) summer job you've had?  

Additionally, for an extra chance to win, please like and leave a comment in THIS Facebook thread with your answer and Disquis username.   

And now, for my best summer job.  I worked for a summer at Best Buy.  It wasn't great work but my coworkers were a lot of fun and I got good discounts on stereo equipment and computer parts. 

News: Hurry! These Movies Expire on Amazon Prime Instant Video This Week

Hurry up!  Amazon Prime Instant Video is set to lose 82 movies this week. The movies will be taken off the service on May 31. Losing some library catalogs is nothing new. It's happened to both Amazon and Netflix as different movie deals expire or aren't renegotiated. Most of the movies are not going to be missed but there are some really good ones including Dirty Dancing, The Painted Veil, Little Shop of Horrors, and All the President's Men. Check out the full list here.

Weekend Box Office: May 26 - 29, 2013

Overstuffed with popular new and recent releases, theaters took in an estimated $316 million this Memorial Day weekend, significantly beating the previous record of $277 million set in 2011. Fast & Furious 6 ran over its competition, having the fourth-best Memorial Day weekend of all time with $120 million. The Hangover Part III may have been hurt by its poor critical reception and franchise fatigue, grossing about half of what Part II made during that 2011 record-setting weekend. Epic opened in line with other Blue Sky productions that aren't part of the Ice Age franchise, taking in $33 million by Sunday night.

This May featured a strong, varied group of blockbusters, shown by continued interest in Iron Man, Star Trek, and Gatsby. Into Darkness nearly beat The Hangover, but it's barely outpacing the previous movie which may indicate a lack of audience growth. Mud continues to do well as the largest indie release, while Frances Ha and Before Midnight, the weekend's other new sequel, fared well in very limited numbers of theaters. Midnight only showed on 5 screens, but those theaters must have been packed because its three-day per-screen average exceeded $54,000, more than doubling Fast 6's $26,935. Read more about the box office here, and see the three and four day weekend estimates here and here.

Top 10 box office estimates for May 26 - 28, 2013 (Friday - Sunday):

1. Fast & Furious 6; $96,791,000; $120,019,000 total; opening weekend

2. The Hangover Part III; $41,775,000; $63,004,000 total; opening weekend

3. Star Trek Into Darkness; $37,284,000; $155,827,000 total; -46.9%; 2nd weekend

4. Epic; $33,500,000; $42,600,000 total; opening weekend

5. Iron Man 3; $19,213,000; $372,434,000 total; -46.3%; 4th weekend

6. The Great Gatsby; $13,620,000; $117,747,000 total; -43.1%; 3rd weekend

7. Mud; $1,928,000; $15,034,000 total; +8.7%; 5th weekend

8. 42; $1,928,000; $91,411,000 total; -42.9%; 7th weekend

9. The Croods; $1,220,000; $179,638,000 total; -59.7%; 10th weekend

10. Oblivion; $840,000; $87,558,000 total; -64.1%; 6th weekend

*Frances Ha; $546,000; $912,000 total; 2nd weekend

*Before Midnight; $247,000; $322,000 total; opening weekend

Screening: The Kings of Summer Advance Screening

Screening Date:  May 15, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Regal Gallery Place

Here's your chance to see a special advance screening of the phenomenal indie summer movie, The Kings of Summer, this week!  The screening is on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 PM at the Landmark E Street cinema.  To get your passes, please visit our facebook page for the Gofobo link.  Not sure if you want to go?  Check out our review here for more info about the movie.  It's one of my favorites this year, though, so make sure to see it! 

Trailer: The Wolverine

Fox released a new trailer for The Wolverine, the follow up to 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine.  In the sequel, or later movie I guess since it appears to follow the events of X-Men 3, Wolverine is living a secluded life when he's offered the chance to give up his mutant powers and become mortal.  It appears that much of the movie will be dealing with him struggling with this issue and also, since it's a Wolverine movie, fighting with claws and losing his shirt.  From the trailer, it looks like we also get to see some new mutants and a kick butt lady ninja named Yukio.  The Wolverine slices into  an already mutant / super hero heavy summer on July 26.  

What to Watch This Weekend: May 24, 2013

In Theaters: Fast & Furious 6

So far, this is the most fun of this year's summer blockbusters. The story and stunts are often ridiculous, but in a funny, self-aware way. The driving and fight scenes are creative and don't have that fake, computer-animated feel common in so many big-budget films. And it's surprisingly funny. If you're looking for comedy this weekend, this may satisfy your cravings more than the disappointing Hangover Part III. Check out the review.

On DVD: Side Effects

What initially seems like a drama exploring the side effects of antidepressants becomes a complicated psychological thriller. Toward the end, the plot twists start seeming a bit silly but, overall, it's a suspenseful and surprising movie with another great performance by Dragon Tattoo actress Rooney Mara.

Streaming (HBO GO): Moonrise Kingdom

When focusing on its strange, charming 12-year-old protagonists, Moonrise is a funny and sweet tale of young love and preteen rebellion. The third act falls short as more time is spent on odder, quirkier characters and plot developments, but the rest is worth seeing.

Streaming (Amazon Prime Instant Video): The Painted Veil

This period drama is available until Friday, May 31. It's an adaptation of a 1925 novel starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts as a scientist and his wealthy socialite lover, who feels out of her element upon traveling with him to medical posts in the less glamorous parts of China. It's well-acted and shot in beautiful locations. May be a good way to wind down after an exciting holiday weekend.

Screening: The Internship Advance Screening

Screening Date:  May 28, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM

City: Washington, DC
Theater: Regal Gallery Place

Do you wish you could work at Google? Or do you just love Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. If so, head on over to an advance screening of the the new comedy movie "The Internship," starring Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, and Rose Byrne!  The screening takes place on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 7:00 PM. If you're unsure if you want to see it, check out our review here.

We will be selecting winners on Sunday.  To qualify, you MUST be a fan of Watch or Pass on Facebook, so if you haven't "liked" us yet, please go there and do so now.  After that, please leave a comment in THIS FACEBOOK THREAD with your answer to the question below. In order to contact you, please either post your email address in the comment or send us a message with your contact email address.  

Question: What is the best (or worst) internship you've had?

For me, my best internship would be working for the government for a summer during college.  It was my first time on the east coast and I had a great group of coworkers to learn from and hang out with!

Trailer: Man of Steel

Man of Steel is the sixth live-action Superman film, and a reboot of the film series. Warner Bros. has high hopes for the film, with talk of it possibly being the start of a DC Comics cinematic universe. It certainly looks more exciting than Superman Returns, and it won't suffer that film's burden of simultaneously being a sequel and a reintroduction of the franchise to newer, younger viewers. It's my most wanted superhero movie of 2013. It looks to continue the good trend of DC reboot movies started by Batman Begins. It stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane and Russell Crowe. Laurence Fishburne will be the first African-American actor to play editor Perry White. Man of Steel flies into theaters on June 14, 2013.

Review: What Maisie Knew

Release Date: May 3, 2013
Running Time: 99 minutes

Starring: Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan, Alexander Skarsgård
Who to see it with: Someone interested in child psychology

David:

What Maisie Knew tells the story of a child in the middle of a messy divorce. Both her parents spend the movie attempting to win her love and affection, but they are also too preoccupied with their own lives to pay much attention to hers. The entire cast give great performances, especially Alexander Skarsgård and the adorable Onata Aprile. The characters and the story elicit genuine emotions and have some great moments, but the overall plot just doesn't have much drive.  Perhaps it's because the movie is told from the perspective of a five year old, but its pace felt like it idled and stalled at times. There doesn't seem to be much drive to the events of this movie and at the end you're left with an unsatisfying ending. On top of this, the story seems preposterous and many of the characters just seem unbelievable. The movie isn't bad; the performances are great and there are some really touching moments, but this is not a must see movie.

Rent it.

Great Deal: Today Only, Rent the Hobbit for Free from Redbox Instant

TODAY ONLY you can rent the Hobbit for free from Redbox Instant.  You can rent it now and then stream it anytime within the next 30 days.  Although the rental is free, you still need to input a credit card number for what I assume are account purposes.  We gave this movie a See it, so if you missed it in theaters, definitely check it out now!

To rent it for free, go here.

Update: Expired.  Hope you were all able to rent this!

Review: Frances Ha

Release Date: May 17, 2013 (limited)
Running Time: 85 minutes

Starring: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen
Who to see it with: Your best friend, or watchers of HBO's Girls

Lee:

The title character of the black-and-white Frances Ha is a mid-twenties woman child who can barely pay her rent while working as a dancer. Frances has a fun, goofy personality, but both the viewer and the other characters quickly realize that a little Frances goes a long way. The story can seem somewhat aimless, following Frances as she drifts between apartments and opportunities, but the one constant element of the story is her somewhat tumultuous relationship with best friend Sophie. Their interaction provides some of the movie's best dialogue, and the ups and downs of their friendship are relatable. Frances's social awkwardness and lack of direction reminded me of Hannah from Girls, only more endearing and less grating. Girls watchers will recognize Adam Driver, playing a more "normal" character compared to the show's strange Adam. The ending is appropriate, but the abrupt shift in the story's trajectory felt like a cheat.

Rent it.

Review: The Hangover Part III

Release Date: May 23, 2013

Running Time: 100 minutes
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis

Who to see it with: Someone who loved the first Hangovers and has to find out how it ends.

David:

The first Hangover was absolutely amazing. It was a first of its kind crazy, fun, interesting, and far out adventure. The second movie felt like a rushed rehash of the first movie--same story, different city. For the Hangover Part III, the creators tried to rectify this; to have a new and different movie and give a proper conclusion to the story. However, it feels like the criticism from the second movie made the writers of the Hangover scared to take risks the latest installment. The Hangover Part III is missing a lot of the craziness that made the first movie so memorable. With a series like this, each successive movie has to take more risks and one up the last one to keep you entertained. Here, the movie feels sort of vanilla--there is nothing really new. There are no great new characters (or animals for that matter) and no major disfiguration. And, the story moves along a little too easily and conveniently. In the first two movies, many of the best scenes were the characters going to different places trying to piece together the events of the night before. The aimless wandering added some great jokes and some outrageous experiences; for those movies it was the journey that was fun, not the destination. In the Hangover Part III, it feels like the story is entirely plotted and moves from point A, to point B, to point C without much adversity. The jokes are funny at times but nothing is really as shocking or laugh out loud funny as in the first one. In the end, you leave the Hangover feeling unfulfilled. It's not a bad movie, there's just nothing that really stands out. To be honest, the best scene in the movie is the stinger in the middle of the credits, and it's not enough to make this movie a must see. The Hangover Part III is better than the second one and brings the story to some sort of conclusion, but it's not nearly as funny or crazy as the first one. 

Rent it.

PS - As mentioned above there IS a stinger in the middle of the credits. 

Trailer: Riddick

Riddick will be the third theatrical release in the Chronicles of Riddick film series. Left for dead, Riddick must fight against both bounty hunters and vicious aliens while trying to find a way home. It doesn't look very promising, but I hope it's more entertaining than its mediocre 2004 predecessor. Riddick will be the year's second R-rated sequel to a PG-13 movie after A Good Day to Die Hard. It stars Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Katee Sackhoff, and Bokeem Woodbine, along with former WWE wrestler Dave Batista and R&B singer Keri Hilson. Riddick rules the dark, and IMAX screens, on September 6, 2013.

Screening: The Way, Way Back Advance Screening

Screening Date:  May 23, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM

City: Washington, DC

Update: Winners have been notified on Facebook.  Thank you all for entering!

Want a break from your summer job?  Then head on over to an advance screening of the the new summer movie "The Way, Way Back," starring Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Alison Janney, and Sam Rockwell!  The screening takes place on May 23, 2013 at 7:00 PM. 

We will be selecting winners on Wednesday.  To qualify, you MUST be a fan of Watch or Pass on Facebook, so if you haven't "liked" us yet, please go there and do so now.  After that, please like and leave a comment in THIS Facebook thread with your answer to the question: What is the best (or worst) summer job you've had?  We'll select winners on Wednesday and message you at that time with further instructions.    

And now, for my best summer job.  I worked for a summer at Best Buy.  It wasn't great work but my coworkers were a lot of fun and I got good discounts on stereo equipment and computer parts. 

Review: Epic

Release Date:  May 24, 2013

Running Time: 102 minutes
Starring: Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Beyonce Knowles

Who to see it with: An animation fan or a fan of Honey I Shrunk the Kids!

David:

Epic is the new animated movie from Blue Sky, the studio behind Ice Age and Rio.  It follows a girl who has a spell cast on her, causing her to shrink and discover a tiny civilization that is fighting to keep a nearby forest alive.  Since it's an animated movie, we'll start with the animation, which is just gorgeous.  The film is beautiful and filled with great effects.  Blue Sky created a very imaginative world--a miniature society that utilizes plants and other items from the forest to protect it.  And accompanying the beautiful animation is some great sound and music.  The film score is inspiring and perfectly timed.  The voice acting is good in some parts, but distracting in others.  Beyonce is especially good in her role as the queen. (Honestly, is there anything she's NOT good at?)

However, the problem with Epic is that it's not sure what type of movie it wants to be.  The characters are funny and provide good comic relief, but the overall story is dark and deals with some intense issues (the world ending, problems with family, etc).  For example, during a particularly serious portion of the movie, we are introduced to a character who provides a singing introduction.  Keep in mind that this is the only song in the entire movie.  It's like they wanted to be a classic Disney movie--which would typically had four or five musical numbers throughout the movie--but could only think of one song.  And the voice acting is hit or miss.  Some of the characters are perfect and others are just distracting and seem off base.  You have very serious soldier type characters and then wise cracking comic slugs.  Epic is by no means a bad movie, but it needs to decide what type of movie it wants to be and stick with that.  

Rent it.

Trailer: The Kings of Summer Red Band Trailer

Honestly, don't watch this trailer.  It will spoil some of the jokes in a movie that you really should just experience for yourself!  The Kings of Summer is probably my favorite film I've seen this year.  You're going to want to see it, it's just that good.  If you don't believe me, check out the review here.

So, you ask, why am I posting a trailer and actively telling you not to watch it?  Because it just gives me an excuse to write more about the movie and promote it!  So please, don't watch the trailer but see it as soon as you can!

The Kings of Summer Red Band Trailer from Nick Offerman

Trailer: Anchorman: The Legend Continues

The Ron Burgundy news crew is back and ready to continue the legend.  The trailer is really more of a teaser but it shows two important things: (1) that the entire cast is back and ready to go and (2) that they're still using their signature humor and it's still funny.  If you loved the previous movie (as you should because it's amazing) then you're probably going to love this one as well.  If you didn't love the last movie, you have a bad sense of humor and really should stop watching movies.  Anchorman: The Legend Continues goes back on air December 20, 2013. 

Weekend Box Office: May 17-19, 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness opened with an estimated $70.5 million gross. Though slightly less than its 2009 predecessor's $75.2 million opening, Into Darkness opened on Thursday which brings its opening four days to $84 million (though, technically, that also compares unfavorably to the $86.7 million taken in by Trek by the end of its fourth day). The numbers are decent, especially when combined with the $80.5 million international gross for a worldwide total of over $164 million, but Paramount reportedly expected the domestic take to exceed $100 million by this point. 

Also notable is that Star Trek (2009) did not benefit from a 3D surcharge. Still, the international market has greatly expanded over the years, and Into Darkness should easily overtake 2009's somewhat low $385 million worldwide total. Domestically, I don't see it faring very well against next weekend's Fast & Furious 6 and Hangover Part III, followed a week later by Will Smith's sci-fi film After Earth. Trek 2009's only second week competition was Angels & Demons, whose $46.2 million opening pales in comparison to the $85 million+ openings of both Fast Five and The Hangover Part II.

Iron Man 3 finally fell to number two with $35.2 million. Internationally, it's grossed over a billion dollars, significantly beating the prior films which both ended around $600 million. Gatsby is at number three with $23.4 million. The Croods continues to bring in families in its ninth weekend. Worldwide, it's barely outperformed Pixar's Brave, and is currently Dreamworks Animation's ninth-highest grossing film. (In the U.S., it likely won't beat the popular How to Train Your Dragon, only beaten here by the four Shrek films.) Fast & Furious 6 opened in the United Kingdom with $13.8 million, the U.K.'s best opening for the series and its second-highest of 2013 behind Iron Man 3. Read more about this weekend's box office here and the rest of the domestic box office here.

Top 10 box office estimates for the weekend of May 17-19, 2013:

1. Star Trek Into Darkness; $70,555,000; $84,091,000 total, opening weekend

2. Iron Man 3; $35,182,000; $337,073,000 total; -51.5%; 3rd weekend

3. The Great Gatsby; $23,415,000; $90,159,000 total; -53.2%; 2nd weekend

4. Pain and Gain; $3,100,000; $46,574,000 total; -38.0%; 4th weekend

5. The Croods; $2,750,000; $176,750,000 total; -23.8%; 9th weekend

6. 42; $2,530,000; $88,735,000 total; -40.5%; 6th weekend

7. Oblivion; $2,222,000; $85,500,500 total; -46%; 5th weekend

8. Mud; $2,160,000; $11,588,000; -14.9%; 4th weekend

9. Tyler Perry Presents Peeples; $2,150,000; $7,858,000; -53.4%; 2nd weekend

10. The Big Wedding; $1,100,000; $20,198,000; -55.8%; 4th weekend

What to Watch This Weekend: May 17, 2013

In Theaters: Star Trek Into Darkness

Although this movie is not perfect, it's flaws are outweighed by it's fun characters, beautiful special effects, and fun overall experience.  It's definitely an enjoyable summer movie that fans of the first Star Trek will love.  The 3D is great and adds depth to the movie, especially the space flight scenes.  And, as we said in the review, it's definitely a see it.

On DVD: Cloud Atlas

Sure, the film adaptation of the wonderful David Mitchell novel was long and tough to follow, but you have to respect the Wachowski brothers for attempting a movie of this magnitude.  The star-studded cast is fun to watch, and although the story doesn't weave together perfectly, I love what they attempted to do with this movie.  It would have been a rental if we had reviewed it so now is your chance to check it out.

Streaming (Netflix Instant): Cabin in the Woods

I thought Cabin in the Woods was just going to be a trashy, sexy teenagers get killed in the woods horror movie, but David Goddard and Joss Whedon's film is anything but that.  Met with tremendous critical acclaim (92% on Rotton Tomatoes), this movie's many plot twists should leave you guessing at what will happen next while enjoying the special effects.

Streaming (Amazon Prime Instant Video): The High Cost of Living

In honor of Zach Braff's successfully kickstarted movie, to which Anna Kendrick has recently signed onto, check out this Tribeca Film, the High Cost of Living.  The movie is a thought provoking drama about two lives that randomly collide with tragic consequences.  

Review: Stuck

Release Date: February 22, 2013
Running Time: 83 minutes
Who to see it with: Someone who is interested in adoption.

David:

Stuck is a documentary that focuses on the issues and roadblocks to adoption. It follows families who are trying to adopt internationally and run into problems with the process and bureaucracy of the system. You can tell that the filmmakers are passionate about the subject and focus on the emotion of the adoption process. The problem is that they often focus too much on that emotion and forget some of the substance. Although there is critique of the system, there is not enough insight into what needs to be done to fix the issue. The movie brushes over issues such as corruption by saying it's a few bad apples spoiling it for the rest of the legit adopters. And the movie tries to tell many stories from different families, but jumps around so much that it makes it tough to follow. Yes, the movie is meant to be a clarion call to try and raise awareness about adoption but it doesn't offer much direction. I left with more knowledge about the terrible conditions for institutionalized children abroad, and some of the health and developmental issues that come along with this, but I had no idea how to fix the problem.

Rent it.

Review: Star Trek Into Darkness

Release Date: May 16, 2013
Running Time: 132 minutes
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Weller
Who to see it with: Someone who likes sci-fi action and adventure

Lee:

In Star Trek Into Darkness, the crew of the Enterprise pursue a mysterious Starfleet agent after he executes a devastating terrorist attack. I have little experience with Star Trek outside of the 2009 reboot, but what most appeals to me about the franchise is its characters and their clashing moral codes and behavior. The moments that explore and challenge their differences give the story a heart lacking in many big budget movies.

Unfortunately, this is still a mainstream blockbuster, and the story is often weighed down with uninteresting action scenes. There are a few impressive sequences but, aside from decent special effects, the numerous phaser and fist fights aren't much different than what you've seen in most summer blockbusters. Much of the first act is wasted on a seemingly important plot development that is quickly resolved with no consequence. Although the last film's twists surprised me and cleverly used sci-fi tropes to reboot the franchise without disregarding the original story, here they either seemed easily predictable or made me wonder exactly how far ahead the antagonist could have possibly planned (which makes one of his later actions seem unusually shortsighted). If nothing else, Into Darkness has a more engaging villain then Star Trek's Nero.

Into Darkness is a fun adventure with great character interaction and production values, but its heavier focus on action takes away from what makes the Star Trek franchise special. Star Trek (2009) made a much greater impression upon me, but this is still better than the average blockbuster movie.

See it.

David:

I agree with everything that Lee said about the plot but I thought the action sequences were pretty fun and imaginative. There was definitely more emphasis on action and effects here but I'm alright with that for a big summer movie. I do wish the characters had some more screen time outside of shooting and I also wish that the first act was more consequential--there was a definite moment for a lot of character development and growth that was wasted to move the plot along. Something that stood out for me was that the movie is 2 hours and 10 minutes and I didn't even notice it. It flew by at warp speed. 

See it.

Trailer: About Time a.k.a. The Time Traveler's Girlfriend

Rachel McAdams has already been the Time Traveler's Wife, but did you think that that dramatic movie needed more quirky British characters and humor? If so, you'll love About Time (which I lovingly refer to as the Time Traveler's Girlfriend). It's a comedy from the creators of Love Actually, Notting Hill, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. About Time stars Domhnall Gleeson (of Harry Potter fame) whose family's men have the ability to travel back in time. His dad, played by Bill Nighy, informs him he can use this power to correct any mistake in his life. Logically, he decides to use time travel to get a girlfriend, who happens to be McAdams. The trailer looks clever and if you liked Love Actually, I imagine you will like this as well. Personally, I can't wait to see this one or the next movie, the Time Traveler's Mistress. About Time travels to theaters on November 8, 2013.  

Review: Fast and Furious 6

Release Date:  May 24, 2013

Running Time: 130 minutes
Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese, Ludacris

Who to see it with: Someone who likes fast cars and fun action!

David:

I love the Fast and Furious movies. I've been hooked ever since the second one. Although I really liked the first effort, the 2 Fast 2 Furious had the right combination of fast cars and stunts, light-hearted humor, and a certain self-awareness that makes for an enjoyable movie.  The series tried to go back to a serious note with the fourth installment, but returned to form in Fast Five. What I loved about the fifth movie was that it became a who's who of Fast and Furious cast members--all your favorites were back for the latest adventure. Not only did they bring back all the best cast members, they added the Rock--the perfect addition to the Fast cast.  Well, the latest installment in this phenomenal hexalogy is here and it continues along the same trajectory as the fifth movie. 

Fast 6 follows the same group of your favorite Fast and Furious teammates as they try to catch an international criminal with a penchant for driving fast cars through crowded cities. The team is enlisted by the Rock in order help take down the mastermind and his crew. Sound crazy? Who cares! It's the perfect set up for intense car chases and lots of explosions. Your favorite cast is back and better than ever. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker deliver terrible dialog but you love them for it. Ludacris and Tyrese are very funny--especially Tyrese as the wise cracking always hungry team member. Han and Gisele provide some additional funny lines and moments. And the Rock is just perfect as usual. If you've enjoyed seeing this team interact in the last movies, then you're going to love them in this. 

And it wouldn't be a Fast and Furious movie without some great fights and car chases. They're expertly done with some really amazing driving and imaginative chase scenes. One thing that I really appreciated about this movie is that it feels like most of the action scenes are true action scenes. I've noticed a lot of obvious and distracting CG on TV and in movies but I didn't notice it here. I'm sure that it's used, but from what I saw it looked and felt like legit action with old school stunts. Also, the fighting was excellently choreographed and even had plenty of funny and exciting moments that had the audience cheering. Look, the Fast and Furious movies aren't perfect films, but they're perfect at what they do. They're B-movies with A-list production values. And they're one of the few Hollywood franchises that seems to be getting better with each iteration. This sequel was exactly what I wanted from the Fast and Furious franchise. 

See it.

PS - There IS a stinger right before the credits roll.  Make sure to stay for it!