New Movie Friday!

Once upon a time the summer calendar was so jam packed with exciting new releases that I almost felt overloaded. Like, how in the name of Chewbacca's beard am I going to be able to see all this stuff? Alas, that age seems to have passed us by and while I hold out hope for 2011 and 2012, 2010 is slowly sucking my Movie Life Force Away. Neither of this week's offerings do anything for me, which is all the more reason for you to check out "Inception" if you haven't already. And if you have seen it then this week is the perfect opportunity to see it again. Seriously, when Hollywood is cramming junk down our throats at every turn, it's important to embrace the truly original, inspired works that manage to slip through. I digress. This week brings us...

"Salt" - Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor
CIA Evelyn Salt (Jolie) is accused of being a spy and embarks on a journey to clear her name. It's not that I think this is going to be terrible, it's just that I don't care. Maybe it's the Jolie Factor; I'm not a Jolie fan and that usually translates into my disinterest in her films. But maybe the problem is that, to me, "Salt" just sums up 2010: all style, no substance. It just fits right in with the cliche, mediocre, "meh" material that Hollywood has treated us to all year long. I think if this was released in a normal blockbuster-packed summer it would be relegated to back up status, meaning the film you see when the movie you really want to see is sold out. Instead, we've been inundated with trailers and advertisements for months, touting this as one of the big selling points for the year. I'm not saying I won't see this, I'm just not impressed and imagine this will end up being a late night DVD viewing for me.

"Ramona and Beezus" - Selena Gomez, Joey King, Bridget Moynahan
Per IMDB: "When grade-schooler Ramona Quimby (King) senses that her family's home is danger, she uses her boundless energy and enthusiasm to save the day." I'm just glad I don't have kids yet.