So, what do you get when you cross the Karate Kid with Fight Club? Yeah, I didn't think anybody would care either, but, apparently someone thought the idea could fly and cast a slew of twenty-somethings to, yet again, play high school students. I suppose it's not a completely unwarranted notion. After all, many of America's youth have proven that they've no intellect at all and are only too happy to fork over money to watch people who can't act star in feature length Abercrombie and Fitch commercials.
Never Back Down [Read the CB Review] stars Sean Faris as a troubled teen caught up in an underground fight club at his high school and Djimon Hounsou as the martial arts expert who helps him become top dog. The trailers make it look like a regurgitated Karate Kid, but Faris is no Ralph Macchio (yeah, I know that's not saying much) and Hounsou is definitely no Mr. Miyagi (but that's saying a lot). The "dance" movie genre has been done to death so these bizarre twenty-something teenager movies seem to be moving on to different settings. Look for a host of knock offs and sequels in the not too distant future, including Never Ever Back Down and Never Ever Ever Back Down: Backing Down The Streets.
Your second option for bizarre violent entertainment this weekend is Doomsday [Read the CB Preview], director Neil Marshall's attempt to remake Mad Max for the N'Sync generation. The aforementioned youth of America who will be spending money on Never Back Down are also the ones likely to go see this movie. That's good news since the torn audience means neither money is likely to make a lot of cash.
The real treat this weekend is Horton Hears A Who [Read the CB Preview] the first feature length Dr. Seuss film in recent history that wasn't attempted as a lame live-action movie. The 3-D animation is wonderfully Seuss-ish and the voice casting is darn near perfect. I say darn near because Jim Carrey somehow manages to be as obnoxious as ever even thought it's just his voice and Seth Rogen's presence is the worst example of cast-stuffing ever. Sure it's mostly filler (how else do you stretch a short children's story into a full length movie), but it's entertaining filler. Despite a weird anime digression in the middle and a bizarre R.E.O. Speedwagon belt-along at the end of the movie, it's still the best thing out this weekend and the easy choice for number one. In fact, I expect it will be the biggest opening weekend of the year so far. Lookout Cloverleaf monster. Here comes Horton.
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Horton-Hears-A-Ka-Ching-8169.html
