Opening Everywhere: The Wolverine, The To Do List, Fruitvale Station
FilmDrunk Suggests: I didn’t read Vince’s review of The Wolverine because I’ve been ignoring all reviews for it like the plague so I can see it fresh and without premature judgment. But knowing Vince, he was probably all, “I felt that it lacked [really smart words] and [other really smart words] and I look like Luke Walton.” Also, Fruitvale Station is probably going to be a huge Oscar contender, so go check that out.
The Wolverine
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 67% critics, 81% audience
Gratuitous Review Quotes:
“It’s a credit to the production team that these elements somehow work, with the movie at its best as a superhero/Asian crime drama mash-up.” – Raju Mudhar, Toronto Star
“Although The Wolverine eventually falls back on a comic-book formula and CG effects (the climactic face-off between Logan and a giant silver warriorlike thing is totally generic), Mangold and his team find time to explore more nuanced realms …” – Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
Armchair Analysis: Obviously there are some bad reviews out there, because 67% obviously isn’t perfect, and normally I’d be all, “How can you pretend like a movie about a guy with indestructible metal claws is supposed to be some great work of art?” but again – will.i.am was in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and I will never, ever forget that horrendous casting decision and acting performance. So right off the bat, I see addition by subtraction as a step in the right direction.
The To Do List
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 55% critics, 64% audience
Gratuitous Review Quotes:
“’The To Do List’ doesn’t reinvent the wheel; we all know the ‘summer that changed everything’ trope. But it’s startling when you realize how rare it is to see a girl chasing sexual experience so doggedly – and with such a lighthearted tone.” – Sara Stewart, New York Post
“Don’t go to The To Do List expecting a comedy genre-buster along the lines of Bridesmaids. Rather it’s more of a one-joke repeater set in the hot Boise, Idaho, summer of 1993.” – Linda Barnard, Toronto Star
Armchair Analysis: Good news seems to have very little to do with the reviews of this film so far, and that surprises me, because I would have expected at least one or two reviews like “HEY EVERYONE, RACHEL BILSON IS IN THIS!” but I haven’t written those on my Hart of Dixie fan site yet, so that explains why they’re not out there. I think the negativity might have something to do with the idea that a girl who looks like Aubrey Plaza – or almost any girl on the planet, really – would have a hard time losing her virginity. But I won’t know until I watch it, I guess.
Fruitvale Station
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: 93% critics, 88% audience
Gratuitous Review Quotes:
“It’s a story of one young man’s tragedy, a story that resonates with so many other tragedies. Oscar Grant wasn’t some mere symbol; this film makes him flesh and, unfortunately, blood.” – Tom Long, Detroit News
“An eloquent memorial for a man who barely experienced life, and a haunting reminder of how quickly it can be lost.” – Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
Armchair Analysis: Again, Oscar buzz galore for this powerful story that I probably won’t watch until it’s out on Blu Ray so I can feel a little worse about Earth in the comfort of my own home.