Today, South Africa!
...Well, actually yesterday for some strange reason. Anyway, these are the 2 high profile releases in South African cinemas this weekend. Here's a little reminder of what they are, as well as general online consensus as to their watchability.
1) Hancock
Will Smith stars as a hopelessly cynical, down-on-his-luck superhero who is hated by the public due to the fact that he can't seem to accomplish anything without causing mass destruction. Jason Bateman co-stars as a PR executive who tries to revamp Hancock's image, and Charlize Theron plays Bateman's wife.
Critical consensus: Hancock is a very uneven bag - fantastic in some areas and terrible in others. It seems to have mutilated quite badly in the editing room, and subjected to the last minute reshoot of some scenes to overcome test screening complaints. The result is some very strange tonal shifts, and a finished film nowhere near as good as its original concept.
2) Get Smart
Based on the spoof spy TV series from the late 1960s, Get Smart stars Steve Carell as as Maxwell Smart, an analyst for US spy agency Control, who is forced into active service as an agent when the identities of Control's field operatives are revealed. Anne Hathaway and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson co-star as top spys. Terence Stamp plays the head of sinister crime syndicate, KAOS.
Critical consensus: No surprises here, but many of the funniest scenes in the film have already been revealed in the trailer. It's decent if silly family fare, although action seems to have been prioritised over laughs. The film's real selling point seems to be the chemistry of the cast, who are game for anything - and Anne Hathaway, who especially oozes charisma.
1) Hancock
Will Smith stars as a hopelessly cynical, down-on-his-luck superhero who is hated by the public due to the fact that he can't seem to accomplish anything without causing mass destruction. Jason Bateman co-stars as a PR executive who tries to revamp Hancock's image, and Charlize Theron plays Bateman's wife.
Critical consensus: Hancock is a very uneven bag - fantastic in some areas and terrible in others. It seems to have mutilated quite badly in the editing room, and subjected to the last minute reshoot of some scenes to overcome test screening complaints. The result is some very strange tonal shifts, and a finished film nowhere near as good as its original concept.
2) Get Smart
Based on the spoof spy TV series from the late 1960s, Get Smart stars Steve Carell as as Maxwell Smart, an analyst for US spy agency Control, who is forced into active service as an agent when the identities of Control's field operatives are revealed. Anne Hathaway and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson co-star as top spys. Terence Stamp plays the head of sinister crime syndicate, KAOS.
Critical consensus: No surprises here, but many of the funniest scenes in the film have already been revealed in the trailer. It's decent if silly family fare, although action seems to have been prioritised over laughs. The film's real selling point seems to be the chemistry of the cast, who are game for anything - and Anne Hathaway, who especially oozes charisma.
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