Today, South Africa... and Punishment.

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Today's sole major movie release is The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Considering I profiled this remake of a sci-fi classic earlier this week there isn't much more I can say about it... other than I hope it isn't too bland. These days, on the whole, sci-fi films seem to be far more preoccupied with showering the audience with eye candy - in the form of delicious special effects - than actually bothering about emotional depth or substance in general.

And let's not forget that The Day the Earth Stood Still stars one of Hollywood's most cardboard leading men (Keanu Reeves), which is not a good starting point.

The Day the Earth Stood Still is currently sitting on a "meh" 22% over at Rotten Tomatoes.


Anyway, in other movie news, it seems like third time wasn't the charm for Frank Castle AKA The Punisher. I don't know what it is about this grim, assault-rifle packing avenger but movie audiences and critics just don't seem to like him very much, whether he's played by Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane or, now, Ray Stevenson.

Punisher: War Zone debuted last Friday in North America and could only take the disappointing #8 spot after its opening weekend. The film is also currently hovering around 20% on Rotten Tomatoes.


This said, after reading the reviews, and watching the trailer below, I'm actually very keen to see Punisher: War Zone. It looks cheese-tastic! And by the sound of things it's a throwback to all those gloriously over-the-top, ultra-violent action films of the 1980s.

Here's hoping Punisher: War Zone is better than Max Payne and more fun than Rambo 4.



No word yet on when Punisher: War Zone will open in South Africa, but I expect it will be some time before the end of March.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I thought TDTESS was gonna be an awesome film with high scores. Obviously I was wrong. I'm still gonna check it out though!

That new Punisher flick isn't looking too lekker.
10:26 AM
Anonymous said…
Damn it, when are they going to treat Punisher right!?! Sure he's always been a one-dimensional, crazy violent guy in the comics, but I've always kind of liked him - or at least one of his stories per year. Any more and then he's a bit crap :)
1:54 PM
Pfangirl said…
Well, word from friends is that The Day the Earth Stood Still is absolutely terrible, so I'm not sure if I'll be forking out my cash to see it.

The Punisher I think I'll still give a chance. I'm not a reader of the comics but I'm expecting this film to be closer to the source material.
9:44 AM
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