Whether you're in the mood for suspense or sentimentality, this week's movie releases just might have what you need. After weeks of slim pickings at area movie theaters, moviegoers finally have a good amount to choose from for weekend entertainment. And while none of the films are sure-fire crowd-pleasers, a few of them have potential.
No one instills fear quite like Michael Douglas. If his starring role as hot-shot psychiatrist Dr. Nathan Conrad in Don't Say a Word doesn't scare you, the film's plot will. To save his kidnapped daughter, Dr. Conrad must unlock the tormented mind of a nearly-catatonic patient, played by Britanny Murphy (Girl, Interrupted). The kidnapper's sole demand is a six-digit number locked away in the patient's troubled memory. With a suspenseful story and a stellar cast, Don't Say a Word could be one of the season's scariest movies.
On the opposite end of the cinematic spectrum is Ben Stiller's latest big-screen endeavor, Zoolander. Stiller both directs and stars in the comedy about a fashion model nearing the end of his career. In hopes of another big break, Stiller falls victim to top-notch fashion designer Jacobim Mogutu, who brainwashes the mindless supermodel to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia. What this film lacks in substance it makes up for in laughs. Granted, the humor is strictly inane; but a good laugh never hurt anybody.
Kids World can best be described as a film strictly for the young at heart. Do you still dream about making your parents disappear? So does Ryan Mitchell (Blake Foster), your typical 11-year-old boy. He's picked on by bullies, his brother, and his parents. But all of that comes to an end when Ryan discovers the "Wishing Glass."
Before you can say "Abracadabra!" anyone over the age of 12 disappears. But something goes wrong when Ryan's friend Holly disappears as well. A cute idea, but the plot promises to disappoint anyone who has graduated elementary school. Christopher Lloyd's presence isn't enough of a saving grace to make this movie worth your hard-earned cash.
The most promising of this week's batch of new releases is Hearts in Atlantis. It may be another Stephen King story-turned-movie, but don't let that scare you. Set in the 1960s, a mysterious older man moves into the apartment of a mother and her son, changing their lives forever. Anthony Hopkins, the man who made even cannibalism seem elegant, is the backbone of the film. While it borders dangerously on being overly sentimental, it promises to touch even the most cynical at heart.
