Movies opening this weekend of May 18, 2012 are BATTLESHIP, The Dictator and What to Expect When You’re Expecting.
Battleship
Director Peter Berg (of Friday Night Lights‘ fame) brings the Hasbro board game to life… kind of. With a huge cast starring Liam Neeson, Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker and many more, it’s a combination of Pearl Harbor and Crimson Tide mixed up with a HUGE blast of Transformers. Transformer-like aliens invade the Earth, and we must fight for survival against their superior forces. Our main line of defense? The USS Sampson, a Battleship led by Admiral Shane (Liam Neeson).
It’s BIG! It’s LOUD! It’s OVER THE TOP! It sure ain’t fine art, but those looking for a great slam-bang-action film for their summer enjoyment will find a lot to enjoy in Battleship. I don’t really remember there being any aliens in my games of Battleship when I used to play it with my brother when I was a kid, but I quickly forgot that as the action on-screen almost blew me out of my seat. It’s a guilty pleasure that you’ll enjoy!
The Dictator
Like everything else that Sacha Baron Cohen does, whether or not you like this movie will depend on whether or not you’ve liked everything else he’s done from Da Ali G Show and Borat to Brüno. It’s a satirical exploration of what happens to a North African dictator who’ll do anything to make sure that democracy will never come to his country. It’s offensive, over the top and completely ridiculous, but if you liked his other stuff, you’ll find something to enjoy in this movie too. It packs enough laughs in it’s short 83 minutes on the screen to make it worth seeing.
What to Expect When You’re Expecting
It’s one of those huge ensemble romantic comedies that they usually build around a Holiday and gets directed by an aging Gary Marshall screaming “Now, everybody fall in love!” throughout the shooting, but this time instead of the focus being on Holidays, it’s around couples going through pregnancy and becoming parents. It’s not horrible, but you’ve pretty much seen everything in it a hundred times before. If you’re the boyfriend who gets dragged to this by his girlfriend, this is the test you must pass occasionally.
