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www.groovekorea.com / January 2015 82 preview by Dean Crawford AT THE BOX OFFICE THE BIG SCREEN Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com) muSIC & ARTS GrooveCast GrooveCast host Chance Dorland and columnist Dean Crawford talk movies. Check out the podcast at groovekorea.com or subscribe for free at the iTunes Store. Directed by Shawn Levy January 29 I always find it a little disingenuous when people wax lyrical about an actor after they’ve passed away. I don’t understand why people can’t get the praise they deserve while they are alive. Take a look at the American Film Insti- tute’s list of the top 50 actors of all time: There are some absolutely amazing actors included, but the prerequisite for gaining entry is that you have to be dead! It will be interesting to see if the tragic passing of Robin Williams puts him in the mix, because there is no doubting the man was a comic genius and a very good actor in his own right. I wasn’t a fan of Williams until I saw “One Hour Photo” (2002) and was positively won over by his dramatic acting ability. Not to men- tion his star turn in Christopher Nolan’s “In- somnia” (2002), where he more than held his own against Oscar winner Al Pacino. Watching these films made me revisit “Good Will Hunting” (1997) and “Good Morning, Vietnam” (1987) and realize the genius Williams possessed. This month sees the release of his final movie, “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” the third in the hugely successful franchise. “Secret of the Tomb” sees Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) travel to London in a bid to save the last remnants of magic in the tablet of Ahkmenrah, which is responsible for bringing all of the char- acters in the museum to life. Oscar winner Ben Kingsley has been added to the cast, which includes returning actors Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan and Ricky Gervais. The versatile Shawn Levy (“Real Steel,” 2011, and “The Internship,” 2013) once again sits in the director’s chair for the concluding chapter in this trilogy. The “Night at the Museum” movies may not be classics, but I can see why they are so success- ful and I will be watching the final installment. I’m sure it will be a fitting send-off for Williams, as we get to see him do what he did best one last time — make people laugh. Adventure / Comedy U.S. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Directed by Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski February 5 Ever since the Wachowskis first burst onto the scene with the “Matrix” trilogy, they have exercised unquestioned visual prowess in the often-crowded sci-fi genre. “The Matrix” (1999) is one of the most iconic films of the 20th century, and I was one of the few critics to really enjoy “Cloud Atlas” (2012). Sure, the film had its problems, but given the ambitious vision it brought to the screen, the ad- aptation deserved to be more successful than it was. Regardless of the response, I fear that its poor box office performance means it’s unlikely that an independent film of such scale will ever be made again. Instead, big budgets will be in- vested into safer bets like yet another superhero franchise or, God forbid, another “Transformers” movie. The Wachowskis return to their beloved sci-fi genre with “Jupiter Ascending,” casting Chan - ning Tatum and Mila Kunis as their leads. Kunis plays Jupiter Jones, a Russian immigrant work- ing as a cleaner who finds herself at the center of an interplanetary war. Unbeknownst to her, she is descended from royalty and could lay claim to the throne that rules the universe. C-Tate plays Caine Wise, a soldier sworn to protect Jupiter, and Eddie Redmayne is Balem, the current king who wants Kunis’ character dead. Sean Bean also stars as Stinger, but I won’t say too much about his role. Given his track record on screen, I wouldn’t want you to get too attached to his character before you go into the film; Bean’s current on-screen death toll is 21 at last count, so I won’t waste my time hoping he sticks this one out. I think it’s fair to say that, despite the Wa- chowskis’ knack for impressive visuals, their films often have a dependency on flashy image- ry that cannot compensate for weak storytell- ing. “The Matrix” sequels (2003) were a mess in terms of plot, as was “Cloud Atlas” (though, to be fair, that was sort of the point). Here’s hoping they get the balance right in “Jupiter As- cending.” Action / Adventure / Sci-f U.S. Jupiter Ascending
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