Film ON AIR

The weekend in quotes will give you a general idea of the upcoming movies this weekend. As you might have expected, the reviews for ‘The Happening’ weren’t favorable. Currently, the M. Night Shyamalan movie has a Metacritic score of 4.6, based on just 4 reviews. The strange thing is, all the reviewers gave the movie a 5.0. Logic tells us the Metacritic score should be 5.0. But not according to Metacritic.com.

‘The Incredible Hulk’ is doing better, but not great. A Metacritic score of 6.8. Well below Iron Man’s 7.8, but beating Indy’s 6.5. Let’s take a look at the actual quotes.

The Happening

Montreal Film Journal (7.5): “The other reason why “The Happening” isn’t on the level of Shyamalan’s best is that it’s just not that scary or intense. Aside from the opening, there are a few other horrifying scenes, but none are as riveting as the invasion of the farmhouse in “Signs”, for instance. Still, even minor Shyamalan remains well worth seeing.”

Entertainment Weekly (5.0): “Some sure symptoms: The movie demonstrates a smart movie geek’s obsession with the rhythms and gory details of horror storytelling, undermined by a pompous insistence on spiritual lessons of the tritest kind.”

Village Voice (5.0): “What a bunch of nonsense–effective nonsense, chilling nonsense, occasionally wrenching nonsense, but nonsense nonetheless.”

The Incredible Hulk

The Hollywood Reporter (8.0): ““Iron Man” has more wit and style, but Hulk is a neat thrill ride with an intelligent script by Zak Penn and smart, well-paced direction by the French director of “The Transporter” series, Louis Leterrier.”

Entertainment Weekly (6.7): “The Incredible Hulk is just a luridly reductive and violent B movie — one that clears a bar that hadn’t been set very high.”

About.com (2.0): “Bruce and Betty’s inability to consummate their love is played for laughs, and his uncontrollable power is mined only for grunting, rote CGI fights that might be vaguely entertaining if you were holding a Wiimote. As it is, The Incredible Hulk is a crushing, noisy bore without a heart, brain, or single fresh idea.”

This week seems like a matter of taste. Personally I think I’ll see both new movies, since there isn’t much in the theaters I didn’t see yet. I’m just not expecting much.