New Releases: August 2nd

This week doesn't give you a lot options in terms of New Releases. The two films released this week are both geared towards families: one a Christian film and the other an animated film.

SOUL SURFER

This film agonized me so much that I couldn't finish it. The introduction to the film plays like an ABC family original movie, with performances and a score that only cement this impression. About 5 minutes into the movie, as they sat in a beach church teasing each other while a Christian band played in the background, I realized I could take no more. The low quality of every single element of this film was despicable to a point where I was rooting for the shark that I knew was going to eat the protagonist's arm. He could find a worse snack. You could certainly find a better movie. ...like Jaws, without the mumbo jumbo positivity.

0 out of 5 Stars

RIO

I wasn't able to screen this film. Critics seemed mildly impressed (72% on Rotten Tomatoes), so I guess if you're into CGI animated films, Jesse Eisenberg, or Anne Hathaway, you could do worse. The film is about a tropical bird kept as a pet who travels to the Carribean to find a mate.

While I can't honestly recommend either of these, also released this week is the second season of HBO's Eastbound and Down. This season Kenny Powers is misanthropic in Mexico. I only saw the underwhelming first episode of the season, which was still much better than the majority of television comedies. Fans of the genre owe it to themselves to check this out. I guarantee this is a better watch than the above two films.

© Tanner McCullough, 2011