Results tagged “hughjackman”

              

Critics were predictably tough on X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but I preferred it to all the other hyper-budgeted blockbusters of the summer (with the possible exception of Harry Potter 6, though I'm still not happy about the elision of Dumbledore's funeral). Gambit could have been better conceptualized, but Hugh Jackman owns the role of Wolverine more than any actor owns any superhero role. Granted, that's not exactly saying a whole hell of a lot, but still -- he fucking rocks it. Jessica Biel + English Period Comedy = Better Than You Might Think. Of course, Colin Firth smoothes all edges so it may not be such a grand accomplishment. Grace = worst movie I saw at the Sundance Film Festival. Avoid at costs unless you love zombie babies!

The summer box-office season officially began on May Day this year as X-Men Origins: Wolverine slashed its way to the top of the chart with a huge $87M weekend. Despite generally poor reviews (even from the fanboy set), audiences filled the seats to see Hugh Jackman don the sideburns once more. The dreadful Ghosts of Girlfriends Past was a distant second with $15.3M to best last week's winner Obsessed ($12.2M/$47M). After that it was the unfunny 17 Again ($6.3M/$48.4M) and the unsinkable Monsters vs. Aliens ($5.8M/$182.4M).

Despite passionately loving independent films and documentaries, I still get excited when the summer blockbuster season starts -- earlier every year it seems -- and so I'm jazzed to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine. How can anyone justify missing a cinematic rendering of the X-Men? Speaking of independent films, they don't get more so than the works of Jim Jarmusch. I loved Broken Flowers and so seeing Limits of Control is de rigueur. Early reviews are very poor, though. In fact, the awful Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is charting higher amongst a consensus of critics. What ever happened to Jennifer Garner? Wasn't she interesting once?

    

Okay, we lie, but that's what all of Hugh Jackman's fans would have preferred (duh). Nevertheless, the Tony and Emmy-winning actor this morning became one of the honored stars to have his hand and footprints and signature imprinted outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. Of course, X-Men Origins: Wolverine comes out on Friday, May 1st.

Australia is the sort of sprawling, epic film that I typically lap up like gravy on a biscuit. Something about it just felt flat, though. Probably the presence of the icy, tight-faced Kidman who continues to defy belief by getting prominent roles in big-budget films despite being proven box-office poison. I would have watched London Yorkshire Terriers, but I refuse to watch Beverly Hills Rat Dogs. I wonder if Alan Moore hates this "digital comic" version of his graphic novel as much as he hates EVERY OTHER adaptation of his work.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this morning that Austrlian actor Hugh Jackman will host the 81st Academy Awards on Sunday, February 22nd at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. He's presented at the ceremony before, but this will be his first time as a host. "[Jackman] has style, elegance and a sense of occasion," the producers said of the star, who was recently named one of the sexiest men alive by People Magazine, in a joint statement. He's starred in Baz Luhrmann's Australia, the X-Men movies and the upcoming and most anticipated X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Jackman won an Emmy in 2005 for his hosting skills at a Tony Awards ceremony. He also won a Tony in 2004 for Best Actor in a Musical.

Despite not being terribly funny, opened to a relatively disappointing $12.3M ($18.5M).

While the new DVD set of may have been the worst movie of the year. Poor, brilliant Michelle.

In a bit of a surprise, the surrogate pregnancy comedy target audience forgot that the movie was opening and spent their weekend eating a family-size bag of Doritos.

I think it will be hard for Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay to replicate the success of the original seems bigger, more absurd and ultimately less funny. Still, I'll be there. Probably a little buzzed, too.

Recommended Dixie Chicks - Shut Up & Sing - Remember when rugged individualism was the hallmark of the "American character"? Remember when that individualism was defined by a willingness to speak your mind? Remember when criticizing your governmental overlords was a patriotic duty? Yeah, me neither. But maybe country music trio The Dixie Chicks were trying to recall that mythologized frontier spirit when lead singer Nathalie Maines criticized President Bush for launching the Iraq...