Weekend Movie Guide 02/18: Unknown Mommas Four: The Last Lion

Liam Neeson puts the "action" in "conspiracy thriller" with Unknown! The film finds Neeson squaring off against a plot to kill and impersonate him. Talk about identity fraud! Spaniard Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax, Orphan) directs from a French novel, with well-knowns Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz & Frank Langella along for the ride. They hope Unknown repeats the success of Neeson's surprise hit Taken. (We just hope it kicks as much ass.)

Speaking of repetition, expect many familiar black-dudes-dressing-as-old-black-women jokes in Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son. In the threequel, Martin Lawrence passes the fat torch to Brandon T. Jackson (Tropic Thunder). All isn't lost; if Instagram's losing its luster, you can now "Mommafy" your photos with Fox's tie-in iPhone App. Another App promotes action-adventure flick I Am Number Four. Number Four is a superpowered teenager shrouded in mystery, and the App recreates an inhuman iPhone for an alternate-reality game that features wallpaper, ringtones, and photos of Briton Alex Pettyfer, American Timothy Olyphant & Gleek Queen Dianna Agron. If that small a screen holds no interest, be sure to catch it all in IMAX!

Back in the real world, there's still a lot of sweating, shivering & squabbling over climate change. Carbon Nation largely ignores the environmental angle (its tagline is "a climate change solutions movie that doesn't care if you believe in climate change") to sell solutions based on national security, job creation, and less money out of your own pocket. The trailer's focus on colonels, Texan energy entrepreneurs, small businessmen & crazy Alaskans seems tailored towards red states, but interviews with New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman and Virgin Atlantic founder Richard Branson assure interest for whites and blues as well. Carbon Nation plays for a week at Laemmle's Sunset, with weekend matinees at Laemmle's Santa Monica & Pasadena.

Lastly, National Geographic will donate a dime for every view of The Last Lions trailer on YouTube. Jeremy Irons (Scar himself!) narrates the nature documentary, which tracks a lioness' epic journey to protect her cubs from a brushfire blitzkrieg and rival pride. The Last Lions also touches on something we shouldn't take pride in: wild lion populations have spiraled from 450,000 down to 20,000 in the last half-century. With the right balance of conservation, education, ticket sales and trailer views, we can ensure the circle of life can continue for generations of lions.

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To see something even further off the beaten path, check out our weekly Film Calendar of specialty theatres, revival houses and midnight movies. See you at the movies!

Wide Release

• Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (Showtimes)
  
• I Am Number Four (Showtimes)
  
• Unknown (Showtimes)

Limited Release

• 7 Khoon Maaf (Laemmle's Fallbrook 7)
  
• Carbon Nation (Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex) (Laemmle's Playhouse 7) (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
  
• Even the Rain (The Landmark) (Laemmle's Playhouse 7) (Laemmle's Town Center 5)
  
• Immigration Tango (Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex)
  
• The Last Lions (Laemmle's Royal Theatre)
  
• Marykkundoru Kunjadu (Laemmle's Fallbrook 7)
  
• Nadunisi Naaygal (Laemmle's Fallbrook 7)
  
• The Oscar Nominated Short Films: Animated (Nuart Theatre)
  
• The Oscar Nominated Short Films: Documentary (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
  
• The Oscar Nominated Short Films: Live Action (Nuart Theatre)
  
• Saving Pelican 895 (Laemmle's Town Center 5)
  
• Senna (Laemmle's Town Center 5)
  
• Vidal Sassoon (Laemmle's Sunset 5)

Featured Trailers
Unknown

The Last Lions

Carbon Nation

I Am Number Four

Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son