Opening in theaters this weekend are two new comedies fighting for a top spot at this week's box office.
The first film is All About Steve, a romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper. All About Steve is all about Mary, a lonely crossword puzzle constructor that becomes obsessed with news cameraman Steve after only one blind date.
It is not the acting in All About Steve, nor is it the casting. It is the poorly constructed plot and script that makes All About Steve extremely hard to watch. Your love of Sandra Bullock or weakness for Bradley Cooper’s smile will not nearly be enough for even the biggest of fans to enjoy this film. The largest misstep in this film was not allowing the audience to connect with the main character of Mary. Director Phil Traill goes from making Mary seem stalker crazy, to trying to make her seem simply misunderstood. For example; instead of having Mary daydream or doodle a crossword puzzle themed “All About Steve,” the film has Mary actually submit her “All About Steve” puzzle to her editor as her weekly submission. It is things like this that make it ridiculously hard to root for Mary as the protagonist; she's just a little too crazy. Bottom Line: With only mildly funny moments and a spotlight performance from Thomas Haden Church, All About Steve is a definite wait for the DVD, and even then you should seriously consider another title.
The other film opening this weekend comes from the comedy mind of Mike Judge (Office Space). Extract is a workplace comedy centered on Joel, the owner of an extract company. Joel’s life is in a slump, but all his troubles will soon be solved if he can close the deal on selling his company. No problem, as long as Joel can keep his employees from striking and his injured worker from suing.
To begin with, to all those Mike Judge fans out there; no, Extract is not as funny as Office Space. But, Extract is a fun witty film that is only heightened by its cast of characters. Especially Jason Batman who gives a great performance as passive aggressive Joel. After the success of “Arrested Development” and Juno, Bateman is becoming known for his subtle humor and wit, both of which shine in Extract. Bottom Line: Extract is not the funniest movie you’ve seen all year, nor does it have the best plot, but it is an enjoyable comedy that delivers some great lines and a hilarious bit involving Joel and smoke.
The bottom line for both of these films is if you are going out to a movie this weekend, and it comes down to deciding between these two films, spend your money on Extract. It may not be as funny as you thought, but I promise you it is better than All About Steve.
For more info: Visit Fandango.com® for theaters and showtimes.
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