Opening This Weekend: A Break in the Stormy Weather that is Will Smith's Career?

From vampire to rodeo star

So, after years of being off the silver screen, Will Smith is coming back, and considering his last movie underperformed, he's playing it safe, returning with Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black 3.  Except, he's disposing of Jones as his main costar and replacing him for the most part with his 21-year-old 44-year-old equivalent Josh Brolin, because, apparently, it was really important to set this film in the 1960s and there just wasn't any actor any younger than Brolin with his name recognition and impersonation abilities.  And, also, ha-ha, Agent Kay never looked young, even at 21.  The previous sequel did fine the last time Smith needed a career boost, so we'll see if audiences are tiring of him or still in love after all these years.  But, my, oh, my, did Smith kind of overreact when the Ukrainian version of Sacha Baron Cohen Vitalii Sediuk started kissing him at a premiere?  It's not like he tried to press a hot poker up his ass.

Also going wide is Chernobyl Diaries, a Paranormal Activity take on the 1986 Soviet tragedy.  The whole project sounds ignorant and tasteless.  But, perhaps the audience is suppose to root for the deaths of the arrogant American teens on their "extreme tourism" escapade.  In that case, Team Ukrainian Ghosts.

Cute as a button and precocious Bailee Madison stars in Cowgirls n' Angels.  I can't decide if I want to adopt her or have her adopt me.  I spied two actors from Friday Night Lights; one of them is Alicia Witt who thinks she knows better than Madison.  She's a real downer too: "The rodeo is no place for a little girl, absolutely not."  And: "You actually think you're gonna just stroll into every rodeo and say, 'Hi, I'm Ida, which one of you is my daddy.'" (I think she's referencing the Lace miniseries from the 1980s.)  Madison has it all planned out though and gets the last laugh: "Maybe if I didn't know his name, but I do.  And, it's Walker, so Hah!"  As well, she learns a fancy riding trick called the Hippodrome, line-dances, and just looks darling.  Yee-haw!

In limited release, Wes Andersen fans can finally breathe as Moonrise Kingdom comes out.  OC87 is a documentary made by an Asperger's man who also deals with other mental illnesses concerning his plight.  The Intouchables is a French film about a disabled man who finds a new lease on life with his caretaker.

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