This week’s column has a mixture of pulse-pounding action and slapstick comedy. In The November Man an ex-CIA operative is brought back on a personal mission and faces a former pupil. In Birdman a washed-up actor, who once played a superhero, attempts to mount a Broadway play to reclaim his former fame and in Dumb and Dumber To 20 years after Lloyd and Harry set out on their first adventure, they head out again in search of one of their long lost children in the hope of gaining a new kidney. All three films have some serious star power behind them along with some unique plot devices for the stars to negotiate. The comedies are sure to pack in audiences awaiting side-splitting laughs while the actioner is guaranteed to bring in fans of multiple explosions, betrayals and life-changing secrets.
The November Man is an action thriller about an ex-CIA operative brought back into the fold on a personal mission and only to find himself pitted against a former apprentice. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Will Patton and Quantum of Solace’s Olga Kurylenko, Brosnan seems to be attempting to follow in the footsteps of other actors like Liam Neeson and Kevin Costner, in the latest older male action hero genre, the trailer shows a pained and serious Brosnan returning to a life of killing as he comes up against a former protégé in a motion picture jammed packed with lethal thrills, massive explosions and fatal treachery. It opens in theaters on Wednesday, August 27. On a personal note, when I lived in California in the early 90s, at six years old, I saw Brosnan at Los Angeles International Airport. I recognized him since my mother is/was a huge fan of his from his role on the 80s detective show Remington Steele, and he winked at me, as I had my mouth open in shock at seeing him, before boarding his plane. Nice to know some movie stars still have some class!
Birdman is a comedy that chronicles a washed-up actor who attempts to mount a Broadway play in hopes of reclaiming his fame. Starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis and Naomi Watts, the trailer displays Riggan Thomson’s (Keaton) fame and wane as an iconic superhero and his struggled crawl to regain his notoriety in the business as well as his family and himself while battling his ego by mounting a Broadway play. Keaton, who hasn’t been seen in many films in recent years, gives a stirring portrayal of this broken actor looking to reclaim his life, both personal and professional, his career and ultimately, his dignity. It opens in theaters on Friday, October 17.
Dumb and Dumber To is the long-awaited sequel to the hit 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber. Once again, directed by the Farrelly brothers, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, reprise their roles as Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, respectively. Set 20 years after their first adventure, the two friends go on another escapade in search of one of their long-lost children, in hopes of gaining a new kidney. Also starring Kathleen Turner, The Walking Dead’s Laurie Holden, Arrow’s Paul Blackthorne, 21 Jump Street’s Rob Riggle and ex-Days of our Lives star Rachel Melvin, the trailer showcases the buddies search for Dunne’s daughter, who was given up for adoption and, of course, the unconventional, crazy antics they go through to locate her. Fans of the original are sure to love the sequel that has just as much vulgar humor and wild jokes. It opens in theaters on Friday, November 14.