Ghafla! Movies This Weekend (25th May 2012)

The weekend is just around the corner and as the Summer (in the States) kicks in, there’s a variety of movie releases to look forward to right here in Kenya as well.

Among these expected title releases are Prometheus (8th June), Think Like a Man and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (22nd June), The Amazing Spiderman (6th July) and the Dark Knight Rises (27th July).

The movie that’s still raking in top dollars is Marvel’s The Avengers with a strong showing at the Box Office through the last weekend, as East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania) contributed approximately Kshs. 14 million (US$168,665) to the total tally that’s approaching the US$1.5 billion steadily.

Fans of Agent J and K will be delighted to know that Men In Black 3 premieres this weekend, close to 10 years after Men in Black 2 (in 2002). It will be interesting to see how well the consistently well received title does against the might of the Avengers assembled.

Below is the bouquette of titles you can enjoy at the theatres from the weekend of May 25th-27th 2012: 

The world premiere (including in Kenya) of:

MEN IN BLACK III (IN 3D AND IMAX 3D)

Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Comedy

Starring: Will Smith, Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones

An alien criminal kills the young Agent K in 1969, altering the timeline, changing the Agency and placing the Earth in danger. Veteran Agent J (Will Smith) must travel back in time to 1969 to before the murder and work with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save him, the Agency, the Earth and humanity itself.

SHOWING AT:

IMAX XX Century – Mama Ngina Street

Fox Cineplex, Sarit Center – Westlands

*****

DARK SHADOWS (AND IN 2D IMAX)

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Sci Fi

Starring: Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfieffer

Ghafla! Rating: 7.5/10

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet-or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better…

SHOWING AT:

Fox Theatres, Sarit Center

IMAX XX Century

*****

GHAFLA! HIGHLY RECOMMENDS >>

THE AVENGERS IN 3D AND IMAX

Genre: Fantasy, Action, Sci Fi

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L Jackson

Ghafla Rating: 9/10

A 2012 American superhero film produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures1, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. It is the sixth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was written and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast, which includes Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, and Samuel L. Jackson. In The Avengers, Nick Fury, director of the peacekeeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D., recruits Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, and Captain America to save the world from destruction.
Development of The Avengers began when Marvel Studios received a grant from Merrill Lynch in April 2005. After the success of the film Iron Man in May 2008, Marvel announced that The Avengers would be released in July 2011. With the signing of Scarlett Johansson in March 2009, the film was pushed back for a 2012 release. Whedon was brought on board in April 2010 and rewrote the screenplay that was originally written by Zak Penn. Production began in April 2011 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before moving to Cleveland, Ohio in August 2011 and New York City in September 2011. The film was converted to 3D in post-production.

SHOWING AT:

IMAX 20th Century

Fox Theatres, Sarit Cineplex

Nu Metro Westgate

Starflix Prestige

*****

BATTLESHIP

Genre: Action, Sci Fi

Starring: Alexander Skarsgaad, Liam Neeson and Rihanna

Ghafla! Rating: 7/10

Based on the classic Hasbro naval combat game, Battleship is the story of an international fleet of ships who come across an alien armada whilst on a Naval war games exercise. An intense battle ensues over sea, land and air. What do they aliens – known as ‘The Regents’ – want?

SHOWING AT:

Fox Theatres, Sarit Cineplex

Fox Theatres, Capital Centre

Starflix Prestige

*****

DANGEROUS ISHQ in 3D

Genre: Thriller, Romance

Starring: Karisma Kapoor and Rajnesh Duggal

Ghafla Rating: 4.5/10

Searching for the love of her life, through many lives.

SHOWING AT:

Nu Metro Westgate

*****

WRATH OF THE TITANS in 3D

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Adventure

Starring: Sam Worthington and Rosamund Pike

Ghafla Rating: 8.5/10

A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus-the demigod son of Zeus-is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades and Poseidon.

SHOWING AT:

Nu Metro Westgate

Starflix Village Market

****

AMERICAN REUNION

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Jason Biggs, Alison Hannigan and Sean William Scott

Ghafla Rating: 7/10

Over a decade has passed and the gang return to East Great Falls, Michigan, for the weekend. They will discover how their lives have developed as they gather for their high school reunion. How has life treated Michelle, Jim, Heather, Oz, Kevin, Vicky, Finch, Stifler, and Stifler’s mom? In the summer of 1999, it was four boys on a quest to lose their virginity. Now Kara is a cute high school senior looking for the perfect guy to lose her virginity to.

SHOWING AT:

Starflix Prestige

*****

JANAAT 2

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Starring: Emran Hasmi and Randeep Hooda

Ghafla Rating: 7/10

After fixing matches in 2008, Emraan Hashmi returns to being the greedy KKC Sonu Dilli.

SHOWING AT:

Nu Media Westgate

*****

PUNCTURE

Genre: Drama

Starring: Chris Evans and Vanessa Shaw

Ghalfa Rating: 7/10

Idealistic lawyers Mike Weiss and Paul Danziger are partners. Mike is a drug-addict and and Paul is a family man with a pregnant wife. When nurse Vicky Rogers seeks them out, they learn that she has contracted AIDS a couple of years ago when she was accidentally pinpricked with a contaminated needle by a violent patient. Vicky shows a retractable safety needle invented by engineer Jeffrey Matthew Dancort, who owns the Safety Point Company, but is unable to sell his product to any hospital from the United Medical group, apart from San Antonio Memorial. Danziger and Weiss accept the case and go to court against United Medical, defended by powerful lawyer Nathaniel Price. Soon, they see all the doors closed in their fight against the powerful mafia of the medical supply system.

SHOWING AT:

Starflix Village Market

*****

AT THE TOP OF THE BOX OFFICE is:

(As has been for the past three weeks)

THE AVENGERS

*****

Here’s a release we’re looking forward to in Kenya on 8th June 2012:

PROMETHEUS (IN 3D)

Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Horror

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall Green and Michael Fassbender.

A team of scientists journey through the universe on the spaceship “Prometheus” on a voyage to investigate Alien life forms. The team of scientists becomes stranded on an Alien world, and as they struggle to survive it becomes clear that the horrors they experience are not just a threat to themselves, but to all of mankind.

MIGHT SHOW AT:

Fox Theatres, Sarit Center

IMAX XX Century

*****

James Bond is back and as suave and calculating as ever. Interesting to note that for the first time this British spy won’t be ordering a martini, but a Heineken beer. The film is directed by Sam Mendez, the man behind Revolutionary Road, Road to Perdition and Jarhead. Checkout the exclusive official teaser trailer to the next 007 film Skyfall here…

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