This weeks installment of Get Reel has us previewing Moneyball starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Abduction starring Taylor Lautner,  Dolphin Tale 3D starring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Harry Connick Jr., Kris Kristofferson, Nathan Gamble, and Killer Elite starring Jason Statham, Clive Owen, and Robert De Niro.

Let’s start with my most anticipated film of the weekend:

Moneyball

Director: Bennett Miller
Screenwriter: Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Stephen Bishop, Kathyrn Morris, Chris Pratt

The Gist of it: Brad Pitt plays Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane in the true story of how he turned to computer analysis to create a winning, budget priced, baseball team. Jonah Hill plays Pitt’s assistant GM who brings the art of computer analysis to the forefront of his strategy in building a winning ball team.

Why I’m Excited: Moneyball is being directed by Bennett Miller – the director of Capote – and has a stacked cast headlined by Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Add baseball into the mix and I think we’ve got a winner. Critical praise has also been high, with many critics calling it the best baseball film since Bull Durham, and others saying Pitt’s performance is Oscar worthy. Take your old man, your pals, a date because this one’s gold.

Dolphin Tale

Director: Charles Martin Smith
Screenwriters: Karen Janszen, Noam Dromi
Starring: Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Austin Stowell, Morgan Freeman

The Gist of It: The true story of a dolphin’s struggle for survival after severely injuring her tail in a crab trap and the people around her fighting and praying for her survival.

Why I’m Afraid: Look, I’ll be the first to admit it, I am weak when it comes to movies about animals, they are too damn upsetting for me.  With that being said, Dolphin Tale 3D has a stellar cast and a positive message, so I have no doubt that it will be a very pleasant family film for those braver than myself. Take the kids.

Abduction

Director: John Singleton
Screenwriter: Shawn Christensen, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Starring: Taylor Lautner, Lily Collins, Alfred Molina, Jason Isaacs, Maria Bello, Denzel Whitaker, Michael Nyqvist, Sigourney Weaver

The Gist of It: Taylor Lautner stars as Nathan Harper a high school boy that may or may not have been abducted as a child.  When Harper’s house is attacked by a secret organization, he goes on the run in search of answers…and vengeance.

Why I Have Little To No Intention of Seeing It:  Abduction will serve the teenage audience just fine.  Lautner will kick some butt, kiss some girls, and invariably take his shirt off, but that does little good for me now does it?  Boys, leave this one to the girls.

Killer Elite

Director: Gary McKendry
Screenwriter: Gary McKendry, Matt Sherring
Starring: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro

The Gist of It: Somehow based on a true story, Killer Elite is about a retired special ops agent (Jason Statham) who has to return to the field to rescue his mentor (Robert De Niro) who was captured by Clive Owen and his gang of toughs.

Why I’ll See It In The Cheap Theater: Any movie trailer that has Rock You Like A Hurricane by the Scorpions in it seems like a definite win to me.  Okay it’s going to be big, loud, and dumb, but at least the filmmakers are owning up to this. Round up the boys, put a couple beers in your jacket, and enjoy the blissful nonsense that the Killer Elite will supply.

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