Now-a-Dollar April 27 | Buzz Blog
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Thursday, April 26, 2012

A&E / Culture

Now-a-Dollar April 27

Posted By on April 26, 2012, 10:23 AM

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The grueling experience of going through combat comes to discount theaters this weekend; also, something that's not an Eddie Murphy comedy. ---

Act of Valor was promoted with its gimmick of using real active-duty Navy SEALs for its fictionalized story of a military rescue mission. And there are about 20 minutes of eye-popping awesomeness in the middle, where we get a look at combat operations and interrogations in a completely new and fascinating way. Unfortunately, the rest of it is rote action stuff combined with attempts at backstory drama that crumble under the pressure of inexperienced performers.

Meanwhile, Eddie Murphy's long-delayed A Thousand Words -- about a fast-talker whose fate is connected to a magical bodhi tree, whose leaves fall every time he utters a word -- also appears. CW's Eric D. Snider described it as "the definition of flatline filmmaking, slapped together by people who can’t even muster the energy to deliver on their low-grade formula" And he chooses his words carefully.

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Scott Renshaw

Scott Renshaw
Bio:
 Scott Renshaw has been a City Weekly staff member since 1999, including assuming the role of primary film critic in 2001 and Arts & Entertainment Editor in 2003. Scott has covered the Sundance Film Festival for 25 years, and provided coverage of local arts including theater, pop-culture conventions, comedy,... more

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