Movies With Butter

The last weeks of summer seem to be following the unfortunate trend of a continuous stream of mediocre releases. The two movies arriving in theaters today haven’t been receiving hardly any positive reviews; it’s not going to be pretty any way you slice it, so let’s get to it.

First on the list is a film adaptation of a graphic novel: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. This film, a sequel to the original heavily-stylized film, integrates two different narratives from its parent graphic novel with new material, and will star such big names as Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Jessica Alba.

Unfortunately, the release’s film pedigree and set of talented actors were not enough to convince critics—it currently sits at 43% on Rotten Tomatoes. As impressive as the visual style is, it can’t disguise the half-baked screenplay and shoddy plot.
According to Box Office Guru, the film can only expect around $14 million this weekend.

Our other new release is of a decidedly different flavor, but also has its origin in print—If I Stay, based in the novel of the same name, stars Chloe Grace Moretz as Mia Hill, whose life goes from complicated to crazy during a car ride on her way to deciding her future.

This film did not fare much better with critics, rating at 41% on the Tomatometer. Moretz’s acting is on point, but the film ultimately suffers because it feels insincere, which is a deathstroke for a film based in catharsis. It can expec t arounf $16 million in weekend earnings.

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