By Chris Kavan - 04/08/11 at 12:56 PM CT
Another week, another shot to wipe these box office blues away. Can a super-trained teen, a remake and a medieval farce do the trick?
1) You can say that Saoirse Ronan is going to be a force to be reckoned with this weekend. Last time I saw her, she was a murder victim pondering the lives of those she left behind. My, how times have changed. As the titular Hanna, now she's a stone-cold killing machine, trained to go up against the best - in this case and icy Cate Blanchett. Plus anything that has The Chemical Brothers providing the soundtrack has got to be worth watching.
2) If you're not up for action, hopefully you want to laugh. First up is the medieval romp of Your Highness, which kind of does look like another Pineapple Express - just replace pot with swords and magic and there you go! I'm only giving this the edge because of Natalie Portman - she can still kick ass even in chainmail.
3) If you still want MORE comedy, good news, because Russell Brand is here to fill the shoes of Dudley Moore with Arthur. This remake looks suitably updated, and I've enjoyed Brand in other comedies, but I really don't have much to say about the original, so the remake doesn't hold much interest other than a curiosity.
4) If you're into more inspirational fare, then Soul Surfer will be a great comfort to you. Based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton - a young girl who lost her arm to a shark attack, yet didn't give up her dream - AnnaSophia Robb plays the surfer in question and hopefully the inspirational story stays that way and doesn't venture too far into maudlin sentiment.
Time will tell - see you Sunday when we find out whether this downward spiral can be reversed.
