[This is a re-post of my review from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.  The East opens today in limited release.]

The undercover thriller is a familiar genre, but it rarely reaches its full potential. For a setting where betrayal and shifting sympathies are central to the plot, most of these stories only provide the semblance of a grey area. Yes, the terrorist is planning to destroy the western seaboard, but his kid died ten years ago, so he’s not all bad. This is an easy road to nominal dramatic conflict while still keeping the audience firmly supporting the hero. With their new film The East, director Zal Batmanglij and co-writer Brit Marling have played the undercover thriller to near-perfection by forcing the audience to sit uncomfortably as we wonder who should deserve our sympathies. Playing to the conventions of the genre stops The East from holding any major surprises, but Batmanglij and his strong cast always keep us riveted as we become as conflicted as the film’s protagonist.

Though filming actually began in Vancouver and New Orleans quite a while ago, 20th Century Fox has unveiled a “start of production” press release for the sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.  Director Matt Reeves (Let Me In) takes the helm this time around, and while we previously knew that the film would take place 15 years after the first film and find Caesar (Andy Serkis) attempting to assert his dominance over the apes while a small human colony struggles to survive in San Francisco, an official synopsis has now been released:

“A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier.  They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth¹s dominant species.”

Additionally, Toby Kebbell (Wrath of the Titans) and Enrique Murciano (Traffic) have been added to a cast led by Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Gary Oldman, Kodi Smit-MCPhee, Kirk Acevedo, and Judy Greer.  Hit the jump to read the full press release.  Dawn of the Planet of the Apes opens on May 23, 2014.

The undercover thriller is a familiar genre, but it rarely reaches its full potential.  For a setting where betrayal and shifting sympathies are central to the plot, most of these stories only provide the semblance of a grey area.  Yes, the terrorist is planning to destroy the western seaboard, but his kid died ten years ago, so he’s not all bad.  This is an easy road to nominal dramatic conflict while still keeping the audience firmly supporting the hero.  With their new film The East, director Zal Batmanglij and co-writer Brit Marling have played the undercover thriller to near-perfection by forcing the audience to sit uncomfortably as we wonder who should deserve our sympathies.  Playing to the conventions of the genre stops The East from holding any major surprises, but Batmanglij and his strong cast always keep us riveted as we become as conflicted as the film’s protagonist.

Last week presented me with the first opportunity I’ve had in a while to catch two movies in a theater within 24 hours of one another (cue the scoffing of real cinephiles). While I’ll sure that I’ll be hammered for that previous statement when it comes time to renew my movie blogger certification, the truth is that, in the small market I call home, only the most mainstream of the mainstream films ever make it to the silver screen. So, with that said, I’d just like to thank the creative forces behind 21 Jump Street and The Hunger Games for giving me the opportunity to spend 1/6 of a day at the movies with films that, while drastically different in almost every conceivable metric, were solid from beginning to end.

Moving on, in this week’s installment the Top 5 is offering modest coverage of Anchorman 2‘s forward progress, Wrath of the Titans interviews with Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, director Jonathan Liebesman and more, the debut of our new podcast, The Collision, The Dark Knight Rises trailer in Lego form, and a recap of some of the week’s top trailers. Per usual, you can find a brief recap and link to each after the jump.

Opening today is director Jonathan Liebesman’s (Battle: Los Angeles) Wrath of the Titans.  In the sequel to Clash of the Titans, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is tasked with stopping the titans and saving Zeus (Liam Neeson) from Hades’ stranglehold (Ralph Fiennes). The film also stars Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell and Danny Huston.  And for those wondering how the sequel turned out, Wrath of the Titans is what I hoped Clash of the Titans would be.  It’s got a solid story, incredible effects, and the 3D is really well done.  I’ve seen it twice (including IMAX 3D) and it’s definitely recommended.  For more on the film, here’s five clips.

During my interview with Kebbell, we talked about how he got involved in the project, what did he want to bring to his character, what surprised him about making the movie, and what’s his favorite director, actor and movie.  In addition, we talked about director Zal Batmanglij‘s (Sound of My Voice) The East and his thoughts on the live-action Akira.  Hit the jump to watch.

2010′s Clash of the Titans was an absolute mess.  The story made no sense, the movie wasted its cast, and the film was clearly cut to hell with perhaps a more interesting tale left on the editing room floor.  The problems were compounded by thoughtless action scenes and atrocious 3D.  Wrath of the Titans solves the confusing-story problem by making the plot stolid and obstinate.  The action scenes are just as big but even more pointless, and the 3D looks fine but adds nothing to the experience.  There are some brief, glorious moments where strong performances peak through, and we get a glimpse at some imaginative designs.  These few moments help the sequel barely clear the low bar set by its predecessor.

The live-action adaptation of the manga/anime Akira has apparently sunk back into development hell.  The movie was beginning to move into pre-production after having cast Garrett Hedlund as Kaneda, and Warner Bros. was in various stages of negotiations with Kristen Stewart, Gary Oldman, and Helena Bonham Carter.  The studio was also trying to find the film’s other male lead to play Tetsuo.  Wrath of the Titans actor Toby Kebbell was one of the actors being considered, and he was excited for the chance to play the part until he read the script.

Hit the jump for what Kebbell, a fan of the original manga and anime, had to say about Warners’ take on the story.

We’ve been provided with five clips from the upcoming sequel Wrath of the Titans to share with you today. Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles) takes over the director’s chair this time around and takes a more practical approach to the effects than Clash of the Titans.  The film finds Perseus (Sam Worthington) tasked with stopping the titans and saving Zeus (Liam Neeson) from Hades’ stranglehold (Ralph Fiennes).  Though Clash wasn’t exactly warmly received, Worthington has stated that he feels they did things right this time around. After seeing the film the other night, I agree.  Wrath of the Titans is what I hoped Clash of the Titans would be.  Trust me, the sequel is a vast improvement and a really good fantasy movie.

Hit the jump to watch the clips and look for exclusive video interviews with the cast and director Jonathan Liebesman next week .  The film also stars Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell and Danny Huston.  Wrath of the Titans opens in 3D on March 30th.

We’re a little more than a week out from the release of Wrath of the Titans, the sequel to 2010′s Clash of the Titans. You may have noticed from the images and trailers released for the movie so far that Wrath has no shortage of mythological creatures wreaking havoc and making life a living Hell for our heroes. With all of those beasties vying for screen time, it’s tough to pick out just which one is responsible for all that destruction. Take for instance, the fireball pictured above, which comes courtesy of one of the more bizarre creatures from Greek mythology, the Chimera. This new creature featurette will teach you everything you need to know should you find yourself up against the fearsome fire-breather.

Wrath of the Titans stars Sam Worthington, Edgar Ramirez, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Bill Nighy, Rosamund Pike, Toby Kebbell and Danny Huston. The sequel opens in 3D on March 30th. Hit the jump to check out the featurette.

We’ve previously brought you four exclusive images and 19 new images from Clash of the Titans sequel, Wrath of the Titans, along with posters, trailers and interviews.  Now we’ve got nearly 40 hi-res images from the swords-and-sandals sequel that features all of your favorite gods and mortals. Wrath of the Titans stars Sam Worthington, Edgar Ramirez, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Bill Nighy, Rosamund Pike, Toby Kebbell and Danny Huston. The sequel opens in 3D on March 30th. Hit the jump to check out the images.

Warner Bros. has released 19 new images from Jonathan Liebesman‘s Clash of the Titans sequel, Wrath of the Titans.  The sequel has the gods calling on Perseus (Sam Worthington) to help defeat the titans.  The whole “Release the Kraken” thing from the first movie was just a big misunderstanding.  Gods and Perseus are cool now.  The images provide a first look at the great Edgar Ramirez (Carlos; check it out) as Ares.  He’s no Kratos, but Ramirez still looks like a quality god of war.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  The film also stars Rosamund Pike, Toby Kebbell, Ralph Fiennes, and Liam Neeson.  Wrath of the Titans opens in 3D on March 30th.

A new trailer has gone online for Wrath of the Titans.  There’s not much in the way of new footage, but the marketing continues to push the big monsters over the puny humans.  The sequel takes place ten years after the original, and Perseus (Sam Worthington) is called in to assist the gods in taking down the titans.  I’m not sure if plots have become more coherent or 3D post-conversion has advanced in a decade, but one thing is for sure: wood is impenetrable.  You can use planks of wood as a shield against a fireball.  Spare me your mythical weapons.  I want wooden debris.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film also stars Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Danny Huston, Edgar Ramirez, Bill Nighy, Toby Kebbell, and Rosamund Pike.  Wrath of the Titans opens March 30th.

Warner Bros. has released two posters and three banners for Wrath of the Titans.  There’s no kraken this time around so none of the characters are going to say, “Let’s get kraken.”  I know the plot involves the titans getting unleashed and Zeus (Liam Neeson) asking Perseus (Sam Worthington) for some help, but I don’t get the point without kraken puns.  Kraken puns make the world go round.

Hit the jump to check out the posters.  The film also stars Ralph Fiennes, Danny Huston, Edgar Ramirez, Bill Nighy, Toby Kebbell, and Rosamund Pike.  Wrath of the Titans opens in 3D on March 30th.

With awards-season upon us, I’ve been doing my best to catch up with any potential contenders that I may have missed up to this point. Without a doubt, the standout of late has been writer/director Tate Taylor‘s The Help. I had heard from several friends that the pic was solid but nothing special. After finally getting a chance to sit down with it myself, I have to say that I disagree. I think it’s better than that. Not only is it filled with great performances, but it also finds a way to be more than a story of how a caring white person can help those otherwise hopeless black people. If only 2009′s The Blind Side could go back in time and take note.

But enough of my own cinematic experiences, in this week’s “Top 5″ you’ll find a recap of our visit to the Romanian set of Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance, Benedict Cumberbatch talking about his villainous role in J.J. Abrams‘ Star Trek sequel, our interview with Mondo creative director Justin Ishmael, the possibility of a Bridesmaids world without Kristen Wiig, and video interviews with War Horse‘s Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston and more. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

Now playing in theaters is director Steven Spielberg‘s fantastic new movie, War Horse.  Based on the Award winning play (which is based on Michael Morpurgo’s book) and set during World War I, War Horse tells the story of “the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert (Jeremy Irvine), who tames and trains him.”  And don’t just take my word for it, early screenings have been very positive and the drama is heading into Oscar season with very positive buzz, especially after the National Board of review named War Horse one of the best 10 films of the year.  The film also stars Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Peter Mullan, Niels Arestrup, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Kennedy, and Toby Kebbell.  You can watch the trailer here and here’s seven clips.

To help promote the film, DreamWorks recently held a press junket in New York City and I was able to talk with Hiddleston, Kennedy and Kebbell on camera.  While I only had a few minutes, they each talked about how they got cast in War Horse and told some great stories.  And, of course, I asked them about their favorite karaoke songs.  One of them even sang for a few seconds.  Check out what they had to say after the jump.