filmland / By Charlie Myers

Noble Savages

There’s one outstanding film amongst this week’s craptaculous offerings

(March 6, 2008) Previews

We are not yet graced locally with The Other Boleyn Girl, so what we get instead on Friday, March 7, is 10,000 B.C. This may make some hearts go pitter-pat, but mine must be too worn out. The plot, involving a mammoth hunter (relatively unknown Steven Straight) who has to go on a quest to unknown lands to save his tribe and, coincidentally meet a hot B.C. babe (Camilla Belle, who stupidly answered the phone while babysitting in a remote, large, spooky house in When a Stranger Calls), could actually be set in any era. But then, Straight couldn’t do battle with prehistoric CGI. Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence. 119 m. At the Broadway, Fortuna and Mill Creek.

The Savages

GALLERY >

Inspired by an actual break-in of a Lloyd’s bank in London in 1971, The Bank Job tells the story of car dealer Terry (Jason Statham) who is inveigled into a can’t-miss bank robbery by the beautiful Martine (Saffron Burrows). But the expected treasure turns out to be connected to dirty secrets involving royalty. It doesn’t pay to trust beautiful women. I don’t know if the film is any good, but Burrows is always a delight. R for sexual content, nudity, violence and language. 121 m. At the Broadway and Mill Creek.

The fairy tale Penelope features Christini Ricci in the title role as a wealthy girl born with a pig’s snout as a result of a curse. Let me guess, the curse can only be broken when she finds true love. Where else but in a fairy tale can you actually know when love is true? The film also features Reese Witherspoon and James McAvoy. Rated PG for thematic elements, some innuendo and language. 100 m. At the Broadway.

Still not thrilled? Then, check out Disney’s College Road Trip starring Martin Lawrence as a cop and overly protective father who accompanies his daughter (Raven-Symoné) on a road trip to check out colleges. His unwelcome presence presumably leads to a lot of comic bits. Rated G. 93 m. At the Broadway, Fortuna and Mill Creek.

By now, your cup probably runneth over but wait, there’s more. Strange Wilderness is a stoner comedy starring Steve Zahn as the pot-smoking nature show host Peter who, when his show starts to tank, packs up his RV and heads to Costa Rica in search of Bigfoot. I guess Zahn figures people will come see him in anything, and he’s probably right. Rated R for non-stop language, drug use, crude and sexual humor. 97 m. At The Movies and the Minor.

Also this week, the Minor Theater hosts College of the Redwoods and Humboldt State’s 10th Annual International Latino Film Festival. La Lengua de las Mariposas (Butterfly’s Tongue)opens the festival on Mar. 11, El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) plays Mar. 12 and Machucaplays Mar. 13. Screenings begin at 6 p.m. nightly.

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