Labor Day weekend means the end of the blockbuster/ summer movie season.  I wondered before now if The Dark Knight Rises was going to be able to defeat The Avengers in all marks and unfortunately for Batman, The Avengers out earned it at every turn.  The Avengers is the big winner this summer.  As we move to fall we get to look forward to a new Judge Dredd, Frankenweenie (the new stop motion film from Tim Burton), Tyler Perry’s take on Alex Cross (Perry is only acting which is very interesting),  Taken 2, and the return of James Bond in Skyfall.  I love the fall season for its risky films.  I hope some of those risks pay off.  But the last weekend of the summer brings us Tom Hardy as a moonshine runner, another possession movie, and a board game movie adaptation on film.

These are the movies released in theaters Wednesday August, 29th, 2012.
Lawless - Rated R

Three brothers (Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, and Jason Clarke) have a bootlegging business in 1930’s West Virginia.  This business is threatened by Guy Pearce and Gary Oldman.  This film is based on a true story.  Is this a action flick?  Is this a drama?  I can’t tell by the trailers.  It doesn’t matter.  I do not hate Shia LeBouf like everyone else so I am more inclined to think his skills will be in full effect if there is some dramatic scenes mixed with lots of gun shooting.  Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, and Guy Pearce will make Lawless better than it should.

Verdict - Is this the last summer blockbuster or a drama coming in under the wire?  I don’t care, I still want to see Lawless.

Oogiesloves In The Big Balloon Adventure - Rated G

I understood three words in that title.  I am not going to try to BS my way through this.  I have no idea what this is.  I looked it up and this is from one of the gentlemen who produced the Telletubbies.  When he couldn’t make a Telletubbie movie like he wanted to make he made the Oogiesloves.  So it’s full size puppets.  The audience is encouraged to interact with the characters like they would on Dora the Explorer or something like that.  Out of the box thinking did not work for Spy Kids 4D and I don't think it will work here.

Verdict - I don’t like talking during a normal movie I would loathe it during a kids movie.  

These are the movies released in theaters Friday August, 31st, 2012.
Celeste and Jesse Forever - Rated R

Finally a movie about divorce.   Rashida Jones and Andy Sandberg are getting a divorce but still act like best friends.  This leads to all sorts of problems.  I would think with the talent of the leads (Well at lest Jones) this will be watchable.  The plot could lead to some overly dramatic moments which would spell doom from Sandberg.

Verdict - A date movie those with a weird dark sense of humor.  Good think I have a weird dark sense of humor.

The Possession - Rated PG-13

A young girl unknowingly purchased a Dybbuk Box (Its a jewish spirit in a box)  Her newly divorced parents Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick try to help her as the Demon takes control.  Sam Raimi produces this twist on the Exorcist formula.  Outside of a box, I don’t see anything that would separate this from every other possession horror movie that has come out in the last 30 years.

Verdict - Hopefully there is some surprise to make this enjoyable.  I do not think The Possession will make any mark or leave any impression.

Box Office Top 5 Movies In The Country
1. The Expendables 2 - Rated R - $13,423,579 ($52,237,523)
2. The Bourne Legacy - Rated PG-13 - $9,336,005 ($85,522,220)
3. ParaNorman - Rated PG - $8,639,288 ($28,261,577)
4. The Campaign - Rated R - $7,472,397 ($64,575,569)
5. The Dark Knight Rises - Rated PG-13- $7,222,317 ($422,255,218
Movie – Rating – Weekend Domestic Gross (Total Domestic Gross)

So The Expendables 2 is making money.  That is not the surprising part.  The shock is that all movies that came out last weekend bombed.  BAD.  Premium Rush took #8 making around $5 Million bucks.  WOW.  Lawless probably will take #1 without effort.

Still In Theatres
2016: Obama’s America – Rated PG, The Apparition – Rated PG-13, The Avengers - Rated PG-13, Brave – Rated PG, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days – Rated PG, Hit and Run – Rated R, Hope Springs - Rated PG-13, Ice Age: Continental Drift - Rated PG, The Odd Life Of Timothy Green -Rated PG, Sparkle - Rated PG-13

These are the movies released on DVD Tuesday August 28th, 2012.
Battleship - Rated PG-13

G9.  YOU SUNK MY BATTLESHIP!!!  I can’t get over the Alien component to this movie.  They could have made a better Battleship film and just make it a Naval war film.  Curse you Battleship.  You are the reason I didn’t get to see The Rock in a G.I. Joe movie this year.

Next week man eating fish ruin a sex filled weekend, Bradley Cooper steals another man’s book, and some stuff I have never heard of.
Credit – IMDB.com, Boxofficemojo.com, &Yahoo!Movies.com