New movies for the weekend of February 10, 2012

Hollywood is apparently short on the romance this Valentine’s Day as this weekend only brings one romance, a family movie, a thriller with Denzel and a 3D version of a movie that came out 10 years ago. It is the Hollywood dry season right now. The biggest new movies, and some of the most anticipated movies of the year are not scheduled to hit the mega-plexes until the spring. And, as for this being Valentine’s Day weekend, there seems to be a shortage of actually romantic motion pictures this weekend. There are thrills a-plenty, however. Hollywood sources say that these are the films due out to your local movie theater this weekend, the weekend of February 10, 2012: Journey 2: Mysterious Island - Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Michael Caine, Vanessa Hudgens. This is a very loose sequel to the 2008 smash hit Journey to the Center of the Earth. Both are also very loose adaptations of Jules Verne novels. This time, the same kid who got into trouble in Center of the Earth decodes a hidden message and realizes his grandfather is still alive, but trapped on the titular mysterious island. The movie is available in both 3D and 2D versions and is rated PG. Safe House - Ryan Reynolds, Denzel Washington. Denzel is back to being evil in this one. He plays one of the CIA’s most deadly operatives who decides to go rogue. Reynolds is the low-level CIA agent in charge of keeping the safe house they intend to bring Denzel’s character to operating effectively. When that safe house is compromised, all hell breaks loose and the action is non-stop. Some critics are saying that this thrill-ride is a bit formulaic and not particularly original, but action fans should find it entertaining if they aren’t too concerned about coherent plot. Rated R. The Vow - Rachel McAadams, Channing Tatum. The one and only romance movie of the Valentine’s Day weekend. McAdams and Tatum star as a normal Chicago couple who have been happily married for four years when a snowy night and a traffic accident turns everything upside down. McAdams character awakens and does not remember the past four years. She doesn’t know who her husband is, thinks she still lives with her parents and is, in fact, engaged to an entirely different person. Can Tatum’s character woo his wife back and make her fall in love with him all over again? Will her parents let that happen? The story is loosely based on a real-life story. Rated PG-13. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace in 3D - Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Lloyd, Natalie Portman. This movie originally came out to much fanfare and impossibly high expectations in 1999. To many, the first impression of this film was that it was fantastic, but many a Star Wars fan has since stated that the movie does not hold up well. Following up previous re-releases of the original trilogy, George Lucas has gone back and added 3D special effects to the prequels and this is the first of those releases. Rated PG. Photo courtesy of Morguefile.com Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.