That’s the choice this weekend—a cartoon panda, a monkey in a dress and a serious looking Mr Pitt. And there’s no doubt where Brad Pitt will end up when they tally the box office numbers. You’ve surely seen the billboards for Kung Fu Panda and Hangover II by now. Both rambunctious sequels are likely to duke it out for the top spot while Terence Malick’s arthouse movie, The Tree of Life, starring Pitt, will open in select cities.
The Hangover, Part II’s tagline, “Bangkok has them now,” sets up the “the Wolfpack” of Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifinakis, Justin Bratha and Ed Helms on another wedding based misadventure in an more exotic locale than Las Vegas (and possibly more hedonistic). This time it’s Helms’s turn to get married (though not to Heather Graham from the first movie). And while the bachelor party goes off without a hitch, the pre-wedding brunch the next day goes awry when a monkey called Crystal shows up to cause havoc. Not to mention the scene-stealing Ken Jeong, whom Galifinakis introduces as “my plus one.
The more kid-friendly Kung Fu Panda looks equally raucous. This time Po, the chubbiest Dragon Warrior in screen history (voiced by Jack Black), sets off on a journey to China to save Kung Fu from Lord Shen, who also wants to destroy Po’s posse, the Furious Five (Tigress, Monkey, Viper, Mantis, and Crane). Though the flick is aimed at kids, Entertainment Weekly calls it “a more-than-worthy sequel,” giving it a B-plus.
But then along comes Brad Pitt, exploring an entirely different universe altogether. The Tree of Life had a stunning debut at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month, winning the coveted Palme D’Or. Sean Penn stars as the adult protagonist, exploring the different outlooks of his kind mother (Jessica Chastain) and strict father (Brad Pitt). An existential, artier piece, it has been mostly applauded by the critics, earning 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. And not a monkey or a panda in sight.
What kind of movie puts you in the Memorial Day spirit?
