DreamWorks Animation has released the teaser trailer for Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg previously said Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe would get back to New York eventually (probably in the fourth film) but in the meantime “their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent – Madagascar style.”

Watch the trailer below:

The film once again features the vocal talents of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer and Andy Richter. Frances McDormand is a new addition and voices a calculating and goal-oriented animal control officer who leads her team to capture the animals. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted will be released on June 8, 2012 and is directed by Eric Darnell (Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa).

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Did Hollywood somehow know, or orchestrate, this occupy Wall Street movement? That question is posed because the latest batch of theatrical releases, many of which touch upon these protests, already have a built-in marketing campaign. And Tower Heist could benefit from it.

And the 104 minute playful revenge tale of “storming the castle” and sticking it to his lordship (scumbag Wall Street mogul) will probably need these motivated ticket buyers…for this is one-step below mediocre.

Director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour flicks) has created a poor-man’s version of Ocean’s Eleven. And that includes the movie mechanics (directing, storytelling, etc.). Instead of breaking into a hi-tech casino, this batch of characters are trying to breach a penthouse at an elegant complex in the heart of New York City. The interesting aspect is the script isn’t spoofing an Ocean’s type product; for it seems to be trying to project a symbolic message fit for the current times. Problem that arises is the tone of whether it’s trying to be funny, serious or somewhere between is hopelessly lost in a cliff-notes type screenplay that doesn’t have any flow until the final, and surprisingly quasi-suspenseful, climax.

When personable Wall Street kingpin Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) gets busted for a Ponzi scheme, his loyal pawns, who work at his residential tower, all get the financial shaft. Thanks in part to a caring worker’s initiative to put all the staff’s pension funds into Shaw’s invest firm. Now that Shaw is under Federal investigation, his trusted building manager, a.k.a the caring worker, Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) isn’t feeling too good about himself as he deals with the extreme guilt for trusting Shaw.

Yet the guy refuses to let this go without a fight, even though sympathetic Special Agent Claire Denham (Tea Leoni) says the chances of recovering any of the monetary loses are slim. Josh decides to go outside the law and puts together a team from the pool of the slighted workers which include elevator operator Dev’Reaux (Michael Pena), concierge Charlie (Casey Affleck) and the buildings only evicted tenant in former Wall Street guru – now pansy – Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick). This group begins planning but realizes they are missing one pertinent element…a true thief to help prepare them. Enter in Slide (Eddie Murphy); a street hustler, who Josh walks by every day all while taking his insults directed at his suit-wearing ass.

Those wanting to see Eddie Murphy getting some of that edge back, well, let’s just say this is a start. Maybe even a gateway to the long-awaited return of R-rated Murphy! While he’s making the most of his time in a supporting capacity – same can be said for Alan Alda -, Stiller, Broderick, Affleck, and Pena are asked to carry this sucker. But this group has seldom chemistry happening, leading to seldom laughs.

In true campy crime-caper fashion, a few more role players show up with Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) playing a housekeeper; Stephen Henderson playing the loyal doorman; and criminally underutilized Judd Hirsch as the tower’s second-in-command. Why are they here? Because they simply fill out the formula for this type of flick. Essentially, none of them are needed or will be remembered. It’s not their fault; it’s the scripts and the shanty editing that bogs the atmosphere down. This just jumps around and highlights what they’re going to do without giving the audience the joy of seeing it unfold. Just about every sequence is missing a middle portion or an explanation how they got from point A to point B. And the middle portions are always what entertain in these flicks. Even the dialogue between the unorthodox crooks fails to even provide cheap laughs.

Although the climax brings in some tension and suspense, the pitch of the characters and dialogue just doesn’t mesh to fully get you going. It’s also at this point where Eddie Murphy is shut down, and aside from a thrilling set-piece involving a car and a high-rise using the backdrop of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, boredom sets in.

Overall, Tower Heist won’t rip you off but you’re definitely not getting your money’s worth based on the cast and projected story. Much like the Occupy Wall Street movement, the people have found one entity to blame for the number of messes we’re in. With regards to this flick, the blame for all the faults fall squarely on a chopped-up screenplay with very little humor outside of Eddie Murphy letting loose here and there. Brett Ratner may be in his element here, but he seems to be having an off-game with this one.

RATING: 2 out of 5

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Something very strange happened today. A trailer for an upcoming Eddie Murphy movie appeared online and it actually looked watchable. To add to the strangeness it’s a movie directed by Brett Ratner, the man partly responsible for the disappointment that was X-Men 3.

You can watch the trailer for Tower Heist, which also stars Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Téa Leoni, Michael Peña, and Gabourey Sidibe, below:

After the workers at a luxury Central Park condominium discover the penthouse billionaire has stolen their retirement, they plot the ultimate revenge: a heist to reclaim what he took from them.

It looks like a pretty average comedy, but even that’s a big step up for Murphy after Meet Dave and Norbit. The inclusion of Ben Stiller and Casey Affleck will probably help sell this film, which hits November 4th.

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Earlier this week we heard that the producers of this years Oscar ceremony had pulled the plug on a skit by Sasha Baron Cohen so as not to offend James Cameron. In the skit Cohen planned to appear onstage as a female Na’vi, with Ben Stiller translating “her” interplanetary speech. As the skit went on Cohen would grow ever more upset. At its climax, an infuriated Baron Cohen would pull open “her” evening gown to reveal that s/he was pregnant with Cameron’s love child, and would go on to confront her baby daddy as if s/he were on Jerry Springer.

Well E! Online spoke to Cameron about the now scrapped plans, and he said he wouldn’t have had a problem with it.

Cameron said he wasn’t aware that a proposed Avatar sketch involving Ben Stiller and Sacha Baron Cohen had been cut from the show, presumably to avoid upsetting the director.

“I don’t know anything about that…I don’t produce the Oscars. If they want to poke fun at Avatar Sunday, that’s OK by me,” said Cameron, “I’m sure we’ll laugh.”

As far as he’s concerned, he told me, jokes are just another element of Hollywood’s big night. And he’s fine with it.

“The Oscars are a celebration of movies…even the gaffes and out-of-bounds stuff are all part of the fun.”

Maybe the producers have time to put it back in? Although as Cameron and most of the internet know what will happen it probably won’t be as funny. Damn the producers for being too sensitive!

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards will take place on Sunday March 7th, 2010

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Mark Romanek, director of some incredibly creepy music videos (“Closer” by Nine Inch Nails), and one feature film, One Hour Photo, has reportedly been developing a script by Michael R. Perry (episodes of The Dead Zone and The Guardian), titled The Voices. The film revolves around a man who begins to take advice from his cat and dog after killing a fellow employee at the factory he works at. VERY weird. Also awesome.

According to /Film, Ben Stiller is the current favourite to play the lead character, which would seemingly be entirely different from just about every role Stiller has ever played, EVER. Robin Williams was fantastic in One Hour Photo, and hopefully this breaking of the mould turns out just as well.

One Hour Photo was a great film with a somewhat surreal atmosphere, and I really hope Romanek directs The Voices as his second feature. He was previously working on The Wolfman, but left due to “creative differences,” which seems to be the stock phrase used every time anyone leaves anything. We don’t have much to go on yet, but the director, premise, and potential casting are very intriguing.

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Earlier today Deadline Hollywood reported that Oscar producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic asked Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. to co-host the 82nd Oscar ceremony as a duo, which would have been schweeeeeet. But they said no. So now they’ve gone for their second option, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will serve as co-hosts of the 82nd Academy Awards®, Oscar telecast producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman announced today. “We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars,” said Shankman and Mechanic. “Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”

“I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin,” said Martin.

“I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.

I doubt there will be any singing and dancing with Beyonce this time, however I’m sure the pair will be comedy gold. The event will take place on March 7th 2010.

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According to THR, comedy actor Ben Stiller is in early talks to direct The Trial of the Chicago 7, a movie Steven Spielberg pulled out of directing because he was busy with Tintin. Earlier this year The Bourne Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass was apparently interested in directing, but it seems nothing came of that.

Stiller has directed Zoolander and Tropic Thunder so he kinda knows what he’s doing. But can he direct a movie about the 1968 Democratic convention riots and their aftermath? A move that will most likely contain few jokes and no Owen Wilson?

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Cinematical have received an exclusive poster for Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.

The film, which stars the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen and Jada Pinkett Smith, follows our animal friends as they hatch a plan to get back to New York; more specifically, Central Park. However, when they attempt to fly themselves out, the crew accidentally crash land in the wildest place of all — the vast plains of Africa itself. While there, they’ll get a better feel for their roots, as well as the difference between life in the concrete jungle and life on the world’s second largest continent. But with danger right around the corner, will this family reunion be cut short a little too soon? And will our heroes ever return home?

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Did anyone watch the final of American Idol last night? I know I didn’t. However, I did hear that Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. did some promotional thing for Tropic Thunder. The trio were backing singers/dancers for Gladys Knight singing “Midnight Train to Georgia”.

Check it out below!

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I like the fact that Ben Stiller hasn’t fallen into the Will Ferrell trap by playing the same character in every single movie, just with a different setting. I also like that fact that Ben Stiller has finally made a movie I am looking forward to. If movies were based on the cast then Tropic Thunder could be up for an Academy Award next year. We have Jack Black doing what he does best, and the new King of Hollywood, Robert Downey Jr, who has taken a unique career movie by playing a black man. Can he be the next Samuel L Jackson? I believe so! He says motherf**ker enough anyway!

You can watch the trailer by clicking here! (Its an R-Rated trailer so there’s one of those age restriction things)

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