Weekend Movie Preview: August 8, 2014

It's a busy weekend movie preview this time out, with five films opening in cinemas this second weekend of August. 

Helen Mirren truly cooks in The Hundred-Foot Journey, those ninja turtles are back in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, weather is the bad guy in Into the Storm, Daniel Radcliffe tries his hand at a rom-com with What If and it's an all-star Step Up reunion in Step Up: All In.

Let's break it down...

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The boys are back and we're not sure if that is a good thing. As our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles review reported, the effects are better than the '90s movies, but that doesn't mean the story is too.

Michael Bay produced this thing, and his handprints are all over it, and that is not a good thing. Little boys will love it, but beyond that, we're not sure who this movie is for. 

Into the Storm: Talk about a special effects driven movie that doesn't forget to give us characters that we care about! Climate change has caused historically severe storms across the planet and that is the basis for this disaster flick that shows what happens when a series of tornadoes touches down in one Midwestern town for one hell of a day.

Check out our Into the Storm review for more.

Step Up All In: Now, we may be biased 'cause we adore the Step Up movies, but there is something about seeing stars from several of the past incarnations in one movie that truly had us dancing in the aisles.

As we stated in our Step Up: All In review, the dance numbers go to a whole new level and the 3D camera technology that exists now truly puts the viewer right in the middle of these mind-blowing routines! 

The Hundred-Foot Journey: Mirren is a global treasure and she proves that again with her turn as the owner of a French restaurant who does everything she can to ensure her new neighbors fail at their Indian restaurant.

The global cast is sensational and although our The Hundred-Foot Journey review found the film a little on the light side, overall it is as delicious as those dishes served in the movie. 

What If: Radcliffe tries his hand at romantic leading man and succeeds! Although the "can women and men be friends" aspect of the story feels recycled, the chemistry between Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan is electric.

And in a season filled with blockbuster films with explosions and superheroes, this rom-com is a nice change. As our What If review points out, for a film with such a seen it before premise, it sure feels fresh. 

Feel like staying in this weekend? Several great movies have landed on digital download. Watch Divergent online and watch Need for Speed online.