"When you have three kids, you’ve got to take your opportunities when they come," Jada said. "In a limo, on the way to the Academy Awards this year, Will started looking at me in this way that drives me wild. We started kissing passionately, and the next thing I knew, well, let’s just say we missed the red carpet and I ended up with almost no makeup on."

Hey, more power to them! Will Smith is currently producing "The Karate Kid" (featuring their son, Jaden Smith), and you can catch Jada in TNT’s "Hawthorne." (I know she’s got a great body, but that Shape cover’s gotta be airbrushed, right?)

Image: splashnewsonline.com

Post from: Film Gecko

Not only is it Chan’s 100th movie, but it’s also the first time he’s directed a film since 1998’s "Who Am I?"

But before that, he’ll begin shooting "Kung Fu Kid" in June in China, a remake of "The Karate Kid" starring Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith, who’s also producing the film.

It’s amazing to me that Jackie Chan has continued to make the same type of movie for his entire career. Most movie stars venture into other genres or politics or whatever, and while I’m sure Chan has plenty of other ventures, they’re all based on his particular brand: Asian action star.

You’ve gotta wonder how long he’ll be able to continue. He’s 55 right now, but he can’t keep up the martial arts action forever.

Image Credit: Amazon.com

Post from: Film Gecko

I’ve always thought that Keanu Reeves had sort of wooden acting abilities, which makes him perfect for this role, since he plays a humanoid-looking alien. Although I wouldn’t say this remake of the classic 1951 film is a great movie, it still has some nifty special effects.

It begins with a huge spherical object landing in New York’s Central Park. Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) is practically dragged out of her home by law enforcement officials and shepherded into a waiting aircraft carrier, along with several other scientists. They’re taken to Central Park, where the group approaches the object and Helen makes contact with a strange being exiting the orb. Of course, the military shoot the creature on the spot.

Taken to a medical facility, the creature eventually sheds a goopy layer of gray blubbery skin, and emerges as Klaatu (Keanu Reeves), the aforementioned humanoid-looking alien. The reason for his visit to Earth becomes clear: other civilized planets wish to destroy Earth’s population, since we’ve done such a horrible job taking care of the place.

The Secretary of Defense (Kathy Bates) decides to deal with the situation by force, but Helen takes pity on Klaatu and, along with her stepson, Jacob (Jaden Smith), helps him escape. On the run, she tries to convince Klaatu that the Earth is worth saving, that we can change, but he says things are already in motion and it’s too late.

This is where things get interesting. During all of this, military personnel have been dealing with and attempting to destroy a giant robot-type being. I won’t say what happens with this being, but let’s just say that the special effects are pretty cool. In fact, I wanted more of the special effects and less of the environmental/save the planet message. 

That said, “The Day the Earth Stood Still” has plenty of suspense and action scenes, and the story stays true to the original movie. It bugged me that U.S. military personnel were portrayed as these buffoons who didn’t have a clue what they were doing. Also that force would be the only way to deal with a situation like this. I guess that’s the point of the movie. That we’re buffoons, but buffoons with heart — and that’s enough to save ourselves from total destruction.

Jon Hamm, John Cleese, and Kyle Chandler also show up, and while they’re fine in their roles, they go the way of the rest of this movie, which is to give us one-dimensional characters. But I still love Keanu’s line from the trailer: “You should let me go.” He rocks that line.

Images: The Day the Earth Stood Still, 20th Century-Fox Film Corp., 2008

Post from: Film Gecko

In the oh-no-not-another-remake department, “The Karate Kid” remake is a go at Columbia, with Jaden Smith in the title role. That’s Jaden, pictured, along with his dad, Will Smith, at the Los Angeles premiere of “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” on Oct. 26, 2008. Look at that face!

Rumors have been circulating for a while, but a note landed in my inbox today confirming the casting of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s offspring. Jaden co-starred along with his dad in “The Pursuit of Happyness” (which I loved).

More after the jump…

Jerry Weintraub will produce, along with James Lassiter, Will Smith and Ken Stovitz from a script by Chris Murphy.

Shooting will begin next year in Beijing and other cities. While the new film will be set in that exotic locale, it will borrow elements of the original plot, wherein a bullied youth learns to stand up for himself with the help of an eccentric mentor.

Good news? Jaden Smith is a gifted actor who brings a lot to any role he plays. I’ll look forward to seeing what he does with “The Karate Kid.”

Image: Newscom

Post from: Film Gecko