Another slow week, but at least what you get is mostly fun stuff:

But first the serious one.  North Face is based on real events.  Set in 1938 as Nazi propaganda urges climbers to attempt to scale the treacherous north face of the Eiger in the Alps, two reluctant German soldiers ascend the mountain in a competition that seems fruitless, but shows the endurance and humanity of the men, for better or worse.  The climbing scenes are harsh and convincing, while the film itself is beautifully shot.

Daybreakers is a nifty switcheroo on the vampire story:  in a bleak future, vampires have taken over the world and human blood is in dangerously short supply.  Scientist Ethan Hawke must come up with an alternative, but different factions want different results, and a group of human survivors led by former vampire Willem Dafoe want  Hawke for their own purposes.  Artsy and enjoyable, if lightweight.

Legion, on the other hand, has the bang-pow quotient ratcheted up to the ceiling, but little else is going on.  One of those films that had a great trailer, but not much more going for it.  Paul Bettany and Dennis Quaid show up, but nobody’s heart is really in it.  Still, for a few interesting visuals and some quick splatter, you’re good to go.

Finally, Korean disaster movie Haeundae has been re-titled for U.S. release as Tidal Wave…which is terribly generic sounding.  But don’t let that fool you!  The film has a lot going for it, with humor, family drama and of course, massive CG tidal waves that destroy a beach-front city center.  Good times.