Steve Carell shows Paul Rudd his collection of "mousterpieces" in "Dinner for Schmucks." PHOTO: Paramount Pics

For the first time in two months, Hollywood dish out three new releases but will audiences care? I doubt it. The biggest new release of the week is the third collaboration between comedy stars Steve Carell and Paul Rudd – the comedy “Dinner for Schmucks” which will attempt to become the first hit comedy in over a month. The other new wide releases of the weekend, the Zach Efron-weepie “Charlie St. Cloud” and “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.” are two movies no one gives a rat’s ass about. (barring hormonal teenage girls and toddlers, that is): That said, this is a pretty shitty weekend to go to the movies. Honestly, your best bet is to either check out “Inception” for the second or third time or wait a week until “The Other Guys.” Regardless, the following is your weekend preview of the major films opening in South Florida.

DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS

Directed by: Jay Roach

Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Jemaine Clement, Zach Galifianakis

Rated: PG-13 (for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT? “Dinner for Schmucks” tells the story of Tim (Paul Rudd), a guy on the verge of having it all. The only thing standing between him and total career success is finding the perfect guest to bring to his boss’ annual Dinner for Extraordinary People, an event where the winner of the evening brings the most eccentric character as his guest. Enter Barry (Steve Carell), a guy with a passion for dressing mice up in tiny outfits to recreate great works of art. From Jay Roach, director of “Meet the Parents” and “Meet the Fockers” comes an unforgettable feast about two unlikely friends and one very memorable dinner.

WHAT’S THE BUZZ LIKE? Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd are two of the funniest actors in Hollywood right now. Their collaborations have resulted in   “Anchorman” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” – two of the best comedies of the last decade. Casting the two in a remake of an acclaimed French comedy directed by Jay Roach (“Meet the Parents,” “Austin Powers”) along with Zach Galifianakis (“The Hangover”) and Jemaine Clement (“Flight of the Conchords”) should be a ready-made recipe for comedy gold right? Yea, I thought so too but after watching the movie’s trailer, which frankly, has one, maybe two laughs, I’m not so sure. Considering the talent involved in this production, “Dinner for Schmucks” may still be a good comedy but if a trailer is any indication of how funny the movie will be, then this is shaping up to be one colossal disappointment! It doesn’t help that the film isn’t tracking too well at the box office.

WHAT’S MY TAKE ON IT? “Dinner for Schmucks” may not be for everyone. It may be a little too dumb, annoying, caricature-driven and downright odd for a good chunk of moviegoers. But those who enjoy slapstick-driven comedies with outrageous characters and situations will enjoy the hell out of it. It also features what I believe to be Steve Carell’s most outrageous performance since his classic role in “Anchorman” and a bunch of clever contraptions dubbed “mousterpieces” that’ll definitely leave you talking about the film long after you’re done with it. GRADE: B+

WHAT ARE THE CRITICS SAYING? “Dinner for Schmucks” has been receiving mixed reviews. The following is a sample of the grades it has been receiving from critics around the nation.
Rotten Tomatoes: 48%; Top Critics: 50%; Average Rating: 5.8/10
Metacritic: 57/100 (Mixed or Average Reviews)

SHOULD YOU SEE IT? If you’re a fan of Steve Carell and Paul Rudd, then you’ll probably enjoy “Dinner for Schmucks.” It may not be a career-topper for either actor but it’s the best laugher playing in wide release right now (the only one I can actually recommend). Plus it’s probably the wackiest thing Steve Carell has done in ages. SEE IT.

“DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS” is now playing all across South Florida.

*****

CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE

Directed by: Brad Peyton

Starring (voices of): Bette Midler, Chris O’Donnell, James Marsden, Nick Nolte

Rated: PG (for animal action and humor)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT? In the age-old battle between cats and dogs, one crazed feline has taken things a paw too far. Kitty Galore, formerly an agent for cat spy organization MEOWS, has gone rogue and hatched a diabolical plan to not only bring her canine enemies to heel, but take down her former kitty comrades and make the world her scratching post. Faced with this unprecedented threat, cats and dogs will be forced to join forces for the first time in history in an unlikely alliance to save themselves — and their humans.

WHAT’S THE BUZZ LIKE? “Cats & Dogs” was a surprise hit in 2001 raking up more than $90 million at the domestic box office. But that was nine years ago. Those kids who watched that movie in theaters then are now all grown up watching stuff like “Iron Man 2” and “Eclipse.” Everything about this project sounds like a cash grab. Would Warner Brothers have green-lit this garbage if it weren’t for the sudden surge in popularity of 3-D? Unlikely. Regardless, it’s unlikely that many families will be spending their $13 on this one-week wonder (fingers crossed).

WHAT ARE THE CRITICS SAYING? “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore” has been receiving mostly negative reviews. The following is a sample of the grades it has been receiving from critics around the nation.
Rotten Tomatoes: 22%; Top Critics: 56%; Average Rating: 5/10
Metacritic: 30/100 (Generally Unfavorable Reviews)

SHOULD YOU SEE IT? Why? Even if you loved the first movie, there are better ways to spend your money at the movies this weekend. SKIP IT.

“CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE” is now playing all across South Florida.

*****

CHARLIE ST. CLOUD

Directed by: Burr Steers

Starring: Zac Efron, Amanda Crew, Kim Basinger, Charlie Tahan

Rated: PG-13 (for language including some sexual references, an intense accident scene and some sensuality)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT? Accomplished sailor Charlie St. Cloud (Efron) has the adoration of mother Claire (Oscar® winner Kim Basinger) and little brother Sam (newcomer Charlie Tahan), as well as a college scholarship that will lead him far from his sleepy Pacific Northwest hometown. But his bright future is cut short when a tragedy strikes and takes his dreams with it. After his high-school classmate Tess (Amanda Crew) returns home unexpectedly, Charlie grows torn between honoring a promise he made four years earlier and moving forward with newfound love. And as he finds the courage to let go of the past for good, Charlie discovers the soul most worth saving is his own.

WHAT’S THE BUZZ LIKE? “Charlie St. Cloud” was originally scheduled for another weekend this summer before Universal Pictures moved the film to the Fall. Then suddenly, when one of their tentpole movies, the science fiction thriller “The Adjustment Bureau” starring Matt Damon didn’t turn out to look like the summer blockbuster the studio anticipated it to be, they once again shuffled dates and brought “St. Cloud” up to its present date. Honestly, that’s about the most interesting element about this romantic drama which looks like a cross between “Field of Dreams” and “Ordinary People” but with Zac Efron in the lead and a tacked on romance for the tween audience. Plus the marketing for this flick has been so lackluster, I can’t help but wonder what Universal have been trying to position this flick as.

WHAT ARE THE CRITICS SAYING? “CHARLIE ST. CLOUD” has been receiving mostly negative reviews. The following is a sample of the grades it has been receiving from critics around the nation.
Rotten Tomatoes: 26%; Top Critics: 29%; Average Rating: 4.8/10
Metacritic: 38/100 (Generally Unfavorable Reviews)

SHOULD YOU SEE IT? It’s probably much better than watching “Cats & Dogs 2″ but that’s hardly praise. For now, that A-list vechicle continues to elude Efron. SKIP IT.

“Charlie St. Cloud” is now playing across all of South Florida.

*****

NEXT WEEK: The last month of the summer season kicks off with one of most anticipated, star-studded comedies of 2010: “THE OTHER GUYS.” Starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Michael Keaton and Eva Mendes among others and directed by the Adam McKay, the writer-director of “Anchorman” and “Talladega Nights,” this one is bound to be a star performer with moviegoers across the nation. Its competition comes in the form of the 3-D dance flick sequel “STEP UP in 3D,” and the first two dumping ground flicks of 2010: “MIDDLE MEN” and “TWELVE.”